Kimery Wiltshire, CEO and President of Carpe Diem West, spoke with  Rachel’s Network members by teleconference on water issues and sustainability in the American West. We recently caught up with Kimery and she shared more about her work, as well as what inspires her.

What about your work keeps you up at night?

I wonder, can we scale up our response fast enough?  Climate change is bringing rapidly accelerating changes.  Can our society, communities, and decision-makers move fast enough to keep up?

What about your work gives you hope?

The way people in our network have come together. People who, in some cases, won’t use the words “climate” and “change” in the same sentence, but they know that bad changes are coming and so they are rolling up their sleeves and working together.

What’s something people might not know about your work, but they should?

Carpe Diem West’s work cuts across all political “red” and “blue” lines.  Water is the common denominator, and climate change scares the h-ll out of any westerners paying attention, no matter their political affiliation.

What organization would/do you support (other than your own) that is advancing issues important to you?

The Clark Fork Coalition in Montana. This is an innovative, smart group that engages the communities in the Upper Clark Fork Basin in work to protect and restore that watershed. The organization is led by women of course!

What woman leader or role model had an influence on your work or inspired you?

Johanna Wald, the senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council for the past 25 years.  Brilliant, ethical, courageous in her work to protect wild places in the American West.  An inspiration to so many people.

Kimery Wiltshire is President and CEO of Carpe Diem West. Carpe Diem West is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that leads a broad-based network of experts, advocates, economists, decision makers and scientists to address the profound impacts the growing climate crisis is having on water in the American West.