Although William McKeown earned a master in divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in 1971, he had no plans to become a minister. The son of an army colonel, McKeown was just “interested in matters of faith and intellect.” That interest took him to law school and instilled in him a deep desire to help society. After working for 24 years at a law firm, McKeown seems to have finally found his calling.

McKeown is the chief legal officer the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Although it's perhaps a name few people recognize, WCS operates some of most popular educational facilities and tourist destinations in New York City. Once know as the New York Zoological Society, the WCS is responsible for the Bronx Zoo, the New York Aquarium, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and Prospect Park Zoo.

McKeown has been with the non-profit for eight years. Previously he was a partner at New York-based Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler where he represented non-profit organizations. His clients included the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kaplan Foundation and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Although a number of his clients asked him to come in-house while he worked at Patterson Belknap, McKeown turned them down. It was a different story with the WCS.