That's exactly what's possible with a few small mindset shifts. The Great Outdoors Foundation is proof.

In this episode, Chris sits down with Hannah Inman, Executive Director of the Great Outdoors Foundation, the nonprofit partner to Polk County Conservation that has grown from a scrappy, volunteer-led support group into one of the most impactful conservation philanthropies in the Midwest. To date, the organization has deployed over $250 million toward conservation, water quality, and outdoor recreation, including over $100 million raised for the ICON Water Trails project alone.

Hannah shares the three critical inflection points that transformed the foundation, the mindset shift that made it all possible, and what parks and conservation professionals at every level can learn about building donor relationships, scaling a nonprofit, and removing the barriers that keep great conservation projects stuck on a shelf.

The conversation also gets practical, with specific advice for foundations at three different stages: just getting started, stagnant and in need of new life, and ready to launch.

This episode is the recording of a live virtual call with members of the Next Level Leadership Community in attendance. Be a part of future conversations by joining the community at ParksandRestoration.com.

Key topics:

• The three inflection points that turned a volunteer-led friends group into a $250 million organization
• Why "a 501c3 is a tax status, not a business plan" and what that means for how you operate
• The Conservation Acceleration Fund: $9 million deployed, $44 million in leveraged funds
• How to think about fundraising as relationship alignment, not sales
• How to approach corporate donors when you have no existing relationship
• Recommendations for foundations at three stages: starting, stagnant, and ready to scale
• Why the biggest pitfall right now might be being too risk-averse
• How AI could actually help a small foundation leap ahead faster than ever before

Resources mentioned:

• Great Outdoors Foundation 
• Happy Disruptors Podcast
• ICON Water Trails
• Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

About Parks and Restoration Podcast

The Parks and Restoration Podcast is for parks and conservation professionals who want to become better leaders, because better leadership creates better ecosystems, stronger teams, and more meaningful impact. Learn more at: ParksandRestoration.com

The conversation draws rich parallels between organizational culture and ecological systems. Just like a prairie is not “done” after one prescribed burn, culture improvement is never finished. It’s an infinite game: ongoing, intentional, and worth every bit of effort.

Brett shares the origin story of Better Culture, rooted in his father’s work building QLI, a catastrophic rehabilitation center in Omaha that became a five-time best place to work. Their employee engagement scores were so high that national auditors flew in suspecting fraud. From those foundations, Brett unpacks what it really takes to build a culture where people want to show up, do great work, and stay.

This episode is the recording of a live virtual call with members of the Next Level Leadership Community in attendance. Join in future conversations by joining the community at ParksandRestoration.com.

Key topics:

• Why culture directly impacts profit, safety, turnover, and quality of life (not just “vibes”)
• Where executives, middle managers, and individual contributors should each start
• The concept of “you bring the weather” and why how you show up every day matters more than you think
• The 7 Principles of Leadership Brett’s father developed in 1991 and why they still work across every industry
• Why measurement is not the most important part of culture improvement (and what is)
• How to deal with the “invasive species” on your team and why high-frequency feedback is the key
• Why strengthening your appreciation muscle is the single best place to start as a new leader

Resources mentioned:

• Better Culture - betterculture.com
• Better Culture Live - Leadership conference, September 23-24, 2026 in Omaha/Bellevue, Nebraska
• Mindset Leadership Program - betterculture.com/mlp
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

About Parks and Restoration Podcast

The Parks and Restoration Podcast is for parks and conservation professionals who want to become better leaders, because better leadership creates better ecosystems, stronger teams, and more meaningful impact.

Learn more at: ParksandRestoration.com

Nick shares how a career arc that began with childhood fishing trips and a breathtaking first barn owl sighting led him through Birdlife International, fieldwork in the Pacific, and eventually back to the UK to build Conservation Careers — a global platform now serving over 1.2 million visitors annually and listing some 50,000–60,000 jobs per year.

The conversation covers the surprising parallels between barn owl foraging energetics and how we think about habitat corridors, what employers around the world are actually struggling to find in conservation job candidates (hint: it's not technical skills), and why the sector may need to look outside its own ranks to grow its impact. Chris and Nick also dig into leadership development, the value of coaching over training, and why self-awareness might be the most underrated career skill in conservation.

Topics covered:

• How Conservation Careers grew from a side hustle to a global platform
• The barn owl research behind Nick's PhD — and what it teaches us about habitat connectivity
• What the Lower Derwent Valley nature reserve model looks like compared to US public lands
• Why soft skills and professional skills matter more than employers let on
• Bringing non-conservation professionals into the sector — and integrating them well
• The case for entrepreneurial, commercial thinking in NGOs and nonprofits
• Rewilding success stories, including the Knepp Estate and Isabella Tree's book Wilding
• Nick's one piece of advice for aspiring conservation leaders

Resources mentioned:

• Conservation Careers
• Wilding by Isabella Tree
• Birdlife International
• The Knepp Estate rewilding project

About Parks and Restoration Podcast

The Parks and Restoration Podcast is for parks and conservation professionals who want to become better leaders—because better leadership creates better ecosystems, stronger teams, and more meaningful impact.

Learn more at: ParksandRestoration.com

This episode is the meetup Chris hosted with Dr. Kathleen Allen, author of Leading from the Roots, and it explores a completely different way of thinking about leadership—one grounded not in control, hierarchy, or efficiency… but in nature.

Kathleen’s work focuses on regenerative leadership—designing organizations that function more like ecosystems than machines. And as you’ll hear, the implications are massive.

Key topics:

• Why treating organizations like machines creates burnout, silos, and dysfunction
• The shift from extractive systems to regenerative ones—and why it matters
• How a simple change in perspective (seeing people as living systems) transforms culture instantly
• Why most org charts are backwards—and what a “tree-based” org structure reveals
• The three stages of ecosystem development—and how they map directly to organizations
• Why diversity and relationships—not control—create resilience
• What distributed leadership actually looks like in practice (and why it works)
• How organizations unintentionally create fragility through efficiency and monoculture thinking

One of the biggest takeaways:
If your system is producing poor outcomes, the answer isn’t to push people harder—it’s to redesign the system.

This conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, culture, and even success itself.

Connect with Dr. Kathleen Allen:
Website: KathleenAllen.net
Email: keallen1@charter.net

About Parks and Restoration:
Parks and Restoration is the podcast for park and conservation professionals who want to lead better—by building stronger teams, healthier organizations, and more impactful work. Through real-world stories and practical insights, we explore how to create environments where both people and ecosystems can thrive.

In this episode, Chris is joined by Des Moines County Conservation’s Environmental Education Manager, Marcus Nack, for a conversation about workplace culture, leadership, and the kind of organizational ecosystem that makes people want to stay, grow, and do their best work. The discussion starts with a real example: an intern who came to the team looking for clarity and left saying, “I want to do this forever.” From there, Chris and Marcus unpack what creates that kind of environment—and why great culture is never an accident.

Marcus shares his own path into conservation and environmental education, from growing up in suburban Illinois and hunting with his dad in Wisconsin, to college, grad school, camp leadership, and eventually landing in southeast Iowa during the chaos of 2020. Along the way, he reflects on the experiences that shaped his leadership style and why fun, play, reflection, and emotional awareness matter more than most managers realize.

