National Jury 2026

Tracy Frist, National Jury Chair
Owner/Operator, Sinking Creek Land and Cattle, LLC
Franklin, Tennessee

Tracy is an educator, businesswoman, preservationist, and conservationist. She cares passionately about literacy, human-animal relationships, philanthropy for vulnerable and rural populations, and agricultural and conservation needs. Tracy currently serves on the boards of The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Hollins University, Centerstone Tennessee (provides mental health and substance abuse support to veterans), The Nature Conservancy (Tennessee Chapter), the Stephen A. Cohen Military Family Clinic, and the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County.

Jay Abbe
Retired President/COO, JDS Uniphase
Healdsburg, California

Jay and his wife, Karen, reside on their ranch and vineyards outside of Healdsburg, California, 70 miles north of San Francisco, where they grow grapes and produce a modest amount of wine. Jay is a retired technology business executive, having served as Chief Executive Officer of Optical Coating Laboratory in the late 1990s and President and Chief Operating Officer of JDS Uniphase, a fiber optics company, until his retirement in 2001. Prior to his operating roles, Jay also served for 18 years as a management consultant and senior partner with McKinsey & Company. Following retirement, he has remained active as a director of several public companies, a trustee of his independent secondary school in Pennsylvania, and several local community organizations in Sonoma County. Since 2009, Jay has served on the board of American Prairie, an organization that is creating the largest nature reserve in the continental United States. Having grown up outside of Philadelphia in a very East Coast family, where “the West” meant Ohio, Jay connected strongly to Montana during a summer job in 1961 working on the Minuteman missile at the height of the Cold War.

Alan Airth
Newport Beach, California

Alan Airth is a member of the Board of Directors at Mars, Incorporated. He is chairman of the Board Digital Sub-Committee and the Board Advisor Search Committee, as well as serving on the Audit and the Benefits Funding & Investment Oversight Committees.

Prior to joining the Mars board in 2016, Alan was a successful commercial real estate executive. He has extensive experience in asset management, property investment, and executive leadership with a variety of national firms as both manager and owner. Alan was a trusted advisor to Bank of America and Wells Fargo Bank during the 2008-2012 great recession. He served on the SoCal Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Board of Directors for 10 years holding multiple leadership roles including President of the organization.

He serves on the American Prairie Board of Directors and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation Board. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America, and a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association. He holds a Fellowship with the National Association of Corporate Directors and is a member of the Private Directors Association. Alan has a Bachelor’s degree in finance and real estate from the University of Arizona and earned his MBA from The Anderson School at UCLA.

John Banovitch
Artist - Founder, Banovich Wildscapes Foundation & Banovich Fine Art - President of Wildscapes Travel
Carnation, Washington

As a native Montanan, John attended the University of Montana before earning a graphic design degree from the Art Institute in Seattle, Washington, in 1987. In 2000, John founded Banovich Fine Art in Livingston, Montana. Subsequently, in 2012, opened Studio West in Carnation, Washington.

In 2004, John founded the Wildscapes Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3. John’s extensive 30 years of travels revealed his aspiration to share his love for Africa, culminating in the inception of Banovich Wildscapes Travel in 2018 aimed at supporting keystone wildlife landscapes for critical conservation efforts. John is the executive producer of two award-winning documentaries, “The Edge of Existence” and “The Last Horns of Africa.”

In 2022, John became a member of the American Prairie board. Notable, he previously served on the boards of the Society of Animal Artists and the Craighead Institute. He is also a member of the Shikar Safari Club, holds a life membership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and has been a distinguished member of the Society of Animal Artists since 1995. His accomplishments include receiving the CJ McElroy Award from Safari Club International and being nominated in 2023 for the Beretta Conservation Leadership Award. He has also acted as an Advisory Board Member for the Safari Club International Foundation. John established the “Award for Conservation Excellence – ACE” in 2017 and launched the Lion P.R.I.D.E. Initiative in 2007. He is recognized as an NBC “Cause Celebrity.”

David A. Coulter
Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Advisor, Warburg Pincus
Darien, Connecticut

Mr. Coulter served as Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Advisor at Warburg Pincus, focusing on the firm’s financial services practice from 2005 – 2014.

