Dr. Stacy Crevello serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Akashinga, guiding the organisation into its next chapter of stability, scientific excellence, and community-rooted impact. A globally recognised leader in biodiversity conservation and climate resilience, Stacy brings more than 25 years of experience designing and scaling programmes that protect ecosystems while strengthening the communities who steward them.
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Her career spans Africa, Asia, and Eurasia, where she has led landscape-level strategies that secure habitats, restore ecological connectivity, and support human–wildlife coexistence. Stacy’s portfolio includes conservation of flagship species such as Asian elephants, orangutans, and chimpanzees, integrating wildlife security, corridor design, and community-driven solutions into enduring systems of protection. She has designed and led programmes that place women and youth at the forefront of conservation —from the development of community forest reserves, wildlife protection, and sustainable livelihood initiatives — creating measurable ecological and economic impact across regions.
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Stacy’s work is widely respected for bridging conservation science, climate finance, and governance — from developing environmental and social safeguards to shaping national climate and biodiversity policy.
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Stacy has held senior leadership roles with US Agency for International Development, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, where she directed major public and private investments toward Indigenous rights, forest protection, climate resilience, and protected-area expansion. Her early field research in remote areas of Indonesia, conducted in close partnership with Indigenous communities, helped define wildlife corridors and inform national park zoning, a testament to her belief that conservation must be led by those closest to the land.
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She holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from UCLA and both a master’s degree in Geography and a Ph.D. in Tropical Forest Conservation and Natural Resource Management from Louisiana State University.
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Beyond her professional work, Stacy is most at home on the water or in wild landscapes. She spends her time dragon boating, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, and cycling, never far from the natural world she has devoted her life to protecting.