Rebecca Meuninck to Lead NWF’s Eastern Water Conservation Work

Washington, D.C. - Conservation advocate and water expert Rebecca Meuninck will serve as the National Wildlife Federation's associate vice president for Eastern waters. In this role, Meuninck will lead NWF's efforts to protect drinking water, surface water, groundwater, and riparian habitats in the Eastern United States, and to conserve and restore vital basins like the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Basin, Chesapeake Bay, and other aquatic ecosystems.

"From the Chesapeake to the Great Lakes, our mission to help people and wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world has never been more important," said Jen Mihills, vice president of water and coasts at the National Wildlife Federation. "Becca has been a groundbreaking regional leader in the Great Lakes for NWF, and we are honored that she will bring her inclusive approach and incisive leadership to all of our Eastern watersheds, basins, rivers, and coasts."

"The challenges facing clean water and communities are growing, and I am excited to lead the programs and people working at the forefront of water protection and wildlife conservation," Meuninck said. "I have seen firsthand NWF's ability to build bridges and work toward durable solutions in the Great Lakes. I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this approach to all of NWF's Eastern water programs and campaigns."

Meuninck, who has led NWF's Great Lakes region since 2023, joined the organization after working with the Ecology Center for over 20 years, leading campaigns and coalitions focused on chemical policy reform, clean water, and lead poisoning prevention. Much of her work has centered around building and supporting broad coalitions to protect water resources, including the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, the Healing our Waters Coalition for the Great Lakes, and the Healthy Waters Coalition for the Ohio River. At NWF, she has deeper partnerships with Tribal Nations and affiliates through initiatives such as protecting the Great Northern Hardwood forests and Great Lakes Fisheries, and led her team in their groundbreaking work to safeguard people and wildlife from the threats of climate change, PFAS, and Line 5.

Rebecca has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Michigan State University. Her dissertation research explored the impacts of fair trade and organic coffee production on small-scale farming families in Brazil. She holds a graduate specialization in Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change from Michigan State University and a BS in Environmental Anthropology with a focus on Environmental Justice from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at The University of Michigan. As a lifelong Michigander, she grew up on a small inland lake in southwest Michigan and now lives in Ann Arbor with her family.