Joe Whitworth - On Unrelenting Effort, Blazing Your Own Trail, and Taking Action

Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Joe Whitworth is the President and CEO of The Freshwater Trust (“TFT”), an innovative and action-oriented conservation organization whose mission is to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems. With a focus on technology and an all-star staff made up of scientists, attorneys, GIS experts, systems analysts, and more, TFT is pioneering the next generation of conservation by focusing on quantifiable results. Back when I was a Conservation Director here in Colorado, I had the great pleasure of partnering with TFT on a project involving water rights and irrigated farmland, and I was blown away by the organization’s ability to quickly put complex ideas into action for the benefit of land, water, and communities.

Joe was born into a large midwestern family, and from an early age, his grandfather, who was a farmer, played a foundational role in his understanding of land, water, and conservation. After high school, Joe moved east to attend Dartmouth, where he played football, and then he eventually moved West to attend law school. Along the way, he began to focus his professional efforts on doing work that made the world a better place. After several stints at several different organizations, he took the reins of the organization that would eventually become The Freshwater Trust. Joe has now been at the helm of TFT for more than two decades and has grown the organization’s budget tenfold during his tenure. He’s focused, action-oriented, innovative, and very serious about solving big, complex conservation problems in the West and beyond.

As you’ll hear, Joe and I share many common interests in everything from history to reading to conservation to rivers, and, perhaps more importantly, I connect deeply with many of Joe’s core values around hard work, following your own path, and taking action. So, it’s no surprise that we had such a fun conversation. We start out talking about Joe’s grandfather, Joe’s journey from the Midwest to the Ivy League, and how he adjusted to life at Dartmouth. We talk about his early years working as a non-profit consultant and the series of events that led him to The Freshwater Trust. We discuss the ultimatum that led to TFT’s impressive growth, the type of people who thrive as staff members, and he gives an overview of their BasinScout technology. We discuss the future of environmentalism, technology’s role in solving environmental challenges, favorite books, and much more.

As I said, I’ve been a fan of TFT for many years, so I was so glad to finally have this opportunity to chat with Joe about his personal and professional operating systems. I hope you enjoy.

---

• The Freshwater Trust
• Joe Whitworth
• Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/joe-whitworth/

---

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• 3:00 - Joe’s grandfather and his lasting influence
• 9:00 - Unexpected blessings from a broken femur
• 13:00 - Adjusting to the Ivy League culture
• 16:15 - Next moves after Dartmouth
• 21:30 - Living like a monk and figuring out next steps
• 25:30 - “The world is designed to make you shut up and get in line.”
• 28:45 - Law school and beginnings at the Freshwater Trust
• 29:00 - Revamping The Freshwater Trust
• 34:00 - The board’s reaction to Joe’s plans for the future
• 39:00 - The importance of making hard decisions
• 43:45 - The magic of The Freshwater Trust team
• 47:45 - An overview of BasinScout
• 51:15 - A foundational BasinScout case study
• 58:30 - Ideas and areas of focus on the horizon
• 1:01:00 - The importance of taking action
• 1:03:30 - Next phase of environmentalism
• 1:06:00 - How TFT’s values meld with Joe’s personal values
• 1:09:00 - Expectations of new team members
• 1:12:00 - The TFT model of handing off new ideas and innovation to partners
• 1:16:00 - Favorite books

---

ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

• Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes
• Mountain & Prairie Shop
• Mountain & Prairie on Instagram
• Upcoming Events
• About Ed Roberson
• Support Mountain & Prairie
• Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts