Media Contacts
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Emily Mills
Media & PR Manager
The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin
Phone: 608-225-0903
Email: emily.mills@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Hillary Vedvig as the Wisconsin chapter’s Director of Government Relations. Vedvig will focus on working with partners, local leaders and elected officials to advance TNC’s policy objectives in the state and nationally, in service of protecting the land and waters on which we all depend.
“I’ve always had a great respect for and interest in TNC’s work,” Vedvig says. “With climate change actively impacting entire ecosystems, I am very interested in how TNC is working towards mitigating the worst impacts on life across the globe. I am so excited about this role because public policy can have enormous impacts on our ability to conserve and protect nature both in Wisconsin and across the country.”
Vedvig joins TNC after roles as an Environmental Law Associate with Foley & Lardner, an expert consultant on sustainable food and farming with Earthjustice and as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin. Vedvig holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Carolina and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Several awards and recognitions highlight Vedvig’s commitment to her work and her community. She was given the Lynford Lardner Public Service Award in 2022 for outstanding community service, the Wisconsin Law Journal’s Up and Coming Lawyers Award in 2021 and the Outstanding Service Award by the Dane County Bar Association Award for work with the Eviction Defense Project.
Quote: Hillary Vedvig
I’ve always had a great respect for and interest in TNC’s work. With climate change actively impacting entire ecosystems, I am excited about this role because public policy can have enormous impacts on our ability to conserve and protect nature both in Wisconsin and across the country.
Vedvig has also been involved in various environmental and sustainability programs, serving as a board member with Heartland Farm Sanctuary, co-chairing the Wisconsin chapter of Climate Reality and co-founding the Sustainable Saplings blog, which aims to grow awareness and educate Wisconsin and the Midwest on climate change and sustainable practices with concise, fact-driven information.
“I am in the eighth generation of my family to grow up on my family’s farm outside Stoughton, Wisconsin,” Vedvig adds. “My son will be the ninth. Growing up and working on our farm instilled both a strong work ethic and deep respect for the land we are responsible for. I followed my passions and interests in public policy and law in my education but always carried these stewardship values with me. I am thrilled to work for TNC to not only protect land and life in Wisconsin but to help advance TNC’s work across the globe.”
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 77 countries and territories (41 by direct conservation impact and 36 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.