Danielle Kessler

As Director of the US office, Danielle provides direction and guidance to IFAW’s policy and campaign work in the United States, which includes efforts to save the right whale, combat wildlife trafficking, ban the private ownership of big cats, protect and strengthen bedrock environmental laws, and other initiatives that recognize the interconnected nature of human and animal well-being.

Before leading the US team, Danielle was the Senior Policy & Outreach Manager, working to combat wildlife crime in the US, providing input and expertise to inform US implementation and negotiations of free trade agreements, and engaging with US agencies to identify points of intervention or collaboration to further IFAW's priorities. Prior to IFAW, Danielle spent nearly seven years in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (FWS) International Affairs Program, most recently as Chief of the Office of Outreach and Communications. She led a team of conservation practitioners and communications professionals to engage with stakeholders and raise awareness of FWS’s regulatory mandates and conservation programs around the globe. She also served on the US government delegation to meetings of the CITES Conference of the Parties, established external partnerships with companies and nonprofits, helped plan and execute the first ivory crushes in the US, and lead communications efforts for a number of high-profile and often controversial issues.

Danielle’s no stranger to IFAW and was previously a Policy Analyst in 2008 while completing her Masters in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland. After graduation, she continued working with IFAW for two years, primarily on marine conservation and wildlife crime issues, before departing for federal government experience. Danielle also holds a B.S. in Biology, Minor in Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University.