Dr. Amy Snover, director of the UW Climate Impacts Group, is retiring on June 15, 2022, having worked for the Climate Impacts Group for more than 20 years and served as the director for nearly a decade. In her time at the Climate Impacts Group, Amy has grown and strengthened our team and programs significantly. Amy led the team in successful applications to host the USGS-funded Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and the NOAA-funded Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative, broadening the scope and reach of our work. She has developed enduring partnerships with policymakers, resource managers, researchers and others across the Northwest and beyond.

“I’m leaving the Climate Impacts Group knowing that the organization has never been stronger, more nimble, or better equipped to help ensure that the people and nature of the Northwest thrive in a changing climate,” Snover said. “The group is well prepared for this transition, with a creative and experienced team, strong leaders and strong institutional support and partnerships. I will be excited to watch the Climate Impacts Group flourish with the fresh energy, talent and direction that will come with a new generation of leadership.”

Amy first worked with the Climate Impacts Group during the course of gaining her Ph.D. in Analytical/Environmental Chemistry at the University of Washington. After graduating, she joined the Group as a postdoctoral fellow. She contributed to our foundation of knowledge of how climate affects Northwest communities, economies and ecosystems — authoring one of the first comprehensive summaries of anticipated climate change impacts for the Northwest.

Amy’s work and expertise is highly regarded on the regional and national scale. For her innovative efforts to help ensure a climate-resilient world for all, Amy was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for Climate Education and Literacy in 2015. She was lead author of the groundbreaking 2007 guidebook, Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments, and has led the development of several major synthesis reports on the impacts of climate change, used by policymakers, scientists, resource managers and many others.

One of many qualities that has made Amy an exceptional leader is her commitment to technical excellence and insistence on understanding real-world contexts and opportunities for knowledge use. Through her leadership and example, she has inspired the team to produce and deliver rigorous science that is both useful and used.

Amy is leaving to spend more time with her husband, Chip, who retired several years ago.

As a team, we are so excited for this next chapter in Amy’s life, and wish her (and Chip!) many incredible adventures in their retirement. We extend a heartfelt thank-you for the energy and expertise Amy has dedicated to helping the Northwest prepare for the impacts of climate change. Amy, We will miss your collaborative spirit, tenacious inquiry and passion for the incredible beauty of the Northwest.

Amy is working closely with leadership at the Climate Impacts Group and Ben Packard, executive director of EarthLab (CIG’s home at the University of Washington) to prepare for an open search to find a new director for the Climate Impacts Group. We aim to hire a new director by September 2022. More details, including a full job description, will be shared on the Climate Impacts Group website soon.

Dr. Meade Krosby, currently the deputy university director for the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, will be taking over for Amy as the University Director for the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Dr. Jason Vogel, deputy director of the Climate Impacts Group, will co-lead the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative in the interim, alongside Dr. Jennifer Allen at Portland State University.