William H. Meadows

Counselor and former President, The Wilderness Society, Washington, DC

President of The Wilderness Society from 1996 to 2012, William H. Meadows has been active in conservation for over 30 years. He credits Earth Day, founded by late Senator Gaylord Nelson, as the catalyst for his involvement. As president he led a staff of 180 headquartered in Washington, DC and nine regional offices, and acted as the key spokesperson and advocate for The Wilderness Society’s work both on Capitol Hill and across the country. Recognized as a national leader in public land conservation and wilderness preservation, Bill has played an important role in the protection of national forest roadless areas, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and America’s national monuments. Since he took the reins of the organization, more than five million acres of wilderness have been added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. Bill is committed to building partnerships and bringing new constituencies into the wilderness movement — and believes that helping empower other groups is the key to our own success. He is a past Chairman of the Green Group and the Campaign for America’s Wilderness, and currently serves as Chairman of the Partnership Project and on the boards of the League of Conservation Voters, Conservation Lands Foundation and Island Press.