The conversation also explores the overlap between leadership and ecology—a theme longtime listeners will recognize. Chris and Marcus talk about how creating a thriving workplace is a lot like creating habitat: when people feel supported, energized, and safe to grow, better outcomes follow. They also dig into Marcus’s approach to leading the education team, including how he uses reflection, after-action reviews, and curiosity instead of blame to help people improve.

They also touch on Marcus’s new podcast, Paid Time Outdoors (find it on YouTube and Facebook), which explores how people choose to spend the time they work so hard to earn. It’s a fun side conversation, but one that ties right back into the episode’s bigger point: people thrive when they stay connected to what gives them energy.

A few takeaways from this episode:
A great workplace is built on trust, fun, and genuine human connection—not just productivity.
Reflection matters. Teams improve faster when they regularly ask what worked, what didn’t, and what they can do better next time.
Play is not a distraction from growth. It’s often how growth happens.

About Parks and Restoration:
Parks and Restoration is the podcast for parks and conservation professionals who want to be better leaders for their teams, agencies, and communities. Through conversations on leadership, culture, personal growth, and the work of conservation, the show helps listeners build healthier organizations and more meaningful careers. Learn more at ParksandRestoration.com.

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into a pressure most parks and conservation leaders feel right now: the growing expectation to put a dollar value on everything—habitat work, land protection, restoration, even species existence. There’s usefulness in ecosystem services and economic arguments… but there are also real limitations (and risks) when money becomes the only language we speak.

Discussion points:

• Why “ecosystem services” keeps showing up in conservation conversations—and hiring interviews
• The core tension: Does nature need to serve humans to be worth protecting?
• A real-world example: wind energy vs. endangered bats—and how messy “value” gets in practice
• The bald eagle recovery story (and the Rachel Carson backlash) as a reminder that this debate isn’t new
• What we lose when a species disappears: the hidden ecological relationships we don’t even understand yet (passenger pigeon + oak savannas)
• A better approach than arguing abstract philosophy: local knowledge + relentless storytelling
• Why good stewardship starts with intimate knowledge of place—and using your community’s “amateur experts” (birders, herpers, photographers, banders)
• The Hitchcock/Loess Hills example: removing fence lines to reconnect prairies isn’t just a “project”—it’s landscape-scale restoration people can see
• Bringing it full circle: you may still need to write grants and justify budgets, but the deeper case is about connection, continuity, and responsibility

Join the Next Level Leadership Community at ParksandRestoration.com for invites to upcoming live virtual meetups including:

• Dr. Kathleen Allen, author of Leading from the Roots
• Dr. Nick Askew, UK-based host of the Conservation Careers podcast that explores wildlife conservation internationally.

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is the podcast for parks and conservation professionals who want to lead better—building strong teams, healthier cultures, and thriving public lands. Hosted by Chris Lee (Des Moines County Conservation) and Jeremy Yost (Pottawattamie County Conservation).

This week Chris and Jeremy unpack “What got you here won’t get you there” through an ecological lens. Just like trees drop their leaves to grow stronger roots, next-level leaders let go of mindsets that once worked but now hold their teams back. They share 10 practical mindset shifts to help you move from output to impact, from control to clarity, and from extraction to regeneration. They cover a lot, so grab the free PDF summary here.

Key takeaways

• Hustle → Balance: Model boundaries and build sustainable energy, don’t extract it.

• Me → Team: Your success scales when theirs does.

• Competition → Cooperation: Mature systems (and great orgs) run on partnership and win-win.

• Work → Culture: When the culture is healthy, results follow without you being the bottleneck.

• Tradition → Flexibility: Policies guide; leaders adapt (like shifting burn seasons for better outcomes).

• Control → Clarity & Trust: State leader’s intent—what “done” looks like—then empower execution.

• Correcting → Coaching: Develop people with questions, reps, and feedback, not just directives.

• Answers → Better Questions: Context matters; ask “Why do you ask?” before solving.

• Perfection → Progress: Ecosystems—and organizations—are never “done.” Ship, learn, iterate.

• Habit → Intentionality: Step back, scan for drift, and prune what no longer serves.

If you’re moving from individual contributor to leader (or leveling up as a leader), these shifts are the difference between a tired team and a thriving one. Listen in to trade short-term output for long-term impact—and walk away with tools you can use immediately.

About Parks & Restoration

Parks & Restoration is the show for parks and natural resource professionals who want to be better leaders for their organizations, communities, and the lands and waters they steward. Every other Tuesday, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost share practical strategies—grounded in ecology and culture-building—to help you become the leader your team needs.

Join the Next Level Leadership community at parksandrestoration.com for bi-weekly insights, free tools like the Team Energy Audit, and invites to exclusive meetups.

Subscribe, leave a review, and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube by searching “Parks and Restoration Podcast.”

From managing cedars in prairies to reducing meetings and programs in the workplace, the guys connect ecological energy management to the way we lead our teams. They share practical ways to apply subtraction—cutting busywork, saying no to non-mission-critical projects, and empowering others to do the same—so you and your team can focus on what truly matters.

• Do less to accomplish more.A 50% reduction in oak density produced a 65% increase in acorns. The same principle applies to our work and leadership.

• Manage energy by what you remove.Just as ecologists remove cedars to let sunlight reach native prairie plants, leaders can remove bureaucracy, busywork, and distractions to free up their people’s energy.

• Clarity through subtraction.Jim Collins’s Stop Doing List and Greg McKeown’s Essentialism both remind us that great organizations get clear on what not to do, freeing focus for the work that truly drives their mission.

• Nature and leadership run on the same rules.Whether thinning forests or cutting unproductive projects, subtraction creates the conditions for new growth and stronger ecosystems—natural or organizational.

“We always think productivity comes from adding more initiatives, more committees, more goals. But often, the real productivity gains come when we thin the stand.” — Chris Lee

“In the prairie, the plants you want are already there. You just have to remove what’s stifling them. The same goes for people.” — Jeremy Yost

“When leaders focus on subtraction, they free people up to do the work they were hired and inspired to do.” — Chris Lee

How you can apply these lessons:

• Get clear on the "WHY" Work with your team to determine what's truly important.

• Do a “timber cruise” of your priorities.Identify projects, meetings, and reports that drain energy without creating value or contribute to mission.

• Create a Stop-Doing List.For every new “to-do,” remove something that doesn’t advance your mission.

• Audit meetings and processes.Eliminate or consolidate recurring meetings with no clear outcomes.

• Empower people to say no.Build a culture where questioning nonessential work is encouraged and rewarded, not punished.

• Experiment.Try subtracting something for a quarter. You can always add it back—but you’ll likely discover you don’t need to.

Resources:

• Brooke et al. (2019): Effects of fertilization and thinning on acorn production in upland oak stands.

• Leidy Klotz – Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less

• Jim Collins – Good to Great

• Greg McKeown – Essentialism

---

About Parks and Restoration

Better leaders. Better parks.

Parks and Restoration is THE show for current and rising leaders in the parks, conservation, and natural resource professions. Every two weeks, you get new episodes that explore key leadership concepts and how they apply to you and your team.

Great parks and healthy lands and waters are the products of strong leadership. We aim to help you become that leader.

Join the movement (and the email list) at ⁠www.ParksandRestoration.com⁠

In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost tackle an uncomfortable truth: the very passion that drives us to protect parks and natural resources might be slowly destroying us. They introduce the CARE Framework—a practical approach to wellbeing that every conservation professional needs to hear.

