Meet Anneka “Ani” Williams: WWA’s New Policy Director
Join us in welcoming our newest team member!
Photo courtesy Ani Williams
Ani’s love of snow started in rural Vermont, chasing yaks around her family’s farm and eating wild strawberries in the woods. Winters were long and learning how to have fun sliding around on snow was not just part of the community culture, it was a means of survival.
She remembers Nordic skiing under a full moon along the river in her hometown of Waitsfield, tromping through deep snow to visit a resident snowy owl, admiring sunlight sparkling on hoarfrost at the top of a backcountry run, and ripping through tight trees at Mad River Glen to get in as many runs as possible before last chair.
“There’s a sense of magic to the quiet, fleeting nature of winter that continues to pull me to places with winter wildlands,” Ani says.
“Spending time sliding around on snow in the backcountry has helped me find my best self and I feel grateful that skiing has taken me to some amazing places and connects me with people I consider the closest of friends. I am deeply committed to protecting backcountry winter experiences and places and enabling others to access them now and for generations to come.”
Photo courtesy Ani Williams
Ani’s connection to snow has carried her far from Vermont—skiing the Wasatch Mountains near her current home in Salt Lake City, exploring New Mexico’s Truchas Peaks in the Pecos Wilderness, traversing old-growth forests and vast glaciers around Whistler, and tackling steep lines on Alaska’s Pika Glacier.
Ani also brings an impressive background in science and policy. She has pursued stories, ski lines, and environmental work in diverse communities across four continents. She holds a B.A. in Biology and Earth & Oceanographic Science from Bowdoin College and a Masters of Science in Climate Change from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. As an External Affairs Fellow at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, she developed climate-smart recommendations for the national Farm Bill and co-authored a report released at COP26 in Glasgow addressing the gap between climate risk and policy. Most recently, as a climate resilience specialist at ICF, she focused on building resilience for electric utilities and local communities. Her writing has been featured in POWDER (print), Backcountry Magazine, Ski, Trail Runner, and The Dark Mountain Project, among other publications.
When asked about the issues that matter most for winter wildlands, Ani explains:
“Winter wildlands are complicated. Their existence relies on effective land conservation, public accessibility across different user groups, and temperatures and climate conditions that support a winter season, among many other factors. Right now, we’re finding ourselves in a moment where a lot of these different factors are under threat. This makes the work of Winter Wildlands Alliance even more critical.
I’m also really passionate about equitable access to winter backcountry recreation which can be a huge challenge in most places. In the past, I’ve worked as an avalanche educator and ski instructor and it has brought me so much joy to help others find inspiration and empowerment through backcountry winter recreation.”
Photo courtesy Ani Williams
Photo courtesy Ani Williams
As Policy Director, Ani is excited to build on WWA’s legacy:
“I’ve always really admired the work Winter Wildlands has taken on and the community they’ve built along the way. I’m excited to connect more deeply across this community and build on the legacy of work Winter Wildlands has already established to continue to protect our winter wildlands and collaborate on a shared vision for the future of these places.”
And when the snow melts? You’ll still find her outside.
“One of my favorite things to do outside of winter is to hike, trail run, or bike in places where I normally ski. I love seeing how different certain areas look between seasons and am in awe of all the flowers and trees and small animals that survive under a blanket of snow each winter. When winter comes around again, I love noticing how much snow can smooth out and soften certain parts of a landscape while also appreciating that it can sharpen other features.”
We’re thrilled to welcome Ani to the Winter Wildlands Alliance team! Get ready to hear more from Ani in our Policy Updates and Action Alerts — and, if you’re lucky, you might even catch her on the skin track or at a Backcountry Film Festival screening near you!
Reach out to Ani at awilliams@winterwildlands.org.
