America's Public Lands
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Our Leadership

Leadership

I Ling Thompson

I Ling Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, the congressionally chartered charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management. As the Foundation’s first CEO, I Ling leads the organization’s work to improve awareness, access, and stewardship of our public lands and waters for present and future generations.

I Ling Thompson is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, the congressionally chartered charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management. As the Foundation’s first CEO, I Ling leads the organization’s inaugural work to improve awareness, access and stewardship of our public lands and waters for present and future generations.

As a mission-driven leader with two decades of expertise in global land and water conservation, I Ling has dedicated her career to fostering people's love, connection and stewardship of the outdoors. Before joining the Foundation, I Ling held leadership roles with The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land and the Outdoor Industry Association.

I Ling drove the game-changing 2012 Outdoor Recreation Economy Campaign, which significantly elevated and reframed the industry’s impact on the U.S. economy. She has earned recognition for her work, including receiving the 40 Under 40 Outdoor Industry Award. I Ling also remains active in the community through her board service with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Keystone Policy Center and the Together Outdoors Governance Council.

I Ling has long believed in the power of public lands to unite, benefit and transform people. She’s a mountain biker, hiker, whitewater SUPer, skier, novice fly fisher and was part of a group that held a Guiness World Record for the longest static cycling class. In her free time, she loves exploring public lands around Colorado with her husband, an avid hunter and angler, and their two dogs.

The Foundation’s Board Members

Governor Steve Bullock

Governor Steve Bullock

Governor Steve Bullock is a native Montanan who has worked tirelessly to protect Montana’s way of life, including protecting its public lands and waters. He is the Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and supervises the business of the foundation and represents the Foundation publicly.

Steve Bullock is a native Montanan who has worked tirelessly to protect Montana’s way of life, including protecting its public lands. Bullock served two terms as Montana’s 24th governor from 2013 to 2021. During his two terms, Governor Bullock worked across the aisle to strengthen Montana’s economy, invest in public schools, freeze college tuition, and expand career training so that Montana’s kids can build a better future. He increased funding for state parks, created a state government position focused on opening access to public lands, and launched the state’s first Office of Outdoor Recreation. He has a track record of bringing people together to get things done and has served as chair of both the Western Governors Association and the National Governors Association. Prior to serving as Attorney General and Governor, he was a union-side labor lawyer. As Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Steve will generally supervise the business of the Foundation and represents the Foundation publicly.

Maite Arce

Maite Arce

Maite Arce is the Founder of the Hispanic Access Foundation and has a proven track record in working with faith and community-driven leaders in helping Latinos improve their financial literacy, become environmental stewards, advocate for better health and increase equity and access to key resources. She is the Secretary of the Board.

Founder of the Hispanic Access Foundation, Maite Arce has 15 years of experience developing innovative outreach strategies that effectively mobilize under-represented populations. She has a proven track record of working with faith and community-based leaders, with whom she designs and executes data driven and measurable outreach initiatives. Arce formerly served as Vice President of Operations for the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO), increasing Latino parental involvement in education and public policy participation among Latino faith and community leaders. Arce received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Logos Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida.

Stacy Leeds

Stacy Leeds

Stacy Leeds is an experienced leader in law, higher education, governance, economic development, and conflict resolution. Leeds is Dean Emeritus, University of Arkansas School of Law (2011-2018) and the first Indigenous woman to lead a law school. She is the Treasurer of the Board.

Stacy Leeds is an experienced leader in law, higher education, governance, economic development, and conflict resolution. In 2021, she joined the faculty at Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University as the Foundation Professor of Law and Leadership. Leeds is Dean Emeritus, University of Arkansas School of Law (2011-2018) and the first Indigenous woman to lead a law school. She is a former Justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court and former Chairperson of the Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission. She is currently a district court judge for Muscogee (Creek) Nation and an appellate court judge for other Indigenous Nations. She is frequently tapped for conflict resolution and management roles, including arbitration, mediation, and negotiations. She previously served on the National Commission on American Indian Trust Administration and Reform for the U.S. Department of the Interior. 

