Where are they now? Kady Davis
In this edition of Where Are They Now, I interviewed Kady Davis, a development and communications intern with Crag in 2015. She is currently the Development and Communications Manager at Forest Park Conservancy, a non-profit organization that works to protect and restore Forest Park for future generations.
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in political science and moving to Portland from southern California, Kady wanted to mix things up. Kady has always wanted to work on the legal side of environmental issues which is what prompted her to search for environmental legal practices in the city. Once Kady learned about Crag and the work that they have done, she knew she had to get involved. In 2015, she reached out to Crag’s Development Director Suzanne Savell, and set up an interview to discuss volunteer opportunities. This led to a year-long internship with Suzanne assisting with Crag’s fundraising and communications.
Kady’s volunteer experience at Crag opened her eyes to a variety of different ways she could work for the environment and helped her figure out what type of work she really wanted to do. While she had moved to Portland with intentions of starting a law degree, during her internship at Crag, Kady quickly fell in love with the development side of environmental activism. This inspired Kady to change her plans for law school and instead enroll in the Masters in Public Administration program at Portland State. Now a graduate of the program, Kady is the Development and Communications Manager at Forest Park Conservancy.
“I used to think that nature can handle itself but later realized that we have had such an impact on the environment that it is our responsibility to be stewards of the land now.”
The Conservancy is dedicated to protecting and restoring Forest Park while connecting more people to the park. The conservancy recognizes that social inequities of many kinds negatively impact the ability to feel safe and enjoy the outdoors in ways meaningful to them.who may have not been traditionally invited or able to access it. Kady has been able to use many of the things she learned while working under the mentorship and support of Crag staff to achieve and implement new goals in her current position.
To find out more about Kady’s work and the Forest Park Conservancy, click here! She remains a Crag supporter as a Crag Guardian and volunteering at the annual Crag Fundraiser, Wild Shots, her favorite event. (“I love dragging a friend with me to Wild Shots now and just celebrating all the great work that has been done for the environment.”).