Bonderman Travel Fellowship

Jill Simmons

Jill Simmons

Law; Public Affairs

Graduate

2003 Fellows

Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota

Travel Locations: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Yucatan, Belize

Current Location/Job: Chief Executive Oficer of The Washington Trails Association, Seattle, WA

Travel Lessons: “I think the biggest lesson from my experience was more personal than professional—the transformative power of complete freedom to explore. For a period of five months, I was accountable to only myself, something that is incredibly rare in adult life. I explored at length some of the world’s most incredible wild places, solidifying through personal experience the importance of nature for not only our planet but also for our hearts, bodies and minds. While the learning was personal, it had professional impact. I don’t think it’s an accident that now—15 years later—I am leading Washington Trails Association, a nonprofit with a mission to help everyone explore wild places and to give back to protect them.”

-Jill Simmons, October 2019