The Mountain Lion Foundation Appoints Ellen C. O'Connell as Executive Director and Byron Weckworth as Chief Conservation and Advocacy Officer

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mountain Lion Foundation (MLF) is excited to announce two key leadership appointments: Ellen C. O'Connell as Executive Director, effective November 1, 2025, and Byron Weckworth, Ph.D., as Chief Conservation and Advocacy Officer, effective November 10, 2025.

For nearly 40 years, MLF has been the nation's leading voice for America's lion, championing landmark victories like California's Proposition 117, protecting habitat and wildlife corridors, and inspiring a national movement for coexistence between people and mountain lions. Under O'Connell's leadership, MLF will build on this proud history to deepen partnerships, advance science-based advocacy, and ensure that the next generation inherits a landscape where people and mountain lions can thrive together.

O'Connell brings over three decades of nonprofit leadership experience.  She served as CEO of Farm Sanctuary, Executive Director of Tusk USA, and Vice President at the International Rescue Committee, and has worked in more than 90 countries across six continents. 

Her work, from protecting wildlife in Africa to advancing policy reform for food systems in the US, builds on 16 years in humanitarian aid, where she saw how the health of people, animals, and the planet are deeply connected. As Chair of the Wildlife Justice Commission Investigations, she helps expose and dismantle criminal networks driving the illegal wildlife trade, one of the most urgent threats to global biodiversity.

"Ellen's record of turning vision into measurable impact makes her an ideal leader for this next chapter," said John Ziegler, Chair of the Mountain Lion Foundation Board. "She will build on the Foundation's remarkable 40-year legacy—strengthening partnerships, advancing advocacy, and expanding protections for America's lion."

Weckworth brings 25 years of experience in global carnivore conservation and strategic communications. At Panthera, he led their Snow Leopard Program, founded the Conservation Genetics Program, and championed international initiatives uniting science, policy, and community engagement to protect wild cats and their habitats. He will oversee MLF's science and advocacy portfolio, guiding efforts to advance lasting protections for mountain lions and the wild landscapes they depend on.

Together, O'Connell and Weckworth will guide MLF's next era, building on its proud legacy of advocacy, science, and storytelling to secure a future where mountain lions and people coexist across a connected, thriving landscape.

"I'm deeply honored to have been chosen to lead Mountain Lion Foundation, an organization whose legacy has defined how America thinks about cougars and coexistence," said O'Connell. "MLF's history is proof that advocacy, partnership, and science can change outcomes for wildlife. I'm excited to build on that foundation and to work alongside our supporters, partners, and communities to protect America's lion and the wild places we share."

About the Mountain Lion Foundation
Founded in 1986, MLF is the only organization dedicated exclusively to protecting mountain lions and the wild landscapes they depend on. Learn more at www.mountainlion.org.

Press Contact:
Mountain Lion Foundation
916-442-2666
[email protected]

SOURCE Mountain Lion Foundation