Alexander Yates is a writer and photographer who fell in love with animals as a child, while traveling the world with his diplomat parents. He joined WCN in 2026, after serving multiple tours as a communications officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Rwanda. In addition to his deployments overseas with USAID, Alexander has designed and implemented communications campaigns promoting sustainable development, green energy and public health for a range of international organizations including UNICEF, UNESCO, GiZ and the British Council. A passionate storyteller, Alexander has a BA in English from the University of Virginia, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse. When he’s not at work (or birdwatching) he also writes fiction, and has published three award-winning novels with Random House and Simon & Schuster.