Through research-backed insights and personal stories (including Jeremy's two-month journey off energy drinks and Chris's sleep transformation), they explore how:

• Connection combats the isolation that might be your biggest occupational hazard
• Activity differs from "work movement" and sustains long-term health
• Rest functions as performance time, not just recovery
• Eating well becomes the fuel that makes or breaks your leadership effectiveness

If you've ever worked through lunch to finish a trail project, skipped vacation during burn season, or stayed late writing grants while telling yourself it's dedication, this conversation will show you why taking care of yourself is actually strategic leadership.

Be part of the conversation!

How do you prioritize wellbeing in this demanding field? What strategies work (or don't work) for you? Send us your insights and experiences at www.ParksandRestoration.com.

Chapters00:00 The Hidden Crisis in Conservation04:16 The CARE Framework Introduction05:03 Connection: Why Isolation is Dangerous16:18 Activity: Moving Beyond Work Movement25:23 Rest: Sleep as Performance Time36:23 Eat: Fueling Your Leadership48:06 Wellbeing as Strategic Leadership57:21 Putting CARE Into Practice

About Parks and Restoration

Better leaders. Better parks.

Parks and Restoration is THE show for current and rising leaders in the parks, conservation, and natural resource professions. Every two weeks, you get new episodes that explore key leadership concepts and how they apply to you and your team.

Great parks and healthy lands and waters are the products of strong leadership. We aim to help you become that leader.

Join the movement at www.ParksandRestoration.com

Whether you're bringing on seasonal staff or full-time hires, this episode breaks down the three essential functions of onboarding—belonging, purpose, and clarity—and offers practical, field-tested strategies to help new team members thrive from day one.

In this episode, I talk again with Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Tech in Pottawattamie County, IA about their experience using goats as a natural resource management tool.

While they're no silver bullet, goats can be effective when utilized as part of a multifaceted effort to restore native landscapes. Listen in to learn how.

We discuss the often-overlooked importance of mindfulness and self-reflection for leaders. Michael discusses the value of embracing paradoxes in leadership, the wisdom from the Tao Te Ching, and the eight timeless lessons for mindful leadership from his second book, "Keep Your Head in the Wind." We also get an inside look at Michael's unique leadership retreats, which combine psychology, group coaching, and fly fishing to promote connection and authenticity. We discuss how outdoor experiences and mindfulness can enhance personal and professional growth, improve focus, and cultivate effective leadership.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this episode offers valuable insights into nurturing well-being and leading with intentionality. For more information on Michael Leytem's work, visit catchingleadership.com.

This one is all about perspective and how we as leaders need to see the big picture (landscape view) and the small details (microclimate view) simultaneously.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me through the comment form at www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

A big thanks to ⁠⁠Bolton & Menk⁠⁠ for sponsoring these leadership episodes. To learn more about those guys and how they're focused on impacting parks and conservation in Iowa, check out episode 40 and my interview with Emily Naylor.

The Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is a 10-11 month service program for young people ages 18-26. Participants gain experience while supporting climate change mitigation, building affordable housing, disaster response, and more - including improving local park amenities and trail systems like they've done while serving with my department. They travel the country, all expenses paid, and earn money for college while serving on a team full-time.

For us as sponsoring organizations, the only real obligation is having enough work for a team to keep busy 40+ hours per week for up to 8+ weeks and providing somewhere for them to live while serving the community.

To learn more about the various Americorps programs discussed in this episode, go to www.Americorps.gov.

Be sure to check out the Park Leaders Show wherever you get your podcasts.

Iowa's Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program has been around for over three decades and for as long as most of us can remember, the biannual REAP Assemblies have been done the same way. That's going to change this year. Hear what's changing, what's staying the same, and what the future holds for Iowa's most impactful park and conservation program to date.

Learn more about the REAP program at https://www.iowadnr.gov/conservation/reap.

Learn more about the Loess Hills Alliance Fire Program.

Find out more about the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

Okay, maybe that's not exactly the way today's leaders should operate, but early in Brian Moore's career nearly 40 years ago, it worked pretty well. Brian recently retired after more than 32 years leading the conservation department in Chickasaw County. In this episode, we talk about why it's important to get people out of their normal routines sometimes, how he went about strategic planning, and how 30+ years went by in a place he never originally planned to stay. 

Please enjoy and if you do, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, or more importantly, share it with your colleagues in the field.

Thanks for listening!

But that's not a fraction of what makes him so interesting. Among other things, he is now venturing into beekeeping as he is one of the most outspoken champions for the use of bee venom for intractable diseases such as Lyme disease.

This is definitely an episode you want to check out.

Chris shares how this understanding reshaped how he leads his team at Des Moines County Conservation, while Jeremy offers examples from his fieldwork in western Iowa that show how simple awareness of “what fills your cup” can transform the way we approach our work.

Along the way, they reveal why:

• Beavers can’t not build dams — and what that means for you
• Sometimes we feel like squirrels doing beavers’ jobs (and vice versa)
• “Energy mapping” your team can help you assign work that fuels rather than drains
• Language frameworks like Working Genius help identify what gives energy vs. what depletes it
• Leaders should encourage their people to find and follow their “thing,” even when that means letting them go

If you’ve ever wondered why some parts of your job feel effortless while others leave you exhausted, this episode will give you the tools and language to start changing that — for yourself and your team.

Want to figure out where your energy is going — and where it’s getting blocked?

Go to www.ParksandRestoration.com to download our free Workplace Energy Audit to help you and your team identify what gives and drains energy at work.

---

About Parks and Restoration

Better leaders. Better parks.

Parks and Restoration is THE show for current and rising leaders in the parks, conservation, and natural resource professions. Every two weeks, you get new episodes that explore key leadership concepts and how they apply to you and your team.

Great parks and healthy lands and waters are the products of strong leadership. We aim to help you become that leader.

Join the movement (and get the free Energy Audit download) at ⁠⁠www.ParksandRestoration.com⁠⁠

One way she's doing that is by highlighting the incredible parks and natural resources that people like us manage everyday. It turns out that those outdoor amenities are one of the key things that inspire people to want to move to Iowa. So it begs the question, how do we as parks and conservation professionals contribute to telling this story to the world?

In this episode, Lora and I talk about what the state tourism office is doing to attract people to our state and how we play a big role in that.

To learn more, visit www.traveliowa.com

In this episode, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost share the SPF² Framework—Specific, Personalized, Fast, and Frequent recognition—and show how it can protect your team from burnout while building a culture people can’t wait to be part of.

---

This is the Parks and Restoration Podcast, the show for parks and natural resource professionals that want to be the leaders that their agencies, their communities, and future generations need them to be.

Better leaders. Better parks.

For many of us, the answers to those questions are fairly straightforward. But some people think about land management on a deeper level. They see thinning operations as managing the flow of energy in a system. Or they seek to understand the microclimate impacts from prescribed fire.

Some people focus on the "why" before the "what" and the "how" when it comes to working in conservation. My guest for this episode, Chad Graeve, is definitely one of those people.

Note: This episode was recorded and originally posted back in 2023 and has been downloaded more than any other episode to date.

Chad has spent three decades honing his "why" and in this conversation, we dive deep into the evolution of his philosophies regarding land stewardship, hiring practices, team building, balancing outdoor recreation with natural area management, and much more.

