Presidents' Council
Michelle (Shelly) Lakly, Ph.D., is a leader in global conservation action with over 20 years experience leading global teams at mission driven nonprofit organizations. She thrives on building strong teams through inspiring and investing in others and excels at defining strategic vision and leading, with empathy, through change. She spent 12 years with The Nature Conservancy leading conservation impact and philanthropy in over 14 States and working extensively in freshwater conservation globally particularly in the Western Balkans. She was the founder of the Academy for Conservation Training in China and is honored to have worked with Maasai women leaders in Kenya. She is a human spirit advocate first and a productivity and program recovery expert second and is driven to make a positive difference in the world.
Shelly earned a B.S. in Biology, a M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia. She also has extensive experience as a mentor and educator.