The Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) is pleased to announce Colleen Foehrenbacher as recipient of the 2024 ANCA Outstanding New Leader Award. This award acknowledges Foehrenbacher’s achievements within the nature and environmental learning center field in organizational leadership, professionalism, professional development, and creativity.
Foehrenbacher has been Executive Director of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center since April 2020. She began her work at Eagle Bluff in 2010 as an Environmental Education Fellow, and went on to serve as Eagle Bluff’s Adventure Education Coordinator (2012-2016) and Education Director (2016-2020).
Foehrenbacher assumed the Executive Director position at the outset of the pandemic, and successfully navigated Eagle Bluff through the challenges of the initial lockdowns, as well as through the lingering impacts of the pandemic on operations. As an outdoor school that offers multi-day, overnight educational programs, Eagle Bluff was particularly affected by COVID restrictions for years.
However, Foehrenbacher has led the organization to thrive during her tenure. Major successes include adding a new high ropes course, opening a preschool, and leading the organization through a capital campaign feasibility study. Foehrenbacher has also strongly contributed to the Outdoor School for All campaign in Minnesota, which aims to support multi-day, accredited overnight outdoor education program experiences for middle school students throughout the state.
Beyond her work at Eagle Bluff, Foehrenbacher has been active in ANCA, the Minnesota Nature Center Network, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, and she previously served on the city council for Fountain, Minnesota. She has attended multiple ANCA Annual Summits, ANCA Overnight Camp & Outdoor School Summits, and is a mentor through the ANCA Mentor Program.
ANCA will recognize Foehrenbacher with this award at the ANCA Overnight Camp & Outdoor School Summit, January 10-14 at NorthBay in North East, Maryland.
"We have been recognizing outstanding new leaders since 2014, and I continue to be inspired every year by the award recipients. Colleen is a dedicated leader with a commitment to excellence that is evident in the success of Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center. Throughout the pandemic, Colleen stood out as a leader determined to successfully steer her organization through the challenges and support others along the way"
— Jen Levy, ANCA Executive Director
“We all hope for leaders who actually get it, really want it, and have the capacity to do it well. Then of course in the field of environmental education we really hope for our leader to be someone who actually lives it. If we get all four of those attributes, those fortunate enough to be on that team are empowered by an inspiring leader. Colleen Foehrenbacher is that inspiring leader.”
— Pete Smerud, Executive Director of Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center and 2023 recipient of the ANCA Nature Center Leadership Award
ABOUT THE AWARD
The ANCA Outstanding New Leader Award recognizes an individual with the potential for future impact within the field of nature center administrators. Award recipients demonstrate leadership, professionalism, professional development, and creativity within the field of nature and environmental learning center, while holding less than five years of full-time work experience as the director, executive director, or leader at the highest administrative level at an organization. A committee of ANCA members selects the award recipient from a pool of leaders who were nominated by their peers. ANCA has presented this award to one individual each year since 2014.
ABOUT ANCA
The Association of Nature Center Administrators (ANCA) promotes and supports best leadership and management practices for the nature and environmental learning center profession. It is the only such organization in North America and supports over 700 dues-paying members that include nature center directors, managers, senior administrators, and board members.
