Melissa Shackleton Dann

Melissa Shackleton Dann "is the former Executive Director of the Wallace Global Fund, a foundation based in Washington, DC. She was with the foundation for over a decade and also served as program officer for environmental issues prior to becoming the head. Previously, Melissa directed the biodiversity and training programs for the US-Asia Environmental Partnership, a $100 million dollar USAID-funded initiative. She served as interim executive director of a small Washington-based NGO, WorldWide Network that focused on women and environmental issues leading up to the Rio Summit. Previously, she worked at World Wildlife Fund-US where she was special assistant to the president and interned with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Nairobi. In addition to the Rare Board, Melissa chairs the board of Fauna & Flora International, Inc. Prior board commitments include the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, an affinity group of 55 private foundations (2001-2007; chair 2005-07) and The Forest Stewardship Council Global Trust Fund (2001-2006). She is a Fellow with the London-based Royal Geographic Society. Melissa holds a Master’s degree in political economy from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Denison University. She lives with her husband, Tom, and their four children in Chevy Chase, MD."


 * Trustee, RARE