Tracy Stone-Manning

Tracy Stone-Manning

Tracy Stone-Manning is the 19th Director of the Bureau of Land Management and has spent her career devoted to public service and conservation.

In September 2021, Tracy Stone-Manning was confirmed as the 19th Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Tracy Stone-Manning has spent her career devoted to public service and conservation, bringing people together to solve the biggest challenges facing our lands and waters. Before coming to the BLM, Stone-Manning served as both a senior advisor for conservation policy and associate vice president of public lands at the National Wildlife Federation.  

Before joining the federation, she served as former Montana Governor Steve Bullock’s chief of staff, where she helped broker bipartisan legislation, including delivering healthcare to nearly 100,000 Montanans by expanding Medicaid and passing a water compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. She also helped launch the state’s first Office of Outdoor Recreation.  

Prior to that, Stone-Manning worked as the director of Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality, overseeing the state’s water, air, mining and remediation programs.  She served as a senior advisor and regional director to Senator Jon Tester during his first term, where she worked primarily on natural resource issues. 

Jessica Turner
Director

Jessica Turner

Jessica (Wahl) Turner is the first President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), America’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations and business organizations. Under her leadership, ORR has connected all segments of the outdoor recreation economy to pass historical legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act and achieve millions of dollars in funding for public lands, waters and rural gateway communities.

Jessica (Wahl) Turner is the first President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR), America’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation associations and business organizations. Under her leadership, ORR has connected all segments of the outdoor recreation economy to pass historical legislation like the Great American Outdoors Act and achieve millions of dollars in funding for public lands, waters and rural gateway communities. Jessica has over a decade of experience navigating the halls of The White House, Department of the Interior (DOI), Capitol Hill, state recreation offices and outdoor lifestyle businesses. Prior to ORR, she directed Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) outdoor recreation portfolio in Washington D.C. where she successfully gained landmark government recognition of outdoor recreation’s contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product as one of America’s leading industry sectors.

Jessica began her career at the Department of the Interior where she managed external relations for the Secretary, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Outside and Let’s Move! in Indian Country initiatives. Jessica is also the co-founder and past-chair of the Coalition for Outdoor Access, served on the Board of the American Conservation Coalition, Advisory Council of Oregon State University’s Outdoor Economy Program, on NOAA’s Business Advisory Council and has been recognized for her leadership in D.C. and the outdoor industry with Outdoors’s 30 Under 30 and the Hill’s Top Lobbyist.

Jessica has a Master of Arts and bachelor's degree in American Government from Georgetown University and is a passionate outdoorswoman.

J. Kirk Dupps
Director

J. Kirkwood “Kirk” Dupps

Kirk Dupps is an extremely accomplished and widely recognized authority in retailing and specifically in the one trillion dollar plus retail food industry with more than 50 years of experience, innovation, and leadership in all aspects of food distribution.

Kirk Dupps is an extremely accomplished and widely recognized authority in retailing and specifically in the one trillion dollar plus retail food industry with more than 50 years of experience, innovation, and leadership in all aspects of food distribution. Mr. Dupps began his career with Kroger Food Stores where he advanced for almost twenty years through every facet of food distribution and retailing. Kirk left Kroger when he was asked by Mr. Sam Walton to join the Walton Family owned grocery chain, The Phillips Companies. Mr. Dupps moved to Arkansas as Senior Vice President of sales and marketing for Walton Enterprises grocery operations. Instrumental in a significant positive turnaround of the company, he quickly became President for all areas of business. Mr. Dupps served as the head of Sam’s Wholesale Club 80-billion-dollar grocery business while he helped design and shape the Supercenter concept for Wal-Mart.

Mr. Dupps serves on numerous boards and advisory councils. President Bill Clinton appointed him as commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1992. In 1996 Mr. Dupps retired from Wal-Mart to devote more time to the commission where he served as chairman in 1998 and 1999. In 2000 the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, appointed Mr. Dupps to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Board. While on the Board he successfully teamed NFWF with Walmart and developed the “Acres for America” program which has already put more than two million acres of land in conservation since inception.

