Interview with Chuck Bonham
After more than a decade as Director of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the nation’s oldest and largest state and wildlife agency, Chuck joins TNC California as Executive Director. We sat down with him before his first day to hear more about what he's looking forward to with this new role!
TNC: At CDFW, you led one of the largest natural resource agencies in the country. What drew you to TNC at this moment in California’s conservation journey?
Chuck: After almost fifteen years leading CDFW, I was searching for the next step in my professional journey but hadn’t found the right fit. That changed when I discovered an opening to lead TNC California, the organization’s largest chapter and a core hub of global conservation. I read the California chapter staff assessment, which declared “let’s solve big – and tap the full potential of California to forge a wholly different path.” I was sold!
TNC: How do you see the role of a nonprofit like TNC differing from government? What excites you most about leading in this new context?
Chuck: TNC’s unique strength lies in its unparalleled ability to bridge local, place-based conservation with large-scale, impactful policy achievements. This is done by strategically weaving together science, law, policy and a powerful, engaged membership. TNC also excels at building consensus and delivering tangible results, but its true “secret sauce” is that it can relate global action and strategy to innovation in our home state. Conversely, we can harness innovation in California to amplify conservation outcomes across the planet. That’s what has me incredibly excited about leading in this new context. I plan to embrace a nimble, entrepreneurial spirit, learning through application and ensuring our actions are bold enough to meet the pressing needs of our planet.
TNC: California faces urgent challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss. What are one or two priorities you’re most eager to advance in your first year as executive director?
Chuck: When I joined CDFW, I learned what it’s like to introduce myself to a workforce of about 3,000 people scattered across the entire state. Relationships deeply matter. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
My priorities are fundamentally rooted in relationships. This begins with earning the trust of our extraordinary TNC staff in California and extends to deeply engaging with our membership, Leadership Council and California Board of Trustees. The future is bright for what we can achieve as a team. Our collective potential allows us to pursue even bolder initiatives, linking California’s rapid technological advances with TNC’s cutting-edge scientific work to achieve urgent goals. These include:
- Conserving new priority landscapes, preserving the mosaic of incredible biodiversity across the state.
- Adapting to climate disruption through the implementation of bold, nature-based solutions.
- Modernizing infrastructure to improve nature’s ability to roam and connect ecosystems.
- Stepping into a new level of partnership with Tribal governments and other strong voices in conservation.
We can, and will, accomplish this and so much more together.
TNC: Collaboration has been a hallmark of your career. How will your experience working across government, Tribal nations, landowners and industry help TNC accelerate conservation at scale?
Chuck: Over my career in conservation, I’ve seen that motivated people can achieve incredible things through creative problem solving, respect and civility. It can be challenging and messy, but a pragmatic, solutions oriented, non-partisan approach is how we rise to the moment. I know this is true because at CDFW I witnessed what can happen by sitting down with the most diverse constituencies and complex workloads of any state agency in the country.
We are at a pivotal moment at TNC – to achieve our ambitious 2030 Goals, it will take a great, collaborative effort. We need to deepen our partnership with government, Tribal Nations and Indigenous leaders, landowners, farmers and ranchers, other nonprofits, businesses and industry. I’m ready to help strengthen these essential collaborations and move us forward together. Let’s go!
TNC: On a more personal note, what experiences in nature shaped your commitment to conservation? How do you recharge outside?
Chuck: I’m driven by a commitment to safeguard the natural spaces that have profoundly shaped my life. My journey began after college, when I joined the U.S. Peace Corps and volunteered in Senegal, West Africa. When I returned home, I immersed myself in the outdoor recreation community at the renowned Nantahala Outdoor Center, guiding and kayaking alongside world-class adventurers.
While I was initially drawn to a career in outdoor leadership, a lightbulb moment prompted me to redirect my passion toward public service and conservation. I pursued a JD from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. My legal career included impactful roles with Trout Unlimited and CDFW. Now, I’ve come full circle back to the conservation NGO world at TNC.
I am incredibly fortunate. My son loves to do many of the same things that make me tick. We’re in the backcountry, in the mountains, in the rivers and in the ocean, skiing, climbing, surfing, and biking as much as possible. The more time spent in nature, the better.
