Janis Searles Jones is CEO of Ocean Conservancy, which is focused solely on finding solutions to tackle the most pressing ocean issues of our time. Ms. Searles Jones sets the strategic direction for the organization of more than 150 staff of conservationists, scientists and policy experts to secure results that benefit the ocean and the people and communities that depend on it. Ms. Searles Jones is an influential and widely respected environmental lawyer. She is fluent in marine conservation and policy, with deep expertise in Alaska and the Arctic. In early 2017, after serving as president, Ms. Searles Jones stepped into the role of Ocean Conservancy’s CEO to sharpen the organization’s direction in the new political climate.
Ms. Searles Jones is a frequent speaker and lecturer on ocean and coastal law and the intersection of science, policy, and people in advancing conservation. She is a published expert on sustainable use of ocean resources and ecosystem-based management for the oceans. Ms. Searles Jones holds a JD and a certificate in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Law School where she is also a Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate and an adjunct faculty member. She is a 2017 Pew Marine Fellow.
Prior to joining Ocean Conservancy, Ms. Searles Jones was senior regional counsel and policy advisor for Oceana, covering the Pacific region from Alaska to California. She also worked as a staff attorney for the Alaska office of Earthjustice, where her docket was dominated by marine issues. She is based in Ocean Conservancy’s Portland, Oregon office.