noviembre 17, 2022
Posted in: News Articles
En nuestro Staff Spotlight de noviembre, escuchamos a Julie Mefferd, nuestra Gerente de Servicios Administrativos y Fiscales. Julie ha trabajado en el servicio público durante más de 20 años y, antes de unirse a Ag + Open Space en 2019, trabajó para un distrito escolar del Valle Central de California como Gerente Comercial. También pasó tiempo trabajando para el condado de Stanislaus como directora de la agencia de servicios generales y agente de compras, y para el condado de Tulare como directora adjunta de servicios administrativos. Julie se graduó de la Universidad Estatal de California, Stanislaus con una Maestría en Administración de Empresas y también tiene una licenciatura de la Universidad Estatal de California, Los Ángeles en Cine y Comunicaciones. Cuando no está ocupada asegurándose de que Ag + Open Space funcione de manera eficaz y eficiente, a Julie le gusta viajar, tomar fotografías y pasar tiempo con su familia. Escuche más de Julie a continuación, donde comparte lo que la llevó a este trabajo y se sumerge en sus puntos de vista creativos sobre los sabores de helado.
What’s your favorite Sonoma County place to get outside and why?
I love so many of Sonoma County’s open spaces, parks and trails, but do I have a few favorite spots. If I need a beach day I’ll head to Pinnacle Gulch, and for a mountain day I love North Sonoma Mountain. If I’m just looking for a nice walk, the Santa Rosa Creek Trail is lovely.
What’s one fact, statistic, or interesting tidbit about land conservation that you enjoy sharing with others?
I really enjoy simply sharing about all that we do, and find it usually sparks such great conversations. Working in administration, we support the staff who are working in the trenches to conserve land. When we have opportunities to work at Park Preview Days (where folks can come explore Regional Parks that we helped create and that are in the process of being fully open to the public) or work events that we sponsor, seeing how the public reacts to our work keeps me invigorated. At our table, when people look at our Protected Lands map and recognize places that they have experienced, it is so wonderful to witness. So, what I really enjoy is hearing about others experiences with conserved lands. But, if I was pressed to share one thing, it would be that we’ve protected over 123,000 acres in Sonoma County with thousands more in the works.
What’s your proudest moment working in land conservation and why?
Seeing how our entire administrative team pulls together to keep all the balls in the air, especially when we are working on closing a project, makes me proud. We take care of so many pieces of the project that other staff within our agency don’t have to worry about. I tried to get the nickname “Space’s Braces” started for our administrative team, because we keep everything in perfect alignment so the smiles look beautiful when the projects come to fruition. The nickname didn’t stick, but that’s still how I think about the work we do – keeping everything moving so the rest of our staff can focus on working with the landowners and our communities.
What compelled you to pick a career in land conservation?
First, I needed to move to Sonoma County to be closer to my family. We all love nature and being outside, but I am by no means a trained environmental planner. I was excited when I read the job description and started researching Ag + Open Space, and it was the only job I applied for after moving here. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor and why?
On beach days I get a scoop of Black Cherry, on mountain days it’s Butter Pecan, on trail days it’s Raspberry Sherbet. Ice cream should match the time outside, and in my mind those match. It also feels good to enjoy something special to top off a nice walk or hike.