People

Justin Stokes

Deputy Chief Conservation Officer

Justin serves as ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s Deputy Chief Conservation Officer. In this role Justin supports the day-to-day management of the Conservation Department as well as oversees implementation of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s EDIB Conservative Principles and public funding strategy. Justin previously served as the Executive Director of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ South Carolina. In this role, he led a re-visioning of South Carolina’s conservation impact that delivered high-profile wins for ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. These victories include passage of comprehensive climate resiliency legislation and significant clean energy reforms in the state legislature, successfully completing the restoration of Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary, and securing ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s first National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom designation for Beidler Forest Sanctuary. Justin joined ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in 2017 serving as its first Vice President for Political Affairs and led ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s government relations team. Justin also served as the inaugural Executive Director of the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Action Fund, the 501 (c)(4) affiliate to the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, where he led a cross-network team to ensure the successful launch of the Action Fund.

Prior to joining ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ in 2017, Justin served as a Chief for Staff for a member of Congress, where he also worked on transportation and infrastructure issues. Justin worked for four members of Congress and the South Carolina Governor. He is a native of South Carolina, attended Clemson University and The Citadel, and completed the Wilson Fellowship in Strategic Management for Environmental Leadership at Harvard Business School.

Articles by Justin Stokes

Looking Ahead at Policy Priorities for Protecting Birds in 2022
February 07, 2022 — Over 6000 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ members and participants joined a virtual town hall to hear about last year's successes, and how we can work with elected leaders to protect birds and the places they need to survive in the coming year.