Karla M. Dutton

Karla M. Dutton Alaska Program Director

Areas of Expertise: Alaska conservation issues, marine wildlife and ecosystem policy

Karla directs the work of Defenders’ Alaska field program team. Since joining Defenders in September 2006, Karla has expanded the Alaska program from a major ongoing effort to reverse the State’s intensive predator control programs for wolves and bears and ecosystem level work to protect wildlife habitat in refuges and national forests to developing broader programs and strategic partnerships. The Alaska office is focusing increasingly on initiatives on climate change and the related habitat impacts on polar bears and to protecting the Cook Inlet Beluga whale population.

Karla comes to Defenders with a background in local, state and federal government, business, and non-profit management. She served on the U.S. State Department Secretariat that launched the International Coral Reef Initiative, oversaw the development and expansion of the volunteer and political advocacy program for Rhode Island’s Save the Bay, and served as BP Indonesia’s Biodiversity Advisor. During her tenure at BP she wrote and implemented BP’s first regional Biodiversity Action Plan, which engaged indigenous communities in Indonesia to address a broad range of marine and terrestrial conservation issues.

Karla Dutton holds a B.A. in Natural Resources Management (1981), an M.A. in Marine Affairs (international public policy and management) (1995) from the University of Rhode Island and a Senior Executive Management Program certificate from Georgetown University (2005).

Contact Information
Phone: (907) 276-9453
Email: karla.dutton@defenders.org