Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Wawra.
Hi Carolyn, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Park City has a Leadership Park City program – I was selected for this program back in 2014 and completed it in 2015. After completion, I felt I had the necessary training to serve on a Board of Directors in some capacity. I’ve always been environmentally minded and attribute this to my love of the outdoors. I grew up camping and recreating outside and am grateful for the peace and solace found just by being outdoors. The Park City Conservation Association dba Recycle Utah is a leader in environmental nonprofits in the Park City community, so automatically they were at the top of my list when I began to search for a Board I wanted to serve on. I was nominated to the Recycle Utah Board of Directors in 2016 and served two years on the board for applying for and taking over the role of Executive Director in 2017. I was previously working for Vail Resorts at Park City Mountain Resort in the Marketing Department, specifically working on the digital brand of the resort.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having little experience running a nonprofit, I took the job planning on my passion being the driving force in learning to lead an organization I care so much about. There are moments of self-doubt sneak in, but I pride myself on asking others for help back when I first started and even today. I’m constantly calling friends, mentors, board members, or community leaders to help me navigate challenges. I rarely solve a bump in the road on my own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Park City Conservation Association dba Recycle Utah is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Summit County, Utah. Our mission is to engage the community in practicing resource conservation through recycling services, education, outreach, and advocacy. We process 45 materials for recycling, have and an average of 400 cars visit our center per day and educate over 5,000 elementary students annually on sustainability.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
The Park City and Summit County community is very unique – we have a very tight-knit local community. It’s not uncommon to run into someone you know at the bank, grocery store, or Recycling Center (that’s us)! While we do have a lot of tourists, and a very tourist-based economy, it’s really the locals who make our community special and a place people want to visit. Locals have a tight bond, and we all look out for each other.
I really dislike the traffic in our community – it’s hard to get people to change and try something new, but I fully support using transit, biking, or walking as a way of commuting. People get so used to their cars as a primary form of transportation and I’d like to see our community get out of them more often.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.recycleutah.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recycleutah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecycleUtahParkCity
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/recycleutah
