Benjamin Duke III, a prominent community leader, a 25 year nonprofit development leader and an Elizabeth rancher has joined the staff of the Colorado Conservation Trust.

Duke will be deputy director and will be responsible for development and program expansion. Before joining the Colorado Conservation Trust, Duke was vice president for development and membership services at the Denver Zoological Foundation.

Duke has historically been involved with the Colorado Historical Society, the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park, Graland Country Day School, the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation, Denver’s Four Mile Historic Park, 4-H, the National Western Stock Show, Denver Academy, the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Northern Kenya.

CCT’s Executive Director Brian Ross said Duke is a thoughtful, successful and well-respected Coloradan that has worked consistently to make Colorado a better place.

“His dedication to education, cultural and historical institutions, youth programs and our agricultural heritage is nothing short of incredible,” he said. “The Colorado Conservation Trust is thrilled and honored to have him join us in our efforts to conserve the landscapes that make Colorado, Colorado.”

Duke said it is a great honor to be part of the CCT team.

“We work to promote the conservation of Colorado’s extraordinary landscapes,” Duke said. “These are exciting and challenging times where we have the opportunity to make lasting differences in our state.”

Duke was born and raised in Littleton on a small suburban farm. He received his B.A. in geology from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1975.

After graduation, Duke embarked on a career in education, beginning as a science teacher and eventually moving into school administration. He later joined the staff of the Colorado Historical Society where he served as vice president for development and as curator/director of the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park.

In 1993, he became the development and alumni director of Graland Country Day School, where he also served as assistant headmaster. Duke later served as the director of major gifts at Urban Peak. In 2005, he was named the vice president for development and membership services at Denver Zoo. He also has been a development consultant to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Northern Kenya.

Active with numerous community endeavors, Duke has served the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation for more than a decade, including as president for five and a half years. He also is the former chair of Denver’s Four Mile Historic Park, where he led a successful $2 million campaign to build a new education center. He serves as a trustee of Denver Academy and is a trustee of the Colorado Historical Foundation.

Duke has been involved in conserving land for more than two decades. He and his family live on a cattle ranch 50 miles southeast of Denver. In Elbert County he serves on the County Fair Board, has been involved with the 4-H program for nearly 20 years, and is a director of the local Livestock Association. In 2006, he was elected as a trustee of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, where he serves as secretary.

He is a director of the National Western Stock Show, where he chairs the Catch-a-Calf Committee and serves on the Junior Show Committee. He is the youth programs liaison for the Denver Agricultural and Livestock Club.

The Colorado Conservation Trust is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the funding, pace and effectiveness of conservation in Colorado. CCT works directly with conservation groups and local communities to ensure that Colorado’s special places are preserved for generations to come.