An Evening with Sally Jewell & Steve Lockhart

Following eight years as CEO of outdoor retailer REI, Sally Jewell entered public service in 2013 as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Obama and served through the end of his term in 2017.  Since that time, she has engaged deeply with students through fellowships at Harvard and the University of Washington and served a year as interim CEO of The Nature Conservancy, where she remains on its Global Board.  Jewell is active on several corporate and non-profit boards, bringing a deep commitment to long-term sustainability of our natural world and its diverse people, coupled with policies and practices to support a healthy economy.  

At the Department of the Interior, Jewell championed the importance of science and sharing data to better understand our Earth’s systems; engaged youth in environmental stewardship; supported development of commercial-scale renewable energy on public lands and waters; worked alongside countries around the world in support of biodiversity and wildlife; encouraged investments for more sustainable use of water in the West; supported tribal rights and opportunities for our Nation’s indigenous people; and worked with stakeholders, Congress, President Obama and his team on long-term conservation of our nation’s most vulnerable and irreplaceable natural, cultural and historic treasures.

Jewell is inspired by the proverb, “We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”  In that spirit, she has been deeply involved in helping the next generation of leaders understand how business, government, tribal nations, academia, non-profit organizations and citizen activists must work together to shape a future that is environmentally sustainable and economically successful for all.

She has received numerous awards and honorary degrees in recognition of her service to business, government, and the community over the course of her career.

Stephen Lockhart, M.D., Ph.D., is an anesthesiologist and Chief Medical Officer for Sutter Health. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Lockhart is responsible for quality, patient safety, research and education.

Dr. Lockhart has been a long-time champion for environmental science education and increasing access to the outdoors. He is an emeritus member of NatureBridge's Board of Directors, serves on the boards of REI and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, is chairman of Parks California—a new statewide nonprofit dedicated to supporting California’s parks and public lands, and served on the National Parks Second Century Commission where he advocated for environmental and science education within the national parks.

Growing up in St. Louis, Dr. Lockhart developed a life-long love of the outdoors as he rose to the rank of Eagle Scout in his segregated Boy Scout troop. It was during this time that the seeds were sown for his commitment to social justice and his desire to help introduce youth of all backgrounds to the wonder of our national parks.

A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Lockhart obtained his Master’s degree in Economics from Oxford University, and M.D. and Ph.D. from Cornell. When he moved to California in 1986 for post-graduate training at University of California, San Francisco, he began visiting Yosemite and discovered his passion for climbing.

Dr. Lockhart lives in Oakland with his wife Karen and is the proud parent of a NatureBridge program alumna.