Kevin V.G. Wells, Esquire, has been hired as Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), effective February 22, 2021. He will report to WCS’s President/CEO and the EVP/Chief Operating Officer.

Wells comes to WCS with a wealth of experience in both the private and public sector, including locally in the New York City area and internationally. He spent the early part of his career utilizing his legal education in both corporate and law firm settings, specifically focused on environmental law and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Wells served as the Director for Diversity & Economic Inclusion at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development where he formed a regulatory unit to ensure diversity/inclusion compliance on affordable housing projects and he monitored the outreach efforts for diverse talent among corporate developers. Recently, Wells served as Chief Diversity Officer for the NYC Department of Sanitation.

For over a decade, Wells served as General Counsel and Director of Diversity Initiatives for the NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council, a not-for-profit with a diversity and inclusion mission. He has partnered with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to strategize on creating joint ventures between indigenous business communities for the supply chains of major brands. As Senior CSR Executive at Nima Hunter consulting firm in New York City, Wells worked collaboratively with corporate marketing and communications teams to better support and develop talent from underrepresented demographics identified from interactive forecasting methods to promote economic development in local communities.

Wells, who grew up in the Bronx, graduated from Widener University School of Law (Wilmington, Delaware) with a Juris Doctorate.