Overview

Defenders of Wildlife is a nonprofit conservation organization focused on saving imperiled wildlife and wild places. Defenders has long been a leader in developing innovative techniques for protecting endangered species such as wolves, polar bears, sea otters, and big cats.

Mission

Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit wildlife conservation organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of all native wildlife in their natural communities.

Program

Defenders of Wildlife employs education, litigation, research, legislation and advocacy to defend wildlife and its habitat. In each program area, an interdisciplinary team of scientists, attorneys, wildlife specialists and educators works to promote multi-faceted solutions to wildlife problems. Defenders protects all native species, including predators that are all-important indicators of a balanced natural environment, while promoting conservation of entire ecosystems and interconnected habitats. Defenders is proud of a long list of accomplishments over the last 60 years, from our key role in enacting the remarkably successful Endangered Species Act to the historic reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park.

Impact

Championing the Endangered Species Act and leading efforts to enforce and protect this landmark law.

Returning the gray wolf to Yellowstone National Park and restoring the swift fox and black-footed ferret to Montana prairies.

Establishing the first funds to reimburse ranchers for livestock lost to wolves and grizzly bears.

Advocating the adoption of an international treaty to halt trade in rare animals and plants.

Successfully fighting to cancel the registrations on deadly and highly toxic pesticides.

Chief Executive

Rodger Schlickeisen

Chief Executive Profile

Rodger has been President of Defenders of Wildlife since 1991. Under his leadership, Defenders has grown from 62,000 members and activists to more than 1,000,000 and is recognized as one of the nation’s prominent conservation advocacy organizations.

Prior to joining Defenders, Rodger was CEO of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Company, a leading consulting firm for progressive advocacy organizations. He also served in the Carter White House as Associate Director of the U.S. Office of Management & Budget, and as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Max Baucus.

Rodger is also President of Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, a political non-profit that works to elect a pro-conservation Congress and White House, and to advance conservation programs and policies. He was the founding chair of the nonprofit Partnership Project, established to help build a more unified and potent national environmental movement. He also serves on the advisory committees of the Earth Communications Organization and the Environmental Media Association.

Rodger Schlickeisen holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a doctorate in finance from George Washington University. He is the author of numerous published opinion pieces and articles, including an influential law review article on the need for a constitutional amendment to protect the natural environment for future generations.

Board

Victor M. Sher, Chair
Richard G. Pritzlaff, Vice Chair
Richard Kopcho, Treasurer
Adelaide P. Gomer, Secretary
Edward Asner
Dinah Bear
Peter G. Brown, Ph.D.
Jeff Corwin
Irene Crowe
Gloria E. Flora
Caroline Gabel
Eric R. Glitzenstein
Liberty Godshall
Ashley Judd
Winsome McIntosh
Ruth Musgrave
Matt Pawa
Jaime Pinkham
Ron Pulliam
George B. Rabb, Ph.D.
Rodger Sclickeisen, Ph.D., President
Laura Turner Seydel
Karin Sheldon
Lee M. Talbot, Ph.D.
Susan Wallace

Countries of Operation

United States, Mexico, Canada

States of Operation

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming