Mr Shailesh Ganeshrao Tembhurnikar is a Distinguished Fellow at the Land Resources Division of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). He has led several significant initiatives, including the World Bank-funded Maharashtra Forestry Project. His exceptional contributions to forest and wildlife conservation have earned him numerous accolades at state, national, and international levels. In 2006, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Forest Protection by the Government of Maharashtra, and he was also commended by the Government of India for his work in water conservation, particularly for the IWMP Arvi in Wardha District.
A 1987 batch officer of the Indian Forest Service, Mr Tembhurnikar has held pivotal roles, including Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra State CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority), APCCF (Conservation), Regional Director of the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), and Assistant Director in the Social Forestry Department. He has also served as Deputy Conservator of Forests in East Melghat and Buldhana.
Mr Tembhurnikar is an alum of various training programs, such as the Mid-career Training at the Maxwell Institute, Syracuse University, New York in 2014, a training program on Facilitation in Fiji Islands sponsored by the National Productivity Council in 2006, and the 'Training of Trainers' program at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, in 2000.