The Wilderness Society Welcomes New Leaders to Governing Council

At its fall 2021 meeting, The Wilderness Society announced the appointment of two new members to the Governing Council, Jim Enote and Ben Jealous. The council is the policy-making and governing body for TWS.

Jim Enote is a Zuni tribal member and CEO of the Colorado Plateau Foundation. He serves on the boards of the Trust for Mutual Understanding, Grand Canyon Trust, and formally with Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. He is a National Geographic Society Explorer, a New Mexico Community Luminaria, and an E.F. Schumacher Society Fellow.

In 2010 while serving as the director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum Jim was awarded the first Ames Prize for Innovative Museum Anthropology during the American Anthropological Association’s annual conference. In 2013 he received the Guardian of Culture and Lifeways Award from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, and in 2016 received the Hewett Award for leadership and service to the New Mexico museum community and for achievements in the museum field. He lives in Zuni, New Mexico.

"My appointment to the Governing Council signals a right-minded soul searching around principles and definitions of wildlands and wilderness,” said Enote. “This new discourse will enable more inclusive and righteous wilderness ambitions and potentially more tribal interests and strategic collaborative protections. For these reasons, it is time for me to step into the wilderness master plan at the highest levels of influence and authority."

“Jim has been a strong voice for conserving lands in ways that respect tribal sovereignty, traditional knowledge and stewardship,” said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society. “He has such a strong interest in seeing national organizations like ours prioritize indigenous led initiatives and solutions for conservation on public lands.”

Joining Jim on the council is Ben Jealous, a civil rights leader and social impact investor. He served as the president and chief executive officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 2008 to 2013. When he was selected to head the NAACP at age 35, he became the organization's youngest-ever national leader. In 2013, The Washington Post described him as "one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders.” While at the NAACP, Jealous  led a series of wholesale changes in how the organization used social media and related technologies to enhance its organizing. Jealous’ leadership in civil rights has been enhanced by his training as a journalist.

He is a former Democratic Nominee for Governor of Maryland and in that campaign called for Maryland to move to 100 percent renewable energy. 

“I’m excited to welcome Ben Jealous to our Governing Council. Ben’s deep commitment to our environment and his national leadership on civil rights bring critical perspective to our Council as we work to protect public lands and ensure that they help to build a more just and sustainable future for all,” said Williams.

The Governing Council oversees the priorities, programs, and finances of The Wilderness Society. It helps ensure that our resources are used wisely and effectively to achieve our mission of uniting people to protect America’s wild places. To read more about the Governing Council, click here.

The Wilderness Society, founded in 1935, is the leading conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. With more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 109 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org 

For more information, contact Tony Iallonardo at tony_iallonardo@tws.org.