IUCN WCPA Large Scale Conservation Area Task Force

Reporting directly to and working closely with American Prairie's CEO, Scott is responsible for overseeing all organizational operations including conservation strategy, philanthropy, brand and reputation, field operations, education and community outreach, federal and state outreach, operations and finance, organizational systems and processes, risk management, personnel management and organizational health and culture. He is also responsible for implementing and guiding the execution of American Prairie’s overall strategy and acting as an expert resource for staff, board and others regarding all aspects of the organization's overall vision, goals, opportunities, and challenges.  American Prairie's mission is to create one of the largest nature reserves in the United States, a refuge for people and wildlife preserved forever as part of America’s heritage.

In his most recent prior role, Scott directed the landscape connectivity, protected areas, community conservation, science and policy work of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, whose mission is to connect and protect habitat throughout the 1.4M sq/km Yellowstone to the Yukon so people and nature can thrive.  He is an accomplished leader of local, regional, national and international conservation campaign teams, an award-winning educator and journalist, and a deeply committed practitioner of collaborative large landscape conservation.  Scott also chairs the Large Scale Conservation Area Task Force of the IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas.

Scott brings extensive experience in campaign leadership, government relations, communications, diversity, equity and inclusion as well as ENGO leadership, management and fundraising to his work at American Prairie.  Throughout his career Scott and the teams he has led have worked closely with scientists, grassroots advocates, Indigenous communities and elected officials to achieve strategic synergy between conservation and sustainable economic development.

Earlier in his career, Scott worked for The Wilderness Society for 14 years in a series of state and national leadership roles, served as the founding director of the campaign to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska from the threat of large scale mining.  He has also lived, worked and traveled extensively in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in Southern Africa as well as the Trans-Himalaya.  He holds two degrees in environmental science, taught many university-level courses in environmental science, policy and journalism and won accolades for his work as an environmental journalist and educator.