Mr. Patlis has more than 19 years of experience in law, policy, finance and management. Working in both the public and private sectors, domestically and internationally, he has specialized in the development and implementation of environmental laws and policies, with specific expertise in marine conservation, climate change, and foreign assistance.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Patlis most recently served as Vice President and Managing Director for U.S. Government Relations at the World Wildlife Fund. He has worked on both sides of the Capitol, serving under Chairman Sherwood Boehlert as Deputy Staff Director for the House Science Committee, and previously working as Counsel on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee under the late Senator John Chafee, handling fish and wildlife issues for the committee. Mr. Patlis spent more than five years in Indonesia, first as a Fulbright Senior Scholar conducting research on Indonesia's legal framework governing natural resources, coastal management and indigenous rights, and subsequently as a consultant to projects under the World Bank and USAID. Mr. Patlis began his legal career as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he worked extensively on issues relating to the Endangered Species Act and protected resources.

Mr. Patlis is widely published in both law and policy journals, and has given numerous presentations in the U.S. and overseas. Mr. Patlis received his J.D. from Cornell University School of Law in 1992, and his B.A. in English from Haverford College in 1985.