Yampa Valley Sustainability Council (YVSC) is excited to welcome Jayla Poppleton as the organization’s new Resilient Water & Watersheds Director. In this role, Poppleton will serve as a technical expert, trusted leader and thought partner to efforts to build watershed resilience across Northwest Colorado.
“We are delighted to have Jayla joining us both at YVSC and in the Yampa Valley at this critical time of water change in the West,” says YVSC Executive Director Michelle Stewart. “Jayla’s longstanding leadership in water across the state equips her with important understanding of how sensitive snowmelt-dominated basins like ours are to changing climate, as well as connections and lessons learned elsewhere that will assuredly help us work collaboratively with partners here to better understand and build resilience to drying conditions.”
Poppleton brings 18 years of experience in the Colorado water sector, having previously worked as the Executive Director of Water Education Colorado (WEco). WECo is a statewide nonpartisan organization that focuses on the full gamut of water priorities, uses and values in Colorado. As executive director, she launched key initiatives to expand the organization’s reach and impact, including Fresh Water News and the Colorado Statewide Water Education Action Plan. Under her leadership, WEco earned multiple awards, including the 2022 Friend of the South Platte Award and the 2023 Colorado Community Water Hero Award.
Through her work at WEco, Poppleton developed extensive knowledge of water resources management, protection and policy along with a strong track record in establishing trusting relationships and effective partnerships with a diverse array of individuals, organizations and stakeholders. She holds a B.A. in Technical/Specialized Journalism with a concentration in Natural Resources Management from Colorado State University.
Poppleton currently lives in Denver with her husband and three sons, and enjoys traveling and recreating in Colorado’s great outdoors — especially in, on or around water. The family will be relocating to Steamboat this summer to make it their new home.
“When I was introduced to YVSC, I was immediately drawn to its mission and vision to serve as a catalyst, hub and trusted partner on those very issues in the Yampa Valley, which has been such a special place to me and my family,” Poppleton said. “I couldn’t be more excited about joining the dedicated and hard-working team at YVSC.”
To meet Poppleton and learn more about her background, sign up for YVSC’s February Community meeting from 1-2 p.m. Feb. 12, where she will also be looking to hear from YVSC supporters about what is important to them. To register, visit yvsc.org/event/yvsc-community-meeting-3/.
