Meet Lin Alder
 It
was April of 1970 when my mother brought me into this world in
Logan, Utah as the fourth and final child in the Doug & Elaine Alder
clan. Ours is a family with five generations of deep Utah roots
stretching back to pioneers who crossed the plains in 1860 on foot.
Their heart wrenching stories of children or parents lost during the
journey from Switzerland, Wales, England or Scotland have given me a
deep respect for the pioneer spirit and enduring traditions in
Washington County.
As a curious and energetic child, I developed a passion early on
for learning and leadership. It seemed logical that, at 15 years
old, my Eagle Scout project raised money for Logan's new library and
gathered volunteers to move books into the new building.
In 1986, my parents gathered the family for an important family
council. My father was a finalist to become the new president of
(then) Dixie College—how did we feel about moving to St. George? I
was enthusiastic because I knew it would be easier to get a tan
earlier in the year than in Logan (O, to be 16 again).
Fortunately my father was chosen and I soon began to discover the
stunning beauty of Washington County starting with Snow Canyon State
Park. Back then, River Road ended at 700 South. It was a dirt track
connecting to St. George
Boulevard, through a field of creosote I used to ride my bike to
during a rainstorm and smell that distinctly desert fragrance. The
importance of a tan faded (pardon the pun) and was replaced with an
unquenchable desire to explore, photograph and understand the
desert.
At Dixie High School my passion for photography landed a spot on
the yearbook staff and the school's Sterling Scholar candid in
Visual Arts. At the end of my first year at Dixie, I ran for student
council with the theme "Be In, Vote Lin." I lost the race but was
later appointed to the Council and had a blast leading among my
peers.
Dixie College was the logical school of choice for the
President's son. My brother, Nate, and I both won our campaigns for
Student Council positions and we had a great time serving together.
(He has since become President of the Utah Bar Association). After
that first year, I served the LDS Church in the Massachusetts,
Boston Mission for two years.
In 1991, I focused on my Dixie College studies and, as President
of the Outdoor Club, launched the first campus-wide recycling
program. At year's end I was the runner-up choice for Salutatorian
but received the Distinguished Service Award instead.
I returned to Logan to study photography at Utah State
University. I eventually transferred to the College of Natural
Resources (CNR). With a few close friends, I helped launch the Earth
Resource Club. Our first event was an opening social that brought
together the cowboys with cowboy boots and "crunchy" students with
hiking boots for what our advisors called a historic first time.
Even back then I was seeking balance. After serving as the CNR
Senator to the USU Student Council, I graduated with Honors in 1995.
For the next three years I worked as a Field Biologist on the San
Juan River and then returned to St. George to join the Grand Canyon
Trust's effort to protect the Virgin River watershed for all
creatures that depend on it—including humans.
In 2000, I received a 6-week assignment to southern Africa from
National Geographic Adventure magazine. I left the Grand Canyon
Trust to take what became a 7-year photographic journey to 23
countries across five continents. In 2001, I bought a home in
Springdale that has served as the hub of all these travels. It has
always a treat to come home to Zion, especially after seeing first
hand how inhospitable many cities around the world have become.
With this deeper understanding of what we haven't lost yet in
Washington County, I decided to minimize my travel in 2006 in order
to focus on the issues facing my beloved homeland—Washington County.
I became a Realtor to help shape the kind of growth coming our way.
I purchased property with business partners to hopefully create the
subdivision of the Future and inspire a bold new approach to land
use that protects open space and wildlife habitat while also
providing room for homes.
In 2006, Senator Bennett and Representative Matheson's Washington
County Lands bill of 2006 inspired the creation of Vision Dixie and
the separate grassroots conservation group named Citizens for
Dixie's Future (CDF). After helping to create CDF, I was asked to
become its Executive Director. I served in that capacity until March
2008 when former Utah Attorney General Paul Van Dam stepped into
that role. A few weeks later I announced my candidacy for Washington
County Commission and am now greatly enjoying the opportunity to
meet more County residents and learn what they believe is most
needed from our County government by 2012.
Because I have first hand experience with good and bad examples
of growth management around the globe, I believe we can create the
Desert Communities of the Future and still want to live here in 20
years amid a swarm of new residents. |
