GreenWorks Announces New Strategic Direction; Leadership Transitions
Today GreenWorks is unveiling its new mission and strategic direction, which are focused on meeting the most urgent local challenges posed by the changing climate.
GreenWorks’ mission has been updated to reflect its refined emphasis on the guiding value of equity. Our new mission statement is: Asheville GreenWorks inspires, equips, and mobilizes communities to create an equitable, climate-resilient future.
We've also renewed our strategic direction. Through community engagement, GreenWorks is working to create four core impacts: community-scale climate resilience, empowered communities, systems change, and a healthy environment.
In service to a vision to create a climate-resilient community for all, GreenWorks will continue to work with communities to plant and protect trees, preserve native pollinators, clean up Asheville’s rivers and roads, reduce waste, and inspire others to get involved.
On June 2, Executive Director Dawn Chávez will depart the organization and Operations Director Eric Bradford will become Interim Executive Director Photo credit: Andy Wickstrom
The unveiling of this new strategic direction during our 50th anniversary year created a natural moment for the departure of Executive Director Dawn Chávez.
The GreenWorks Board of Directors is engaged in leadership transition planning and anticipates selecting a new executive director by January 2024. To ensure seamless stewardship of the organization while the search is underway, the board has appointed long-time Operations Director Eric Bradford as Interim Executive Director, effective June 2, 2023.
Edward Macie, chair of GreenWorks’ Board of Directors, said, “On behalf of the entire Board of Directors and the GreenWorks community at large, I want to express our sincerest thanks to Dawn for her leadership over the last eight years."
"During her time at the helm of GreenWorks, Dawn assembled an amazing staff and board of passionate, dedicated individuals. She grew the organization to a staff of eleven and tripled the budget in just a few years. She also took the lead on the organization’s urban forestry advocacy work. Dawn founded the Tree Protection Task Force, and served as a leader in its efforts to win protections for our urban trees, including passing the City’s tree protection ordinance, and encouraging city leaders to hire an urban forester, and approve funding for the Urban Forest Master Plan.”
“Most importantly, Dawn has also been a strong voice for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental field in the region,” said Macie.
Chávez said, “I’m so proud of what we have achieved together. It has been an honor to serve the GreenWorks community in Asheville and across the region, and I want to thank everyone for their passion, loyalty, and resourcefulness. Though it’s bittersweet to transition from my role as Executive Director, I want to make space for a new visionary to bring this next chapter to life. I am excited to see what’s to come for GreenWorks.”
Current Operations Director Eric Bradford is responsible for founding some of GreenWorks most popular programs, including the Trash Trout™, the TreeKeeper and StreamKeeper volunteer teams, and for establishing the tree nurseries and outreach programs that anchor GreenWorks’ urban forestry work.
“The deep community connections that Eric has developed over his 12-year tenure with the organization make him a singular choice to assume the role of interim director. While we’re excited to expand our work, we appreciate that Eric will keep us grounded in our roots,” said Macie.
“With the escalating climate crisis, it’s critical we take action to build local climate resilience. We are committed to setting a courageous and hopeful vision for the future of Asheville and the region, and then rolling up our sleeves to make sure we live that future,” said Bradford.
Chávez will conclude her service to GreenWorks on June 2 and assume the executive director role at the Environmental Leadership Program.