Nonprofit Leader Spotlight: Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River

Article by Becky Fillinger

Whitney Clark

Whitney Clark recently celebrated his 25th anniversary at the helm of Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR). He has taken the organization from a start-up in 1997 to a thriving nonprofit that now engages the community in stewardship and sustainability initiatives - and that also helps shape legislation that impacts the many states touched by the river. In 2017, he won the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits' 2017 Transformational Leader Award, an award that recognizes impact and dedication. We talked to Whitney about the early days of FMR, his proudest accomplishments and how he stays recharged to keep making positive change for us all. 

Q:  Congratulations on 25 years as the Executive Director of Friends of the Mississippi River! What changes have occurred in the organization in this quarter-century? 

A:  When I was hired, FMR was just a startup organization with a passionate group of founding board members and some big ideas. I was the only full-time employee and our office was a glorified broom closet. But we had a compelling mission to protect, restore and celebrate the Mississippi River. It was easy to see the need. Our communities had turned their backs on the river. It was polluted and under appreciated. I was excited for the opportunity to build something. 

We now have a staff of 22, 2,500 members and thousands of volunteers and advocates, so our capacity to protect and restore parks and natural areas, engage with our communities, protect water quality and inspire change has grown quite a bit.

FMR staff pose on the Stone Arch Bridge during a field trip.

As a larger organization with professional staff, the scale of our impact has expanded as well. We’ve always had a focus on our Twin Cities stretch of the river, but we’re doing a lot of work now at the policy level that improves the entire length of the river and beyond. An example of this is our work on legislation authored by Congresswoman Betty McCollum called the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative or "MRRRI." MRRRI aims to coordinate and direct $300+ million per year to the 10 states along the Mississippi River to address water quality, habitat, invasive species and climate resilience. I’m serving as co-chair of the national coalition that’s spearheading advocacy for that bill. When it passes it will be a game-changer for the entire river and riverfront communities.

Another significant shift is that in recent years our organizational leadership has become increasingly aware that racism, which is embedded in our institutions and social structures, continues to plague our community. This affects the work we do in many ways.

At FMR we believe the river’s gifts should be shared by everyone, so we have committed to act on that belief and make sure our work is equitable and inclusive. That has caused us to reappraise the scope of our work and go beyond the normal palette of environmental issues to consider. For instance, are communities of color being included in decisions about riverfront land use?

ESI Advisory Council canoeing on the Mississippi with Wilderness Inquiry, Fall 2021 

We’re also making it a priority to diversify our staff and board, and we’ve launched a youth environmental leadership program called the Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) that specifically emphasizes creating career pathway opportunities for youth of color in our community so that, over time, our organization and our sector better reflect the community we serve.   

Q:  What is your proudest accomplishment at the helm of FMR?

A:  We've had some extraordinary successes in the last 25 years. We helped protect 1,300 acres of critical and connected habitat along the river at Pine Bend Bluffs, and have since grown to protect and restore more than three dozen other habitat sites. We led the charge to develop strong, protective science-based rules for land use and development along the metro Mississippi River. These rules are now being codified as zoning ordinances in all 25 Twin Cities riverfront communities to assure all future development in the river corridor will meet higher standards for water quality and protection of natural features and scenic views.

I'm also proud of the struggles we stayed in, even though things got controversial or difficult. I'm thinking of our stance on the Upper Harbor Terminal redevelopment project in North Minneapolis — we didn't see the outcome we wanted there. But we remained true to our values around community process, equity and environmental justice. Not everybody agreed with our position there, but we did make some new allies in that work and we learned a lot. 

But really, I'm proudest of the passionate team of professionals that we've created at FMR. The impact we’ve had over the last quarter-century really belongs to all of them and to the committed and supportive board of directors who have guided us. Organizations are made of people, and we’ve been lucky to have a dedicated and talented crew that keeps impressing the heck out of me.

Q:  Is it easier today, or more difficult, to convince the public and legislators of the value of protecting our water resources?

A:  I am asked this question from time to time. Our public discourse has certainly become more polarized than when I was starting out, and environmental issues have taken on more of a partisan valence. But I think we’ve also witnessed a pretty stunning shift in the way our community feels it ought to treat the river. When I was growing up in Minneapolis, the river was so polluted it literally stunk. Our riverfront lands were thought to be excellent places to dump waste or site heavy industrial uses like scrap yards and warehouses. Now many of those sites have been or will soon be reclaimed as riverfront parks and trails, and a place like the St. Anthony Falls district is one of the most desirable places to live in the city.

So the baseline expectation among policymakers, whether at city hall or the state capitol, is that we need to treat the river with respect. That’s a big change for the better!

Q:  What are the organization's priorities for 2022?

A:  Well, I already mentioned MRRRI. That legislation is gaining momentum and could have a profound and lasting impact on the river. With the help of our advocates, we’re hopeful we can get MRRRI passed during this congress.

We’re also going to be very active at the Minnesota Legislature this year, advocating for policies that protect water quality by changing the way we grow our crops. We’re partnering with the University of Minnesota and many other players in the agricultural sector to advance the next generation of clean-water crops that have the potential to dramatically reduce the largest source of pollutants to the river — agriculture — while improving farmers’ prosperity.

Water Action Day 2019 - Whitney pictured with Thom Petersen, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (left) and Rep. Todd Lippert (right), supporters of clean-water crop initiatives.

Another exciting area of our work that I know your readers will be interested in is that this year we expect the Army Corps of Engineers to begin studying the future of two locks and dams here in the Twin Cities — the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam #1, also known as the Ford Lock and Dam. These structures were built for commercial shipping but no longer serve that purpose. There's a possibility that these locks and dams could be removed and the river restored to its pre-dam condition sometime in the foreseeable future. 

In the 20th century, we dramatically changed the river to serve commerce and industry. This will be an opportunity for our community to come together to decide what our 21st-century vision for the great river might be. We hope to engage our members and advocates in shaping that discussion.

And, as always, we’re continuing our work at more than 35 habitat restoration sites throughout the Twin Cities, including six in Minneapolis. Our focus here, with the help of volunteers, is improving the biodiversity of these ecosystems, which is crucial for clean water, pollinators and endangered species, especially in the face of climate change.

Q:  How do you like to spend your time away from the office?

A:  25 years ago, I was newly married with no kids. Since then, my wife and I have raised two daughters, the youngest of whom will graduate from college this spring. So, time with family, when we can get it, is important to me. 

I also love the natural world. All my life I’ve found inspiration in wilderness. I grew up canoeing, kayaking, fishing and backpacking. It’s what drew me to this work, and I’m still an avid outdoors person. I love to explore wild places along the river close to home and those further afield. This summer I’m planning a month-long adventure, backpacking in Alaska’s Brooks Range and paddling the Noatak River to the Bering Sea. These experiences keep me fresh and charged up about the work of protecting the river that shapes the Twin Cities.

Q:  Your accomplishments make an impact for all of us – thank you. How can we be involved?

A:  We'd love for you to partner with us in this work. Here are a few ways to get involved:

• Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay current on river issues.
• Become a River Guardian and advocate for the river this legislative session and beyond.
• In snowless months, get your hands dirty at one of our many habitat restoration volunteer events throughout the metro area.
• Join us as a member at fmr.org/give-today.
• Follow us at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.