For Immediate Release: October 29th, 2026
Contact: Eden Taylor | etaylor@refugeassociation.org
Former Long-time Refuge System Chief recognized for pioneering leadership and decades of service to wildlife conservation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Wildlife Refuge Association presented its Theodore Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award to Cynthia Martinez, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to the National Wildlife Refuge System and her enduring legacy of conservation leadership. Martinez made history as the first woman to serve as Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System and became the second-longest-serving Chief in the System’s history, following J. Clark Salyer.
Lynn Scartlett & Desirée Sorenson-Groves present Theodore Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award to Cynthia Martinez | Eden Taylor / National Wildlife Refuge Association
The award recognizes Martinez’s distinguished career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and her commitment to conserving America’s wildlife, habitats, and public lands and waters. Her leadership helped shape the future of the Refuge System, strengthening its vision, advancing public engagement, and reinforcing the importance of national wildlife refuges to communities across the country.
Martinez began her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1993. Before becoming Chief in 2015, she served as a fish biologist, worked in ecological services, managed the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Nevada, and held leadership positions at Refuge System headquarters, including as Deputy Chief. Throughout her career, she brought a breadth of field experience and a deep understanding of the people, partnerships, and conservation priorities essential to the System’s success.
“Theodore Roosevelt understood that protecting our nation’s wildlife and wild places requires vision, dedication, and the courage to lead,” said The Honorable Lynn Scarlett, Board Chair of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “Cynthia Martinez embodies those qualities. As the first woman to lead the National Wildlife Refuge System, she broke barriers while demonstrating the steady, thoughtful leadership that conservation demands. Her legacy will be felt for generations, and we are thrilled to recognize her remarkable contributions with this award.”
“Cynthia’s career is a powerful example of what public service and a lifelong commitment to conservation can accomplish,” said Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “Her leadership helped guide the Refuge System through important opportunities and challenges, and she has served as an inspiration to the many professionals, partners, and advocates who work every day to protect these extraordinary places. We are delighted to honor Cynthia’s achievements and the lasting impact she has made on America’s wildlife heritage.”
Cynthia’s award from the Refuge Associations sits alongside a celebratory proclamation from Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates | Eden Taylor / National Wildlife Refuge Association
The Theodore Roosevelt Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose exceptional leadership and sustained contributions have advanced wildlife conservation and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, whose conservation legacy helped establish the foundation of America’s national wildlife refuge system, the award celebrates a lifetime of service to the nation’s natural resources.
Martinez joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including Congressman John Dingell, Steve Thompson, Chad Karges, and Jim Kurth, whose work has made significant contributions to conservation and the protection of America’s wildlife heritage.
Through this recognition, the National Wildlife Refuge Association celebrates not only Martinez’s historic achievement as the first woman to lead the Refuge System, but also her years of dedicated service and the lasting example she has set for future generations of conservation leaders.
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The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest network of public lands and waters in the world dedicated to wildlife conservation, encompassing more than 570 refuges and 850 million acres. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, refuges provide critical habitat for thousands of species and offer opportunities for Americans to experience nature through hiking, hunting, birding, photography, and education.
As the only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Wildlife Refuge Association protects, promotes, and enhances America’s wildlife heritage through strategic programs that serve the Refuge System and wildlife beyond its boundaries. The organization addresses Refuge System funding, management, and strategic growth, while also promoting programs that maximize the system’s conservation impact.
