Greg Wolley MS ’81

For Greg Wolley MS ’81, traveling to Ashland and arriving at what was then called Southern Oregon State College (SOSC) was a big change from his undergrad experience in the bigger city environs surrounding his undergrad alma mater, UC Berkeley (Cal).  Growing up in his East Bay city of Richmond, CA, most of his nature experience consisted of grassy vacant lots awaiting development and a stormwater outlet his friends called “the creek”, which surprisingly held a thriving population of frogs and tadpoles.  He was fortunate to have two family vacations in Yosemite, which opened his eyes to the awe and vastness of the natural world. Following high school, he headed to Cal and studied life sciences and psychology, graduating in 1976. 

After graduation, Greg backpacked Los Angeles youth into the Mojave Desert with the Pasadena-based non-profit Outward-Bound Adventures and continued working with youth and young adults with the Youth Conservation Corps and California Conservation Corps. Greg applied to and entered SOSC’s Environmental Education master’s program, then called Outdoor Education. “I loved the small town feel of Ashland, the beauty of the Siskiyous and fantastic teachers like Dr. Ron Lamb and Dr. Don Mitchell. Dr. Lamb was an arm-waving charismatic extrovert, while Dr. Mitchell focused on the contemplative, reflective values of immersing yourself in nature,” he said. During that year he coordinated what was called the Minority Student Program at SOSC. Since there were relatively few students of color on campus at that time, all groups combined with the International Student Program for social activities. He also began running more extensively, and ran his very first race in Ashland’s 4th of July Run. 

He moved back to the Bay Area in the fall of ’82 following his master’s graduation. In Marin County, proving himself with his volunteer work for The Nature Conservancy, the organization hired him as a preserve manager with the responsibility of overseeing the management of 1100 acres of natural areas across two counties. He was The Nature Conservancy’s first preserve manager of color in the United States. 

Finding the Bay Area growing in size and expense, Greg moved back to Oregon in the fall of 1988 and made Portland his home. He taught science at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) for one year before accepting a position as a Forest Planner with the Mt. Hood National Forest. There, he helped coordinate the crafting of the Forest Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement. When the Forest Plan was completed, Greg became Conservation Education Manager. In this role, he created programs that increased the environmental literacy of students of all ages. He is most proud of his Urban Rangers program, a paid eight-week experiential summer job program for teens that ran for five summers. Through the Forest Service, he also trained Peace Corps volunteers in Swaziland. 

Following his more than seven years with the Forest Service, Greg accepted a position as Natural Areas Planner with Metro in 2006, where he developed management plans for land acquisitions throughout the three-county Metro Area. He also co-founded the African American Outdoor Association during this time. Afterwards, he kept small businesses afloat with a two-year stint in TriMet community affairs. Greg then spent 14 years with the City of Portland managing small business and workforce development. While with the City, he was appointed by Governor Kitzhaber to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission in 2012, where he continues to volunteer his time. In 2018, Greg founded his consulting firm, Creating Tomorrow’s Workforce, to help increase workforce diversity in the natural resourcesresource’s fields. He is also a volunteer technical advisor to People of Color Outdoors, where he expands opportunities for families of color to enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation in nature. He is pleased that his young adult children grew up immersed in nature, and knows that they will spend their lives exploring wild places. 

“Studying at Southern Oregon University had a big impact on my life. In my graduate program, I enjoyed having a small cohort of close-knit students and we studied together, hiked together and rafted the Rogue River together. My professors were the epitome of student-focused teachers, always personable and available to their students. And what more can I say about Ashland? I felt at peace there, daily encountering the smiles of friendly faces and living just a few steps away from nature. I couldn’t have imagined a more fulfilling college experience.” 

Learn more: People of Color Outdoors and  Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission