Joan Clayburgh

Chief Development and Programs Officer

Joan is the Chief Development and Program Officer. She leads WSN communications and fundraising strategies and oversees programs to support WSN. Joan has over 30-years conservation leadership experience, crafting and leading organizational fundraising and communications, recruiting and managing dynamic teams, forming and supporting diverse new collaborations, and developing and executing successful strategic programs. In 2024-2025, she facilitated and provided support to the Indigenous transformation of The Sierra Fund (Recently renamed Indigenous Futures Society). She worked with Sierra tribal leaders and her existing organization to negotiate a support a board transition resulting in a 75% Indigenous board membership. She also voluntarily stepped down as Executive Director of TSF (2021-2024) in support of hiring CEO Brian Wallace who was the former Chair of the Washoe Tribe of CA/NV.

At the Sierra Fund (2021-2024) she co-founded and facilitated the Sierra Nevada Tribal Summit Planning Circle with Indigenous leaders and led the organizations work to restore ecosystem resiliency, promote environmentally healthy communities, and attract resources to support the Sierra. From 2018 – 2021, she was a private consultant providing strategic services to ClimateWorks Foundation, Texas Land Conservancy, and Rio Fernando de Taos Revitalization Collaboration. She was the communications director for Western Resource Advocates (2014-2018), revitalizing the organization’s brand and media outreach and helping gain over 800 media stories a year for the Clean Energy, Healthy Rivers and Western Lands programs. As Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance (2001—2013), her visionary leadership grew the organization five-fold (budget, group membership, staffing), co-founded the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership, jump-started new collectives such as the Sierra Water Workgroup, and helped leverage millions of new dollars to Sierra conservation.

A 30-year resident of the Sierra Nevada who currently calls South Lake Tahoe home, she is a joyous hiker/birder/snow-lover/ and artist. She enjoys outdoor adventures with her photographer husband Jim and rescue cattle-dog Rocket.