The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust seeks an inspiring leader to serve as our next Executive Director. 

For 40 years CDLT has been a trusted partner in conserving the natural lands and waters that sustain North Central Washington. With over 27,000 acres protected, strong community support, and a dedicated team of 11 staff and 14 board members, we stand ready for our next chapter. 

We seek a collaborative leader who can guide our organization through an active capital campaign supported by experienced consultants and a deeply engaged donor community, as well as upcoming strategic planning, and the evolving challenges of conservation and climate resilience in a region where dramatic landscapes, agricultural heritage, and growing communities intersect.

Read the full announcement here. 

Annual starting salary range: $115,000 - $135,000

Applications submitted by March 11, 2025 will be given full consideration. Early applications are strongly encouraged; interviewing will begin in late March/early April.

About the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust

Mission: We engage communities in conserving, caring for, and accessing the natural lands and waters that sustain North Central Washington. Vision: We envision thriving natural systems sustaining the diversity of human communities in North Central Washington.

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) works cooperatively with private landowners, regional, state, and national funders, other regional nonprofits, and local communities to ensure we are able to enjoy the benefit of the lands and waters we all love for years to come. Our approach is successful because it is collaborative, voluntary, and incentive-based.  Our work includes land and habitat conservation, education and outreach, stewardship, trails, and landowner services.

Our Location

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust stewards a landscape of dramatic transitions, where the jagged peaks of the Cascade Mountains meet the sweeping Columbia River basin, creating one of the most ecologically diverse regions in the Pacific Northwest, encompassing both alpine environments and arid shrub-steppe across Chelan and Douglas counties. The Wenatchee and Entiat Rivers carve through this landscape before joining the Columbia River, whose powerful waters have shaped both the natural environment and human history of our region for millennia. Our location has also shaped human communities: from the Indigenous peoples who first stewarded these lands, to the orchardists who transformed the valley into one of the world's premier tree fruit regions, powered by the Columbia's hydroelectric dams and irrigation networks.

Today, our region stands at another crossroads. A rapidly growing economy blends traditional strengths in agriculture and food processing with emerging sectors in technology and clean energy, while tourism and outdoor recreation continue to grow and reflect the area’s appeal.  Yet these opportunities bring challenges—our landscapes and communities face mounting pressures from climate change. The Land Trust's work has never been more vital—we serve as both guardians of these precious natural resources and bridge-builders between conservation, agriculture, and community. Our success stems from deep local support and an understanding that the future of our communities is deeply interconnected with the health of our lands and waters.

Our Guiding Principles

Through strategic planning and thoughtful reflection, we continually refine our values-based guiding principles to meet the evolving needs of our community and landscape. Below is an abbreviated list of our guiding principles. See here for a complete list. 

• A commitment to integrity, equity, and inclusion in our business and our work—with landowners, community partners, staff, donors, funders, and volunteers.

• Honoring the Indigenous peoples of our region, which lie within the traditional territories of the Wenatchi, Chelan, Entiat, Yakama, Methow, Okanogan and Moses-Columbia people. 

• Understanding the inextricable link and balance between a healthy environment and a healthy economy, and between conservation and public access. 

• Valuing the agricultural heritage of our region and the way that working lands complement our natural landscape.

• A commitment to managing our resources carefully and planning for organizational sustainability.

Our Team

Our team takes pride in making a meaningful difference through conservation, stewardship, and public access. Our staff team includes emerging professionals eager to learn and contribute alongside experienced mentors who provide valued guidance. Our board of directors and advisors bring deep commitment and valuable insights to guide our work, ensuring the long term health and vitality of the organization. United by our love of the outdoors - from hiking, biking, and skiing to outdoor photography, birding, or foraging for mushrooms- we share a genuine camaraderie that is a true highlight of working at CDLT. Through this dedication our organization consistently succeeds beyond expectations with great integrity and stands as a respected, trusted leader in our region.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

CDLT is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our management, business practices, and conservation work. We acknowledge Indigenous peoples as original stewards of these lands and actively partner with tribal nations. Our dedicated staff DEI workgroup leads monthly educational initiatives, while our Indigenous-led Conservation Workgroup guides our engagement with tribal communities. Through focused outreach and partnerships, we're expanding engagement with Latine communities, younger generations, and historically underrepresented groups to ensure our conservation work reflects and serves our region's rich cultural diversity. To learn more about the specific work we’re doing to live up to our commitment to equity, please read more here. 

For more information about the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, please visit our website: www.cdlandtrust.org 

Our Strategic Outlook

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust stands at an exciting inflection point, building on our strong financial position and foundation as a respected leader in conservation across North Central Washington. In a region where traditional agriculture meets emerging technology sectors, where world-class outdoor recreation drives both tourism and quality of life, and where population growth intersects with climate impacts, our strategic vision must be as dynamic as the landscape we serve.  

