Director of Military PartnershipsCompatible Lands Foundation
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Joe Knott’s last assignment in the military was the Sustainability Program Manager at Headquarters, Department of the Army, where he was responsible for sustainability planning nationwide. His other Pentagon assignments included Program Director for the Army Compatible Use Buffer program, the Army’s premier land conservation and partnership program, which under his leadership conserved over 70,000 acres of working lands and natural resources. After retiring from the Army, having served 33+ years in uniform, Joe then worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense before accepting a position with Compatible Lands Foundation. Currently, as CLF’s Director of Military Partnerships, Joe leads several unique resiliency partnerships with federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry. These partnerships include: 1) developing the US Department of Defense’s first climate change mitigation buffer zone, and 2) establishing training and employment opportunities in sustainable agriculture for military Veterans.
Joe has a Master of Science in Environmental Management and Energy Resources Policy and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. He is a 2013 White House Champion of Change award recipient, a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College, and a 2008 Kinship Conservation Fellow. His military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals and three Army Commendation Medals. Joe serves on the board of the United Nation’s Be Earth Foundation Intergovernmental Organization. Joe and his wife Leslie reside outside Phoenix, AZ with their three rescue dogs and enjoy boating on Canyon Lake in Tonto National Forest.
Website:www.compatiblelands.org