Jamie Rappaport Clark

Jamie Rappaport Clark is president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife.[1] She joined the organization as executive vice president in 2004.

Jamie Rappaport Clark

President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife

Career history

Jamie Rappaport Clark has dedicated her entire life to the conservation of wildlife. As a college student, she spent a summer at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where she released peregrine falcons back into the wild; part of a national recovery effort. Twenty years later, as the director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,[2] she officially removed them from the federal list of endangered species due to the successful recovery efforts[3] in which she participated.

Jamie Rappaport Clark has a long career in conservation, both inside the government, mostly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,[4] and with non-profit conservation organizations.

In recognition of her expertise and achievements in endangered species conservation, President Bill Clinton[5] appointed her as director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) in 1997,[6] a post which she held until 2001. During her tenure as director, Clark established 27 new refuges and added two million acres to the National Wildlife Refuge System.[7] While director, the Service worked with Congress to pass the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvements Act of 1997,[8] establishing wildlife conservation as the main purpose of all refuges. The Service was involved in many successful efforts to recover imperiled wildlife during her tenure, including the bald eagle,[9] gray wolf[10] and the Aleutian Canada goose.[11]

As president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, Clark has been a leader on endangered species and habitat conservation in the non-profit community. She is frequently called on to testify on Capitol Hill,[12] providing guidance to members of Congress on conservation issues. Under her leadership, Defenders has played a key role in the reintroduction of bison to tribal reservations,[13] secured protections for right whales,[14] sea turtles and piping plovers[15] and many other species and habitats.[16]

Works

References

  1. ↑ "Defenders of Wildlife announces new president". Defenders.org. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service
  3. ↑ http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=B01H
  4. ↑ United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  5. ↑ http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamjclinton
  6. ↑ http://www.fws.gov/cno/news/1997/9759nr.htm
  7. ↑ http://www.fws.gov/refuges/
  8. ↑ http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/downloads/NWRSimprovementact.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eagle/recovery/index.html
  10. ↑ http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A00D
  11. ↑ http://www.fws.gov/endangered/map/ESA_success_stories/AK/AK_story1/index.html
  12. ↑ http://www.c-span.org/person/?jamieclark
  13. ↑ http://www.defenders.org/success/wild-bison-brought-fort-peck
  14. ↑ http://www.defenders.org/success/feds-agree-protect-more-critical-habitat-right-whales
  15. ↑ http://www.defenders.org/success/cape-hatteras-protections-upheld
  16. ↑ http://www.defenders.org/success-stories
  17. ↑ Schlyer, Krista. Continental Divide: Wildlife, People and the Border Wall.
  18. ↑ "Jamie Rappaport Clark". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  19. ↑ Speeches and articles by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Jamie Rappaport Clark

External links

Profiles in Success: Inspiration from Executive Leaders in the Washington, D.C. Area. Jamie Rappaport Clark, The Science of Saving

Jamie Rappaport Clark testifying on Capitol Hill. CSPAN 1997-present

Defenders of Wildlife web page