Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Executive Director Whitney Gleason and former CWC Executive Director John Jablonski

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy will be holding a welcome reception for its new Executive Director this Sunday.

Whitney Gleason took over as the leader of CWC on February 15. She said her first experience with CWC was as an intern in law school, “I received a grant award to be able to choose a non-profit to be able to intern with over the summer. So I did some research and found John and the Watershed Conservancy and thankfully he was willing to take me on as an intern. And then in 2019, I reached back out to John and asked him if he was willing to bring me back on board and joined him then, actually, in an education position.”

Gleason said she first served as the Water Quality Programs Manager and then as Director of Development.

CWC Co-Founder and former Executive Director John Jablonski has stepped back into a role as Special Projects Coordinator.

The reception is open to the public and will take place from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, March 5 at the CWC’s offices located at 71 East Fairmount Avenue.

Future Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Executive Director Whitney Gleason and Current CWC Executive Director John Jablonski

Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Co-Founder and Executive Director John Jablonski has announced he will be stepping down from his role.

In a video on Facebook, Jablonski announced alongside current Deputy Executive Director Whitney Gleason, that on February 15, he will step down as Executive Director, “Whitney will become the new Executive Director. And I will be stepping back this Spring to be the Special Projects Coordinator. But that doesn’t mean I’m retiring from the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy.”

Jablonski has served as the CWC Executive Director for the last 33 years.

Gleason stated that she’s excited to continue Jablonski’s work at the CWC, which will include the mapping of highest priority conservation sites in Chautauqua County in 2023.