The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is pleased to announce it has appointed longtime conservationist Kathleen Fitzgerald to serve as Director of Land Conservation, a position based out of AWF’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

In her new role, Kathleen will work with President Helen Gichohi and other senior staff to design and direct AWF’s land and habitat conservation efforts across Africa. Delivering landscape-scale conservation is the key pillar of AWF’s Heartland Program. Already AWF has identified eight key Heartlands that are essential to conservation, thanks to their unmatched concentrations of wildlife and their potential to sustain viable populations for centuries to come.

“With Kathleen on board, AWF can continue its work to conserve the open space and resource-rich habitats wildlife needs to thrive,” says Helen Gichohi, President of AWF. “We think this is the only way to preserve Africa’s natural heritage.”

Kathleen brings more than 15 years of experience in directing large-landscape conservation, protecting wildlife and natural lands, and engaging communities in conservation and wildlife initiatives. Previously, she co-founded and was Executive Director of the Northeast Wilderness Trust, a regional land trust in the northeastern United States. She has also held key positions at the Land Stowe Trust, the Wildlands Project, and other conservation groups.

Fitzgerald holds a master’s degree in Botany and is trained as a naturalist. Her thesis was on the grey wolf in Canada, giving her direct experience with human-wildlife conflict issues. She has worked and studied in eastern Africa and speaks conversational Swahili.