Get to know our newest team member, Alyson Meyer Gould! Alyson joined last month, in the midst of the current lockdown, so while we can’t share beers with you all now, we figured it might be fun to get to know her a bit better digitally.
And here are her answers to a few questions we asked her.
Q: Do you have any fun memories of growing up in Colorado?
A: I grew up breeding French angora rabbits and showing llamas. Once at the Boulder County Fair, my llama, Plato, spooked in the middle of an obstacle course competition. He bolted from the arena and took off running through the fair. I eventually caught him by the old-timey tractors. So, clearly I was a great trainer.
Q: You come from a farming family, what can you tell us about that?
A: I am a 6th generation Missouri farm owner. I understand that in some years, fluctuation in the commodities markets can result in tight margins for agricultural producers. Colorado Water Trust facilitates the use of flexible, market-based solutions that can be a win-win for agricultural producers and the environment.
Q: What have you been doing to pass the time during quarantine?
A: Much to my own surprise, I love gardening and my happy place is the Flower Bin in Longmont.
Q: What sorts of activities are you missing right now?
A: When the world isn’t at a standstill, I coach kids soccer. Next fall, I hope to get my 3 year old in cleats and try to teach him and a small herd of other 3 year olds how to run in a cluster and squeal with excitement.
Q: Can you share with us a good river memory? (or bad in this case!)
A: I almost drowned in the Susquehanna River in college (long story) and am quite terrified of white water rafting.
Q: What made you want to work for Colorado Water Trust?
A: I believe that supplying water for environmental purposes does not need to be a zero-sum game. Rather, I think there are opportunities for win-win solutions that benefit other water users as well as the environment. Colorado Water Trust has the expertise, dedication, and innovation to structure and help implement these solutions. I wanted to work for Colorado Water Trust because I want to help develop win-win solutions.
Q: You have a pretty extensive background with water law. Can you talk a little bit about that?
A: I worked in private practice for about 9 years prior to joining Colorado Water Trust. My practice focused on the representation of water districts, contractors, and property owners in federal, state, water court, and administrative proceedings. I spent most of my time in Water Division 1 (South Platte) working with senior agricultural rights holders. My favorite thing about water law is the emphasis on history and the most rewarding part of my work was getting to know my clients as people and helping them find ways to achieve their goals.
Q: What part of your background are you most excited to apply towards your work with Colorado Water Trust?
A: I studied biology in college and loved getting outside to do ecological fieldwork. With Colorado Water Trust, I’ll have the chance to get outside, interact with nature, and flex the science part of my brain, and that is really exciting!
We are so excited to have Alyson on the team, and she is excited to meet all of you whenever we can gather in person again.
Take care everyone, keep loving your rivers!