Leanne Chadwick

Leanne Chadwick is the Great Lakes Regional Director of Philanthropy. Leanne and the team at the Great Lakes Regional Center work with our members and partners to protect people, wildlife and the natural resources in the region which holds 20% of the world’s freshwater. Leanne landed at the National Wildlife Federation in 2018, believing her life’s journey led her directly to the Federation.

Her love of the natural world was cultivated by her parents and some of her earliest memories include spending countless hours searching for just one bald eagle on the Missouri and Kansas Rivers. Leanne became inspired by the bald eagle, its incredible conservation success story and built her career around connecting people with nature, wanting them to have the same impactful experiences in nature that she had growing up.

Leanne grew up in Kansas City and has lived around the world including Australia, South Africa, and Thailand before settling down in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She honed her skills over the years through unique opportunities including wildlife game reserve management, advancing the missions of nonprofits both as a staff and board member, and fostering healing through nature programming in healthcare.

Leanne holds a B.S. in Education from Kansas State University and a Certificate of Animal Assisted Therapy & Intervention from Oakland School of Nursing. Leanne has three children and two dogs. She spends every moment she can hiking, fishing, birdwatching, kayaking — really anything she can do outside. She is rarely seen without her binoculars and camera and is always looking for an eagle!