Jamie Rappaport Clark

Jamie Rappaport Clark has been with Defenders of Wildlife since February 2004 as executive vice president. In October 2011, she took the reins as president and CEO. Jamie came to Defenders after a 20-year career in conservation with the federal government, mostly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In recognition of her accomplishments and national leadership in this field, President Bill Clinton appointed her as director of the Service in 1997, a post she held until 2001. Her passion for wildlife is shared by her family. Jim Clark, her husband of 22 years, was a national wildlife refuge manager on Matagorda Island, Texas and Yukon Flats, Alaska and is presently an award-winning nature photographer and author. Her 12-year-old son Carson, named after renowned environmentalist Rachel Carson, is also an award-winning nature photographer and author of a series of children’s books featuring “Buddy the Beaver.” Jamie holds a B.S. in wildlife biology from Towson University in Towson, Maryland, where she also did post-graduate work in environmental planning. She holds an M.S. in wildlife ecology from the University of Maryland.