EDF Hires West Coast Assoc. VP for Land, Water and Wildlife Program

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Witherspoon, (415) 293.6067 (o), jwitherspoon@edf.org

(San Francisco–March 17, 2011) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced the hiring of Rebecca Shaw as its new Associate Vice President for its Land, Water, and Wildlife program, one of the organization’s four major issue areas. EDF’s Land, Water and Wildlife program is working to preserve and restore ecological health of working lands and rivers by championing ideas that align their needs with the needs of the people, business and rural economies that depend upon them. 

In this newly created senior position, Shaw will report directly to David Festa, Vice President of both EDF’s Land, Water, and Wildlife program and its West Coast operations.

“Rebecca Shaw is a winner and a great addition to our leadership team,” said Festa. “Humanity faces a real and pressing problem in grappling with ways to provide food, water and energy, while preserving our natural systems. I look forward to working with Rebecca to direct our efforts, manage staff and find solutions that empower landowners to be the best stewards of working lands.”

“I am thrilled to be joining Environmental Defense Fund,” said Rebecca Shaw. “I look forward to working with EDF’s leading policy experts on programs that benefit ecosystems and the people and businesses that depend upon them.”

Shaw joins EDF following nine years of leadership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in California, most recently as TNC’s Associate State Director. In that capacity, Shaw led the development and implementation of conservation strategies throughout California, providing the leadership and support to programs such as the climate, marine and water programs and placed-based projects such as Santa Cruz Island restoration, a leading example for successful, innovative conservation. She oversaw the conservation activities of more than 120 geographically dispersed staff, directly supervised and collaborated with nine program directors, including the issue area directors for land and water.

Shaw is a scientist and a recognized thought leader in the field of conservation and climate change. She holds a Ph.D. in Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley, a MA in Environmental Policy from U.C. Berkeley and a BA in biology from UC Santa Barbara.

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Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading national nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. For more information, visit www.edf.org/california. Follow us on Twitter @EDF_CA and read our blog at http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/.