Darden Board Fellow: Jake Cargal-Bley!
We have another new fellow that is helping us achieve our goals: a Darden Board Fellow! Jake Cargal-Bley is currently studying at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and will serve on our board for one year. During his time on NVCT’s board, Jake will work on a project to help us build capacity to accomplish more impactful conservation work in Northern Virginia.
Are you from the area? If not, where did you grow up?
“I’m from Seattle and moved to Northern Virginia about three years ago. I was working remotely for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and decided I wanted to be in the office.”
Can you tell me about the program you’re a part of and your background?
“I’m a part of the Golub Board Fellows Program; its intention is to get MBA students exposed to nonprofit governance at the board level and apply skills and techniques learned in class.”
While with us, Jake will complete a deliverable to improve an area of NVCT’s administrative work, such as marketing plans, fundraising analysis, or programmatic evaluations. This may sound boring to some, but to Jake it’s his bread and butter.
“My professional background is in program performance, evidence, and risk analysis- basically, any system in an organization that seeks to optimize an outcome. I studied Political Science in undergrad, then program administration, and the connection to where I am now is that I realized that large change happens at the institutional level, and impact for good can be maximized. I’m interested in how organizations have an impact on whatever their domain or their mission area is. I feel that fundamentally that's a question of can you prioritize well? Can you manage your resources well?”
What brought you to pick NVCT as the organization you serve on?
“A big part of my work at USDA was the land conservation portfolio. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has massive programs for conserving farmland and grassland; my department budgeted and measured impact for the programs and services provided. NVCT felt like a continuation of that work on a local level. I live in Northern Virginia. I can see the development pressure, I can see the green space, and I know what I personally value, so I think it marries up that professional element and the personal one in a nice way.”
Can you describe your relationship with nature?
“I grew up in the Pacific Northwest around water, mountains, and forests. I valued it a lot, especially when I lived in places where nature like that is scarce. For me, it's realizing that this isn't something that just exists by default. It's a product of choices and a product of efforts of people in a community to say that they value something and are going to take steps to protect it."
Do you have any outdoor areas you frequent or like in Northern Virginia?
“In terms of where I hang out, it’s definitely Holmes Run and Ben Brenman Park. Overall, Shenandoah is definitely up there.”
What are you looking to learn from this fellowship? What interests you most about NVCT?
“Firstly, I want to get to know the board and culture. There’s a massive opportunity to learn from them given the diversity of expertise. Second, to see all the different ways that NVCT is conserving land in Northern Virginia. I got to go to the Terborgh Terrace Garden and volunteer a couple of weeks ago. I’m excited to see more ways that working with NVCT changes my surroundings for the better.”
Jake described his interest in planningpublic open spaces for recreation or community gathering. “The thing that interests me most is how you connect community outreach and fundraising on one side to the land conservation work. You want your conservation successes to have the most positive effect in a community.”
Jake has already hit the ground running by meeting our entire staff and board. We’re happy to have him and hope to inspire him to continue working to save land wherever he lands next!
Comments