Our Mission
Sustainable NCW's mission is to promote a culture of environmental stewardship and social sustainability in North Central Washington through educating and inspiring our community to live more sustainably.
What We Do
We Educate: We provide classes, workshops and host events that educate community members about relevant environmental issues and solutions that are important to everyone who lives in NCW. ​We offer practical ways to actually make a change in your daily life, be that something small or something challenging. We want to answer your specific questions on how you can make behavior changes to have an impact in the greater Wenatchee area. Some popular topics we educate about are recycling and food waste / composting, electrifying transportation, making sustainable purchasing decisions such as buying used, eating mindfully to reduce your carbon footprint, and increasing resiliency to climate impacts. We also teach how environmental sustainability and social justice are interlinked, and try to amplify BIPOC voices whenever possible.
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We Inspire: We love sharing stories of community members and businesses who are making a difference. If they can do it, you can too. We also use our platform to share about what other nonprofits and local organizations are doing in the area related to environmental sustainability. We're all in this together, so let's learn from and motivate each other. ​
We embrace the idea of the "triple bottom line:" people, planet and profit.
All three are connected, and all three can thrive.
Our Story
Sustainable NCW (formerly Sustainable Wenatchee) started in 2017 when two women saw a need for an organization in North Central Washington that gets community members excited about environmental sustainability. It all began with local business owner Tandi Rolen and a project she started called "Tread Lightly Friday." The idea developed as a part of the original "Our Valley, Our Future" Action Plan. Tandi signed on over a dozen local businesses who committed to sustainability and to offering a discount on Fridays to their customers who did the same.
But Tandi was dreaming of something bigger. She posted on the Tread Lightly Facebook page that she was looking for some help. Jana Fischback jumped at the chance. She had recently moved back to the valley and was looking to get involved in the environmental field. After earning her master's degree and working as a Sustainability Coordinator on the west side of the state, she was excited to get back in the game in her hometown. And so, "Sustainable Wenatchee" was born.
Tandi and Jana envisioned an organization that would provide education and inspiration for positive behavior change. One that would provide practical tips for those who were just becoming interested in the idea of being "eco-friendly." One that would also excite those already on the journey to a more sustainable future. And that would highlight what those people were doing, to inspire others. We wanted to show how social and economic sustainability are both intricately tied to environmental issues.
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Tandi moved on from her role as board president when she and her family moved out of state in 2021. She is deeply missed and we are grateful for her positive energy and dreams that spurred the creation of this organization. That same year, the board decided to rename the organization to better reflect the people that we serve: everyone in Chelan and Douglas Counties. In 2024, Jana transitioned to the role of Climate Action Coordinator and our new Executive Director, Marlene Farrell, joined the team.
