Lisa Gaylord ’76

Lisa Gaylord is currently the director of strategic partnerships for the Wildlife Conservation Society. She has worked for governmental, development, and conservation organizations internationally during her career. She has been a leader in linking the environment, economic growth, health, and governance through a comprehensive holistic approach. Gaylord’s involvement with biodiversity conservation and environment programs began in 1987. She was working for Catholic Relief Services when she was approached by the World Wildlife Fund, which was looking for a development partner for a USAID project in Madagascar. She then managed USAID-funded projects in Cameroon and Madagascar in the late 1980s.

Gaylord began an 18-year span working for USAID Madagascar in 1990. She worked first as the protected areas program coordinator and subsequently as the environment and rural development coordinator/ team leader. She next served as the country director for the Wildlife Conservation Society in Madagascar from 2008 to 2010. As an active partner in the Madagascar National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) since its beginning in 1990, she served as the copresident of the Joint Environment Program Steering Committee from 2003 through 2008. She serves on the Tany Meva Foundation Board of Directors and the Rio Tinto/QMM Biodiversity Steering Committee. She will soon take a position with Rio Tinto/QMM as the director for community relations and sustainable development.