The Natural Resources Defense Council works to safeguard the Earth– its people, its plants, and its animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. With an administration that has been less than friendly to the environment, they’ve been working overtime, often just to stay in place. It’s a pleasure to have with us tonight, the president of NRDC, as they’re called, Rhea Suh.
It was 30 years ago that Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, and his wife Helen, started the Walton Family Foundation. It has gone on to be one of the most highly regarded and thoughtful family foundations in the country, with three major areas of focus, and a never-ending commitment to learn and get better. And it is a pleasure to have here with us tonight, Kyle Peterson, the Executive Director of the Walton Family Foundation.
Legacy institutions, many of them over 100 years old, have an immunity to change because so many of our organizations are architected to resist change and withstand risk. So when you see one that is successfully reinventing itself for the 21st century, taking its brand from reverence to relevance, you really take notice. One such organization is the National Geographic Society. And it’s a pleasure to have with us this evening, their President and CEO, Gary Knell.
“…our whole ethos is that we work to support Americans who want to make a difference in their own backyards. So, whether that’s taking folks on a trip, a hike in an afternoon, cleaning up a local river, or retiring a coal plant and replacing it with clean energy, we very much believe in the power of individuals to affect great change.”