Megan Phillips has spent the past decade cultivating a career centered on the nexus between people and the environment – and the science, philosophy, and policies that occupy that intersection. She brings this experience and enthusiasm to the Northern Forest Center board, where she seeks to help the organization embody its core values of environmental stewardship and economic prosperity for communities in its area.

Megan has held various positions in New York state government since relocating from the Midwest in 2014, including developing and implementing statewide policy related to energy and the environment, assisting communities with planning and economic development initiatives, undertaking land use planning for ~3 million acres of public land in the Adirondack Park, and crafting strategic plans to protect New York’s natural communities and habitats.

Megan earned her undergraduate degree in Conservation Biology and her Master’s degree in Water Resources Management, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before coming to New York, Megan worked for several years as the executive director of a watershed association in Wisconsin and helped spur the formation of a sister organization downstream.