Mr. Coulter retired in September 2005 as vice chairman of J.P. Morgan & Chase Co. He previously served as Executive Chairman of its investment bank, asset and wealth management, and private equity business. Mr. Coulter was a member of the firm’s three person Office of the Chairman and also its executive committee.

Mr. Coulter came to J.P. Morgan Chase via its July 2000 acquisition of The Beacon Group, a small merchant banking operation. Before joining The Beacon Group, Mr. Coulter was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the BankAmerica Corporation and Bank of America NT & SA. His career at Bank of America was from 1976 to 1998 and covered a wide range of banking activities.

He served on the board of Aeolus Re, MBIA, Webster Bank, Sterling Financial and the Strayer Corporation. He currently is on the board of The Providence Service Corp., Triton International, and Varo Money, Inc. He also serves on the boards of Lincoln Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Asia Society of Northern California, American Prairie, Third Way, Macaulay Honors College, and IQ2.

He received both his B.S. and his M.S. from Carnegie Mellon University and currently serves as a Trustee for Carnegie Mellon.

Liliane A. Haub
Philanthropist
Munich, Germany

Liliane is a dedicated philanthropist committed to wildlife protection and driving sustainability initiatives. A native of Switzerland, she also has deep roots in the American West. For many years, she was responsible for the family’s bison ranch in Wyoming, where she focused on restoring the pastures, recreating native grasslands and became excited about forming natural open spaces with public access. This endeavor not only promotes sustainable agriculture but also contributes to biodiversity preservation.

Passionate about sustainability, biodiversity and wildlife conservation, Liliane combines her experience in bison ranching with support for academic institutions, providing support for environmental law and education programs, furthering her mission to protect the environment.

In addition to Liliane’s role as a director of American Prairie, she also serves on the Board of Trustees of Pace University and works closely with the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace which has one of the world’s best environmental law programs. She is also a member of the Leadership Council Steering Committee at the Yale School of the Environment and has been serving on the board of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming for more than 15 years.

During her career Liliane gained broad financial expertise, which she now puts to use as the Managing Director of the Haub Family Office. She and her husband Christian have four children and divide their time between the United States and Germany.

Shelley Hilf
Fall City, Washington and Great Falls, Montana

Shelley is a native Montanan and recently relocated part-time to her hometown to be closer to family. She enjoys sharing all that Montana has to offer with her husband Bill and her two sons Spencer and Nolan.

In 2008, Shelley and her husband Bill co-founded High Five Hope, a non-profit organization helping homeless children experience greater self-esteem, confidence, teamwork, and most importantly, hope through the power of sports.

Shelley has been involved with Medical Teams International for several years and for two years served as co-chair of "Field of Dreams," a premiere fundraising event in Seattle that enables the non-profit to better provide life-saving medical care to people in crisis around the world.

Shelley is currently serving her fourth year on the Museum of Pop Culture Founder’s Award committee for the museum’s signature benefit gala celebrating artists whose noteworthy contributions to music continue to nurture the next generation of creators.

Peter Kimmelman
New York, New York

A graduate of the Wharton School and Harvard Law School, Mr. Kimmelman has since 1970 specialized in asset allocation, representing the interests of several families as well as two foreign institutions. Among his non-profit affiliations, he has just completed a four-year term as chairman of the Freer/Sackler Galleries (Smithsonian Institution), Washington. He serves as a trustee, officer, and member of the Executive Committee of World Monuments Fund (30 years plus) and as a trustee of American Federation for Aging Research. Mr. and Mrs. Kimmelman share a passion for traveling, spending more than two months a year for the past 40 years in visiting more than 100 countries. Their two children –a daughter, Kweilen, and son, Damian –both live and work in London and continue to join their parents in their world travels.

Joel Kobert
Bridgewater Corners, Vermont

Joel Kobert retired from the New Jersey law firm, Courter, Kobert, and Cohen, having been the founder and managing partner. He served in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department and received the Bronze Star and Vietnam Service Medal as an U.S. Army Captain. He served in two administrations of Governors of New Jersey, and was President of the New Jersey Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and member of Who is Who in American lawyers.

Currently, he serves on numerous boards including the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, National Sporting Library and Museum, and RHF Foundation for military families.

