Join us in welcoming Marianne to the FPC team! Marianne will be supporting our development and communications efforts while our current manager Kady is on parental leave. Marianne will help us expand FPC’s capacity to do more to protect, restore, and connect people to Forest Park and we are thrilled to learn from her expertise!
If you give us a call to ask how you can support the Conservancy, you will likely chat with Marianne. So, to help you make her acquaintance we asked her a few questions:
FPC: What brought you to working here at the Forest Park Conservancy?
Marianne: I moved to Portland in 2008 and since then I have been exploring and running the trails of Forest Park. My background is in fundraising and working with non-profit organizations. I had been looking for a way to do more with the park, a place I enjoyed so much, so when my friend and board member shared the work of the conservancy with me I was very eager to get involved.
FPC: What will your work focus on while at the Forest Park Conservancy?
Marianne: I will be focusing on implementing a new membership program to support the mission of the conservancy. I am excited to work with park supporters as well as managing communications and development work this fall.
FPC: Before working at the Forest Park Conservancy, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve had?
Marianne: Previously I managed a public art project in the southern California desert with large scale installations placed in nature; combining two passions of mine: the outdoors and art.
FPC: What is your favorite quote?
Marianne: “Don’t live in a way that makes you feel dead.” –Zadie Smith
FPC: What is your personal favorite place in Forest Park? Is there a part of Forest Park that you have heard about that you want to visit?
Marianne: My favorite place in Forest Park is Lower Macleay – this is a spot of many memories for me. I love seeing families walking through this section and it has been the start of so many great runs with my friends. I enjoy beginning a run in a busier community gathering area and then disappearing deeper into the woods for more peace and solitude. I’d love to visit every trail in the park so I want to start tracking where I’ve been on a map and keep seeing new spots!
Feel free to drop Marianne a line at Marianne@forestparkconservancy.org