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Emily Zimmerman joins The Nature Conservancy as new Wisconsin Director of Agricultural Strategies

February 21, 2024 | Madison, WI

Green shoots sprouting through soil.
Cover Crop Remnants of cover crops seen next to the new corn plants at Danes Farms. © Patrick Flood Photography LLC

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The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Emily Zimmerman as the Wisconsin chapter’s Director of Agricultural Strategies. Zimmerman is taking over the role from Steve Richter, who recently retired after a long tenure with the chapter. She will be focused on developing and sustaining relationships with and support for farmers and other TNC partners in their work to create and apply science-based solutions to achieve sustainable environmental, financial and social outcomes in Wisconsin’s agricultural landscapes.

Zimmerman comes to TNC from Iowa State University, where she served as an assistant professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management and the Global Resource Systems Program in the Department of Horticulture. Over the past several years, she has worked on and led multidisciplinary projects focused on leveraging conservation science and partnerships to meet environmental and financial outcomes in U.S. Cornbelt agricultural systems. Much of that work has been around developing and communicating science-based solutions that scale the implementation of conservation practices that achieve water quality and climate goals, support local farming communities, and build strong partnerships across diverse sectors, including agribusiness.

Emily Zimmerman wears a grey sweatshirt and stands outside near a body of water in the fall.

I’m excited about continuing and growing partnerships and relationships around agriculture and conservation in Wisconsin, and I’m looking forward to working with our partners on our common goals around environmental, financial and social sustainability.

Emily Zimmerman

“I’ve always had an immense amount of respect for the work that TNC does as a science-based conservation organization, and in recent years, I’ve come to admire the way in which folks at TNC do their work—with integrity and respect for the people, communities and cultures where they work,” says Zimmerman. “I’m excited about continuing and growing partnerships and relationships around agriculture and conservation in Wisconsin, and I am looking forward to working with our partners on our common goals around environmental, financial and social sustainability. I’m also eager to get out on farms, meet farmers and learn more about how TNC can better support their conservation investments in our agricultural landscapes.”

Emily can be reached at emily.zimmerman@tnc.org or by cell at +1-515-715-0655.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 81 countries and territories (40 by direct conservation impact and 41 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.