JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance executive director Craig Benjamin announced his resignation last Friday. Benjamin accepted a position with the National Wildlife Federation as the organization’s Rocky Mountain regional representative.
“While we’re disappointed to lose a leader of Craig’s caliber, we’re grateful for his hard work and leadership during the past four years and for leaving the Alliance stronger than ever,” said Alliance board chair David Hardie. “We wish Craig the very best in his next conservation chapter.”
Under Benjamin, the Alliance found its feet after a bit of a rocky transition moving on from Franz Camenzind, who led one of the valley’s oldest and most prominent nonprofits for 26 years—half that as its executive director before he retired in 2007. The organization grew and flourished significantly, especially in areas of civic engagement with the creation of programs including the Conservation Leadership Institute among others.
Benjamin also steered the organization into a modern age. Some critics say the nonprofit moved off of its wildlife core values, as it took center stage during a town meeting regarding a zoning change in the downtown district of Jackson. After first rallying citizens to “picket” the process with signs reading “No More Marriotts,” the Alliance later partnered with a major developer and advocated for more commercial zoning as a way to get more housing, then changed its mind.
Benjamin will stay on with the Alliance through June as he transitions into his new role with the National Wildlife Federation. Alliance operations manager Dawn Webster will serve as interim executive director while the board of directors conducts a national search for a new ED.
