Lee Poston is a global communications professional with extensive experience managing strategic communications, media relations, external affairs, marketing and public relations for non-profit organizations. He is an experienced media, crisis and storytelling skills trainer and excels at relationship building, writing, editing and content creation.
Most recently, he served as Vice President for Communications at the National Geographic Society, leading a team of 10 through a challenging 2020 while promoting major stories about education, exploration and storytelling. He also handled crisis communications, the NGS response to social justice issues and the disruptions from COVID and funding/staff cuts.
Prior to that, he spent 24 years with World Wildlife Fund, including six years in Myanmar and Thailand (2014-2019). As Communications Director for the WWF-Greater Mekong Program, he worked with teams in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to raise awareness about critical conservation and environmental issues. He conducted media, crisis and storytelling skills training, organized communications workshops and also supported the Mongolia and Pacific Islands programs.
During his time in the Greater Mekong, Lee developed campaigns around illegal wildlife trade, renewable energy and dams on the Mekong River. He conducted surveys in the wildlife markets of the Golden Triangle and produced content and exhibitions to highlight forest and freshwater landscapes across the region.
Lee has traveled to 50 countries, helped produce documentaries with CNN and National Geographic, and conducted press trips across Asia and Africa. He helped launch partnerships with Coca-Cola, Nissan, Toyota and HP, and has extensive experience in global policy protocols around climate change and chemicals regulation.
Earlier in his career, Lee was a Media Relations Specialist at the University of Maryland and a writer, editor and press officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Lee is an experienced photographer and videographer, an avid rock climber and a passionate wildlife and bird watcher.
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