Don Weeden recently retired from serving for more than 20 years as the Executive Director of the New York-based Weeden Foundation, which supports a wide range of programs that aim to preserve biodiversity, nationally and internationally. He played an instrumental role in launching private lands conservation efforts in Chilean Patagonia, eastern Bolivia, and the Altai Mountains in Russia.

In 2015, Don founded the Quick Response Fund for Nature to ensure that globally significant land deals have timely access to the necessary funds. To date, the fund has facilitated over 50 land deals in 25 different countries. In the U.S., the Foundation has played a key conservation role in the Klamath Siskiyou bioregion and the Northern Rockies.

Prior to the Weeden Foundation, Don had a nearly 25-year career in the international population field, serving in various field and management positions for Columbia University, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and other non-governmental organizations. He is an accomplished whitewater and sea kayaker with a keen interest in river and coastal conservation.