Washington Water Trust is thrilled to have recently added Kevin Haydon to our team as a Project Manager based in Ellensburg, WA. Kevin, a lifelong Washingtonian, took a moment to share a bit about his interests, experience and what he will be doing for the Washington Water Trust. Welcome Kevin!
Kevin, what will you be doing for Washington Water Trust?
I will be focused primarily in the Upper Yakima area working with landowners to examine and transact water rights for instream flows, and also exploring how WWT can contribute to landscape and watershed scale planning and management efforts taking into account climate change projections. This work will require building on existing partnerships and establishing new ones.
What were you doing prior to joining Washington Water Trust?
Prior to joining Washington Water Trust I worked briefly for a private engineering firm in their environmental section. And prior to that, I worked for the Department of Natural Resources as the Southeast Region Natural Areas Manager. While with DNR I also worked briefly in the Agriculture section and I also spent six months on a detail with the Redmond Interagency Hotshot Crew.
Wow, a Hotshot Crew? Tell us more about that!
My time on the Interagency Hotshot Crew was excellent. I had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some true professionals in the fire suppression and forestry realm. Being on the ground in large, complex fire situations strengthened my appreciation for good communication and both strong leadership and followership skills. On our crew, we rotated leadership roles so each crew member had opportunities to develop and hone their leadership style and command presence. Successes and small failures throughout the season taught me to appreciate the power of teamwork, span of control, and the importance of timely communication.
What first got you interested in working to protect Washington’s freshwater resources?
My time in graduate school and with DNR exposed me to a wide variety of natural resource issues throughout eastern Washington. Of these challenges, I found water resource management the most complex, interesting, and urgent. Our freshwater resources are vital to the working lands, recreational opportunities, and diverse ecosystems that largely define our sense of place. As climate change impacts grow more apparent I feel obligated to aid in the stewardship of this critical resource for future generations.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
While not working I like to spend time with my wife and two dogs. Together, we spend a considerable amount of time enjoying our public lands by camping, hiking, and rock climbing.
Finally, if you had to choose, Beatles or Rolling Stones?
While the Stones have made some valuable contributions, the Beatles will always be a cut above.
