Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler became CEO of the National Geographic Society in August of 2020 after dedicating her life to education. During a SXSW presentation called “Reimagining Exploration,” the CEO talked about her journey to becoming the first woman at the helm of the National Geographic Society, shared some of the organization’s recent accomplishments, and gave a look at what fans can expect in the near future.
(National Geographic)
Growing up in Iowa on a popcorn farm, Jill shared her first memory of National Geographic magazine which she saw at her school’s library in 1977. King Tut’s mask was on the cover and it sparked her imagination, but she pursued a career in higher education, serving as an economics professor and as the dean of Colorado College. When the National Geographic Society approached her as their potential first female CEO, she initially thought it didn’t align with her career, but had a change of heart.
Stepping into the role during the pandemic, Jill has met the global community of National Geographic Explorers virtually and has helped define the vision for the Society going forward. NG Next is the name of the current initiative, which has the slogan “Legendary Legacy, Boundless Future.” The organization has a theory of impact, which comes through both protection of what’s being studied, but also illumination. Illumination often takes the form of storytelling, with Nat Geo’s multimedia avenues as the delivery system, which includes Disney+.
Much of the presentation was a broad overview of some of the incredible work being done by National Geographic Society grant recipients. This included:
- Dr. Enric Sala – Through the Pristine Seas initiative, Dr. Sala is working to protect more than 40% of the world’s oceans by 2030.
- Dr. Baker Perry – The 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition installed the highest weather station on earth, leading to real-time weather data to help track climate change.
- Paula Kahumbhu – Named the 2021 Explorer of the Year, Paula Kahumbhu carries forward the storytelling component of NG Next with a series for kids called Wildlife Direct and is the central Explorer in the upcoming James Cameron Disney+ series Secret of the Elephants.
- Dr. Steve Boyes – Dr. Boyes launched the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project to help protect and study the region, helping to discover new species and protect endangered ones.
- Kehkashan Basu – One of 75 Young Explorers, Kehkashan founded the Green Hope Foundation, a networking platform to help young people get involved in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
- Anand Varma – This biologist-turned-photographer uses high-speed cameras and custom-built devices to see intricate movements of hummingbirds and bees.
- Joel Sartore – The founder of the Photo Ark recently passed 12,000 endangered animals photographed in captivity.
- Carlton Ward Jr. – Since founding the Florida Wildlife Corridor project, Carlton has convinced lawmakers and the public to help protect green spaces, including helping to get new laws passed and funding to protect areas.
- Tara Roberts – As a member of Diving with a Purpose, Tara not only helps search for and document sunken slave ships but also engages with the world through the Into the Depths podcast.
“Science is our foundation and storytelling is our superpower,” Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler said of the relationship between the modern National Geographic Explorers and the content we consume through Nat Geo magazines, cable networks, podcasts, Disney+, live events, and the museum at National Geographic’s headquarters in Washington D.C., which is undergoing a $200 million renovation. Nat Geo’s online resources were used by more than 34 million people in 2020 and recently defined a 5th ocean, the Southern Ocean.
Throughout its history, the National Geographic Society has awarded more than 15,000 grants to more than 6,000 Explorers from over 140 countries. As the first woman to act as CEO for the organization, Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler is proud that the organization has achieved gender parity and that 60% of its grantees have been outside of the United States. As for the future of storytelling, fans will see a more diverse spectrum of people, driven by a quote that Jill once heard that went something like “If you want to change the story, you’ve got to change the storyteller.”
For more information, visit nationalgeographic.org/society/.