About the
Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund
Our Mission
The Adam Palmer Sustainability Fund was first envisioned in the summer of 2021 after the tragic loss of Adam Palmer, Andy Jessen, and Seth Bossung in an avalanche near Silverton, CO on February 1st. Adam was a champion for sustainability as an Eagle Town Council member and beyond.
The Palmer Fund honors Adam’s legacy by supporting local economic and community development through a lens of sustainability.
The mission of the Palmer Fund is to partner with community leaders to achieve net-zero carbon consumption in the Town of Eagle by 2030 through philanthropy, green infrastructure, revolving loans, and grant funding.
Triple bottom line
of sustainability.
The Palmer Fund honors the triple bottom line of sustainability, operating as an organization that sees equal value in stewardship of the environment, human dignity, and financial resources. All operations are grounded in these three principles. We believe in protecting and preserving the natural environment, responsible stewardship and fiscal management of donor resources, and a just transition away from carbon that is inclusive and ensures all individuals are equally protected from environmental risk.
Stewardship of
the Environment
Human
Dignity
Financial
Resources
Explore our Impact Areas and Priority Tactics
Net Zero is a big concept. In alignment with Project Drawdown and the Eagle County Climate Action Collaborative, the Palmer Fund has selected seven Impact Areas where we focus our efforts.
About Adam
Outdoor enthusiast, musician, elected leader, family man, and friend. Adam was known in many roles and brought integrity, energy, and humor to them all. Adam’s public roles as an Eagle Town Councilman, Holy Cross Energy Board Member, and Eagle County Director of Sustainability have guided the development of the Fund in principle and practice.
Communication: Adam knew almost everyone and could drink a beer with absolutely anyone! Innovation: Adam was ahead of the curve when it came to sustainability. He was an early advocate for electric car charging infrastructure and a solarized electrical grid. Action: Adam was always on the go, most often on a bike! He took deliberate and incremental action toward sustainability daily.
Our Team
The Palmer Fund is overseen by a five member Board of Directors and operated by one staff member, all of whom were friends or colleagues of Adam’s.
Geoff Grimmer
is an elected member of the Eagle Town Council, and its representative to the Eagle County Climate Action Collaborative (CAC) Governing Board. He is the founder of Zealous Schools and the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy.
Kristen Hartel
Board Chair, is a LEED Certification Reviewer for USGBC/GBCI. She has experience in local government sustainability from the City of Boulder and recently completed her Masters in Sustainability from Harvard University, with a dual focus in Environmental Policy and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
John Gitchell
is the Climate Action Manager for Eagle County Government with more than twenty years experience working in sustainability for mountain towns.
John Widerman
Treasurer, is a Banking Officer with First Bank and former Mayor of Minturn, CO. John has many prior years of nonprofit service through the Eagle Valley Family Assistance Fund.
Luke Cartin
is the Environmental Sustainability Director for Park City, Utah and the Co-founder of Mountain Towns 2030. Luke worked in sustainability for Vail Resorts for fifteen years.
Kalie Palmer
Adam’s wife, brings valuable vision and nonprofit and sustainability to the Board as an advisor.
Laura Hartman
Executive Director, serves as the staff support for the Palmer Fund. Laura has diverse experience in nonprofit management /community development and a background in environmental science and public policy.
Special Thanks
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A special thank you to Project Drawdown. The Palmer Fund relies heavily on the thoughtful analysis and recommendations provided by Paul Hawkin and team.
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The Palmer Fund is proud to be part of a growing community of communities focused on the shared goal of Net Zero 2030.
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The Palmer Fund is happy to engage as a stakeholder in the Eagle County Climate Collaborative. The CAC has lead the greater community in adopting climate action goals and made meaningful local data available to partners like us.
Why?
The Palmer Fund exists to spur action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Eagle, CO through increasing access to capital that allows existing solutions to grow in scale. Through community, innovation, and action, we hope to grow the green revolving fund to meet the needs of individuals and businesses to reach Net Zero 2030
Why Eagle? We live here. We are starting closest to home and on a small scale. By first looking at our own carbon footprint and piloting the green revolving fund, we will learn best practices and prove the concept.