Nicole Silk
Global Director for Freshwater Outcomes
Boulder, CO

Nicole Silk Global Director for Freshwater Outcomes © Courtesy Nicole Silk
Areas of Expertise
Water security, Freshwater biodiversity, Rivers, Climate change, Water equity
Biography
Understanding how people relate to water and rivers, what these systems need to remain healthy, and how we can work together toward a more equitable, sustainable, and durable water future have been at the center of Nicole Silk’s career for thirty years. Motivated by curiosity and impact, driven toward collaborative and inclusive solutions, she is excited to return to The Nature Conservancy as the Global Director for Freshwater Outcomes.
As president and CEO of River Network since 2014, she guided the organization through a period of remarkable and exciting organizational change to add greater value to water protection across the United States, seeking to improve access to healthy rivers and clean water for all while growing organizational revenue and resolve to reach further. Efforts included expanding the network from 2,500 to over 8,500 entities, sharpening River Network's strategic direction and financial integrity, updating all internal systems and metrics, upgrading technology to support remote staff and distance learning, and integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion across all programs, priorities, and vision. None of this would have been possible without the talented team of courageous staff and board members at River Network, the partnership of donors, foundations, corporations, and government agencies, and trust-based relationship with leaders working at the local level from coast to coast.
Prior to joining the staff at River Network, Nicole worked at The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for nearly two decades. She was part of the leadership of the original Freshwater Initiative and many subsequent global freshwater programs. Nicole led or contributed to numerous organizational knowledge development initiatives (Conservation Gateway, conservation planning methodologies, CONNECT, environmental flows, etc.) and fundraising campaigns, and she brought a determined focus and spark into each opportunity. Before TNC, Nicole worked on legal and policy aspects of private lands and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Costa Rica and as a professional river guide, leading adventures around the world.
Nicole has written and contributed to several scholarly scientific and legal papers and books (including A Practitioner’s Guide to Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation) and numerous toolkits and web-based resources designed to facilitate knowledge transfer related to water. She has served on many boards and advisory committees related to urban and rural water security challenges, convened hundreds of conferences and learning events on freshwater topics, and pioneered new websites, social networks, national campaigns, and online communities to advance faster progress toward healthy rivers. She has a J.D. from the University of California, Davis, a B.A. in economics and ecology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and advanced training related to nonprofit leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nicole is based in Boulder, Colorado. When she is not working, she spends as much time as possible outdoors, including longer adventures on rivers with family and friends. Away from technology and daily routines, these trips provide an unparalleled opportunity to remain connected with nature’s mysteries.
- Switch to:
- Publications
- Media Coverage
Articles/Publications:
- An Ecological Perspective on Property Rights in Costa Rica (1991) p. 181-202
https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1073&context=twls - Turning Instream Flow Water Rights Upside Down (2000)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238556393_Turning_Instream_Flow_Water_Rights_Upside_Down - Ghost Rivers (2015) p. 3-6
https://www.rivernetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/RiverVoices-Water-Security-and-Sustainability-April2015_0.pdf - Bridging the Divide (2015) p. 4-7
https://www.rivernetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/RiverVoices_Oct2015_DiversityInclusiveness.pdf - Our Water/Our Future Trends Report – State of River and Watershed Protection (2016 and 2020)
https://www.rivernetwork.org/2016-trends-report-pr/ and https://www.rivernetwork.org/2020-trends-report-pr/ - Bridging the Gap in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (2018)
https://www.rivernetwork.org/bridging-the-gap-in-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-river-networks-journey/ - Got Water? (2021) p. 42-43
https://issuu.com/greenlivingaz/docs/glmag-apr2021-issuu - Standing Stronger Together: NGOs, Tribes, and Water (2021)
https://www.rivernetwork.org/standing-stronger-together-ngos-tribes-and-water/
Books:
- A Practitioner’s Guide to Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation (2013 – Island Press)
https://islandpress.org/books/practitioners-guide-freshwater-biodiversity-conservation
Media Coverage
- Rachel’s Network interview (2014)
https://rachelsnetwork.org/rivers/ - The Unsustainable Whiteness of Green (2017)
https://grist.org/feature/the-unsustainable-whiteness-of-green/ - Trump’s Dirty Water Rule (2018) Nicole Silk: Trump plan is a threat to clean water | AP News
- The First San Antonio Report Card (2020)
https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-river-report-card-shows-people-cant-swim-in-it-yet/