It’s hard to believe how much we have accomplished in just six short years. I think back to the decision I made when I left State service to take the helm at Splash back in October 2019. I was beyond nervous but also filled with excitement. Who would have been able to predict that within six months of accepting the job, the entire country would shut down!
In March 2020, I remember thinking, How will I be able to keep this organization running, let alone grow the organization, when all our customers are not at school? It was a challenging time for many, but at Splash, it was also a time for me to be visionary. During COVID, a small group of us developed our Youth Environmental Leadership Camp, which started back in 2021. Without that time, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such an audacious dream of creating a camp that shows 6th and 7th graders more than 100+ jobs in science and sustainability, on top of getting them civically engaged in their communities.
We have been able to form many new and deeper partnerships, thinking back to the beginning of my time when I was in a van traveling around with then the head of Policy and Planning for Sacramento Area Sewer District, Christoph Dobson (who’s now the District’s General Manager) and Bufferlands Manager of 30+ years, Bryan Young, we were envisioning what a program would look like at the Historic Nicholas Dairy. Fast forward to now: we are in our fourth field trip season on the dairy, and we have brought over 25,500 students on field trips!
All the while, we have grown new programs like our latest program in partnership with Republic Services, where we are teaching kids the importance of waste education and how to sort their trash properly. We have grown our municipal partnerships to provide even more field trips, and we have partnered with Sacramento Valley Conservancy to connect students to their Kassis Vernal Pool Complex.
We couldn’t have grown our revenues 4X without the support of the many loyal and new donors we have had the pleasure of working with over the years! I have never faltered on my mission in leading Splash, and that is to ensure ALL KIDS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN OUTSIDE! That they can feel connected to our natural world and know how to be good stewards to protect our wild places. Thank you for supporting Splash and me; it’s truly a dream to lead this excellent staff that we have.
Although I am the CEO, I would be nothing without all the passionate and diehard Splash staff who show up to walk in the same vision and mission I do. Thank you for allowing me to continue living and leading in this dream. The pleasure is all mine.
