Six months after executive director Danielle Segura resigned from the Mojave Desert Land Trust, the organization has announced it has hired a new executive director. Managing editor Tami Roleff fills in the details…
The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced Tuesday that it has hired a new executive director. Joshua Friedes of Palm Springs has over 25 years of experience as an executive leader in nonprofits and conservation. He has studied environmental and civil rights law, and was a leader in the marriage equality movement, and transparency in political and lobbying campaigns. He was a volunteer in the Peace Corps, had a fellowship with the Sierra Club, and participated in a legal clinic with the National Wildlife Federation. The land trust’s former executive director, Danielle Segoura, left in March to become the director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
“We are thrilled to have found Joshua Friedes, and already living right here in the desert,” said John Simpson, president of the board of directors of the Mojave Desert Land Trust. “Under his leadership, we are confident the organization will continue to expand its successful land acquisition and stewardship programs, while deepening its mission with the development of the Mojave Desert Seed Bank and native plant restoration projects, as well as vital education and outreach activities.”
Joshua Friedes, a veteran nonprofit leader and committed conservationist who lives in Palm Springs, started his first day of work at the trust’s headquarters in Joshua Tree on Tuesday morning, the day after the Labor Day weekend, which brought thousands of visitors to enjoy the desert he loves and now works to protect.
“Working with the Mojave Desert Land Trust is a dream come true,” said Friedes. “The trust has an incredible record of success, one of the best in California and the nation, and one that I want to cultivate and nourish. It’s so exciting to work for a land trust that is committed not only to acquiring and restoring land but also to working with the desert community and other partners to ensure the long-term health of the desert.”
Friedes continued: “The desert faces incredible challenges caused by climate change, development, the demand for water, and even the growing desire to experience the desert. At the same time there is an increased understanding of the importance of conserving the desert for future generations. This can only be done by involving all those who live in the desert: large and small businesses, farmers, government, civic and faith communities, and, of course, students and our educational system.”
Friedes brings over 25 years of executive level leadership, public affairs, government relations, fundraising, and management experience to his new job. Among the highlights of his career are landmark successes as an executive leader in the marriage equality movement, as well as in campaigns for transparency in elections and lobbying, and promoting health equity in diverse populations.
In joining the land trust, Friedes is returning to his original passion for conservation. He studied environmental and civil rights law. And early in his career, he served as an agro-forestry volunteer in the Peace Corps, had a fellowship with the Sierra Club, and participated in a legal clinic with the National Wildlife Federation.
Jon Christensen, a UCLA professor and board member of the land trust, said Friedes joins the land trust at a key moment: “The Mojave Desert is more popular than ever. And Joshua has the experience and vision to help us dramatically expand support for conservation in the California Desert among the diverse communities who enjoy the desert and care about its future.”
Friedes takes the reins of the trust from Rich Weideman, who served as interim executive director of the trust after the departure of former executive director Danielle Segura in March 2018. A National Park Service veteran, Weideman took a leave of absence from the Palm Springs Visitors Bureau, where he currently works, to help guide the land trust through the executive transition.