Mr. Dupps and his wife Cynthia have owned a number of businesses and in 1998 were organizers, co-founders, and co-owners of Community First Bank. In 2005 Mr. Dupps became a Co-Founder and Co-Owner White River Bancshares and The Signature Bank of Arkansas.

National Leadership Council

Val Cole

Val Cole

Val 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, Val created the iTunes Gift Card program and developed it into a $5B/year business.

Val 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, Val created the iTunes Gift Card 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 TPL’s California Advisory Board, and has been a lead fundraiser for equity projects. Val 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 non-profit boards including Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and the DigitalNEST. Val hails from Detroit, earned his MBA from the University of Chicago and his bachelor’s degree from Kalamazoo College.

Scott Gwilliam

Scott Gwilliam

Scott Gwilliam co-founded Keystone Capital in 1994 and serves as the Managing Partner of the firm. Over its 30-year history, Keystone has launched 42 different platforms and completed over 175 transactions across a wide range of industries.

Scott Gwilliam co-founded Keystone Capital in 1994 and serves as the Managing Partner of the firm. Over its 30-year history, Keystone has launched 42 different platforms and completed over 175 transactions across a wide range of industries. For the first 27 years, Keystone only used the capital of its principals for its investing activities. More recently, Keystone has raised two institutional funds with aggregate commitments in excess of $1.0 billion from leading endowments, foundations, pensions, corporate institutions and high net worth families. Importantly, the principals of Keystone continue to be the largest investor in all its investments.

Scott currently serves on the following Keystone Board’s: CONSOR Engineering, a leading infrastructure engineering firm; Merge, a full service, national marketing agency; Inspire11, a digital transformation and analytics consulting firm; P10, a NYSE publicly traded multi-manager private alternative investment firm where Scott Chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on the formal Audit and Governance Committee; Clearwater, an outsourced operations and maintenance firm for municipal public works; and Scott Group, a luxury consumer brands business.

Prior to joining Keystone, Scott was a member of the investment banking and corporate finance department of Kidder, Peabody & Company where he was involved in initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructurings. He also worked at Madison Dearborn Partners, Inc., a leading Chicago private equity firm.

Scott earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Scott currently serves on the civic Board of Northwestern Memorial Foundation, where he serves on the Investment Committee. He also serves on the Private Equity Advisory Board at Northwestern University; The Jefferson Trust, a civic Board associated with the University of Virginia; and the Advisory Board of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He also regularly guest lectures at the University of Chicago,
Northwestern University and the University of Virginia.

Paul Vigano

Paul Vigano

Paul grew up in New Jersey and began fishing at an early age. Those early outings to the local pond quickly developed into a passion for all types of fishing and laid the foundation for his life-long love of the outdoors, stewardship of the environment and conservation.
Paul grew up in New Jersey and began fishing at an early age. Those early outings to the local pond quickly developed into a passion for all types of fishing and laid the foundation for his life-long love of the outdoors, stewardship of the environment and conservation. He left New Jersey to attend The University of Michigan where he earned a B.B.A., graduated with High Distinction and was elected into Phi Bea Kappa. Upon graduation, he joined Goldman, Sachs and Co in its Mergers and Acquisitions department. Unfortunately, the lifestyle on Wall Street meant that he rarely got out on the water to fish. To rectify this situation and find a more appropriate career opportunity, he decided to continue his formal education at The Stanford Graduate School of Business where he earned his M.B.A. His roommate at Stanford, a Boise, Idaho native, exposed Paul to flyfishing and wing shooting which quickly became part of his core identity. Those long weekend trips to Idaho and Colorado also began his love of the American West and the vast wilderness and recreational opportunities that it contained.

Stay Connected

The Foundation for America’s Public Lands connects you to your public lands and waters and helps you get involved, learn more, and support these special places. As the Foundation establishes its first programs and projects, we want to hear from you, and we want to keep you connected to what’s new and upcoming.

America's Public Lands

Foundation For America’s Public Lands

1203 K St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Info@Americaslands.org

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The Foundation for America’s Public Lands is a 501(c)3 charitable, nonprofit organization.
Our federal tax ID is 88-1553091. Contributions are tax deductible.