An Invitation: Help Envision DCC’s Future
By Erica Watson
When Denali Citizens Council commemorated its 50th anniversary earlier this year, past and current board members, volunteers, and friends of DCC shared reflections of the accomplishments and strategies of the last five decades. Past board member, conservationist, and local powerhouse Jerri Cole recalled hosting meetings that turned into sleepovers at her house on Deneki Lake, and Linda Franklin, who served on the DCC board in the 1990s, recalled meeting Jerri at those meetings, and looking to her as a mentor. Nancy Bale spoke of the importance not only of successful outcomes – which are far from guaranteed – but of holding a line: against leasing state land for coalbed methane, or loosely enforced traffic limits on the park road, or harmful, anti-science hunting practices.
While many of DCC’s members have remained involved – donating time, money, and knowledge to the organization’s work to protect the ecological integrity of Denali National Park and the surrounding region – many of them have since moved away. Current board members don’t live year-round in the borough. This means they might not have ready access to current local concerns, and rely on others to share information. The board is seeking new perspectives and insights from younger community leaders, as well as volunteers to fill vacant board seats. “We need you,” Charlie Loeb, then board president, told the audience at the conclusion of the anniversary panel discussion, acknowledging that without increased local involvement, DCC faces existential challenges.
I haven’t been actively involved in DCC since I left the board after two terms ending in 2017, but a few moments from the conversations at DCC’s 50th events stuck with me. When Jerri Cole spoke of the need for new engagement and local dynamic involvement, she said, “a paradigm shift is needed.” Those words carry a lot of weight when spoken by someone with such longevity in the community and in this organization. I also thought of a 50th anniversary newsletter I read from another Alaska conservation organization several years ago (forgive me for forgetting which one) written by a staff person who also turned 50 that year (if you’re the writer and you read this, let me know!). Paraphrasing, they wrote that a lot can be done in 50 years, some of it you can be proud of, some of it you now wish you’d done differently, and some that hasn’t yet fully played out. And 50 isn’t too late to change course, to recognize that what once served you no longer does. It can be a powerful place from which to balance reflection and visioning.
I approached the DCC board with an offer to take on some of the work of determining what a new era might look like. I did this not because I have the answers, but because I truly believe in community organizing, and in the Denali region’s power to bring people together. The Denali community has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. Local issues often reflect national or global paradigms, and it’s difficult to know where energies are best focused. These are unprecedented times, and we are inventing a way forward together.
Over this winter, DCC will be working on a strategic visioning process, which is one way to talk about the process of determining where DCC goes from here. Who is the organization in 2024-5, what are its values, and who are the people who can work towards policies that express those values? What does the Denali community envision for our future – ten, fifty, or one hundred years from now? Are there structural changes to how DCC works that could more effectively meet its goals? I’m hoping to speak with many of you – longtime (or former) members and supporters, occasional virtual lurkers with insights into Alaska conservation politics, and folks working with other local or statewide organizations DCC might partner with – and integrate your perspectives into this vision.
What I am offering to our conversations: A background in Alaska conservation communications, a working knowledge of the advocacy landscape, 20 years as part of the Denali community, a commitment to intersectional organizing and creative collaborations, and an interest in nurturing local advocacy as it evolves alongside the Denali community.
What I hope to hear from you: Candid, honest perspectives on the issues that matter to you, and how you see them playing out locally. What you think DCC has done well in the past, and where the organization might have lost you. What work you’re already doing to shape Denali’s future, and what kinds of partnerships might help. How you see government agencies, nonprofits, and commercial interests interacting in this small community. What you think a community conservation organization like DCC should be doing, and how you might want to be involved.
If you’d like to be part of the conversation, please reach out by email to me directly at erica.robin.watson (at) gmail.com. Note that I’ll be unavailable for the month of October, but will be in touch in early November about a time we can connect in person, by phone, or by Zoom.
I look forward to hearing from you, and thank you to those who have already offered your time.
