BA University of Colorado, Boulder magna cum laude
MS University of Montana, Missoula summa cum laude
Lara and her husband Brendan live in Pinedale with their two dogs.
Q: What is your favorite animal and why?
I can’t pick just one: The turtle – when it shows up in your life, it reminds you to slow down and pay attention so as not to miss opportunities. The hummingbird – because they are fast-moving, precise, and energetic!
Q: How long have you lived out West?
As soon as I could get here. Since 1991, with 4 years in Colorado, 2.5 in Montana, and in Wyoming beginning in 1997.
Q: What’s your best tip for living in Sublette County?
Don’t move here and complain about how it's not like wherever you came from. Take the time to get to know people – you’ll learn a lot from people who are committed to living in a place where living isn’t always easy. Read the paper and do your best to learn who’s related to whom.
Q: Describe a project you are particularly proud of completing?
I am very pleased at the results of the effort we’ve put into public education and outreach since I started at the GRVLT in 2005. While we still have much work to do, I think we’ve made the organization more approachable, and created more opportunities for people to be involved in our work – as a Board or Advisory Board member, a Friend of the GRVLT, an owner of conserved property, a donor/supporter, a volunteer.
Q: What attracted you to a career in conservation?
My father brought me out West as a child. He had – as a graduate student in geology in the early 1960s – spent time in Wyoming mapping for Mobil Oil. He instilled in me a love of the outdoors, a respect for the way the natural world fits together, and a strong interest in the West. So when he took me to places like Lysite, Lost Cabin, and Badwater where we spent afternoons looking for fossils, I was hooked. I knew, as soon as I could, I would move back, and hopefully find work in a field that would enable to spend time with people whose love of the land makes the West such a special part of the country.
Q: What do you like best about your job?
The chance to work with people who truly strive to make a difference and the opportunity to meet landowners who truly love their land.
Q: What outdoor activities do you enjoy?
Fly fishing, snowboarding, hiking, nature photography, and boating on the West’s beautiful lakes!
Q: What is your favorite western movie and book?
My favorite Western movie is “Tombstone” – “I’ll be your huckleberry!”
My favorite Western book is “The Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner.
Q: In what community organizations or activities do you participate?
The downside of loving my job and working too much is that, I am sorry to say I don’t volunteer as often as I would like. It is also difficult, in some ways, for me to get involved with other groups that fundraise, given what I do for a living. I do, though, volunteer with the Loba Memorial Foundation event every year, and I just started a book club that brings a great group of local women together once a month.
Q: What is the trip you would most like to take next?
Fly fishing on the Amazon for peacock bass.
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