The Department of State has announced Secretary Marco Rubio’s plan to appoint four Americans to serve as Directors on the Board of the United States Foundation for Natural Security and Counterterrorism (USFNSC).

The department, in a statement on Wednesday, identified Samuel Robson Walton, Daniel Hammond, Joseph Semsar and Ari Novy as the potential directors.

The department said it looked forward to working with these four qualified individuals on the USFNSC Board to establish the Foundation as “a durable, results-oriented vehicle for American leadership in natural resource security and conservation.”

Mr Walton founded the Rob Walton Foundation with his family of the Denver Broncos. He previously served as Chairman of Walmart from 1992 to 2015, helping grow the company into a global brand and one of the world’s largest enterprises.

While Mr Hammond is the founder and chief executive officer of American Hometown Media, where he leads a portfolio of community-focused media brands celebrating positive stories from across America, Mr Semsar heads Sovereign AI at Reflection AI, leading the company’s work with governments and strategic partners to build secure, sovereign artificial intelligence capabilities that advance national competitiveness, resilience, and technological leadership.

Mr Novy is the Elizabeth Newman Wilds executive director of Cornell Botanic Gardens. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of the San Diego Botanic Garden and as executive director of the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.