Board Spotlight: Gwen Lankford

Welcome to our series celebrating our fantastic board members! Their bios are here, but there's so much more to know about their service, skills and passion below.

Gwen is the President and Owner at Sapphire Strategies, Inc. and has served on the Climate Smart Missoula board since 2020. We're grateful she made time to answer a few questions about her time with our organization:

How would you like to introduce yourself to folks, when it comes to serving on the Climate Smart Missoula board?
Right now I am focused on the ways that we can revision systems within more reciprocal frameworks to be more aligned in our relationships with each other and the landscape.   In order to get through this moment in time, we need to have courage and imagination that we can recreate our world in ways that are more supportive, collaborative and regenerative for all our relatives, including humanity, animals, plants, water, air and the land.

Why did you decide to serve? 
My children, and those generations yet to come, are the most compelling reasons to work on solutions for the climate crisis.

What skills / perspectives are you proud to bring to the board?
As an Indigenous woman, I am proud to offer perspectives from that lens, and also as a person born and raised in my beloved hometown of Missoula.  

What is your favorite part about serving? And / or what program at Climate Smart Missoula gets you most excited?
I appreciate the coalition of people that Climate Smart Missoula brings together.  I feel more hopeful when I reflect on the meaningful relationships in my life and hope that our organization has also been able to act as a catalyst and bridge for bringing together people from all walks of our community and region.

What is your hope for our community, related to your goals and our work at Climate Smart Missoula?
That we continue to collaborate with, and support, each other during difficult times ahead.

Thank you for your service, Gwen!