J. Michael McCloskey

Michael McCloskey, for 17 years the Executive Director and now Chairman of the Sierra Club, is one of the most respected and successful environmental leaders in the United States.

Under his leadership, the Sierra Club grew to 350,000 members and now has over 600,000. It works with environmental groups worldwide. Between 1987-1989, he was the originator of the first World Wilderness Inventory, a key draftsman of the UN Charter for Nature and the legislative advocate for the establishment of the Redwood National Park in Northern California in the 1960s. McCloskey refocussed the EarthCare Network, managed by the Sierra Club, to make it a truly global tool. He is or has been a member of 40 boards, and has published over 30 articles related to the environment.

He is now also Chairman of the Natural Resources Council of America.