NEWS RELEASE: Idaho Conservation League appoints Courtney Washburn as new Executive Director
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Contacts:
Abby Urbanek, Communications & Media Manager, (208) 345-6933 x 214
Idaho Conservation League appoints Courtney Washburn as new Executive Director
Boise, ID — The Idaho Conservation League (ICL) and its board of directors are pleased to announce the selection of Courtney Washburn as executive director. She will lead the Idaho nonprofit starting October 28.
Washburn brings over 25 years of conservation leadership, strategic execution, and public policy expertise to the role. Most recently, Washburn served as a consultant for American Rivers, working to advance key conservation priorities. From 2020 to 2026, she served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Boise, directing municipal operations, long-range planning, and climate initiatives across a $948 million budget and a workforce of over 2,200 employees.
"The Idaho Conservation League has been at the forefront of protecting Idaho’s wild places and public health for over 50 years," said Washburn. "As we look ahead, the challenges facing our environment require bold collaboration, strong advocacy, and community-driven action. I look forward to leading ICL into this next chapter."
A familiar face to Idaho’s conservation community, Washburn’s extensive leadership background also includes serving as Executive Director of Conservation Voters for Idaho from 2015 to 2020 and as ICL’s Community Conservation Director and Statehouse lobbyist from 2006 to 2015, where she built and directed the statewide Community Conservation Program.
"Returning to the Idaho Conservation League as Executive Director is both an honor and a deeply personal homecoming for me," continued Washburn. "Idaho's clean air, clean water, and iconic public lands are central to our way of life and our state's future. I am thrilled to work alongside ICL’s dedicated team, board, partners, and members across the state to build pragmatic, lasting solutions that protect the Idaho we all love for generations to come.”
Courtney is stepping into the role of executive director following Justin Hayes, who served as ICL’s executive director since 2018 and dedicated more than two decades to the organization.
“Courtney understands what has made ICL successful: bringing Idahoans together around our shared love of Idaho’s public lands, wildlife, and water. I’ve worked with her for many years, and I’ve seen firsthand her ability to build relationships, navigate difficult issues, and get things done,” said Justin Hayes, ICL’s former ICL executive director. “She also understands that conservation is a marathon, not a sprint. The work we do today needs to lay the foundation for even greater success tomorrow. Courtney has spent her career doing just that, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to lead ICL into its next chapter.”
All of ICL's staff and board were invited to Courtney's final interview and on-site visit, the result of which was overwhelming support for her as ICL's next Executive Director.
“Sometimes a person tries to fit the job. Sometimes the job is made to fit the person. Courtney Washburn as the new Executive Director for the Idaho Conservation League is a match of equals,” said Gregg Servheen, ICL’s board chair. “The challenges of the job are equaled only by Courtney’s passion for Idaho and her professional experience and expertise. We couldn’t be more excited.”
Besides her organizational leadership experience and political strategy skills at local, state, and federal levels, Washburn also holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She lives in Boise with her thirteen-year-old son and golden retriever. She enjoys spending time on the water and in the foothills.
ICL is a not-for-profit, Idaho-based conservation organization with more than 30,000 supporters. It was founded in 1973. The staff of 28 people work out of offices in Boise, Ketchum, McCall, Sandpoint, and Washington state.
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ICL’s mission is to create a conservation community and pragmatic, enduring solutions that protect and restore the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the land and wildlife you love.
