Dr Paula Kahumbu

Dr Paula Kahumbu

Kenya’s renowned environmentalist Dr Paula Kahumbu has been appointed as board member at National Geographic. Paula Kahumbu is the CEO of Kenyan Conservation NGO WildlifeDirect and since 2014 has spearheaded the hard hitting Hands Off Our Elephants Campaign. She is the only African appointed alongside Ash Carter, Claudia Madrazo, Deborah Lehr, Dina Powell McCormick, to the National Geographic Society board of trustees.

“On behalf of the entire board, I am delighted to welcome these five distinguished leaders to the National Geographic Society’s board of trustees,” said board chair Jean Case. “Collectively, their global expertise and knowledge will prove invaluable as we continue our ambitious mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world by using the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling.”

Paula shared the news on Twitter, “@NatGeo just got new board members – including yours truly.”

Her career in wildlife and conservation spans 24 years working for both Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations and the private industry. She currently sits on the board of  Lewa Conservancy.

Paula is also the producer of award winning NTV Wild and NTV Wild Talk TV Series. She is Chairperson for National Museums of Kenya and a Princeton University Lecturer in Undergraduate Ecology. The vocal Kenyan conservationist with a PhD from Princeton University where she studied Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will join Zimbabwean tycoon Strive Masiyiwa, who is already a board member at National Geographic.