As a business executive and public servant serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Obama, Sally Jewell focused her career on supporting a robust economy coupled with long-term sustainability of our natural world and its diverse people.
As Interior Secretary, Jewell championed the importance of science and sharing data to better understand our Earth’s systems; supported development of commercial-scale renewable energy on public lands and waters; encouraged investments for more sustainable use of water in the West; supported tribal rights and opportunities for our Nation’s indigenous people; and worked with Congress, President Obama and his team on long-term conservation of our nation’s most vulnerable and irreplaceable natural, cultural and historic treasures.
Throughout her career, Jewell has been committed to connecting people to nature, particularly youth. At Interior, she and her team championed efforts to create a continuum of engagement that encouraged tens of millions of young people to play, learn, serve and work on public lands.
Prior to serving on President Obama’s cabinet, Jewell was President and CEO of REI, a $2.6 billion retailer dedicated to facilitating outdoor adventures. Before REI, she served 19 years in commercial banking across a wide-range of industries, and began her career as an engineer in the energy industry. She most recently served as a resident fellow in Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics and is a distinguished fellow at the University of Washington College of the Environment. She has been active in many non-profit organizations throughout her life and has received numerous awards for her service.
Updated on January 11, 2018