I left this conversation with a new way of looking at the lands I manage and it's reignited my passion for understanding the "why" behind our decisions as an organization, a theme you hear often in our newer episodes.

We'll be back with a brand new episode on December 16.

I do plan to post these updates with some regularity, especially as exciting things start happening in Des Moines involving parks and conservation. This inaugural update includes some encouragement to be involved in the process. If you don't already know your legislators personally, I encourage you to make that contact and cultivate that relationship. We, as county conservationists, are the first line of advocacy and education when it comes to policy involving conservation and outdoor recreation. Let's not take that responsibility lightly. 

Want to learn more about a bill or find your legislator? Start here: https://www.legis.iowa.gov. 

Credit to Craig Patterson and Amy Campbell for the legislative newsletter I used as the basis for this update. Also thanks to IEC for providing a summary of the flood infrastructure bill. 

And finally, if you have questions, thoughts, concerns or comments regarding this episode, please let me know via email or in a comment on the website at www.OutdoorExecutiveDad.com. Was this helpful? I especially want to know if you want more of these updates in the future. 

Thanks for what you do and keep making a difference out there!

This one is all about Purpose and how connecting your people and organization to something bigger can be intrinsically motivating.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me through the comment form at www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

A big thanks to ⁠Bolton & Menk⁠ for sponsoring these leadership episodes. To learn more about those guys and how they're focused on impacting parks and conservation in Iowa, check out episode 40 and my interview with Emily Naylor.

Enjoy!

In this sponsored episode, I talk with Emily about what Bolton & Menk can do for us in the world of parks and conservation, specifically those of us in Iowa's County Conservation System (that's literally written into her job title, after all). We talk about what her dreams are for the future of parks and conservation and how she hopes to help us turn our respective dreams into reality within our own communities.

For many of us, the answers to those questions are fairly straightforward. But some people think about land management on a deeper level. They see thinning operations as managing the flow of energy in a system. Or they seek to understand the microclimate impacts from prescribed fire.

Some people focus on the "why" before the "what" and the "how" when it comes to working in conservation. My guest for this episode, Chad Graeve, is definitely one of those people. As the Natural Resource Specialist at Pottawattamie County Conservation, Chad has spent nearly 30 years honing his "why" and in this conversation, we dive deep into the evolution of his philosophies regarding land stewardship, hiring practices, team building, balancing outdoor recreation with natural area management, and much more.

I left this conversation with a new way of looking at the lands I manage and it's reignited my passion for understanding the "why" behind our decisions as an organization. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Iowa's Water and Land Legacy fund, also known as IWiLL is technically the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. It was established by a 63% majority vote by Iowans in 2010, writing the fund into the state's constitution. But the fund sits empty because no legislature since has passed the necessary 3/8-cent sales tax increase to fund it.

This episode goes over how this fund came to be, beginning with a legislatively appointed Sustainable Funding Committee back in 2006, up to today's efforts to just scratch it from the constitution altogether.

If you are involved in parks or conservation in any capacity - from soil health to trails - this fund will have a profound impact on what you do once it's funded. As leaders in this industry, we need to be educated on what this fund is, how it came to be, and impacts it would have. That's why I wanted to publish this episode.

To learn more about the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, go to www.IowasWaterandLandLegacy.org, or read the various posts I've made about it over the years on my blog at www.OutdoorExecutiveDad.com.

Thanks for what you do!

If you need a temporary work crew, considering contracting with Conservation Corps. If you want to find out how and these crews of young people are so effective, tune in to this episode.

Learn more about Conservation Corps at www.conservationcorps.org.

I tackle these questions and much more in this conversation with Jamie Cook, Iowa DNR Hunter Education Coordinator.

This episode is for anyone who loves turkeys and/or turkey hunting and wants to improve our landscape for turkeys into the future.

If you enjoy this episode, or if you found the information useful, please share it with others that might benefit from hearing about the status of turkey research here in Iowa.

And if you take to the field this season, good luck!

I've long thought that more outdoor-minded people need to be in office. But how do you even run for such a position?

Turns out, I happen to know one of the members of my local city council would probably be willing to have a chat on the show to walk us through how to run and what it's like serving on a local council. This is that wide-ranging conversation.

I recognize that many of us are likely not in a position to run for office. We love what we do in our departments. But I also know that many people in our industry live in jurisdictions outside of where we work. And my hope is that this reaches those that feel called to serve on a larger scale. Maybe that's you. Maybe that's someone you know. Either way, I hope this removes some perceived barriers to stepping into such a role.

If there's someone out there you think might benefit from this, please share it with them. Just imagine if more outdoor-minded people were in positions to make the scale of impact that only those in office can.

Just imagine...

Samuel Malkasian, a young tech entrepreneur in Des Moines, is developing AI systems that can make climbing walls safer and that can "see" in places without cameras. And he's doing it all with no venture capital. He's currently working for free because he believes in the ability of technology to make the world a better place.

Before I met Sam, I had never even considered the potential impact that emerging technologies could have on our industry. Now that I've talked with him, I can't stop thinking about the possibilities.

And that's what I like about this conversation. While we do geek out a little about what technology exists today, we talk a lot about what might be coming and how much that's going to help us in the future.

Even if you're not a tech junky, I think you'll enjoy this episode.

We also know how much our parks make in direct revenue. But what's the real economic impact to our community? To the state?

In this episode, I talk with Chelsea Lerud, Executive Director of Iowa Travel Industry Partners, about the economics of parks and outdoor recreation, the effort to highlight those spaces as a means to grow Iowa's population, and more.

As parks and conservation professionals, we need to recognize that our work goes far beyond the boundaries of the lands and facilities we manage. What we do has serious economic impacts far beyond just the revenue we generate from our facilities. My hope is that this episode makes that clearer.

You can find links to some of the research referenced in this episode on my website: www.OutdoorExecutiveDad.com.

As always, thanks for everything you do out there!

And while we do get into the practical and tactical stuff, what I was really interested in was the human dimension. The working with policy makers and budget writers, the impact on the staff, and the decisions along the way that impacted those relationships. Because as leaders, cultivating relationships is paramount to moving our dreams forward. And Scott is a great one to learn from in that dimension.

If you enjoy Parks and Restoration, please share it with your colleagues. We're all in this together, and the better we all develop as leaders, the better our whole industry will be going forward.

Thanks for all you do out there!

Learn more about Willow Lake Nature Center & Harrison County Conservation:

https://www.facebook.com/willowlakenaturecenter/

https://www.mycountyparks.com/county/harrison.aspx

In this episode, I chat with Steve Brower, president of the Leopold Landscape Alliance (LLA) which is working to not only secure the birthplace homes of Leopold and his grandparents, but to preserve the legacy that Leopold and his family have in Iowa, and in Burlington specifically. Steve is an inexhaustible advocate for the cause and is a Leopold scholar in his own right. His insights into Leopold's childhood and how those experiences helped form his later philosophies could be an entire series of podcast episodes alone. For this one, however, we take a broad view and discuss the broader implications for connecting people with nature in the modern era, something we in the county conservation world do every day.

Fair warning, you'll be digging out your copy of Sand County Almanac after listening to this episode. I already have mine. It is Leopold Week, after all.

To learn more about the Leopold Landscape Alliance or to connect with Steve for a program or tour of the houses, visit www.leopoldalliance.org.

