Sept. 27, 2018–Yael Girard, Executive Director, Weeks Bay Foundation

Yael joined the Weeks Bay Foundation in the spring of 2015 and has been the Executive Director since June 2016.
Prior to coming to Alabama, she worked in North Carolina for the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy seeking improved farmland access. There, she was in charge of developing an Incubator Farmer program that provided farmland and guidance for young and beginning farmers to start their farm dreams.
She also worked for the Western North Carolina Alliance assisting the French Broad Riverkeeper with water quality monitoring and the management of a multi-day paddle trail.
Before starting her land conservation journey, Yael held an assortment of other jobs. This includes working as a National Park Ranger at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, guiding river rafting trips in Georgia, California and Montana, and assisting with whitewater rescue classes.