Summer 2015

Newsletter Archive

Saying Goodbye to Kim Good

For those of you who have not heard, Kim Good is leaving Miistakis to take the Executive Director position with Legacy Land Trust, based out of Mountain View County. Apparently she did not read the unwritten law she was supposed to stay with Miistakis until the lights went out! As Kim heads out the door to this new adventure, we wanted to pay tribute to Kim and the incredible work that she has done at Miistakis, as well as the wealth of talent and experience that she represents, and that she brings to her new position.

I identified that I wanted to work with Kim Good in about 1999 - pretty much right after I met her. We were both working for land trusts at the time, and I (like everyone else) realized the integrity, competence and vision that Kim brings to what she does. My dream was realized in 2006, when Kim came to work at Miistakis. Kim came to work on the Transfer of Development Credits (TDCs) project that Miistakis was starting up at that time. As we explored how this tool could work in Alberta, Kim brought her trademark ability to link the details of the tool to the vision of what it was supposed to accomplish. Few people who excel at examining the mechanics of something are good at keeping the big picture in mind; Kim is.

TDCs were, of course, just Kim's starting point at Miistakis. After that she undertook and led projects related to beaver reintroduction at the Cross Conservation Area, economic costs of wildlife to ag producers, ecosystem services in the ranching context, ecosystem goods & services programming in the Crown of the Continent, conservation easements for ag policy, conservation offsets, decision support for the Land Trust Grants program, delivering workshops on the Alberta Land Stewardship Act tools, land securement assessment, and conservation easement web guide, workshops and webinars.

And more, or course.

I got to work on a lot of projects with Kim, and there's no question I have never had a closer working relationship with someone. At staff meetings, we finish each other's sentences, or have conversations where we don't finish the sentence at all, but just nod to each other. And everyone else says, "Stop doing that!" I often joke that we share a brain on conservation. But we actually don't. We have disagreed vehemently on a couple of issues, and those are the places that I tend to learn the most about that issue. For starters, if Kim doesn't agree with me, I know I have to really analyze my thinking.

One of the things that is causing Kim to move on is something that I value so much in her approach, and that is her commitment to community. Whether it is hers, or someone else's, Kim instinctively knows that community and conservation are inextricably linked. Legacy Land Trust gives Kim the opportunity to do the things she does best, and do it for her own community. When I first heard about the opportunity coming up, I knew that Kim could not pass that up. The local land trust movement thrives across the continent because of that kind of home-grown passion.

So that is the one thing that I am excited about. It's not only Legacy Land Trust that is getting Kim - the land trust community in Alberta is getting Kim. There is no one in the country who knows land trusts better than Kim - and that is an informed assessment, not just a pleasantry. Kim has worked for big and small land trusts, negotiated conservation easements (at one point more than anyone in Canada), sat on land trust boards, done policy review, researched best practices, worked with municipalities, with landowners, with funders, with lawyers, with accountants. There is essentially no angle she has not seen this community from.

And everyone loves working with Kim. She so actively cultivates her networks (but they are more her 'communities'). I seriously think she would curl into a fetal position if she lost her phone. Some Kim-isms will endure in the Miistakis office, forever; things like "Oh s***, is it that the time!?"

My only consolation is that Kim is not going far, not just physically, but she is staying in the Alberta conservation community, which is a small group, so I know I'll run into her a lot. I also know that we will come across things at Miistakis that we need Kim for, and will find a way to draw her back in. But it will take me a long while to look to the desk on my left and not expect to see Kim there.

So, on behalf of the Miistakis Institute, I want to wish Kim all the success in the world at Legacy Land Trust, and hope that that lucky organization fully appreciates who they are getting!

- Guy Greenaway

Other Tributes for Kim

Kim has been an amazing co-worker, always there to share her enthusiasm and valuable insights. She is also the source of amazing stories of adventures only Kim could get herself into. - Ken

It's been a great pleasure to share the Miistakis office with Kim. She's a tireless and dedicated worker, with seemingly boundless energy. I'm pretty sure that she's discovered a rip in the time-space continuum, allowing her to fit three days' work into one. Of her innumerable strengths, I most value her ability to see all sides of an issue and present a balanced, mutually agreeable solution. She has been an outstanding co-worker and remains a great friend, and I wish her all the best of everything. - Greg

Like my colleagues, I am certainly sad to see Kim leave the Miistakis office. I enjoyed working closely with Kim on a number of projects and I certainly learned a lot from her. Kim brings a great deal of passion, curiosity and focus to her work, and I am excited to see the positive effects of her leadership at the newly-minted Legacy Land Trust. All the best, Kim! - Rachelle

We have this unwritten rule at Miistakis: no one leaves! It has never been enforced, there are no threats. It just developed naturally over time because of the awesome work environment. I think it would have to be a really special opportunity for one of us to move on. Well, it finally happened: a job perfectly suited to Kim - Executive Director of Legacy Land Trust. This will bring about big changes for us at Miistakis. I already miss Kim immensely and plan to suggest a special new policy where threatening staff who want to leave is acceptable so it does not happen again. For those of you that know Kim, she has many special qualities. She is the ultimate multi-tasker and her time-keeping skills are African in nature! But more importantly she is passionately dedicated to conservation, generous with her time, lovely to be around and fun to work with. Kim I wish you all the best. - Tracy