As the Director of Economic Development for the Greater Burlington Partnership, Jeremy knows a thing or two about bringing businesses to town. He also knows how important parks and recreation amenities are to business leaders and today's workforce. This conversation explores the intersection of parks and economic development. Along the way, we discuss the importance of leadership and how we as park and conservation leaders are key players in the economic development of our communities. 

Admittedly, much of our conversation focuses on the region we're from here in Southeast Iowa but the takeaway points, I think, are fairly universal no matter what community you happen to be from. 

If you'd like to hear another interview with Jeremy Hess, check out his interview on the All Things Greater Burlington podcast. 

In my community is a self-taught ecologist that is on a mission to re-wild the urban yard, starting with his own. Samuel Hollingsworth has become a fixture among our pollinator programs and a champion for all things wild and NOT monocultured.

In this conversation, we explore Sam's journey from native plant enthusiast to Lorax for the insects, so to speak. He's even gone so far as to launch his own native landscaping business, Prairie Roots Landscaping.

Enjoy this discussion with someone with a rather untraditional path into the world of ecology and land restoration.

In Iowa's county conservation system, the name Dan Cohen is synonymous with leadership. During his 38 years in Buchanan County, he has served on many committees, including the one that put Iowa's Water and Land Legacy (IWiLL) amendment on the ballot in 2008. In this episode, I chat with Dan about that experience and much more. He shares insights into creating a culture where people stay, favorite books, and how we as current leaders in the field can keep moving our industry forward.

Be sure to subscribe and leave a rating and if you like this episode, share with someone else who might enjoy it also.

Thank you!

This episode covers, among other things, the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa program, practical energy-saving measures for homes and businesses, and the benefits of long-term planning in construction. We also explore the vulnerabilities of power grids, the potential of renewable energy, and Earthships, whatever the heck those are...

Many of us in parks and conservation are building or planning future facilities. Many of us probably also maintain old, inefficient buildings. This is a good listen on both fronts.

Enjoy!

Recruiting great interns in parks and natural resources is harder than ever, especially when you're working in a rural or lesser-known area. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down how one Iowa county attracted interns from places like Alaska and New Jersey—not with big paychecks, but with bold storytelling and smart strategy. If you’ve ever posted a job and heard nothing but crickets, this one's for you.

• Learn how to write an internship posting that actually grabs attention (and applications).

• Discover how authenticity and visual storytelling can sell your program better than a generic job description ever could.

• Get insight into what up-and-coming park and natural resource professionals are really looking for in conservation internships.

*Also, listen to the end for the question of the week (about alligators!) and submit your answers at www.ParksandRestoration.com.

Hit play now and walk away with recruitment strategies that’ll make your next internship post stand out—even if you’re miles from the nearest city.

Every day, we're creating a legacy. And for me, it's fun to talk to those that already have. This is one of those conversations.

Enjoy!

In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris and Jeremy explore the power of purpose—your WHY—and why it’s a powerful force for staying motivated, engaged, and resilient in parks, natural resources, and outdoor recreation work.

Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why,” they share personal stories, leadership insights, and practical ways to reconnect with your purpose when the mission feels buried under bureaucracy or invasive species.

If you're feeling stuck, stretched, or just need a reminder of what pulled you into this work in the first place, this one’s for you.

Show notes, transcript, and contact at parksandrestoration.com

Like what you hear? Tap follow and leave a rating—it helps other park pros find the show.

Got a story or episode idea? Drop us a message at parksandrestoration.com/contact

As with all legislative updates, this information is time-sensitive and may or not still be applicable if you listen much past the publication date (Feb. 22, 2023 in this case). I will do my best to post more updates as things move along legislatively so be sure to subscribe to the show and check in regularly. 

Thanks for all you do for Iowa's parks and natural resources and let's get this Trust funded this year!

Here's the quick summary:

1. Have a good project

2. Do your homework

3. Leverage

4. Write a killer application

5. Utilize technology

6. Celebrate

Listen to this episode for more details.

If you find this information helpful, share it with someone in our industry that would benefit from it too. This show isn't made for the masses. It's made specifically for those of us in the parks and conservation world(s). So the best way for you to help me get into the ears of fellow outdoors professionals is to tell your colleagues about the show.

Thanks for what you do out there on the lands and in our parks!

Enjoy!

In this episode I talk with Jay Gorsh, the program’s director, and Kenny Slocum, a Naturalist from Clayton County, about the program and how we can bring it to our communities. To learn more or to find Jay’s contact info, just Google “Iowa school of the wild” or go to www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

The wealth of knowledge that these long-serving leaders bring really is astounding and that's why I do this podcast. I've said repeatedly that we're playing the long game in our professions. Yet for those of us in the trenches, those of us with half a career ahead of us, it's easy to get lost in the day-to-day grind. But as guests like Dennis Lewiston show us, the years go by fast. You wake up one day and realize four decades have passed. That, I think, is something we need to keep in mind to help us stay motivated and do the work that future generations need us to do. 

This interview was recorded back in mid-2020, well before my plans to start this podcast. Then, I just wanted to capture the institutional knowledge leaving the CCB system and I recorded those early interviews by whatever means I could cobble together. Thus the less-than-studio-quality sound. Nevertheless, Dennis brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to this interview. I hope you get as much from it as I have.

Enjoy!

How to build effective feedback systems.

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into the power of After-Action Reviews and exit interviews—two tools that can help you capture honest feedback, build trust, and make your organization better season after season. Whether you're managing a summer trail crew, hosting college interns, or just wrapped a big event, this conversation will help you create space for reflection and growth (without turning it into a bureaucratic mess).

Along the way, they share favorite questions to ask, mistakes to avoid, and real stories from the field.

---

Parks and Restoration is the podcast for parks, conservation, and natural resource professionals who want to lead with purpose, build stronger teams, and create healthier landscapes. Tune in for practical insights, real-world stories, and leadership strategies that help you thrive in the field (or at the office).

Better leaders. Better parks.

Join the conversation at www.ParksandRestoration.com.

When I first became Director, I saw one of my board members, Jim Garnjobst, as difficult. Argumentative. Contrarian. "This guy's gonna be the death of me..." I remember lamenting to my wife back then.

Fast forward a dozen or so years and I saw Jim as one of the most important people in my professional life. A mentor. A friend. Jim passed away recently and the hole he leaves on my board on on my heart is palpable.

I wanted to honor him by talking about how important mentors are to high-achieving folks like us and how cultivating space for debate and contrarian approaches makes our boards and organizations stronger.

Outliers Edge is "a podcast for high-performing unconventional leaders and entrepreneurs (aka Outliers) who use what makes them different to make a difference."

I got permission from Niiamah to share this episode here so I thought I'd break from the norm and share an episode where I'm the one being interviewed.

Enjoy!

In this episode we explore the hard-to-explain and possibly yet-to-be-understood factors that draw people to natural landscapes. From that, we discuss possible innovative non-traditional marketing strategies, including art, as a means to connect people with nature and convey the emotional and psychological benefits of such experiences.

As tends to happen in my conversations, we have more questions than answers. But asking better questions is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to improve your thinking.

For the text of the poem Zach alludes to at the end of the episode, go to www.OutdoorExecutiveDad.com and find this episode there.

Enjoy!

