As a Senior Wildlife Policy Analyst with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Taylor Tench coordinates and implements campaigns to protect rhinos, orangutans, and elephants from poaching, trafficking, and habitat loss. He regularly represents EIA at meetings for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) where he works to maintain and improve protections for threatened species affected by legal and illegal trade, improve anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, and ensure government compliance with CITES provisions.
Prior to joining EIA in 2017, Taylor spent his days on Capitol Hill as a Government Affairs Associate for the National Wildlife Refuge Association lobbying to secure the adoption of legislation and funding to protect and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System, America’s largest network of protected lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation.
Taylor earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Clemson University. While at Clemson, Taylor led the student organization Tigers for Tigers (T4T), which sought to leverage school spirit surrounding Clemson’s sports teams and tiger mascot to educate and engage students, alumni, and fans in tiger conservation. He was also a founding member of National Tigers for Tigers Coalition, which brought T4T chapters from other tiger mascot schools around the country together to coordinate national policy, education, and fundraising actions for tiger conservation.