**NEWS FROM WCS**

 CONTACT: MARY DIXON (1-347-840-1242; mdixon@wcs.org)

STEPHEN SAUTNER: (1-718-220-3682; ssautner@wcs.org

Antonia M. Grumbach Elected Chair of the Wildlife Conservation Society

WCS manages the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks and conservation programs in nearly 60 nations

New York, NY – Oct. 27, 2015 – The WCS Board of Trustees has elected Antonia M. Grumbach, a New York attorney and long-time advisor on nonprofit governance and strategy, to serve as its Chair. Grumbach will be the first woman Chair of WCS, which manages the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, including the Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, as well as conservation programs in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans.

Grumbach’s election follows the tenure of Ward W. Woods who served as Chair since 2007. Woods, a staunch supporter of conservation around the world, will continue to serve on the WCS Board as Chair Emeritus. As Chair, Woods oversaw tremendous growth in WCS’s global conservation programs, and improvements in WCS’s business practices, enabling the organization to scale up its impact in global efforts to save wildlife.

"WCS has great talent on our board, including the leadership of Antonia M. Grumbach and Ward W. Woods,” said WCS President and CEO Cristian Samper. “Ward served as our chair for 8 years, bringing a sharp business sense to our organization and championing the expansion of our global conservation programs. He has strengthened the Board of Trustees and recruited new donors to support our work. Antonia, in addition to her vast experience on legal and governance matters, has played a critical role in rebuilding the New York Aquarium, post the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, and the development of a marine conservation program in the New York seascape.

“Antonia, first woman chair in WCS’s 120-year history, has traveled to many of our global programs through the years to get first-hand knowledge of conservation in action, and after serving as an advisor on numerous projects in our zoos and aquarium, she knows their importance to our conservation mission. Our entire leadership team respects her guidance as we unveil our new strategy, which will be key to ensuring our continued success in New York and around the world.”

Grumbach’s tenure as Chair begins as WCS unveiled its strategy this month, which harnesses its zoos and aquarium, its global conservation program and global partnerships to conserve the largest wild places in 15 of the most important regions for wildlife. The strategy focuses on six global priority species groups that are flagships for wild places and for critical issues facing wildlife globally. These species groups are elephants, apes, big cats, sharks & rays, whales & dolphins, and tortoises & freshwater turtles. The strategy further highlights the importance of WCS’s zoos and aquariums in its mission to save wildlife.

Grumbach has been a long-time strategist at WCS, serving on the board since 2008, and has been an important legal advisor to WCS for many years. She was elected as Vice Chair in Oct. 2012.

Grumbach is of counsel to the firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, LLP.  She became a partner in 1979 and served as managing partner from 1990 to 1996. She headed the firm’s tax exempt organizations group for over 15 years. She is past President of the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation; and is a director of Pilnet, the Global Public Interest law network and of Partnership for Children’s Rights.  A passionate advocate for education, she was a Trustee for more than 20 years of Teachers College, Columbia University,  co-chairing the Board of Trustees for five of those year, and of Milton Academy. Grumbach was a Director for over 12 years of United States Trust Company of New York. Grumbach has a BA from Harvard University and a JD from Columbia Law School. 

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WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.