Womentum is a project of The Equipoise Fund, a non-profit whose mission is to energize, enrich and encourage the vision, voice and visibility of the women and girls of Wyoming. This organization aims to develop and fund innovative programs that result in social equity and social justice. Since its inception in 2004, Womentum has benefited immeasurably from the leadership, guidance and financial support of The Equipoise Fund.
For more information on The Equipoise Fund, please visit www.equipoisefund.org.
The Womentum Mission
Womentum is dedicated to harnessing women’s intellectual, creative, and charitable spirit to effectuate meaningful social change for women.
The Womentum Vision
To support, encourage, and empower the women of Jackson Hole to realize their full potential.
To embolden women’s voices in the political, social and economic realms.
To effectuate meaningful and measurable change by addressing the cultural undercurrents that limit women’s potential.
To support a community of philanthropically inspired women.
Leading Ladies
AMY BRENNAN McCARTHY
Summers spent working at the CM Ranch in Dubois, WY, confirmed Amy’s deep love for the Wyoming landscape. Following a childhood in upstate NY and upon graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a dual major in economics and environmental studies, Amy made Wyoming her home. Amy participated in the inaugural year of Teton Science Schools’ Professional Residency in Environmental Education program and earned a Master’s degree in Forest Resources and Natural Resource Policy from Utah State University. These experiences left her with a substantive foundation for understanding the natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a deep appreciation for the community of Jackson Hole, a commitment to sustainability and wildness, and a thirst for ongoing discovery. Amy has mixed drinks at Dornan’s Bar in Moose, guided trips in the Tetons and Wind Rivers for Exum Mountain Guides, served as communications and development director for The Murie Center, explored the world of documentary filmmaking, as the associate producer of Don’t Fence Me In (a production of The Equipoise Fund), headed operations for an independent investment advisory firm and endured a season in Antarctica as a recycling specialist. Amy is now the Executive Director of Teton Raptor Center, helping birds of prey through veterinary care, education and research. Amy lives in Teton Village with her husband Forrest and their uber-mountain-mutt Wister.
SUSAN ERIKSEN-MEIER
Susan moved to Jackson from Massachusetts in 1991 to kayak the Snake River for the summer. Wyoming won her heart and she never looked back. Susan started her own consulting business in January of 2010 and enjoys sharing her 25 years of experience to help local agencies secure resources and improve organizataional strategies. She’s served as Senior Program Officer for the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, Teton County Grant Writer, Executive Director of the Community Children’s Project and Development Director for the Art Association. Prior to moving to Jackson she earned her Masters Degree in Environmental Science and Education from Antioch New England Graduate School and a Bachelors Degree in Natural Resources from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Susan is a Rotarian, a potter and Board President for Teton County PAL-an organization that certifies animals for work in our local hospital. She is a ski buddy volunteer for Teton Adaptive Sports and can be found visiting patients at St. John’s Medical Center each Thursday with her dog, Oakley.
ANNE HAYDEN
Anne moved to Jackson Hole in the summer of 2000 with degrees in International Relations, French and Environmental Science. Soon after landing in Jackson, she began working at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance where she was able to use her training to help ensure human activities were in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic and other natural resources. During her tenure at the Alliance, she largely focused on community planning issues. Here, her passion for the community of Jackson developed and matured. After three and a half years at the Conservation Alliance, she transitioned to the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust where she works to provide affordable housing opportunities for dedicated members of the community. As an affordable homeowner herself, she is convinced that broad based homeownership is central to the preservation of a sustainable, stable and diverse community. Anne is currently a board member of the Snake River Fund.
ANNIE JACK
A native of Palo Alto, CA, Annie moved to Jackson after graduating from the University of Virginia in 1999 with a BA in US History and minor in Spanish. Since her tenure in the Tetons began, Annie has been actively engaged in the non-profit realm as a volunteer, consultant, and facilitator of philanthropic giving. Her non-profit consultancy, Clearview Strategies, specializes in marketing, communications and event planning. In May 2009 Annie completed a Certificate in Sustainable Entrepreneurship at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, which expanded her business acumen and reinforced her commitment to sustainable, “triple bottom line” business. An avid backcountry skier and cyclist, Annie relishes her every minute of playtime she gets with dear friends (human and canine) in the Tetons.
