The Foundation for America’s Public Lands today announced the appointment of Val Cole, Scott Gwilliam, Laurel Sayer, and Paul Vigano to its Board of Directors. As the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management, the Foundation’s board is appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. These leaders will bring unique expertise to help guide the Foundation as it advances its inaugural programmatic initiatives.
“The Foundation is embarking on a new and exciting phase of growth that will allow us to continue driving greater access, awareness, and stewardship of our Bureau of Land Management lands and waters,” said Governor Steve Bullock, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Val, Scott, Laurel, and Paul are exactly the kind of visionary leaders that will help ensure the Foundation excels as we serve the needs of our public lands and waters.”
“I could not be more thrilled to welcome these leaders to the Foundation’s Board of Directors,” said I Ling Thompson, Foundation CEO. “The public lands and waters managed by the Bureau of Land Management represent our shared heritage and define our communities. Together, these leaders will drive the Foundation’s important work into the future, ensuring these lands and waters remain healthy and available for future generations while meeting their multi-use, sustained yield mission.”
Val Cole is a recently retired Apple executive, now working as a sales and marketing consultant with clients such as Airbnb, Spotify, and Disney. While at Apple, Cole created the iTunes GiftCard program and developed it into a $5B/year business. Prior to joining Apple, he held leadership positions in marketing and sales at Hewlett-Packard and several Silicon Valley start-ups. He is currently the co-chair of the Trust for Public Land’s California Advisory Board and has been a lead fundraiser for equity projects. Cole served on the board of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County for nine years, most recently as Vice Chair. He has also been on several other nonprofit boards including Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and the DigitalNEST.
Scott Gwilliam is the Managing Partner of Keystone Capital, a firm he co-founded in 1994. Keystone invests in various industries, having completed over 175 transactions, and launched 42 platforms. Initially funded by the company’s principals, Keystone has recently raised over $1 billion from institutions. Gwilliam serves on the boards of several Keystone investments and has prior experience in investment banking and corporate finance. He is also involved in various philanthropic endeavors and educational institutions.
Laurel Sayer leverages her lifelong commitment to conservation and extensive experience in federal and natural resource policy to lead the Stibnite Gold Project through regulatory processes. She previously served as CEO for Perpetua Resources, and before becoming CEO, she served on the company’s corporate board for two years. Sayer’s expertise in federal policy comes from over two decades of work on national resource issues with Congressman Mike Simpson and Senator Mike Crapo, where she built a reputation for fostering relationships and achieving results across diverse stakeholder groups. Following her congressional work, she helped build the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts and served as their first executive director. Working with Idaho’s land trusts and private landowners to secure public access to public lands and preserve private lands for Idaho’s critters and fish has been one of the highlights of her career.
Paul Vigano’s life has been shaped by a love for the outdoors, ignited by childhood fishing trips in New Jersey. He pursued a successful career in finance, but never strayed far from his passion. He led investments in iconic outdoor brands and even served as CEO of Pure Fishing, the largest U.S. based manufacturer and marketer of fishing tackle. Vigano also has served on the boards of Ocearch and The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). At TRCP, Vigano was treasurer and a member of the organization’s executive committee. After nine years, Vigano recently termed off the TRCP board of directors. Now, after serving on conservation boards, Vigano is focusing on personal ventures, including a new fishing sunglasses company, building a house in Wyoming, and exploring the American West.
Learn more about our leadership team here:
https://americaslands.org/leadership/
About the Foundation for America’s Public Lands
The Foundation for America’s Public Lands is the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and works together with the BLM to support its mission. Chartered by Congress in 2017 and officially formed in 2021, the Foundation operates and raises private funds independent of the BLM to help raise awareness, increase access, and inspire stewardship of more than 245 million acres of U.S. public lands and waters. Find out more at www.americaslands.org.
