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Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative Names New President

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Dr. Jody Hilty has been hired as the new president and chief scientist of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative/Y2Y

After an extensive international search, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative has announced that Dr. Jodi Hilty will become the organization's president and chief scientist, effective November 1.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Jodi to the team,” said Bill Weber, Y2Y’s Montana board chair. “She brings the complete package to Y2Y—a passion for protecting intact ecosystems, extensive credentials as a wildlife corridor ecologist and conservationist, plus two decades of experience managing large-scale conservation programs.”

Although she has worked to connect and protect large ecosystems globally, Dr. Hilty is most passionate about the Rocky Mountains, where she was born and raised.

“I love to explore the Rockies with my children and want future generations to have the same opportunities,” she said in a release. “Y2Y is the only entity focused on the entire landscape, and working to ensure it remains the most intact mountain ecosystem in the world.”

Prior to joining to Y2Y, Dr. Hilty served as executive director of the North America Program for the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in Bozeman, Montana, where she led the work of more than 50 staff working remotely across the continent. Through proven leadership, and her ability to work collaboratively with other organizations, she was able to address a range of conservation challenges related to natural resource extraction, ecosystem connectivity and climate change.

Dr. Hilty has already spearheaded several initiatives that have furthered the Y2Y mission, including developing the scientific basis for expanding Canada’s Nahanni National Park, guiding policy toward protecting the “Path of the Pronghorn,” the first U.S. federally-designated wildlife corridor, and conducting science that proves the need for expanded land protections in the trans-border Crown of the Continent area linking Montana with Alberta and British Columbia.

“I enjoy finding creative, science-based solutions to complex challenges,” said Dr. Hilty. “Success in conservation requires collaboration, and I appreciate working across partnerships within different contexts to inspire change at the local, national and international scale.”

Through all of her conservation work, Dr. Hilty has remained committed to protecting large, interconnected landscapes, and has offered that visionary leadership on several boards, committees and government agencies, including her current role as advisor on the NAFTA North America Council. She has served on the Y2Y Board from 2007 and 2012.

Wendy Francis, who has served as interim president over the past eight months, will resume her position as Y2Y’s program director. Over the next few months, she will undertake a long-planned transition away from Y2Y to pursue other opportunities in conservation.

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