Dear fellow Boundary Waters defenders,

Today I’m announcing my retirement after more than 40 years of working to conserve Minnesota’s precious natural resources. It is a bittersweet moment. On September 30, I will step down as Executive Director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters and Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW). It has been a tremendous honor to lead this Campaign for the last two and a half years.

I will continue to be engaged in our effort to save the Boundary Waters as a volunteer. My new role will be National Vice-Chair of the Campaign, working alongside National Chair Becky Rom, the staff, the board, and all of you to achieve permanent protection for America's most popular Wilderness. As you all know, the past few years have been a challenging time in the work to protect the Boundary Waters from sulfide-ore mining, but I anticipate both near-term and long-term success. The Campaign and NMW are exceptionally strong right now and I am immensely proud of this organization.

The Campaign and NMW will continue to be the major force in protecting the Boundary Waters under the excellent leadership of interim Executive Director Ingrid Lyons. Ingrid has been with the Campaign for more than five years in multiple roles and knows all facets of our work. She has most recently served as the Campaign's Development Director and earlier worked for the Campaign as Northeastern Minnesota Regional Organizer in Ely and Duluth. Ingrid is a graduate of Carleton College and has a certificate in nonprofit management from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota. Northeastern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters have been a significant part of Ingrid’s life since she was four years old. Her family has a remote cabin off the Echo Trail north of Ely, which she frequents with friends, family, and her beloved pup, Coyha. Ingrid is an avid winter and summer Boundary Waters camper. She has worked with a variety of campaigns and nonprofits, including the Ely Folk School and The Gabbert Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.

One of Ingrid’s first decisions as interim Executive Director was to name Alex Falconer the Campaign Manager of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. Alex has been a key figure in the Campaign’s government relations at both the federal and state level for the past six and a half years. Alex and his wife and children have a cabin on Farm Lake east of Ely. It is the staging area for the Boundary Waters canoe trips that the five of them enjoy each summer. Alex is an accomplished long-distance runner. In May 2021, supported by the Campaign and some of the best ultra-distance runners in the world, Alex ran 112 miles across the Boundary Waters to raise awareness about the threat of proposed copper-nickel mining.

The Campaign is blessed with tremendous talent in both our staff and our Board. We have legions of supporters and know that Americans are solidly on our side. Under Ingrid's leadership there is no question that together we will be successful in our mission to protect Minnesota's crown jewel now and for future generations. Thank you for your continued support!

With gratitude,

Tom Landwehr