Wildlife Conservation Society

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a prominent global conservation organization and one of New York City’s premier cultural institutions, has selected Monica Medina as President & CEO, effective June 1, 2023.

Since its founding in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society, WCS has been dedicated to saving wildlife and wild places worldwide. Today, with a budget of approximately $330 million, WCS deploys more than 4000 staff, most of them outside the United States as nationals in the countries in which they serve. The organization combines field research and conservation management in nearly 60 countries and across the world’s oceans with world-class curatorial science and programming in four zoos and an aquarium in New York City.

Medina comes to WCS from the U.S. Department of State where she serves as the Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment, and Science and as Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources. Her life-long passion for nature and commitment to conservation has threaded through a career in government service as well as in foundation and non-profit leadership.

The announcement of this appointment may be found here.

This search was led by Karen Wilcox with Nella Young, Damla Williams, and Monica Ochoa.