Penny Becker
Penny is Vice President Conservation at Island Conservation. Penny received a BS in Biology from Willamette University and a PhD in Wildlife Management from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Her graduate research focused on the conservation, genetics, and behavior of African wild dogs in collaboration with Smithsonian Institution. In addition to her time in South Africa, she has lived, traveled, and worked internationally, including spending several years in Tanzania. Penny settled back in the U.S. Pacific Northwest in 2011 and worked at the State of Washington for 9 years focused on recovering at-risk wildlife species and conserving biodiversity. Penny has wide-ranging conservation and research experience working on topics and species as diverse as coastal community initiatives, seabird diets, pygmy rabbit reintroductions, wildebeest behavior, orca recovery, and fisher re-establishment, among others.
Penny also has a passion for learning and practicing leadership around the human aspects of conservation issues. She has experience building cooperation across diverse people for natural resource challenges and developing the social, political, and resource support necessary to achieve conservation of at-risk species and places. She brings with her experience establishing partnerships with government agencies, non-government organizations, citizens, and industries for wildlife. Penny joined Island Conservation in January 2020.