|
January 26, 2012
Contact:
Tom Myrick, Communications Director
(763) 560-7374 (ext. 225)
763-567-1907 (cell)
tmyrick@wolf.org
www.wolf.org
International Wolf Center honors Mary Ortiz for her 25 years of service
It was the late Steve Jobs, who said we're here to put a dent in the universe.
"Well, after 25 years of helping the Center teach the world about wolves, I hope I
have left a few dents in the wolf universe," said Mary Ortiz, executive director, in
her announcement that she will retire this May.
"And there is no doubt that she has made a significant impact on the wolf community
and the International Wolf Center," said board chair, Nancy Jo Tubbs. "Mary's leadership
will be deeply missed, but she has helped build a successful organization department
by department, brick by brick, and those foundations will stand."
Ortiz, who has been based in the Center's Twin Cities office said, "Ely is now my
second home and I am grateful for my relationship with this vibrant community. I am
very proud to have been a part of the Center's important work and look forward to
keeping in touch with the dedicated board and brilliant staff who will carry the torch
forward. They will always find challenges in this work - it is the way of the wolf.
But the future holds promise, as the Center continues 'teaching the world about wolves'
in new and better ways."
When Ortiz joined the Center, wolves faced an uncertain and threatened future,
with a population of only 1200 in Minnesota. "Some wolf populations have gained a
healthy foothold during those 25 years, but others remain in a tentative existence in
many places around the world," explains Ortiz. As wolves in the Midwest are being
removed from the endangered species list, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
estimates they number about 3,000 in Minnesota today.
"As one chapter ends, so another begins," said Tubbs, who pointed out the Center
expects the arrival of wolf pups the same month Ortiz retires." Said Ortiz, "My first
week of retirement in May will be spent bottle-feeding these young ambassadors, just
as I have for every wolf in our pack."
Ortiz began her association with the Center as a volunteer in 1987. She became the
first full-time staff member in 1989 and wore many hats, establishing communications,
development, membership and retail departments, to name just a few. Ortiz became the
executive director in 2008.
The Center has begun a national search to identify its next executive director.
Important links:
- www.wolf.org (The official International
Wolf Center Web site)
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching
about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.
--#--
|