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Palo Alto, California

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Jacqueline B. Mars,
Retired Vice President, Mars, Inc.
The Plains, Virginia

Mrs. Mars is the owner of a working farm that specializes in organic farming and equine training and breeding. David and Karen O’Connor, Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists in the sport of three-day eventing, have trained and ridden her competition horses at her two locations in The Plains, Virginia, and Ocala, Florida. Mrs. Mars is the retired Vice President of Mars, Inc., where she was responsible for development of new food products and their marketing strategy. She is a strong supporter of conservation groups concerning land use and the environment as well as an advocate and supporter of women’s education and their employment in the business community. Since 2014, Mrs. Mars has served on the board of American Prairie, an organization that is creating the largest nature reserve in the continental United States. A passionate promoter of the arts, she is Chairman Emerita of the Washington National Opera, a member of the board of trustees of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Vice Chairman of the National Sporting Library & Museum, Trustee Emerita of the Miss Hall’s School, and President of board of stewards Orange County Hounds.

George E. Matelich
Managing Director, Kelso & Co.
Larchmont, New York

George became a director of American Prairie in 2008, and has served as Chairman since 2013.  He is an advisor to the Investment Committees of the New York Botanical Garden and the University of Puget Sound (UPS).  He served for six years on the Stanford GSB Advisory Council (GSB ’82) and was Treasurer of the UPS Board of Trustees, on which he served for 23 years (B.A. Business ’78).

George joined Kelso & Co. in 1985 and is currently a Senior Advisory Partner and Managing Director. He has served as a director of more than 20 former Kelso affiliated companies and as lead director of two public companies, and actively invests and advises to this day.

Born and raised in SeaTac, Washington, George and Susan live in Larchmont, New York. They have owned a ranch in Big Timber, Montana since 1997, where they enjoy fly-fishing and hiking with family and friends.

Susan Matelich
Philanthropist
Larchmont, New York 

A philanthropist and volunteer, Susan Matelich recently retired after thirteen years as an active EMT and 10 years as Treasurer of her local Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Susan has served on the board of American Prairie since 2008, chairing the Safety committee since its inception. She is also a member of the Marketing committee. As a Trustee of the New York Botanical Garden since 2015, Susan serves on the Finance, IDEA, and Horticultural committees. Aiding first-generation college and graduate students has also been a prime focus for Susan and husband, George.

Born in Alberta, Canada, Susan moved to New York, earned a B.S. cum laude from the Stern School of Business and enjoyed a successful 15-year career in fashion and commercial modeling.

Susan and George reside in Larchmont, New York, when they are not fly-fishing with their three adult children and their spouses in Montana or in Boca Grande, Florida.

Karen Petersen Mehra
Active Volunteer
Greenwich, Connecticut

Karen has devoted her energies to preserving America’s last few wild areas, believing land conservation and the preservation of natural habitats are key to providing a meaningful future for our children. Growing up in the wilds of Utah and then living and working in Connecticut and New York have led Karen to American Prairie, which she believes is the most exciting and meaningful land and wildlife conservation project in America today. Along with serving on the American Prairie National Board of Directors, Karen serves on the boards of the Connecticut Land Conservation Council and The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, and is actively involved with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and The Garden Clubs of America. Previously, Karen worked at the American Museum of Natural History. She enjoys travel, music, gardening, reading, puzzles, moments in nature, and above all, time with her four boys and husband, Sanjeev. Karen received a B.A. in government from Harvard University and an M.A. in anthropology from Columbia University.

Susan Myers
Philanthropist
Atherton, California 

Susan has been a board member of American Prairie along with her husband Gib since 2002. The opportunity to assemble a huge prairie ecosystem full of wildlife in the 21st century is very compelling and exciting to her. Every time she visits the prairie she enjoys being on the landscape and going to find the bison herd. She and Gib would love to see a herd of 10,000 bison in their lifetime.

Susan has an interest in food and wellness and has been involved in different food affinity groups through the Philanthropy Workshop in San Francisco and also Legacy Ventures in Palo Alto. Susan is a member of Impact Partners, a social interest film fund that invest primarily in documentaries. Impact Partner has supported a number of films at the Sundance Film Festival and elsewhere. She is on the advisory board of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation.

In the past, she has served on an independent school board, Crystal Springs Uplands School and is a member of the founding group of Peninsula Bridge an educational summer experience for underprivileged students. Susan has three children and nine grandchildren. She enjoys golf, travel, bridge, reading, and spending time with her family. Susan holds a bachelor’s degree in German Studies from Stanford University.

