Lucy Magembe
Country Director, Tanzania
Tanzania
Lucy Magembe Country Director for Tanzania. © Roshni Lodhia
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Conservation, Policy and Government Relations
Biography
Lucy is the Country Director for Tanzania, managing a portfolio of 30 staff and annual budget of approximately $4 million. In this position, Lucy is responsible for developing and implementing a program that would address critical threats to the natural systems in Tanzania through science-based approaches and policy reforms. She works closely with the Africa Regional Team and other divisions of The Nature Conservancy, government agencies, regional institutions, NGOs, multilateral and bilateral agencies, communities and the private sector to develop, coordinate and implement conservation strategies.
Prior to this position, Lucy served as TNC Marine Policy Representative between 2010 and 2012 in Arlington, VA before moving to Tanzania to serve as External Affairs Advisor for Tanzania between 2013 and 2018. In both capacities, Lucy helped to shape global, regional and national policies as well as develop strategic partnerships that facilitated achievement of the Conservancy’s goals.
Lucy has 18 years of experience in natural resources conservation at the national and international level.
Prior to joining TNC, Lucy worked for nine years with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Tanzania, as Program Coordinator, where among other things, she facilitated the establishment of Tanzania’s first marine park - Mafia Island Marine Park - and the supporting legal framework “The Marine Parks and Reserves Act”.
Lucy has a B.Sc. in Zoology & Marine Biology from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; an M.S. in Geography with a focus on wetland ecology and Geographic Information Systems, from the University of Florida in Gainesville, USA; and a Master of Environmental Management focusing in water science, policy and management from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Connecticut, USA.
Lucy is interested in the interlinkages of economics and sustainable development, society and environment; and, private investment and environment.