Kellyn Baez (she/her), Partner since 2023 | Community Water Solutions

I’m invested in the connection between nature and people. The natural world seems to always have the answer to a problem, from human health to water quality. So working with people towards a solution for a community issue that is inspired by and gives back to the natural environment is the ultimate success.

Kellyn’s first question when joining a project is “How can we help?”. As a Community Water Solutions Partner, she leans into her role as a partner with an organization or effort. Here, she strives to support people and outcomes in the way a community hopes to achieve.

Growing up on an orchard in a rural community, Kellyn experienced nature from an agricultural perspective. She saw firsthand how wells and irrigation canals, specifically access to water, play a critical role–and have more vulnerability than ever before. Throughout her career with water utilities and conservation organizations, she’s come to realize the best outcomes occur when community needs are prioritized when addressing water issues. In her role with the Partnership, Kellyn pairs project management skills with collaboration by listening to people’s stories, understanding their perspectives, and building relationships. With strong stormwater and restoration experience, Kellyn approaches solving complex problems, like the water scarcity she’s seen, with vulnerability and humility. By bringing her whole self to a project, she aims to build a collaborative table through trust, ensuring different voices are included in the outcomes to ultimately find solutions together. 

When Kellyn isn’t visiting a community or brainstorming on a whiteboard, you can typically find her outside somewhere in Central Oregon or backpacking through a new landscape and meeting “new friends” amongst the plants.

• baez@willamettepartnership.org
• 503.206.0244