Staff & Board
OUR STAFF
Jill Ryan, Executive Director – Jill Ryan received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, her Master’s Degree in Zoology from the University of Maine, and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. She has a background in nonprofit management and capacity building, environmental toxicology, and human services, and has taught environmental law and legal research. Jill has held positions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Chautauqua Area Girl Scout Council, was the Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund Director for over seven years and is now the Executive Director of Freshwater Future. Jill and her family live in Jamestown, New York where they enjoy kayaking, fishing, biking, hiking, swimming, skiing and camping.
OUR BOARD
Nancy Goucher is the Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the University of Waterloo’s Water Institute. In her role, she ensures water research produced at the university is actively used and contributes to water management solutions in Canada and abroad. Previous to the University of Waterloo, Nancy worked for 10+ years to shape water policy conversations across Canada, particularly in the Great Lakes. Nancy has previously held positions at Freshwater Future, Environmental Defence and the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW). She graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Master’s degree in Planning in 2007. Her research focused on the identification of facilitating conditions for creating new knowledge and adapting to change in watershed-based organizations.
Barbara King holds a Master’s degree in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University in addition to an ecosystem management diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College. She brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and management with over 25 years of freshwater experience. Barbara was the Executive Director at Watersheds Canada until 2022. In her work, she was integral in creating action-oriented stewardship programs that become large national multi-stakeholder initiatives. Barbara is passionate about collaboration, knowledge sharing, mentorship and capacity building. Currently, Barbara is a mentor and coach at the Capacity Building Institute working with the next generation of leaders in the environmental nonprofit sector. Barbara lives on a small lake in eastern Ontario where she enjoys swimming, kayaking, hiking and spending time with friends and family.