Brian Kurzel

Brian Kurzel is the Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Rocky Mountain Regional Center. Brian oversees the National Wildlife Federation’s work on protecting public lands, sustaining fish and wildlife populations, connecting people to nature, and serving as a primary ally for tribal governments. His goal is to create a movement for conservation that helps people and nature thrive in the West.

Brian joined the National Wildlife Federation in 2015 after 10 years with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, where he most recently served as a senior manager focused on policy and planning initiatives. Brian also oversaw Colorado's natural areas program, a statewide, science-driven natural resource conservation effort focused on species and habitat protection. He was a scientific consultant for the Colorado State Forest Service, researcher at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and has experience in inner-city, school-based, and outdoor science education. Brian earned a master’s degree in ecology and biogeography from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

A native of Buffalo, New York, Brian has lived in Colorado for over 20 years and worked in conservation, science, and education for the past 25 years. He is an avid mountaineer, backpacker, and gardener, and on weekends you can find Brian, his wife, and their two children exploring the great outdoors!