The Donor Relations Director leads Placer Land Trust’s fundraising and communications activities. This includes cultivating and stewarding relationships with community stakeholders, members and donors; coordinating the fundraising efforts of the Board of Directors; and leading special events and campaigns to raise awareness for Placer Land Trust. Kara Walker joined PLT in 2014.
Kara spent her early childhood in a suburb of Chicago, and then moved to Woodland, CA for middle and high school. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Studies at U.C. Santa Barbara and spent the next 14 years teaching, coordinating, and directing outdoor education programs with the YMCA across the country. Living and working in multiple states gave her the opportunity to fall in love with many different landscapes and natural playgrounds. But no matter where she went, her goal was to always give kids positive experiences outdoors that would inspire them to protect our natural world for generations to come. Kara then spent another 3 years with the YMCA organizing and implementing multiple fundraising campaigns to raise money for programs that make a positive impact.
“When I think about my favorite memories in life, I realize that they have all taken place outdoors! From camping and rafting with my family as a child, hiking and exploring areas on my own for the first time as a teen, getting married on the shores of Lake Tahoe, to now enjoying family activities outdoors with my two daughters. Spending time in nature brings me the greatest sense of peace and makes me feel the most like ‘me’. I realize how lucky I am to have lived in areas with beautiful, natural places at my doorstep, never more-so than now with all that Placer County has to offer! I have chosen to create a career that supports my passion, and I am honored to work for an amazing organization like Placer Land Trust that not only ensures that future generations always have access to nature and the many benefits it brings; but that also offers outdoor activities and adventures to encourage us all, nature-lovers and nature-newbies alike, to get outdoors and stay active!”
