JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance has named David Sollitt as the organization’s next executive director.
A board member since 2016, Sollit has had a diverse career in nonprofit management and consulting, advertising, marketing and communications. He is set to begin work on Oct. 3.
“Dave has had a long and impressive career as a communicator on behalf of both private side clients and conservation organizations. He has deep roots in our community and will help us focus our mission and our messaging during a period of tumultuous change in our Valley,” said Kirk Davenport, chairman of the Alliance board. “We are absolutely thrilled to bring him on to lead the Alliance into our next chapter.”
Following a 16-year career in national and international advertising in New York and Chicago, Sollitt and his wife, Kate, founded Riddell, Sollitt and Partners in Jackson in 2000. The advertising agency served outdoor recreation and tourism and community clients including Yakima, Marmot, Simms Fly Fishing and Maxim Climbing as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company, the Rusty Parrot and the Community Foundation.
In 2004, Sollitt also founded the Cathedral Group, a 501(c)(3) consulting organization, based in Jackson, that worked with Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and other organizations. Sollitt went on to work as executive director of The International Ecotourism Society, (TIES), in Washington, DC. His recent consulting work has included private sector clients as well as the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, a non-profit based in Zimbabwe that works in several countries in Southern Africa.
Sollitt’s approach to conservation is to communicate clearly and effectively, to build strong teams and to partner with elected officials, advocates, developers and others in the interests of protecting wildlife, wild lands and, in Jackson, our community’s unique character.
“I could not be more excited to take on this new role with the Alliance,” Sollitt said. “We have work to do to reinforce our vision and mission to the community and to reassure our friends and supporters that the Alliance remains a vital resource they can rely on to protect what makes Jackson so special. I look forward to working with our longtime partners and to building strong, new relationships, too.”
Sollitt is especially proud of the success the Alliance has had protecting wildlife with its grassroots campaign to secure $10 million for wildlife crossings, supporting an Earthjustice campaign to protect critical wolverine habitat, and, running its Conservation Leadership Institute (CLI), from which he graduated in 2016. That program has trained more than 180 community members to become conservation-focused activists.
Dawn Webster, who has served as Interim Executive Director, will continue in her role as Operations Director of the organization.
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