The Wyoming Wildlife Federation (WWF) proudly announces Joy Bannon as its new Executive Director.
The Federation began an exhaustive nationwide Executive Director search in February that yielded multiple high-quality candidates from across the country. The Board of Directors decided that Ms. Bannon’s leadership, experience, and qualifications proved her the best person to take the organization forward.
“We received tremendous interest in the ED position and want to thank all the candidates and partners who contacted us. Joy’s background in not-for-profit and conservation leadership means she knows the landscape in Wyoming inside and out. Throughout that time, her commitment to expanding her leadership skills and impact in Wyoming conservation has made her uniquely qualified for this role,” says Board President, Chris Simonds.
“We have seen Joy in action at the Federal, state, and local levels. She brings superior relationships and fosters tremendous trust in managing multiple constituencies. This organization is poised to excel and on behalf of the board, we’re extremely excited to see the direction Joy will take the Wyoming Wildlife Federation,” Simonds continued.
Bannon is a graduate of the University of Wyoming, obtaining degrees in Environment and Natural Resources as well as Political Science. For the past 20-years, Joy worked within the nonprofit conservation realm in a variety of capacities. During that time, she made significant progress for Wyoming’s wildlife, habitat, and sporting community.
More recently, Joy was a part of the 2017 Wildlife Crossings Summit to raise awareness and financial support for wildlife and roadway safety across the state. This birthed the Wyoming Wildlife and Roadways Initiative Implementation Team (WWRIIT), of which Joy is a member, that has led to funding groundbreaking wildlife crossings structures, fencing, and signage to reduce wildlife collisions on Wyoming roadways.
She worked diligently in 2020 to help draft and implement Governor Mark Gordon’s Executive Order on wildlife migrations, which kicked off an entire public process of conserving Wyoming’s major mule deer and pronghorn migratory corridors.
Furthermore, Joy was appointed in 2012 by then-Governor Matthew Mead to serve as an active member of the Sage Grouse Implementation Team to find creative ways to protect Wyoming’s Greater Sage-Grouse populations.
A graduate of Leadership Wyoming’s Class of 2010, Joy’s expectations are to find ways to empower Wyoming hunters and anglers to make a difference for tomorrow’s wildlife and wild places.
“I want to lead the Federation to be a strong voice for our mission, both in our state and as an example for others across the country,” says Bannon.
“I see a future where WWF builds capacity in a long-term sustainable way, so our members, stakeholders, and the people who love Wyoming’s wildlife and outdoor pursuits have a strong advocate base for years to come.”
Joy’s leadership role began on May 2, 2022. If you would like to reach out to Joy about the future of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, please email her at joybannon@wyomingwildlife.org.
For 87 years, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation has been the voice for sportsmen and women of Wyoming – advocating on your behalf for the healthy, intact, and fully functioning ecosystems – providing outdoor opportunities, and finding common ground through hard-hitting initiatives and campaigns. The mission of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation is to conserve wildlife, habitat, and outdoor opportunities.