Leadership

Throughout his career, Ted Turner has received recognition for his entrepreneurial acumen, sharp business skills, leadership qualities, and his unprecedented philanthropy.

Whether in billboard advertisement, cable television, sports team ownership, sailing, environmental initiatives or philanthropy, Ted’s vision, determination, generosity and forthrightness have consistently given the world reason to take notice.

Turner is founder and chairman of the United Nations Foundation, which supports the goals and objectives of the United Nations to promote a more peaceful, prosperous and just world; founder and co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a charitable organization working to reduce the global threats of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; chairman of the Turner Foundation, which supports efforts for conserving land to protect and restore wildlife diversity; catalyzing the transition to a clean energy future; and protecting and restoring water resources for people and nature; and co-founder and chairman of Ted's Montana Grill restaurant collection, which operates nearly 50 locations nationwide.

Turner also serves as chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc., which manages his business interests,
land holdings, and investments. Turner is the second largest individual landholder in North America, with approximately 2 million acres in seven states. His ranches are home to the largest commercial bison herd (more than 45,000) in North America, and host a variety of environmental projects, including reforestation, renewable energy, water resource management, and reintroduction of native species. Out of concern for the health of his land and its species, Turner established the Turner Endangered Species Fund in 1997 to conserve biodiversity by emphasizing restoration efforts of endangered or imperiled species on Turner ranches and in partnership with state and federal natural resources agencies.

While urging others to make the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, he has already done so in a very large way. Turner has added solar panels on his numerous properties and installed 25 solar canopies in the employee parking lots adjacent to his Atlanta offices.

Laura Turner Seydel works with organizations that are solving the biggest existential threats facing humanity.   

Laura serves on the board for the UN Foundation, which works as a strategic partner to help the UN mobilize people and resources for collective action, and on the board of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), which is a global security organization focused on reducing nuclear and biological threats imperiling humanity.

Laura also serves on the board of Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions, and Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of more than 300 waterkeeper organizations protecting clean water in communities around the world. 

Additional organizations served are League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Georgia Conservation Voters and as a Patron of Nature with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Laura co-founded Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to help protect the drinking water of more than 5 million Georgians and also co-founded Mothers and Others for Clean Air (MOCA) to improve air quality for at-risk populations in metro Atlanta.

In the field of regenerative agriculture, Laura serves on the board of the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture (TIE), which researches, practices and disseminates sustainable strategies for conserving ecosystems, agriculture and rural communities.

Laura serves on the advisory board for Kiss the Ground and is associate producer for the documentary “Common Ground” which promotes regeneration and healthy soil as viable solutions for wellness, water scarcity, the climate crisis and the extinction crisis.  

Laura lives in Atlanta with her husband Rutherford and they have three children, John R, Vasser, Laura Elizabeth and one granddaughter Nora

Teddy Turner formerly taught high school economics at the Charleston Collegiate School in Charleston, South Carolina. Teddy served in numerous business capacities including promotions manager at Turner Home Entertainment, as well as project manager at Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. After spending two years at CNN's Moscow bureau as a cameraman and editor, Teddy went on to develop and produce various programs involved in TBS's Soviet Union relations, including the Goodwill Games, the international athletic competition event created by Ted Turner to ease tensions during the Cold War through friendly sports competition between nations. Between June 1989 and June 1993, Teddy was president and skipper of Challenge America, Ltd., a campaign for the Whitbread "Around the World" sailboat race. Turner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in 1985.

A highly gifted filmmaker and photographer, Rhett Turner is president of Red Sky Productions,  a state- of-the-art, international film production company focusing on documentary films for global television audiences and private corporations. He is well versed in every aspect of film production, and has served as a camera operator, photographer, producer and editor on several projects. Rhett launched Red Sky Productions in 1999 with the release of Pollinators in Peril, a well-received environmental documentary hosted by Peter Fonda. He has continued collaboration with the National Wildlife Federation on similar projects, including El Lobo: The Song of the Wolf. A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Rhett has traveled the globe to document and share the stories of people working to effect social and environmental change. He has covered diverse stories such as girls’ education in Cambodia and the eradication of River Blindness in Uganda. Rhett has produced and directed several environmental documentaries that focus on topics in his home state of Georgia. Chattahoochee Unplugged and Secrets of the Longleaf Pine both captured the Southeast Emmy for Best Documentary and Journey of the Whooping Crane was another extraordinary work produced for PBS. He recently published “Conserving America’s Wildlands: The Vision of Ted Turner” a vivid photographic representation of each of his father’s unique properties that make him the second largest landowner in North America with nearly 2 million acres.

