Urszula “Ula” Stankiewicz is an integrated development specialist, with a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and more than 12 years of experience working in global health, conservation, and cross-sector initiatives.

Ula joined Legado in 2023 after seven years with Blue Ventures Conservation. She served as National Representative for the organization in Mozambique, overseeing national-level operations and managing locally-led fisheries management and health programs. She also supported expansion efforts across East and West Africa, developing and maintaining partnerships with a wide array of NGOs, community groups, and government stakeholders.

These experiences at the grassroots level have cemented her conviction that community-led initiatives are the most impactful and ethical. She has seen firsthand how essential the leadership of Indigenous people & local communities (IP&LCs) is for effective conservation, and indeed how much environmental degradation is directly caused by human rights violations against IP&LCs. Working cross-sectorally has also allowed her to witness and understand the inextricable links between conservation, health, livelihoods, education, and every other facet of our lives.

Ula lives in West Virginia with her partner, and enjoys backpacking, kayaking, traveling, reading fantasy novels, and fermenting food.