From a difficult conversation where Chris was told he could be "intimidating" to his questioning whether he was cut out for a leadership role, this episode unpacks Chris' leadership journey and the origins of his Organizational Ecology framework — a leadership approach rooted in the idea that you don’t force results, you create the conditions for people to thrive and let performance follow.

Key takeaways:

• Conservation work is ultimately people work — nothing sustains without humans who care.

• Leadership isn’t a title or a system; it’s how you show up, especially under pressure.

• You don’t command ecosystems into productivity — you build habitat. The same is true for teams.

• The 5 Ps of a thriving organization: People, Perspective, Purpose, Proactive, and Process.

• Fulfillment and connection are the real “energy sources” that drive performance.

• Perspective matters: behavior at work is often a symptom of unseen burdens.

• Proactive leaders slow down reactions and invest in real one-on-one relationships.

Want to go deeper? Head over to ParksandRestoration.com

• Join the Next Level Leadership Community

• Bring these concepts to your organization through trainings, workshops, or keynotes

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is the show for parks and conservation professionals who want to lead better for their teams, their communities, and future generations. Hosted by Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost, the podcast blends real-world stories, practical leadership tools, and lessons from nature to help organizations - and the people that lead them - thrive.

More than you’d think.

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down leadership lessons pulled straight from burn season — burn plans, clear objectives, contingency planning, and the kind of flexibility you need when conditions change. They talk through real examples from recent burns (including an 800-acre day at Hitchcock) and connect the dots to the workplace: performance issues, meetings that drain people, programs you’ve “always done,” and the importance of building a culture where people can question decisions in real time.

Key themes in this episode:

• Disturbance is necessary — in ecosystems and in organizations

• Clear objectives matter: why this, why now?

• Share the “why” (internally and publicly) to build trust and reduce confusion

• Contingencies aren’t pessimism — they’re how you set yourself up for success

• Plans are meant to guide, not rigidly control: adapt to conditions and seasons of life

• The ultimate goal: build an organization that can run without you for a while

Join the Next Level Leadership community:Go to parksandrestoration.com and drop your email to get updates, leadership insights, and invites to upcoming Zoom meetups.

Also find us on Facebook and Instagram — everything points back to parksandrestoration.com.

About Parks and Restoration
Parks and Restoration is the podcast for parks and conservation professionals who want to become better leaders for their teams, their communities, and future generations. Hosted by Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost, each episode explores leadership through the lens of ecology — blending real stories from the field with practical takeaways you can apply in your agency, your career, and your life.

What if we put the same priority on enjoying life as we do all the things we prioritize at work? In her new book, Joy is My Job, and through her speaking, Lisa shows us how to not just prioritize joy, but to work in bits of joy into our already busy lives.

If you like what you hear, you can reach Lisa at www.LisaEven.com and you can find her book, Joy is My Job, on Amazon.

Thanks for what you do, and I hope this episode helps you find a bit more JOY this holiday season, or whenever it is you end up listening.

In this episode, I chat with Adam Shirley, CEO of Iowa's County Conservation System. We talk about upgrades to the MyCountyParks.com website and the role we as park and conservation leaders play in community development and tourism.

We also discuss the possibility of seeing legislation to fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, among other things.

This one is a good listen for those of us working in Iowa's County Park system.

Over the break I determined that the scope of this podcast is, and will most likely continue to be, focused on county conservation. That’s the world I know and love and therefore is the world for which I want to create content. So I need feedback from you, the county conservation employee, regarding what topics to cover and who to talk to on this show. 

And also, what should I call it? I don’t know that the "Outdoor Executive Dad" moniker is that helpful for making the show discoverable. But maybe that doesn’t matter? I don’t know…. 

So here’s your chance to help craft the content for THE podcast for county conservation professionals. Email me at OutdoorExecutiveDad@gmail.com or go to the website (www.outdoorexecutivedad.com) and leave a comment with any suggestions you have. 

Thanks for all you do and I look forward to seeing where this journey takes us.

I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did and if you have any feedback, questions, or suggestions for future topics to cover here on OED, hit me up via email at OutdoorExecutiveDad@gmail.com or leave me a message via the website at www.OutdoorExecutiveDad.com. 

Since many parks departments have historic sites and historic interpretive centers and programs, I thought it'd be fun to hear Sean's approach to weaving history with leadership. It was...

To find out more about Sean and his speaking and coaching, find him on LinkedIn.

This one is all about process - the systems we need to put in place to put theory into action.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me through the comment form at www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

A big thanks to ⁠⁠⁠Bolton & Menk⁠⁠⁠ for sponsoring these leadership episodes. To learn more about those guys and how they're focused on impacting parks and conservation in Iowa, check out episode 40 and my interview with Emily Naylor.

In this episode, I talk with the organizers behind Iowa's Project AWARE - A Watershed Awareness River Expedition - the state's largest annual river cleanup event.

We discuss the logistics, challenges, and the incredible organizing effort that goes into orchestrating these massive cleanup events. From coordinating 225 people in canoes to tackling funding hurdles, these dedicated river rats discuss how this program has been cleaning the state's rivers for two decades.

Tune in to learn how this dedicated group is working to build a community actively engaged in enjoying and maintaining Iowa’s watersheds, 200+ paddlers at a time.

Find Project AWARE online at https://www.iowaprojectaware.org/

Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) officially began in February of 2021 with the goal of reversing declining wild turkey populations using research as the foundation of decision making. The organization is currently working with several universities on multiple research projects.

TFT also sponsors the Wild Turkey Science podcast which takes research out of the realm of academia and put it squarely in the hands of those of us out on the landscape so we can use it to make informed management decisions.

In this episode, I talk with Jason Lupardus, Director of Business Operations and Partnerships at TFT about how the organization came about, what it's currently doing, where it's headed in the future, and how we as conservation professionals can be part of restoring wild turkey populations.

If you like this episode and want to hear more turkey talk, check out my interview with Dan Kaminski from Iowa DNR who is leading the turkey research in Iowa, episode 27.

And finally, if you find value in this or any episode of this show, please share it with your colleagues in the field. Unlike a lot of shows, this one is very specific to our industry so I see no use promoting it to the disinterested masses. But if we can share it with others in the parks and conservation world, we can all improve collectively. And that can have a big impact on our lands, our communities, and future generations.

Thanks for listening, and thanks for all you do for parks and conservation!

Confluence is the consulting firm that worked with the City of Burlington on a master planning process and then the ultra-inclusive destination playground project at the city's Dankwardt Park which was the topic of Episode 32. Confluence is a professional creative firm dedicated to bringing people, ideas, and their creative process to shape the future of our communities. Having seen first-hand some of the work they've done, especially through public input processes on that playground project, I wanted to get them on the show.

In this sponsored episode I talk with Patrick Alvord and Ben Sandell about the work that Confluence has done, the impacts it has made through that work, and also the details of the planning and public input processes they used to bring a $1.5 million fully inclusive playground to life.

"Make no small plans."

What big dream do you have for your park or community? Don't let it live forever only as a dream. Get it out into the world but then be patient.

"Nothing good ever happens fast."

Just like growing trees or restoring prairies, great things take time. Sometimes lots of it. The folks at Confluence recognize that and they're playing the long game, which is a rare trait in our gotta-have-it-now society.

So when you're ready to start turning dreams into reality, reach out to the team at Confluence. They specialize in turning dreams into community features.

"Think ahead. Think Confluence."

For more information, visit www.thinkconfluence.com.

