Las Cruces Leader Named Director Of Montana Wilderness Association

Montana Wilderness Association today announces that Ben Gabriel will be its next executive director. Gabriel is currently the executive director of Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks (FOMDP) in Las Cruces, New Mexico. “We are incredibly excited to have Ben on board at MWA,” says Mark Hanson, president of MWA’s state council. “The leadership skills he demonstrated in his three-year tenure at FOMDP and the inspiring vision he articulated for MWA, which entails building on the tremendous success we’ve had over recent years, made him stand out among the many applicants we considered.” MWA conducted a national search for the executive director before deciding on Gabriel, who came recommended by many conservationists across the country for, among other things, leading the defense of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in the face of Secretary Ryan Zinke’s national monument review this summer. Before becoming executive director of FOMDP, Gabriel ran several outdoor recreation programs at New Mexico State University, where he gained an appreciation for the connection between public lands and outdoor recreation...more