The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is excited to welcome Scott Braden as its new Executive Director. Braden fell in love with Utah’s rivers and canyons as an outdoor educator; he has gone on to devote his career to protecting public lands across the American West. He will start on May 5, 2025, and comes to SUWA with two decades of experience in conservation advocacy, nonprofit management, and organizational leadership.

“At this pivotal moment for the redrock wilderness, I’m honored to step into this role. The threats to Utah’s wilderness are relentless, coming from every direction—but SUWA’s ability to win protections and hold the line has never been more critical,” said Scott Braden, newly-named Executive Director for SUWA. “Having started my career at SUWA and dedicated my life to defending wild places, returning as Executive Director is deeply meaningful to me. Working with SUWA’s stellar staff and the nationwide community of redrock activists, I’m eager to build on SUWA’s legacy, strengthen the organization, and position it for success in protecting Wild Utah for generations to come.”

Braden most recently served as co-founder and director of the Colorado Wildlands Project. There, he led efforts to protect Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Colorado, including a national monument campaign for the Dolores River canyon country, securing a variety of administrative protections, and establishing a collaborative stewardship program. He previously worked as a public lands advocate at Conservation Colorado and the Colorado Mountain Club.

Braden began his advocacy career at SUWA from 2007 to 2011, learning first-hand how to be a wilderness advocate, connect with passionate SUWA members, and navigate the halls of Congress out of the organization’s Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC offices. Prior to joining SUWA as a staff member, he was an outdoor educator in the Utah Program of the Colorado Outward Bound School, where he first attended “Wilderness Week” and lobbied for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, SUWA’s signature federal legislation, as a redrock activist.

SUWA Board Chair Tom Kenworthy said “We’re ecstatic to introduce Scott as our next Executive Director and to welcome him back to SUWA. He will be a fearless and enthusiastic champion of SUWA’s mission to protect the redrock wilderness at a critical time in our organization’s history.”

“Scott will be an exceptional leader both for SUWA and the larger conservation movement. The Board is confident he will be a steady hand who builds on a remarkable legacy and positions us for our next chapter of growth, resilience, and expanded impact,” said SUWA Board Vice-Chair Rebecca Chavez-Houck.

SUWA will soon announce opportunities for members and supporters to meet Braden at events in Utah. A months-long search for a new Executive Director was conducted by Kittelman and Associates, in partnership with SUWA’s all-volunteer Board of Directors. SUWA celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2023; additional information can be found online.

Braden succeeds Scott Groene, who served as SUWA’s Executive Director from 2004 to 2024 and previously worked on and off at the organization since 1987. During his time as leader, Groene grew SUWA’s staff, budget, and sophistication; he was instrumental in achieving the protection of iconic landscapes in Utah, including Bears Ears National Monument (2016) and nearly a million acres of congressionally designated Wilderness in the Cedar Mountains (2006), the Zion-Mojave region of Washington County (2009), and Emery County (2019).

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a nonprofit organization with members and supporters from around the country dedicated to protecting America’s redrock wilderness. From offices in Moab, Salt Lake City, and Washington, DC, our team of professionals defends the redrock, organizes support for America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, and stewards this world-renowned landscape. Learn more at www.suwa.org.