The LaGasse Medal - Non-Landscape Architect Professional:
Sally Jewell
"Sally Jewell has created a remarkable legacy as a steward of our nation’s public lands. She has walked the halls of the White House and cared for a fifth of the land in this country. She has demonstrated exquisite diplomacy at boardroom tables and leadership at one of the nation’s most successful outdoor retail companies, REI."
-Nominator, Thaisa Way Ph.D, FASLA, FAAR
From her time on executive boards to her time in the executive branch, Sally Jewell is known for her unwavering commitment to conservation and environmental protection. Sally spent her early career working in corporate America. In 1996 she joined the board of Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) as Chief Operating Officer and later rose to Chief Executive Officer in 2005. During her tenure, the REI co-op facilitated 3 million hours of volunteer work in natural outdoor spaces and contributed three percent of annual profits on outdoor stewardship efforts. Jewel helped found the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, which named her to its Hall of Fame for 21 years of leadership encouraging people to venture outdoors. It was this leadership that led to her appointment as Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior under President Barack Obama in 2013. Expanding access to parks and public lands was a key focus of her time at Interior, where she ushered through pivotal programs such as the Every Kid Every Park initiative, which made every fourth-grade student in the country and their families eligible for a free one-year pass to every national park. After leaving government, Jewell went to the University of Washington as an advisor to the College of the Environment's EarthLab. She also joined the boards of The Nature Conservancy, where she will become the Interim CEO in September 2019.
View nominating and supporting materials.