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Stephanie K. Meeks, acting president and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Nature Conservancy. Photo © Mark Godfrey/TNC |
Stephanie Meeks is acting president and chief executive officer of The Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters. With operations in all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 other countries and an annual budget exceeding $1 billion, the Conservancy is one of the largest and most respected non-profit institutions in the United States.
Stephanie assumed the role of acting president and CEO in October 2007. She leads the Conservancy at one of the most critical points in the organization’s 60-year history. The Conservancy has established an unprecedented conservation agenda calling for the conservation of 10 percent of every major habitat type on Earth by the year 2015. That agenda, based on one of the most comprehensive analysis of the state of the world’s habitats ever produced, requires the organization to expand its vision, effectiveness and reach to unprecedented levels. To obtain the resources necessary to implement its ambitious agenda, the Conservancy, under Stephanie’s leadership, has launched the largest fundraising campaign in the history of conservation.
Stephanie stepped into the role as acting president and CEO from her previous position as the Conservancy’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), a position she assumed in January 2007 and continues to hold today. In this role, she oversees the organization’s operations across the U.S. and in more than 30 other countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Africa and Asia.
Known for her decisive management style, Stephanie is implementing a long-term strategic plan to expand the organization’s global reach, implement priority conservation strategies to address issues such as climate change, sustainable use and new ways to value natural resources and encourage innovation at every level.
Previously, Ms. Meeks held other senior management positions at the Conservancy, including Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for three years and Vice President/Managing Director of Marketing, Membership and Philanthropy (MM&P) for eight years prior to that. As CAO, Stephanie oversaw board relations, ethics and compliance, finance, external affairs, human resources, internal communications, and other areas. As the head of MM&P, she developed and led the highly successful Campaign for Conservation, an unprecedented private fundraising effort that raised a record $1.42 billion over a five-year period, nearly double the campaign’s original goal. She also led the development of the organization's first-ever comprehensive strategic marketing plan.
Ms. Meeks received her MBA from George Washington University and her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Colorado.
