Benji Backer is President and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition, the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the country. For his work with the ACC, he has been awarded the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30, and Grist 50. He serves as a Board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington. Benji grew up in Wisconsin and is an avid Wisconsin sports fan. He spends his free time hiking, skiing, and drinking unsweetened iced tea in his current home city of Seattle. Through ACC, Benji is excited to be uniting Americans on pro-environmental reforms and changing the narrative when it comes to the environment.
American Academy President Laurie Patton to Receive Concordia’s 2026 Leadership Award for Civil Society
The Concordia Leadership Council is proud to announce Dr. Laurie L. Patton, President of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, as the second of three recipients of the 2026
