Great parks and healthy landscapes are the products of strong leadership. This show is dedicated to helping you become that leader.
Latest episodes
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48 min
67. Leadership meets ecology - Chris is interviewed on Outliers Edge Podcast
Back around the first of the year, I was a (co)guest on the Outliers Edge Podcast hosted by Niiamah Ashong. We discussed some of my "leadership through the lens of ecology" ideas,…
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30 min
66. History & Status of IWiLL - Iowa's Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund
There's an effort in the Iowa Senate to repeal what would be the most impactful funding mechanism for parks and conservation that has ever existed in the state of Iowa. Iowa's Wate…
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53 min
65. Whitewater rescues, lightning, bee venom and more with John Fullbright
In this episode, I chat with John Fullbright who has one of the craziest life stories of anyone I know. A lifelong adventure guide currently residing in New Mexico, he recently led…
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29 min
64. The challenge of a great mentor
Some of us are lucky enough to have great mentors in our professional lives. This is the story of one of mine. When I first became Director, I saw one of my board members, Jim Garn…
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56 min
63. The cleanest energy is that which you don't use with Kenny Oleson
I'm joined by sustainability consultant Kenny Oleson for an insightful discussion on clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability. This episode covers, among other things, t…
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59 min
62. Changing the way the world sees Iowa with Lora Friest
Lora Friest is no stranger to big goals. Early in her career, she played a key role in the state's largest watershed project - an effort to clean up the Upper Iowa River. Now as a…
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52 min
61. Observation to inspiration - exploring the innate draw of people to natural areas with Zach Hall
Warren County Conservation Director Zach Hall isn't afraid to explore the more esoteric side of our industry. After chatting with him at a conference this summer, I knew I wanted t…
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48 min
60. Goats as a natural resource management tool with Jeremy Yost
The fight against invasive species seems to never end. Natural resource managers need to deploy every tool possible to stay ahead of the game (or catch back up, as the case may be)…
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25 min
59. Adam Shirley - Updates from the CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System
After a couple month hiatus, Parks and Restoration is back! In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCou…
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38 min
58. Re-wilding the city yard with Samuel Hollingsworth
I've heard that turfgrass is the most widely cultivated "crop" in the world. But at what value, and more importantly, at what cost? In my community is a self-taught ecologist that…
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49 min
57. Balancing natural resources and park development
Where is the balance between conserving natural resources and developing park amenities? This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recen…
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47 min
56. Iowa's largest river cleanup event - Project AWARE
This year, Project AWARE will pull its 1,000,000th pound of trash from Iowa's rivers...with volunteers in canoes! In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project…
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57 min
55. Leadership through the lens of...fishing? A chat with Michael Leytem from Catching Leadership
In this episode, I chat with Michael Leytem, leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the book, "Catching Leadership" which draws parallels between fishing and leadership. Wha…
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39 min
54. Leadership through the lens of history with Sean Stewart
Today the podcast goes international. Sean Stewart, currently based in Berlin, leverages the power of history and applies it to leadership development. He helps uncover the invalua…
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38 min
53. Jessica DeAngelo - The power of trail hikes for developing business and leadership skills
Jessica DeAngelo helps corporate leaders and entrepreneurs develop clear and actionable business strategies using a powerful tool: the hiking trail. A self-proclaimed "hiking busin…
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16 min
52. Be Proactive - the last element of the 5-P Framework for better organizational cultures
This is the final of five leadership-focused mini-episodes where I discuss the elements of my framework: The 5-P's of thriving organizations. This one is all about being proactive…
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31 min
51. Process - a leadership-focused mini-episode
This is the fourth of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Cultu…
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1 h 01
50. Dan Cohen - Insights from 38 years in county conservation
*There was a glitch in the original upload that cut the audio off at about 18 minutes. That's fixed now so you can now hear the whole episode. In Iowa's county conservation system,…
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33 min
49. Perspective - a leadership-focused mini-episode
This is the third of five mini-episodes I will post focused on leadership and organizational culture. Through these episodes, I discuss my framework, the 5-P's of a Thriving Cultur…
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1 h 08
48. They say young people don't want to work, DeWitt Boyd from Conservation Corps knows better
As Iowa's leader of the Conservation Corps of Iowa & Minnesota, DeWitt Boyd leads an organization that employs young people in low-paying, term-based positions. Yet I have seen fir…