This is a question I have struggled with several times throughout my career, and most recently with a campground expansion we recently completed at our main park, Big Hollow Recreation Area, an 800-acre slice of Iowa with a built lake, campsites, and other amenities but also a robust natural resource management program.

I'm joined this week by Jeremy Yost, Natural Resource Technician with Pottawattamie County in Western Iowa, home to the globally significant landform, the Loess Hills. A lifelong conservationist, he worked with me for about five years and is responsible for initiating a lot of the natural resource work that continues today at Big Hollow. He's not only an insightful land manager, he's also my best friend.

Who better to talk through an existential crisis with, right?

I don't think we definitively answer anything in this discussion. Rather, we come up with ways of framing the question and ways to approach decision making when it comes to finding that balance between development and conservation. Every situation is unique and it's the role of the leader to ask the right questions of the right people and then decide how to proceed, knowing that there are always tradeoffs.

I hope you find this helpful as you continue on your leadership journey in the parks and conservation world.

Jessica doesn't have a parks or conservation background. She comes from the corporate world. Yet she discovered the undeniable value of time unplugged in nature and now has built an entire business around connecting business leaders with the very places that parks and conservation people like us strive to provide and protect everyday.

This meetup was both insightful and entertaining and we can't wait to see what's next for Jessica and her company, Hike to Become.

If you would like invites to future meetups with the community, simply sign up at www.ParksandRestoration.com.

Thanks for all you do and we'll chat again in 2026!

In the city of Burlington, Iowa, park leaders are showing us exactly what it means as they construct a $1.5 million destination playground that will be the most inclusive playground in the region. This playground goes well beyond just "accessible." It will give kids of varying abilities the opportunity to play side-by-side with each other.

In this episode, I talk on-site with Ryan Gourley and Eric Tysland about how this project came to be, why they chose to tackle such an expensive project, and how they've managed to make it a reality. We talk about public input, marketing, fundraising, and most importantly, WHY such a project is important.

For links to information discussed in this episode, go to OutdoorExecutiveDad.com.

Thanks for listening!

A self-proclaimed "hiking business strategist," Jessica uses time on the trail in her consulting business to help corporate clients gain clarity, improve insight, and connect with other team members.

In this episode, we talk about how, and more importantly, WHY she chose to start her own unique consulting business. We discuss some of her experiences with clients and the value they've found out on the trail (and outside the conference room), and we end with some valuable insight for parks professionals from the perspective of someone who works in nature and in public lands, but isn't a traditional outdoor recreation professional.

This was a fun conversation with someone that's really carving out a unique niche in the business development and corporate consulting industry.

To learn more about Jessica DeAngelo and the work she's doing on and off the trail, find her online at https://www.deangeloconsultingllc.com/ or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-deangelo-mba/.

Dr. Pease has impacted countless people in his career and in this conversation, he shares his thoughts on preventing burnout among staff, wilderness programs, river restoration and river trails projects, what we as current and future parks and conservation leaders should be thinking about as we move forward in our careers, and lots more.

If you'd like to connect with Dr. Pease, contact him via email at jlpease@iastate.edu.

The content is largely going to stay the same, but I wanted to rebrand the show to make it more reflective of the content, and less about me as the host. I will also still personally maintain the Outdoor Executive Dad moniker and the OutdoorExecutiveDad.com website where you'll continue to find show notes and links from the various episodes. I just felt the show title needed to better reflect what I publish. Hopefully that makes it easier for other parks and conservation professionals to find it.

I'm also going to start publishing some sponsored content in the form of standalone episodes focusing on the companies that we as parks and conservation professionals work with and who help us impact the world. These episodes will highlight the companies' people and purpose and share valuable tips on how we can be more effective in our work. I have no interest in trying to sell anyone anything, but if I can match a need with a solution and help you learn along the way, that's a win for everyone.

I think you'll like what's to come.

As always, thanks for listening and thank you for all you do in the parks and out on the landscape!

Chris Jones is a research engineer at the University of Iowa where he manages the state's water quality monitoring system. But he is probably best known for his blog, through which he describes the state's water quality crisis and its sources: mainly the industrial agricultural system.

Over the years, Chris Jones has become one of the most outspoken champions for clean water in the state. He unabashedly calls out the ag industry, politicians, and lobbyists as being culpable in the pollution of our state's water bodies.

And while he's sometimes considered a controversial or polarizing figure, I can't help but respect the David role he has assumed against the Goliath of Big Ag in our state. Someone this impassioned about improving our lands and waters is someone I just had to talk to.

I've read most of his blog and listened to his podcast (titled "We All Want Clean Water") so I tried not to cover topics or recommendations that are easy enough to look up. Mostly, I wanted to know about him as a person and the process by which he became the "David" that he is today. That, and I wanted to dig in to some topics I just wanted to know more about like ethanol, pipelines, and field tile.

I think this conversation took place at an inflection point for Chris. He just announced that he's discontinuing the blog on the university site (he's posting on his personal Blogspot site for now) and he has a book coming out in a couple weeks (titled The Swine Republic, find it here). I got the vibe there's more to the Chris Jones story than what we covered, but I guess we'll have to wait to see what's next.

Until then, enjoy this conversation and thank you for all you do to improve our lands and waters.

This one is all about People, and how for workplaces to thrive, people must be at the center.

If you're interested in learning more or digging deeper into these topics, reach out to me at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com or contact me through the comment form at www.outdoorexecutivedad.com.

A big thanks to Bolton & Menk for sponsoring these leadership episodes. To learn more about those guys and how they're focused on impacting parks and conservation in Iowa, check out episode 40 and my interview with Emily Naylor.

This one is all about being proactive in the implementation of your Processes, and being willing to try things not fully knowing if they'll work.

Being a leader is not something you are by title. Real leadership is something you DO. Unceasingly.

Listen to this short episode to see what I mean.

If you want to dig deeper into these principles, hit me up at outdoorexecutivedad@gmail.com.

A big thanks to Bolton & Menk for sponsoring these leadership episodes. Learn more about them at www.bolton-menk.com or check out my interview with Emily Naylor, episode 40.

In this episode of the Parks and Restoration Podcast, Chris and Jeremy dig into why culture has to be every leader’s top priority—and why even the best plans fall apart without it. Through stories ranging from a construction crew with 20-year employee tenures to lessons from Glacier National Park, they unpack how culture shapes retention, performance, and resilience in the parks and natural resources field while weaving in a little wild turkey science.

You’ll learn:

• Why culture is the ecosystem that drives everything else in your organization

• The differences between good and bad cultures (and how to spot the warning signs early)

• The surprising ROI of strong workplace culture, backed by Gallup and Great Place to Work research

• Three simple things you can do this week to start building a culture people want to be part of

Whether you’re leading a small crew, a large department, or you’re just starting to step into leadership, this conversation will show you why culture isn’t an “extra”—it’s the foundation.

Referenced episodes

• A philosopher's guide to land stewardship with Chad Graeve, Natural Resource Specialist in Pottawattamie County (episode 26)
• SPF2: A Non-Greasy Formula for Effective Recognition (episode 72)

About Parks and Restoration
Better leaders. Better parks.

Parks and Restoration is THE show for current and rising leaders in the parks, conservation, and natural resource professions. Every two weeks, you get new episodes that explore key leadership concepts and how they apply to you and your team.

