Joan Thomas
Joan Thomas is a former State Parks Commissioner and one of the founders of WEC.
The present day achievements of the Washington Environmental Council make me proud. I believe our success comes from setting priorities and that means making tough choices and saying no to people with important and good ideas. Being disciplined and focused is what makes WEC so effective.
By not trying to be everything to everyone, WEC has helped the movement to a powerful new place. Looking back to our early days, Governor Dan Evans asked environmentalists and his key cabinet and legislative leaders to come up with ten environmental priorities -- if there was agreement, he would call a special session of the legislature.
WEC helped pull it together, he called the special session in 1970, and nine out of ten priorities passed. A year later, the Shoreline Management Act was passed. Exciting times then and today!