JEN SIMON
Jen Simon is the owner and managing principal of JMSimon Consulting, a non-profit consultancy focused on organizational development, leadership dynamics, and specialized writing, editing, and research for clients in the U.S. and Europe. Jen is currently at work on a Master’s in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and was named a 2010 Fellow with the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions. A valley resident since the 1990’s, she has worked with Teton County schools and education issues as the Executive Director of Teton Literacy Program; weighed in on regional housing issues as a consultant for NeighborWorks America and the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust; worked on Wyoming conservation issues for The Nature Conservancy; and done extensive fundraising for organizations in Wyoming and Tennessee. She is a Womentum co-founder, a board member for Teton Youth and Family Services, and a former Vestry member of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Jen is passionate about literacy, social justice, the role of religion in public policy, and animal rescue. She is a voracious reader, published author & blogger, avid traveler, and cook, and has lived throughout the United States, Italy, and Ecuador.
SHAWN SMITH MEISL
Shawn is the Assistant Director of Development at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Lured to Jackson by the mountains and a desire to raise her two boys in a small community, she has enjoyed almost ten years of fundraising in the valley. With a degree in English from UCLA, Shawn handled marketing for US West and a money management firm in California before moving into conservation fundraising with The Nature Conservancy in California and Wyoming, and UC Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources. She enjoyed several years with Grand Teton National Park Foundation, raising funds for the Craig Thomas Visitor Center and the youth conservation program before directing development efforts at the Cougar Fund and Children’s Learning Center. In addition to Womentum, Shawn is on the board of the newly formed Teton Childcare Foundation. With her husband Chris, they shipped Stuart off to UW this year but are still in the taxi business with high school sophomore Mitch. Shawn likes nothing better than a day on skis, an engaging novel, good conversation, the written word and a rich cup of coffee.
JOANNA SNYDER
Joanna’s career has been a dynamic mixture of ecology, teaching and academia. She first moved to Jackson to participate in the Teton Science Schools’ Professional Residency in Environmental Education in 1999. With her classroom on her back, she taught natural science and geology and saw the power of outdoor experiences on children’s learning and wellbeing. After working as an assistant scientist for SEA Semester and studying songbirds along the Snake River, Joanna earned her Master’s in Education and settled happily into teaching middle school science. In 2006, she moved back to her beloved Jackson Hole to teach science at the Journeys School. While she still lives in Jackson, she now works for the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, as a curriculum designer, collaborating with formal and informal educators to reconnect children to nature and place.
MELISSA TURLEY
Melissa E. Turley was elected to the Jackson Town Council in 2006, and re-elected to a second term in 2010. In her position as Councilwoman, she has served on the Energy Efficiency Advisory Board, Community Integration Team, and as liaison to Jackson Community Recycling and Jackson Hole Community Pathways. Melissa owns m.e.t. solutions, a firm through which she performs research, development and event coordination for a variety of local, state and regional nonprofit clients. She arrived in Jackson Wyoming in 1999 with a passion for creating community, a degree in Journalism from the University of Montana, and a whole lot of energy! Melissa is a past President of the board of Girls Actively Participating! and is a graduate of Leadership Jackson Hole and Leadership Wyoming. Melissa and her husband Chris have one young son who lights up their life every day. When she’s not working on making her community the best it can be, Melissa can be found on the miles of single-track trail and backcountry ski terrain in and around Jackson Hole.
MARLEY VAUGHN
Vaughn is a Jackson Hole native who owns a degree in ecology from the University of Oregon, where she studied freshwater stream systems. She also earned a degree in digital technology from the University of British Columbia Film School.Her studies included graduate-level research which took her throughout the West. She examined the impacts of recreational use on the food chain in the Colorado River, from microorganisms to fish. Her research in Grand Teton National Park and Teton County focused on nitrogen levels for different land-use types.After returning to Jackson permanently, Marley took on the Executive Director position for the Snake River Fund where she has been able to combine her love for the area and river recreation with conservation and stewardship. Growing up in Wilson instilled Marley with a sense of the importance in balance between a healthy natural environment and a healthy social community and she is proud to help contribute to both.