Headwaters Fund is seeking board members
I recently took a job working for Humboldt County as an economic development coordinator. As part of my role, I work as a staff to the Headwaters Fund Board of Directors. Before this role, I served many years as a board member on the Headwaters Fund Board, so I will use this opportunity to share a little about the Headwaters Fund and what I got out of it to serve the community. We also happen to be in the middle of Headwaters Fund Board member recruitment, so this is the perfect time to share.
The Headwaters Fund name came from the Headwaters Forest, and it is made up of 7,500 acres of old-growth redwood groves. The location of the Headwaters Forest is essential as it is stretched along two creeks in the Humboldt Bay watershed, Salmon Creek and Elk River. Originally they were on private timberland owned by Pacific Lumber Company and later Maxxam Corp. Now, you can access the Headwaters Forest’s old-growth groves on the Elk River Trail in Eureka and with a guide from the Bureau of Land Management on the Salmon Creek access in Fortuna.
We have some great history on our website GoHumCo. com where we talk about the “Redwood Summer” of 1990. It paints a complete picture of those who came together to save some of our redwood forests, to protect the land, and then the detriment of losing some of the redwood forest resources for some Humboldt County families dependent on the logging, trucking, and families reliant on the sawmills. Thanks to our local, state and federal governments leaders, the land was purchased and protected in 1999. As a result of the forest land becoming public and preserved, a settlement agreement awarded Humboldt County with $18 million to be used for economic prosperity and quality of life for all Humboldt residents. County staff worked with citizens to make recommendations for the long-term management and use of the funds. In December 2002, the Board adopted a final Headwaters Fund Charter that outlined the purpose and structure of the Fund.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to apply to be on the Headwaters Fund Board of Directors. I consulted with one of our Fortuna City Councilman, and he was so excited to have Fortuna represented at a County level and encouraged me to apply. So I filled out the application, updated my resume, and submitted my application to the County of Humboldt. I had one great interview with some of the county’s leadership, and I knew based on the level of questions, it was clear of the importance if selected, on my commitment based on the interview questions that had been prepared. Thoughtful questions about my intentions for joining, understanding of the fund, expertise on community boards, understanding the Brown Act, and the time availability for commitment to this Board. I felt honored to be selected by the Board of Supervisors to serve on this
We have some great history on our website GoHumCo.com where we talk about the “Redwood Summer” of 1990. It paints a complete picture of those who came together to save some of our redwood forests, to protect the land, and then the detriment of losing some of the redwood forest resources...
board. If you are considering applying for boards, especially a board like the Headwaters Fund, I encourage you to do a lot of research. I sat with the executive director for a 2-hour line-by-line tutorial of just the charter when I was selected. Later we blocked off two more hours to review the manuals on lending and grants. I was also given a grand jury report review and past annual reports to get up to speed. It was a little intimidating but fascinating at the same time. Over the years, we did a minor Headwaters restructuring, added more staff, stopped granting for a small window, opened it back up again, completed a 10-year commitment of granting, supported new as well as established county nonprofits, and built more robust partnerships with our lending agencies.
The Headwaters Fund has been rewarding for me, and I encourage you to do your research of the local boards, read the history, and volunteer if you have the time to commit. The connections I’ve made, the information I’ve learned, and my ability to serve the county utilizing the Headwaters Fund have been rewarding for me.