Sherry Nemmers
New York, New York

Sherry served as Executive Vice President, Global Creative Director for NYC-based global ad agencies Publicis, Saatchi, and D’Arcy, beginning as a writer for Dancer Fitzgerald Sample. Partnering with world leaders such as Mars, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, and Toyota, Sherry led by example how brands speak to women. She is known for her lyrical storytelling, creating breakout campaigns on innovative Mars brands, Ad Council crime prevention, and P&G Charmin Bears. Sherry is known for creating the first Super Bowl spot for P&G - also the first created by a woman. Featured on Dateline and CBS Sunday Morning, she has garnered numerous awards. Jeff Koons placed her work in the Whitney Museum. An active alum, Sherry attended Dartmouth College, Université de Strasbourg, graduated from Vassar College, and flirted with Columbia Journalism. She continues to author historical pieces. A fierce protector of wildlands, lakes, and wildlife, Sherry serves on boards such as Adirondack Council, Art Center, and Blue Mountain Lake Association. Sherry summers on Blue Mountain Lake, and volunteers for her ambulance/fire corps. Passionate about opera, writing, hiking, and saving animals, Sherry loves big cats and small prairie dogs.

William R. Price III
President, Driva Solutions, LLC
Bellevue, Washington

Bill Price started Driva Solutions in September 2001 to help companies achieve the delicate balance between cost containment and greater customer loyalty; co-founded the 9-country LimeBridge Global Alliance; started and still chairs the 30-company Global Operations Council that “shares best practices and worst experiences”; and is the lead co-author of three books: The Best Service is No Service (2008), Your Customer Rules! (2015), and The Frictionless Organization (2022). Bill served as Amazon’s first Worldwide Vice President of Customer Service and before that was Vice President & General Manager of MCI Call Center Services, COO & CFO with a start-up software company in San Francisco, and a Senior Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company in San Francisco and Stockholm. Bill received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and his MBA from Stanford University, and lives in Bellevue, Washington.

Paula Rantz
Palo Alto, California

Paula Rantz, a former inter-dealer broker in the municipal bond market on Wall Street, has lived in London, New York City, and currently resides in Palo Alto. Through her charitable foundation she has supported a variety of causes including accessibility to a quality education for underserved populations, preservation of vote integrity, independent investigative journalism, land conservation, and research into harmful chemicals, cancer, and Lyme disease. She also has served on the board of KIPP Charter Schools of Northern California. Paula collects diaries of the pioneers and histories of the trappers and explorers of the American West.

Sam Reiman
Director, RK Mellon Foundation
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sam Reiman has been the Director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation since 2019, and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees since 2020. As Director, Reiman oversees the Foundation’s staff, strategy, and annual philanthropic program. In 2024, the Foundation disbursed more than $155 million in grants and program-related investments, ending the year with net assets of $3.1 billion.

Reiman joined the Foundation in 2015 as Associate Director. His work prior to the Foundation included serving as a Senior Consultant for Deloitte in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Reiman grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and his higher education began at Harrisburg Area Community College. He went on to receive a BA in Science, Technology and Public Policy from Franklin & Marshall College, matriculating on a work-study scholarship and graduating Cum Laude. Reiman subsequently earned an MS in Public Policy and Management, with a Minor in Business Administration, from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MS in Biotechnology from The Johns Hopkins University.

Laura Turner Seydel
Director, Turner Foundation and Emeritus Chair, Captain Planet Foundation
Atlanta, Georgia

Laura Turner Seydel works with organizations that are solving some of the most urgent existential threats facing humanity.

She serves on the board of the UN Foundation, a strategic partner that helps the United Nations mobilize people and resources for collective action. She is also a board member of Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions.

Laura is on the board of Waterkeeper Alliance, a global network of over 300 organizations committed to safeguarding clean water in communities around the world. She also works to address the extinction crisis as a Patron of Nature with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In the field of regenerative agriculture, Laura is an Executive Producer of the documentaries Common Ground and the forthcoming Groundswell. Both films advocate for regeneration and healthy soil as powerful solutions to challenges including water scarcity, food insecurity, the climate crisis, the extinction crisis, and human wellness.

She also serves on the board of the Turner Foundation and holds the title of Chair Emeritus of the Captain Planet Foundation.