Sierra Nevada Alliance

Annual Report Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 2020 Virtual Conference took place September 10th - 11th, 2020. The two-day conference featured panels and workshops led by Sierra conservation leaders and outside the region experts, including keynote speaker and newly elected Board member Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation. This year’s theme, “A 2020 Vision for the Sierra Nevada”, gave attendees the opportunity to reflect on the current state of the economy and Covid-related environmental impacts, engage in conversation focused on diverse community priorities related to the Sierra, and crafted a collaborative plan that will guide our collective conservation work. Alumni Board This year marked the 13th SNAP cohort for the Alliance. Since 2007, 340 SNAP members have served at over 40 Sierra conservation organizations and agencies. During the 2019-20 SNAP year, the first SNAP Alumni Advisory Board was established. The goals of the Committee were to create a community of past and present SNAP members, provide professional and personal support to SNAP members during service and transition after, as well as to build sustainable partnerships to advocate for diverse participation in our SNAP program. The Board consisted of 3 Alliance staff members, 10 SNAP Alumni, and 5 current SNAP members. A guiding document was created based and is being used to distinguish roles within the Committee and Subcommittees. Over the course of the year, the Alliance completed an Alumni contact database that invited folks to connect with our network via the Alumni page on the Alliance’s new website. Alumni are able to update their contact information and access resources on National & Community Service Alumni information, how to use the Segal Education Award, the Alliance Job Board, and the SNAP Alumni Facebook Group. In September 2019, Alumni were invited to a SNAP graduation gathering in South Lake Tahoe to reconnect and network with freshly graduated members. In February 2020, SNAP members and regional Alumni gathered for a Happy Hour event in Nevada City. Both current and past members were able to volunteer and enjoy the South Yuba River Citizen Leagues’ Wild and Scenic Film Festival. Members of the Advisory Board continued to take a role in the 2019-2020 SNAP term, holding a grad school panel, participating on our DEI workshops series, supporting SNAP recruitment interviews and offering feedback on current members’ resumes. The coming year offers even more opportunities for member mentorship and innovative virtual gatherings. During these unprecedented SNAP terms, the Alumni Advisory Board will offer wisdom and support to current members adapting to their new work environments. Community Engagement Program… cont. 6