Introducing our new Network Manager

Sarah Reed: I am pleased to introduce Cora Preston as the new Network Manager for the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation. 

The Network Manager position is intended to cultivate Switzer Fellows’ engagement as participants, contributors, and leaders of the Switzer Network, by sustaining high-quality relationships and collaborations among Switzer Fellows and convening welcoming events that build community and catalyze collective action to advance the mission of the Switzer Foundation. The Network Manager also manages the foundation’s communications, supporting Switzer Fellows to communicate effectively and engage equitably with communities, policy makers, and the media, and promoting Switzer Fellows as recognized leaders driving positive environmental change for natural and human communities. Our hiring committee shared about the hiring process for this role in a recent post. 

I’ll let you read more about Cora in her own words: 

I am thrilled to join the Switzer Network and look forward to lifting up the stories and work of the community in this new role. 

I come to the Switzer Foundation with a background in environmental communications and network building. Most recently, I have worked as a communications consultant for Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education and a writer for Literacy Minnesota. Previously, I was communications specialist for the Monarch Joint Venture, where I supported a network of more than 80 interdisciplinary partner organizations working together to conserve the monarch butterfly migration. I have also worked as a campaign organizer for clean water, democracy, and clean energy with Environment Minnesota and the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy and Management focused on Environmental Education and Communications, a minor in Norwegian Language and Culture, and as a Community Engagement Scholar. 

I live in St. Paul, Minnesota with my husband and cat. In my free time I enjoy hiking, camping, reading, traveling, cooking, and playing board games. I also volunteer at my neighborhood’s community farm and am an active advocate for local environmental and social justice issues. 

I am excited to get to know you all and work together to create positive change. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, ideas or thoughts. I would love to hear your ideas about how I can support the network. I can be reached at cora@switzernetwork.org, ‪(612) 440-7325‬, and on LinkedIn.  

Thank you for the opportunity to work with this inspiring community!