Renee Stone joined Defenders in June 2020 and serves as Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs and General Counsel. She oversees communications and all conservation programs and is a strategic advisor to the president and CEO. Stone brings over 25 years of experience in the federal government, non-profit organizations and private law practice to Defenders. She has held senior policy, legal, and management positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council and other non-profit organizations. She received a BA majoring in English from Rollins College, an MA in modern history from Oxford University and a JD from Stanford Law School. She is both a Rhodes Scholar and a Truman Scholar.