Former film executive Michael Nathanson, who previously served as head of MGM, is joining the nonprofit Rewilding America Now (RAN) as CEO and managing director. The organization is dedicated to preserving the wild horses of the U.S. and advocating for innovative environmental conservation practices. Nathanson will lead RAN’s rebranding and new initiatives.
In addition to championing horse rewilding and conservation awareness, RAN, formerly known as the CANA Foundation, promotes the inclusion of traditional knowledge through Native American culture. The organization is currently in the midst of acquiring 400,000 acres of grazing lands in the Birch Creek Valley of Idaho to rewild.
“I am honored and excited to join Rewilding America Now and lead their mission to protect and preserve America’s native landscape and wild horses,” said Nathanson. “This is one of those rare opportunities where we can apply our trade to something with a much higher calling, one that will make a difference.”
Nathanson has previously served as president or chairman at a number of major film companies, including Oddlot Entertainment, MGM Studios, Columbia Pictures and New Regency. He has produced several prominent titles including “LA Confidential,” “Hell or High Water,” and helped rehabilitate and manage the “James Bond,” “Pink Panther” and “Legally Blonde” franchises. In his leadership roles, he oversaw everything from operations and production to development, marketing and distribution.
As noted by RAN, wild horses are currently at risk due to habitat loss, overgrazing and roundups by the Bureau of Land Management. To combat these dangers, the first project Nathanson will helm at RAN will be Rewilding Idaho in Birch Creek, Idaho, creating a wildlife corridor to expand Yellowstone National Park to Idaho’s wilderness area. This project includes purchasing and protecting more than 55 miles of grazing lands where wild horses and other wildlife live.
“The acquisition and completion of Rewilding Idaho is crucial to the future of conservation in North America, an initiative that I have become dedicated to accomplishing,” Nathanson said.
