The name: Anna Salzberg
The job: Intern coordinating with JRA and NPS on
implementing the CAJO trail
What the heck is CAJO: Captain John Smith National
Historic Water Trail
Other duties: Managing social media outputs such as JRA’s
Blog, Facebook, and Twitter portals; supporting the Envision the James project
by going on tour for community meetings up and down the watershed and providing
written content for the website; assisting with environmental education programs
for school groups along the James; working at Presquile in support of the new
Ecology School; watershed supply research in the James River watershed;
representing JRA at events by speaking to people about JRA and all that we do
as the guardian organization of the river
It has been my pleasure and privilege
to work for almost a year at JRA. I have
worked in the environmental field for many years, at a nonprofit and state
protection agency in Georgia, and a private consulting firm in Asheville, North
Carolina. I have a B.S. Environmental
Studies degree from UVM in Vermont and a MPA from Georgia State University in
Atlanta. I, therefore, feel experienced
enough to say that JRA has it together.
This nonprofit organization not only
raises enough money to feed everyone’s mouth and stay afloat, but also manages
to constantly expand the reach and capabilities as an organization by enlisting
and training people in remote places to monitor the watershed in its
entirety. I haven’t seen any waste of
resources; only efficient methods of walking the talk ― from conducting stream cleanups to
attending meetings at the Virginia General Assembly, this organization gets it
done and gets it done right. It is
amazing to me that there are only 15 people on staff, yet JRA manages to say
‘yes’ when our presence is requested at schools, conferences, meetings, stream
clean-ups, interviews, etc. This is a
YES organization.
JRA feels it can and does make a
difference. This is a DO
organization. JRA does improve the water
quality of the James; it does sit down and speaks to people about waterfront
priorities and it does include these priorities in project implementation. I have never seen a staff so educated,
motivated, and organized. I attribute
much of this to the Executive Director, Bill Street, yet the entire staff moves
as one organization. There are no
attitudes, no selfishness, and no egos.
All projects and programs are supported by the entire staff with
positive attitudes.
I have had the privilege to work closely
with the environmental education staff and I can truly say they are going to
have a profound positive effect on the next generation and the ways in which
our children view the world. Working
with children is not an easy job, but the environmental education staff
energetically takes it head on with a smile and some shine. I have seen how other agencies, organizations
and private companies look a little happier, feel a little bit better, and are
motivated a little bit more when JRA is in the house. I feel this is because this is an
organization that truly believes in its mission and inspires everyone around
them. Yes, the future is bright for JRA
and I am thankful to have been a part of it as a staff member for the past
year. I certainly plan to stay involved
with the organization and lend a hand whenever I can. I am certain the relationships I made and the
skills I acquired will prove invaluable as I move on to the PhD Public Policy
and Administrative program at VCU. I
will truly miss JRA and the staff and appreciate all time and patience awarded
me during the past year.
In closing I leave you with the top
10 reasons I will miss JRA:
- The candy dish on the office front desk,
- Wearing nice jeans to work and it being considered business casual,
- Seeing how much children still, after all this time and technology, are exhilarated by bubbles and fish painting,
- Seeing the beauty of the James―from the upper small rocky reaches to the wide tidal reaches as part of my work and research,
- Meeting with those from other agencies, such as the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that have dedicated their lives to the health and protection of the river and wildlife,
- Keeping up with all the latest environmental news to share with our watershed residents through social media,
- Seeing the excitement on our Events Assistant Coordinator’s face when she has figured out the latest website code,
- Hearing my coworker sneeze 30 times a day since she moved to Richmond from Nevada and has had allergies for over a year,
- Witnessing public speaking at its finest by the Executive Director and program managers, which only comes after years of talking to people and raising awareness at any possible moment,
- The magical coffee that I still believe is truly responsible for all of JRA’s amazing accomplishments.
Sincerely,
Anna Salzberg
Best of luck, Anna!
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