Raj Shukla

Raj joined River Network as President and Chief Executive Officer in June 2023, bringing 20 years of mission-focused experience to lead a national team that grows and strengthens a transformational network of water, justice, and river advocates. Raj built a career designing behavior change programs to tackle climate change, preparing candidates to win campaigns, and organizing businesses to meet social needs. Raj has led teams to build technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, organize local leaders to advance ambitious water policy, and advocate for clean, free-flowing rivers in county seats, state capitols and corporate board rooms across the United States. He graduated from UW-Madison late in the 20th century. Raj also led a push to help his hometown, Madison, Wisconsin, become the first in the state to commit to 100% clean energy.

Raj served on the River Network Board of Directors from 2019 to 2023, supporting our work leading a national effort to grow Black and brown leadership in the conservation community. He was introduced to River Rally as Executive Director of River Alliance of Wisconsin, where he led a statewide team to protect and restore water in partnership with local watershed leaders.

As The Nature Conservancy’s Midwest Director of Freshwater Policy, Raj oversaw work to fortify the health of 90 percent of the nation’s surface fresh water. He collaborated with national, state, and local partners to support science-based advocacy for the protection of fresh water. His work connected equity and conservation, centering the diverse needs of communities struggling with floods and pollution.

Outside of work, Raj is a connoisseur of fried egg sandwiches, rabid Milwaukee Bucks fan, daily meditator, and mediocre drummer. In their spare time, Raj and his wife chauffeur two tweens and a teen around the neighborhood, and to the region’s rich natural areas with occasional stops at ice cream shops along the way.