Media contact: Zach Lowe (zlowe@rare.org)
(Arlington, VA) – Today, Rare announced five new members of its Board of Trustees. CarePay Nigeria Executive Chairman Amaechi Ndili, African Wildlife Foundation CEO Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya, Rumah Group Principal Kathlyn Tan, Former Greenville, Mississippi Mayor Heather McTeer Toney and North Channel, LLC Portfolio Manager Maud Welles bring a diverse set of professional skills, experiences, and affiliations to Rare. The new trustees join Rare’s growing network of experts, academics, and advocates supporting Rare’s work to accelerate people-centered solutions to conservation challenges.
“We are honored to have these visionary and accomplished leaders join Rare and provide invaluable guidance as we work to maximize our impact around the world,” said Brett Jenks, President and CEO of Rare. “They join an already outstanding group of leaders committed to supporting Rare’s work to accelerate people-centered solutions for protecting nature and fighting climate change. I look forward to partnering with each of them to fulfill our mission and grow Rare in exciting new directions.”
“Our new trustees bring tremendous talent, experience, and passion to Rare,” said Lizanne Galbreath, Co-Chair of Rare’s Board of Directors. “The diversity of their backgrounds and skill sets will strengthen our work for people and nature. Rare staff and supporters are excited by all they bring to our organization and what we can achieve with their help.”
Amaechi Ndili is the Executive Chairman of CarePay Nigeria, a company using digital technology to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare. In addition to CarePay Nigeria, Amaechi is the Founder and CEO of Golden Tulip West Africa Hospitality Group and the African Hospitality Academy under his umbrella group, Lionstone. In 2010 Amaechi was awarded the prestigious Black Star of Africa award for his entrepreneurship and business acumen by the Millennium Excellence Award Foundation of Ghana. Amaechi is recognized as one of Africa’s leading business and thought leaders.
Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya is the Chief Executive Officer of the African Wildlife Foundation, where he has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s strategic direction and fostering a new era of conservation excellence. Sebunya is a distinguished conservation leader, renowned for his visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to safeguarding Africa’s wildlife and wildlands, and a passionate advocate for elevating African voices in the global conservation discourse. Kaddu’s extensive experience encompasses various roles at grassroots, national, and regional levels across the USA, Africa, and Europe.
Kathlyn Tan (Knudsen) is a Principal with Rumah Group and Director of Rumah Foundation. Tan has nearly 10 years of marine conservation experience in Southeast Asia. She established Rumah’s ocean-climate philanthropy and impact investment activities in 2017 and leads the foundation’s strategic grantmaking and collaborative partnerships. Tan is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Friends of Ocean Action coalition and the Leading Women for the Ocean network, and currently holds several non-profit roles, including Co-chair of the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund, Board Director of The Good Food Institute Singapore and Co-founder of Coastal Natives.
Heather McTeer Toney currently serves as the director of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, which aims to stop the rapid expansion of over 112 new petrochemical facilities across the United States. From 2004 to 2012, Toney served as the first woman, first African American, and youngest Mayor of Greenville, Mississippi. Under U.S. President Barack Obama, Toney served as the Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Southeast Region.
Maud Welles is a portfolio manager with North Channel LLC. Prior to North Channel, Welles was a Director at UBS Asset Management and a Vice President at Chase Investors Management Corp. Welles serves on the Boards of The Nature Conservancy of Montana, Wings Women of Discovery, Print Center New York and the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.
The new trustees join a Board of Trustees already comprised of leaders from business, academia, finance, social justice and conservation. Rare’s board can be viewed here.
About Rare
Rare is a global conservation organization unlocking the power of people to protect nature and fight climate change. Rooted in a distinctly human approach, Rare accelerates people-powered, community-led solutions grounded in a deep understanding of human needs and motivations.