A Day in the Life: Weyessa McAlister, our Director of Community Conservation
/Meet a local leader taking action for clean water in the DC metro area *and* Ethiopia
image courtesy of weyessa “ace” mcalister
***This story is part of a series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at Potomac Conservancy’s amazing team of local clean water leaders. Meet your Potomac River defenders!***
Weyessa (way-essa) “Ace” McAlister is Potomac Conservancy’s Director of Community Conservation: DC Metro. He joined our team in Fall 2021 after graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, CT where he studied Environmental Science and ran track and cross country. His passion for clean water work stems from his college years as well—at age 23, he co-founded a nonprofit called H2Ope Trinity College that provides water filters and builds water wells in rural villages in his native Ethiopia. The non-profit was an expansion of his previous volunteer service and multiple water filtration projects he completed in Ethiopia while still in high school.
At Potomac Conservancy, Weyessa channels his love of meeting new people and protecting clean water by activating our local community to ‘get their hands dirty and feet wet’ for the Potomac River. He coordinates our volunteers and manages our year-round river stewardship and recreation activities including our popular litter cleanups and summer paddles. He also trains a growing group of Volunteer Leaders who host independent cleanup events in their own communities to prevent trash from polluting local streams.
In addition to overseeing the Volunteer Leadership Team program, Weyessa also actively builds relationships with various community partners, such as Green Muslims, Latino Outdoors, Outdoor Afro, National Park Service, Gay4Good, and more. Forging these invaluable partnerships makes it possible for us to mobilize diverse communities and significantly expand our impact.
Shifting gears with the seasons
image courtesy of weyessa “ace” mcalister
Weyessa’s job keeps him busy year-round, but spring and fall are the most hectic times of the year for him, hands down. Spring and fall are when we host the majority of our river cleanups, including two big days of service (Earth Day in April and National Public Lands Day in September) during which we engage 200-300 volunteers alone.
Summer and winter are a little less busy with cleanups, even though Weyessa coordinates two more big days of service (National Trails Day in June and MLK Day of Service in January), and, of course, runs our popular summer paddles. But due to more extreme temperatures that provide a temporary break from cleanup events, summer and winter are an excellent time for Weyessa to reflect on our programming, create surveys for community listening, make adjustments, and build relationships with partners.
“I love hearing from people who fill out our surveys. It helps me understand what our community needs, what people want to see at our events, and what they are missing. The Community Conservation team takes this feedback to heart, and I enjoy figuring out how to make things better in the next season. This year, for example, we’re increasing the number of cleanup events in MD, VA, and DC, and expanding our programs to Prince George’s County in Maryland.”
A typical day
image courtesy of weyessa “ace” mcalister
Even though Weyessa’s job can be really varied, he tries to follow a similar routine most of the time. He likes to start his day by planning and prioritizing his tasks before jumping into meetings and focused work time. In-person meetings are actually Weyessa’s favorite.
“I’d say that interacting with people is the most rewarding part of my job. I really enjoy being outside all day, talking to partners, learning more about their experiences working with us, and seeing how we could work together in the future. I love hearing people’s stories, inspiring action, and seeing joy and excitement on their faces. It can completely change my mood, it’s super exciting.”
And what does he not love about his job?
“I don’t like rejecting people. We have specific protocols on how to coordinate our events, and sometimes the moving parts just don’t come together, even at the last minute.”
But Weyessa doesn’t let unexpected changes bring him down. His unyielding enthusiasm for connecting people to the Potomac River fuels his work every day. He believes that our community’s hands-on stewardship of the river is a very important part of restoring it to full health and making sure everyone in our community has access to clean, safe water. Weyessa believes that we all need to do our part, and he loves making an impact through his work at Potomac Conservancy.
And, as his favorite African proverb says, Weyessa believes that “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
Meet Weyessa at our next cleanup!
Volunteer and get your hands dirty for clean water.
Join a cleanup on January 14 in celebration of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service!
