The annual San Diego Zoo Global Friends of the Animal luncheon was held on Friday, August 2nd, 2019 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. The 2019 Lifetime Achievement Medalist was Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, and the former Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ms. Clark has been a lifelong advocate for protecting wildlife and their habitats in the United States. Joan Embery, San Diego Zoo Global Conservation Ambassador presented the award to Jamie Rappaport Clark, who shared some of her experiences. She has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Audubon Society’s Rachel Carson Award. Under her leadership Defenders of Wildlife is widely recognized as a strategic leader on Endangered Species Act policy and implementation as well as a leader for species and habitat restoration in the nonprofit community. To quote her: “We need to communicate the fundamental message that the fate of wildlife and humans alike is linked to the well-being of the environment around us.”