Rhett's work has taken him to places such as Antarctica, Rwanda, North and South Korea, Galapagos, Greenland and Italy. He was in Amman, Jordan during the Gulf War, as well as on the ground in Russia during the fall of the USSR. Rhett's outlook on conservation was highly influenced by his father as he grew up with strict tenets of environmental stewardship, and has pursued these themes through his career. Prior to filmmaking, he worked as an account executive for CNN in the Tokyo office. Rhett graduated from the Citadel with a degree in Business Administration. 

Beau Turner is involved in numerous charitable organizations related to environmental conservation and preservation around the world. He is on the Board of Trustees for The Turner Conservation Trust, the Turner Institute of Eco-Agriculture, the Turner Foundation, the Jane Smith Turner Foundation and the Peregrine Fund. He is an Advisor to Turner Enterprises which manages the business interests, landholdings and investments of his father, Ted Turner. Among Beau’s challenges is the directive to balance a strong concern and ethic for environmental protection with several for-profit ventures, including the largest bison operation in the world and Ted Turner Reserves which brings luxury outdoor experiences to clients from around the world. Beau’s greatest passion is getting young people outdoors and excited about nature and the environment. Beau graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and did graduate work at the University of Montana.

Since Jennie Garlington was exposed to environmental issues at a young age, she launched a lifetime commitment to stewardship and sustainability. An accomplished television producer, Jennie parlayed her passion for the environment into her career. From 1994 to 2001 when she served as an associate producer at CNN Environment Unit's EARTH MATTERS. She produced stories on such timely issues as the proposed mine on the Okefenokee; the fate of the Ossabaw Island; the future of Cumberland Island; the migration of Right whales in Florida; and the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. Environmental stewardship is central to Jennie's community involvement as well. Currently she is the executive producer and host of Eco Sense for Living, a television show she created to showcase cutting-edge environmental issues like 'nature-deficit disorder' and a wide range of subjects from energy-efficient lifestyles to green jobs.

John Rutherford Seydel III (John R.), an Atlanta native, is the Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer with the City of Atlanta. Seydel works with department leads within the City of Atlanta, as well as with external community partners to achieve Atlanta’s sustainability goals.

While in his role, Seydel has helped direct efforts throughout sustainability including projects supporting waste diversion, urban agriculture, energy and water efficiency, alternative fuel vehicles, and renewables towards Mayor Kasim Reed’s goal for Atlanta to continue as a top-tier city in sustainability.

Seydel received his Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Denver. He is an environmental advocate and previously served as the CEO of Revolution Nation, an organization which aims to connect millennials to their elected representatives. He has also worked in the renewable energy space with the United Nations Foundation and Southern Company. In addition, he has worked with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Captain Planet Foundation, organizations which promote hands-on environmental stewardship and education projects worldwide for youth. 

Vasser Seydel recently graduated with cum laude honors from the University of Georgia, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. During her time in Athens, Vasser worked for UGA’S Office of Sustainability as the Grants and Engagement Director, represented the university as the UGA Student Sustainability Ambassador, and pursued an education outside the classroom as an intern at the United Nations Foundation and TEDWomen. After graduation, she began consulting with non-profit, business, and individual clients, specializing in communications, digital media, and strategic development, to enhance brands that create positive impacts on society. Vasser continues to promote and support her family’s legacy and commitment to environmental responsibility through her family’s foundation, the Turner Foundation, as Trustee-Elect and the first Chairperson of the Turner 3rd Generation board. She is currently the President of the Oxygen Project where she has taken on the Deep Seabed Mining issue, gathering a coalition of scientists, NGO’s, and industry leaders to push a campaign raising public awareness and engagement. Most recently, she has taken on the Deep Seabed Mining issue, gathering a coalition of scientists, NGO’s, and industry leaders to push a campaign raising public awareness and engagement.

Laura Elizabeth (LE) Seydel is an impact-oriented producer and founder of Ted & Jane Productions, a
production company that prioritizes ethics and sustainability, based in Los Angeles, California (she splits her time between Los Angeles, Atlanta, and New York).

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia by a family that prioritized environmental stewardship and social justice
awareness, LE felt from an early age it was her mission to continue the legacy of her family and be part
of the solution to save our fragile planet. As she grew older, she realized that media & movies were one
of the most impactful ways to catalyze change.

While attending UCLA School of Film and Television, LE worked in film production and artist
management, helping to put on one the nation’s largest fully non-profit music festivals, M3F Fest, in
Phoenix, Arizona. After graduation, LE enjoyed working with several production teams who managed
various entertainers and corporations. In early 2022, LE formed her own production company, Ted &
Jane Productions, based on ethics and focusing on film creations about our planet and its inhabitants.
Her production company provides a safe space for a diverse family of cast and crew, develops socially
aware and impact-based stories, and works to mitigate waste, all with the goal of making highly
impactful art, with a low impact on our planet.