By Andrew Dawson
30 for Thirty #10

I was a student board member during the 2004/2005 school year. That is, I was an environmental science student at WWU, somehow heard about this program, applied, and was given the opportunity for one year to sit on NSEA’s Board of Directors.

Fly Fishing on the North Fork Nooksack River

I chose NSEA because I really wanted to help our local salmonid populations, connect with my community, and learn more about environmental efforts to preserve our natural world.

I learned that the most important entity in adulthood is community. I saw where NSEA was faced with major challenges in how to retain its amazing, talented staff while having the monumental effort of raising funds to complete the salmon restoration efforts we were engaged in. The pressures brought on by rising health insurance costs, economic ups/downs, and the rise in the cost of living were huge pressures and NSEA made choices that we on the board really felt were best for the well being of the employees and their families. It was awesome to see that the board at NSEA truly cared about their employees as that is what made up NSEA, the caring and dedicated people who made the mission statement a reality. As a person just setting out in the big world, with very little guidance, it showed me that there are people out there who cared about each other. It still warms my heart and fills my soul 18 years later.

NSEA gave me the confidence to not be afraid to strive for more. It also got me plugged into the major concerns and threats the local salmonid populations are facing. I later graduated WWU and twice worked for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. NSEA’s name came up both times during the interview [and at other job interviews] all with positive responses and I felt a sense of pride/accomplishment being able to say I was a part of NSEA.