Great parks and healthy lands and waters are the products of strong leadership. We aim to help you become that leader.

Join the movement (and the email list) at www.ParksandRestoration.com

KC Fleming is tasked with finding and recruiting physicians for Great River Health, convincing professionals at the top of their fields to relocate to southeast Iowa. And while our conversation does focus mostly on this part of the state, the take-home message is the same: Parks and outdoor recreation assets are critical infrastructure when it comes to recruiting a quality workforce. 

Whether you’re rolling out digital campground registration or shifting from a mow-everything mentality to a pollinator-friendly rewilding approach, resistance is guaranteed. But it’s also manageable—if you know what’s driving it.

Drawing from behavioral science, real-world field examples, organizational leadership concepts, and another elephant analogy, this episode gives you a practical framework anyone can use to guide their team through change without burnout, frustration, or unnecessary conflict.

This isn’t about forcing people to change. It’s about guiding them through it—using clarity, psychology, and purpose.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The three types of resistance you’ll encounter in organizational change

• Why “loss aversion” makes change feel threatening

• How to spot emotional, cognitive, and cultural pushback in your team

• What rewilding and campground QR codes can teach us about real-world change

• Why change fails without clear purpose and storytelling

• How to reduce friction so the new behavior becomes the easy behavior

• Why celebrating early wins creates cultural momentum

• Ten practical tools you can use to lead teams through change

• Why identity—not logic—is often the real barrier

Download the free Change Leader’s Field Guide

A PDF summary with the three types of resistance and ten concrete strategies to lead your team through change.

Key Takeaways:

• People don’t resist change—they resist loss

• Confusion is one of the biggest sources of resistance

• Culture shifts when identity shifts

• Pilots and small wins build psychological safety

• Leaders guide change by reducing fear, increasing clarity, and reinforcing identity

• Change sticks when the conditions for growth are right
  

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is a story-driven podcast for aspiring leaders who care about the outdoors and the organizations that protect it. From leadership lessons and workplace culture to ecology, fieldcraft, and community impact, each episode helps parks and natural resource professionals thrive in the work they love.

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy dig into why vision—not strategy documents, timelines, or step-by-step plans—is what actually gets people to care, to say yes, and to get involved. Using examples from JFK’s moonshot and Teddy Roosevelt’s conservation legacy, they connect big, historic visions to very real, very local parks and conservation projects.

They share stories from Big Hollow and Hitchcock Nature Center to show how long-term visions survive leadership changes, funding gaps, and skeptics—and how those visions eventually attract donors, partners, and community champions who help turn ideas into reality.

Along the way, they unpack what makes a vision compelling in the first place. A strong vision pushes the edge of what feels possible, connects to who we want to be as a community, and is tangible enough that people can picture themselves in it. It doesn’t have to be perfectly planned, time-bound, or even fully realistic at the start—but it does have to be communicated relentlessly.

They also talk about the role of the leader as the storyteller, not the hero. “It’s not yours—it’s just your turn.” The real heroes are the landowners, donors, neighbors, and supporters who believe in the vision and help carry it forward. Celebrating small wins, resisting naysayers, and knowing when to launch the next vision are all part of keeping momentum alive.

If you’re leading a park, a conservation program, or any community-focused organization—and you’ve ever wondered why some projects seem to effortlessly attract support while others stall—this episode will change how you think about vision.

About Parks and Restoration:Parks and Restoration is a podcast for park, conservation, and outdoor recreation professionals who want to build stronger teams, healthier landscapes, and communities that care. Hosted by Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost, each episode shares real-world stories and practical leadership insights to help you become the next-level leader your organization, your community, and future generations need. Learn more at parksandrestoration.com.

That’s exactly what happened in Iowa’s Loess Hills when multiple agencies came together for a cooperative cedar-cutting workday—and it’s the perfect picture of how partnerships expand capacity and tackle projects no one organization could handle alone.

In this episode of Parks and Restoration, Chris Lee and Jeremy Yost dive into the power of multi-organizational partnerships. From cooperative burn weeks to large-scale habitat projects, they explore how collaboration helps parks and conservation professionals:

• Multiply their impact with limited staff and resources

• Build a culture where cooperation is the norm, not the exception

• Manage logistics, permissions, and risk across multiple agencies

• Tell a better story to the public and media about conservation work

If you’ve ever felt like the challenges in your park system are too big for your team to handle, this conversation will show you how to invite others to the table—and barbecue the elephant together.

Be part of the conversation!

We want to hear your stories (successful or not!) of cooperation/collaboration with other agencies and organizations. Send us a message or leave us a voice memo at www.ParksandRestoration.com.

Chapters

00:00 Building a Culture of Cooperation

05:26 The Power of Community Engagement

10:52 Creating Effective Partnerships

16:41 Logistics of Collaboration

22:20 Expanding Influence Beyond Boundaries

27:12 Building Relationships for Effective Disaster Response

30:11 Decentralized Command: A Key to Effective Leadership

35:10 Logistics and Clarity in Large-Scale Events

39:27 Fueling the Team: Logistics of Food and Recognition

44:36 Transforming Challenges into Collaborative Opportunities

About Parks and Restoration

Better leaders. Better parks.

Parks and Restoration is THE show for current and rising leaders in the parks, conservation, and natural resource professions. Every two weeks, you get new episodes that explore key leadership concepts and how they apply to you and your team.

Great parks and healthy lands and waters are the products of strong leadership. We aim to help you become that leader.

Join the movement at www.ParksandRestoration.com

In this episode, Chris and Jeremy talk about a different way to look at performance evaluations—less as a grading system, and more as a structured, intentional check-in that helps you understand your people, clarify expectations, and keep the workplace ecosystem healthy.

They dig into why annual evals can create recency bias, and why real performance issues should be addressed in real time (not stored up for a “gotcha” conversation months later). They also talk about what makes a performance system work even when it’s informal: clarity on your “why,” a shared way to prioritize work, and regular check-ins that keep your finger on the pulse.

Chris shares the review questions he uses (and why), including:

• What energized you most this year—and what are you most looking forward to next?

• What could have been better, and how do we improve it?

• How would you describe our workplace culture? Has it changed?

• What exemplary work have you seen from coworkers that should be recognized?

• How did our work deliver on our mission?

• What do you want to do better going forward—and what resources do you need?

• How can I (as a leader) be a better resource to help you succeed?

• What challenges do you expect, and how can you preempt them?

A big theme here: culture isn’t built by policies and manuals. It’s built by creating the conditions where people can thrive—and then actually acting on the feedback you invite. Because if you ask for input and nothing changes, you don’t just waste time… you lose trust.

Chris also shares a simple leadership “ninja move” that works everywhere: secondhand compliments. When you pass along praise someone heard from someone else, it lands differently—and it reinforces the behavior you want to see repeated.

If you’re trying to build a high-performing team without building a fear-based workplace, this episode is for you.

Episodes referenced:

• Finding energy in the work you're wired for (discussion of Working Genius)
• The power of partnerships (eating elephants reference)
• Culture eats strategy (and elephants)
• SPF2 framework for effective recognition

About Parks and Restoration

Parks and Restoration is a podcast for park professionals, land stewards, and the people doing the often unseen work of caring for public lands and natural resources. We share stories, lessons, and practical ideas to help you lead well, build healthy workplace cultures, and create thriving systems—outdoors and at work.