Sally Jewell

Sally Jewell is a business executive and public servant whose career has focused on strengthening the economy while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the nation’s natural resources and communities. She served as U.S. secretary of the interior under President Barack Obama, overseeing the stewardship of America’s public lands, waters and cultural heritage.

During her tenure, Jewell was widely recognized for taking a long-term, science-based approach to natural resource management. She emphasized landscape-level planning and collaboration across government, industry, communities and tribal nations. Under her leadership, the Department of the Interior worked to rebuild trust and strengthen nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous communities, while championing the use of science and shared data to better understand Earth’s systems. Her department supported the development of commercial-scale renewable energy on public lands and waters, encouraged investments in more sustainable water use in the American West, and worked closely with Congress on conservation and energy priorities.

A consistent theme throughout Jewell’s career has been connecting people to nature, particularly young people. At Interior, she and her team advanced a continuum of engagement that encouraged tens of millions of youth to play, learn, serve and work on public lands, helping to foster the next generation of environmental stewards.

Before entering public service, Jewell was president and CEO of REI, leading the $2.6 billion outdoor retail cooperative dedicated to enabling outdoor adventure and conservation. Earlier in her career, she spent 19 years in commercial banking across a wide range of industries and began her professional path as an engineer in the energy sector.

Jewell has also been deeply involved in nonprofit and civic leadership throughout her life. She served as a regent of the University of Washington and is currently a distinguished fellow in the university’s College of the Environment.