Dr. Karen Waldrop has served as DU’s Chief Conservation Officer since 2019
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – April 27, 2026 – Ducks Unlimited (DU) announced today that Dr. Karen Waldrop has been elevated to Chief Operating Officer. Waldrop joined DU in 2019 as Chief Conservation Officer and has overseen an expansion of DU’s conservation delivery footprint across the United States.
“Since Karen joined DU in 2019, her impact on our conservation delivery has been historic,” said DU CEO Adam Putnam. “Her steady hand and ambitious vision have helped guide our Conservation team to new heights – conserving more than one million acres in a single year, not once, but twice – and raised the bar for wetlands conservation across North America. Karen has a deep, unwavering passion for our mission and an infectious enthusiasm for preserving our sporting traditions for the next generation of hunters and outdoorsmen and women. Her continued leadership will be critical to Ducks Unlimited’s future success, and I’m thrilled to welcome her into this new role.”
Under Dr. Waldrop’s leadership, DU Conservation has expanded its reach, diversified partnerships, and established new benchmarks, often under challenging environmental circumstances. For the first time ever, DU surpassed one million acres of conservation in FY24 – and again in FY25.
“Working for Ducks Unlimited for the past seven years has been a dream come true, and I’m honored to continue working to conserve North America’s waterfowl habitat in this new role,” said Waldrop. “It’s a privilege to work alongside the passionate volunteers, staff, and members who make DU a uniquely effective force for conservation. Everything we’ve accomplished so far has been a team effort, but there is still much more work to be done to combat North America’s continued wetland loss and habitat degradation – that’s a challenge we readily accept.”
Prior to joining Ducks Unlimited, Waldrop spent 20 years at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, starting as a graduate student and lead researcher for the state’s elk restoration program. She progressed to leadership roles, including Wildlife Division Director and then Deputy Commissioner.
Waldrop earned her Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology/Forest Sciences from Clemson University and both her Master of Science degree in Wildlife Biology/Forest Resources and Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia.
Visit the DU Media Toolkit page for essential resources to help explain and promote Ducks Unlimited’s conservation mission.
For more information, visit www.ducks.org, and be sure to follow DU’s Twitter feed – @DucksUnlimited and @DUConserve – to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 19 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. DU is growing its mission through a historic $3 billion Conservation For A Continent comprehensive campaign. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
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