Jill Tiefenthaler, the first female CEO of the National Geographic Society, brought a message of hope for the environment during a talk at Wake Forest University on Thursday.
Tiefenthaler stressed the need for bold, coordinated action involving non-governmental organizations, universities, corporations and governments to address the environmental challenges facing the world.
But she remains optimistic.
"We have young people out there who are doing amazing work and care about the environment and sustainability, I think, in a way that other generations haven't," she says. "And are also better equipped with tools to really move us forward."
She encouraged people to get away from screens and into nature, even if just for a local hike.
“As a downer as it can be sometimes about the, you know, climate change or biodiversity loss or wildlife extinction, in the end, this world is beautiful," she says. "And we need to get out there and enjoy it.”
Tiefenthaler has ties to Wake Forest. She served as provost from 2007 to 2011. She says she learned how to identify and develop talent from that experience — skills she now applies at National Geographic.
