MADISON, WI — The Nature Conservancy is pleased to announce that Dr. George Koonce, Jr. has joined The Nature Conservancy’s Wisconsin Board of Trustees.

 Trustees provide vital volunteer leadership to The Nature Conservancy as it works to find innovative solutions to urgent environmental challenges such as protecting the lands that keep our waters clean, addressing climate change, and demonstrating how green infrastructure, such as planting trees, can help manage stormwater run-off and improve air quality.

Dr. Koonce spent his early years in and around New Bern, North Carolina, fishing with his father and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. As a student and professional athlete, he did his training runs on the trails of Croatan National Forest near his home in New Bern.

Dr. Koonce came to Wisconsin in 1992, when he was recruited by the Green Bay Packers. A linebacker with the team for eight years, George helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI. He received his PhD from Marquette University and currently serves as Senior Vice President of University Relations at Marian University in Fond du Lac.

“Team sports has been an important part of my life, and I like the way The Nature Conservancy works with a wide range of partners to find solutions to big environmental problems,” says Dr. Koonce. “I’m especially excited to leverage the relationships I’ve built in the greater Milwaukee area during my career to help TNC as it begins to explore conservation work in Milwaukee.”