As we near completion of our 2022-2026 Strategic Plan - which advanced our climate resilience work, expanded land conservation and public access, and deepened community partnerships - we are preparing for critical initiatives that will shape our future. Our next Executive Director will guide the completion of a capital campaign already underway for a significant land acquisition and facilitate an inclusive strategic planning process that will chart CDLT's course into the future.

This combination of immediate strategic priorities and long-term visioning offers our next leader the opportunity to make a lasting impact on conservation in our region while building upon CDLT's legacy of collaborative, community-centered land protection.

Executive Director Responsibilities

The Executive Director is responsible for leadership and management of the organization, reports to the Board of Directors, manages 4 direct reports, and oversees a total staff team of 11.  In collaboration with the Board of Directors and staff team, the ED’s essential responsibilities include: 

Strategic Leadership and Vision: Guide CDLT in its next chapter, including leading the development of the organization’s next strategic plan. Balance expansion of protected lands with stewardship capacity while maintaining focus on climate resilience, conservation impact, and community engagement.

Conservation Innovation: Guide strategic conservation decisions that integrate multiple priorities including conservation and ecosystem health, climate resilience, agricultural lands, and recreation and public access. 

External Partnership Development: Lead CDLT's engagement with diverse stakeholders including individual donors and members, landowners, elected and community leaders, tribal nations, regional, state, and national funders, agricultural partners, and traditionally underserved communities. Strengthen donor relationships and lead capital campaign efforts while expanding community partnerships. 

Staff and Culture Development: Lead and mentor a talented, dedicated staff team by fostering a collaborative, supportive workplace culture of clear communication, collegiality, and trust.  Strengthen professional development opportunities, promote work-life balance, and enhance organizational systems that support staff success. 

Operational Excellence: Ensure strong organizational systems and capacity to support CDLT's growing portfolio of lands and programs, including maintaining accreditation standards. Partner effectively with the board and support committee effectiveness. Oversee sound financial management, including sustainable funding strategies for land acquisition and stewardship.

Our Ideal Executive Director

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust seeks candidates who share our mission, vision, and guiding principles.   

While we don’t expect every candidate will bring deep experience in every area, we seek an exceptional leader with demonstrated experience in these key areas:

External Partnership Development: Demonstrated experience building collegial and trust-based relationships and partnerships across diverse stakeholders, including individual donors and members, landowners, elected & community leaders, tribal nations, regional, state, & national funders, agricultural partners, and traditionally underserved communities. Experience leading capital campaigns and major donor development is highly desirable. While not required, familiarity with and existing relationships in North Central Washington or experience working in similar rural communities with a strong agricultural and outdoor recreational heritage in the Pacific Northwest, is desired.

People Leadership and Culture: A proven nonprofit leader with significant senior-level nonprofit management experience whose leadership style emphasizes collaboration, clear communication, thoughtful mentoring, trust, and the ability to develop systems that support staff success. 

Nonprofit Board Partnership Experience: Experience working effectively with nonprofit boards of directors in ways that maximize their strategic value and foster strong board-staff relationships. Experience partnering with boards on strategic planning, policy development, and board committee structures will be valuable. 

Strategic Conservation Leadership: While specific land trust experience is helpful, it is not required. However, relevant experience in natural resource conservation, climate resilience work, or related fields is highly desirable, as is the ability to build and translate a strategic vision into achievable goals while balancing multiple priorities. 

Operational and Financial Management: Experience leading nonprofit organizations at the executive level (as a former Executive Director, or other senior-level leader), building sustainable organizational systems, and managing complex budgets with diverse revenue streams.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time salaried position working within a small non-profit office environment located in downtown Wenatchee. Some remote work is possible. It requires a willingness to work some evenings and weekends and conduct occasional travel throughout the state of Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest region. 

The starting annual salary range is $115,000 - $135,000, depending on qualifications and experience. 

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust offers a competitive benefits package to its employees, including 100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plan for each employee, and an opportunity to participate in an employer-matched retirement savings plan. Employees earn up to 30 days of paid time off annually, generous paid sick leave, and paid family medical leave. 

Recognizing that our employees are best when they can take time to recharge, educate, and improve themselves, all full-time or regular part-time employees are eligible for a paid 2-month sabbatical leave after each seven consecutive years of employment.

How to Apply

Online applications only, please no email or paper submissions.  
You will be asked to upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please describe your interest in and connection to CDLT’s mission and how your experience relates to our goals, mission, and vision for the future as described in this announcement. 

Applications received by March 11, 2025 will be given full consideration; early applications are strongly encouraged!  All applications will be acknowledged via an email receipt. Interviewing is anticipated to begin in late March/early April.  

Questions regarding this opportunity are welcomed and can be directed to: julie{at}cloversearchworks.com

CDLT is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, political ideology, age, veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or any other characteristic prohibited by law.

Posting Date: February 11, 2025