Scott HAJOST

Scott is an international environment and conservation policy law expert and manager with over 40 years’ experience working with the US Government, NGOs, multilateral institutions and leading global environment and development projects. He currently represents IUCN members ASOC (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition) as board vice-chair and NWC (National Whistleblower Center) as Senior Environmental Policy Advisor, and on the US National Committee. He was previously the Chief of Party for the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge, a global initiative of USAID in partnership with National Geographic, the Smithsonian and TRAFFIC. Before that he was the Chief of Party for the global USAID funded Forest Carbon, Markets and Communities – FCMC Program.
Scott is currently Vice-chair of the USNC and Co-chair of its Policy and Strategy Sub-committee since its inception. He is also an active member of the USNC Membership and Communications Sub-committee. He is or has been a member of several IUCN task forces and advisory committees including the Antarctic and Southern Ocean and the fisheries and marine biodiversity task forces and served on the advisory committee that prepared the amendments to the IUCN Statutes and Regulations allowing for hybrid WCCs. Scott is a member of WCEL, WCPA, CEC and CEM.
Scott started his career at the US State Department Legal Adviser’s Office where he worked on international environmental and oceans issues. He subsequently served at EPA leading international activities in both the international and general counsel’s offices before leaving the government to become the International Counsel at EDF (Environmental Defense Fund). After EDF, he served almost 15 years as the Executive Director of the then IUCN USA Multilateral Office including overseeing the IUCN UN mission in New York and as head of IUCN US. After IUCN he was senior Counsel at the Center for International Environmental Law before taking over as head of FCMC.
Among other things, Scott, in his personal capacity, is also an adviser to IUCN members SPECIES where he is joining the board, Earthday.org and Earth League International. He is an elected member of IUCN member, The Explorers Club.
Scott has attended every IUCN Congress since the Montreal Congress in 1996. He has been an active and dedicated member of the USNC EC and hopes to continue to serve the USNC, US members and IUCN as Chair.