Lyme, NH – The Center for Northern Woodlands Education (CNWE) has named Jackson Saul as Executive Director of the environmental nonprofit. CNWE is best known as the publisher of Northern Woodlands magazine and the popular weekly Outside Story newspaper series. It also produces a variety of online educational content and special print publications. Its mission is to advance a culture of forest stewardship in the Northeast.
Saul will serve as the chief strategist, operational manager, fundraiser, and leader of editorial content. His arrival coincides with the magazine’s 30th anniversary, as well as another key milestone: receipt of CNWE’s first-ever endowment level gift.
Saul’s professional experiences include extensive work in book and literary journal production, beginning, in 2011, with an internship at CNWE. Most recently, he served for two years as the managing editor of The Kenyon Review, the acclaimed literary quarterly, where he fulfilled numerous supervisory and creative responsibilities. Raised in Amherst, Massachusetts, Saul has hands-on experience tending to his family’s forest and is keenly interested in conservation and wildlife habitat restoration. He holds degrees from Williams College and The University of Alabama, where he obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
“We remain a small organization, but we’re at a pivotal moment where we have opportunities to build our audience and impact,” said Robert Cowden, President of CNWE. “Jack’s combination of editorial and management experience, as well as his passion for forest ecology and forest culture, make him an outstanding choice for this position. He’ll oversee an experienced staff of six at our Lyme headquarters and work with the board to prepare for a new cycle of strategic planning.”
Saul succeeds current Executive Director Elise Tillinghast, who has served in the role since 2012 and led the nonprofit through a period of transformation, including the expansion of its editorial offerings and the acquisition of its permanent headquarters in Lyme, New Hampshire. For the remainder of 2024, Tillinghast will continue to contribute to the nonprofit’s editorial work and in the future, looks forward to helping out with the office’s new pollinator garden.
“I’ve read and been impressed by Northern Woodlands magazine for nearly 20 years,” said Saul, “and I'm deeply aware and appreciative of the role that CNWE – and the magazine especially – have played in the region's forest stewardship community. As the organization moves into its fourth decade, Elise and the rest of the staff have the nonprofit in an excellent position, notably with the recent securing of this major gift and also of course with the published material’s reputation and reliability. I’m grateful for Elise and Bob’s guidance as I move into this position and am eager to continue and build upon the efforts by the team to this point.”
Saul began his work at CNWE on July 10.
Discussion *