Ferenbach to Become New Chair of Environmental Defense Fund

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Contact:
Stuart Ross, 202-572-3235, or 202-560-6610 (cell), sross@edf.org
Charles Miller, 202-572-3364, cmiller@edf.org
 
(New York, NY – June 25, 2008) Carl Ferenbach, managing director and co-founder of Berkshire Partners LLC, a Boston-based private equity firm, has been named Chairman-elect of the Board of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Mr. Ferenbach will take office in May, 2009. Ferenbach, an EDF board member since 2000, will succeed Nick Nicholas, former CEO of Time Warner, who has served as board chair since 2002.
 
Mr. Ferenbach co-founded Berkshire Partners in the early 1980s. Berkshire Partners presently manages approximately $6.5 billion in private equity capital contributed by institutions and individuals around the world. Previously, Ferenbach was a Managing Director of Merrill Lynch, where he headed its Mergers and Acquisitions Department.  
 
In addition to his business commitments, Mr. Ferenbach is the founder of the High Meadows Foundation and the High Meadows Fund.  Established in 2004, both foundations address environmental sustainability and seek to support organizations and programs that are committed to a better environment.  Mr. Ferenbach is a trustee of Princeton University and serves on the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School.
 
“EDF’s pragmatic approach to policy, supported by solid science and an in-depth understanding of economics, has made it a highly effective advocate for environmental progress,” said Ferenbach. “I welcome the opportunity to support EDF and its President Fred Krupp in achieving great things in the next few years.” 
 
According to EDF President Fred Krupp, “Carl combines the business acumen and passionate commitment to the environment that we need to advance as an organization. He’s made a tremendous contribution to EDF during a period of very exciting growth, and I’m completely confident that the organization will be in good and capable hands as we pass the reins.”
 
Krupp also saluted current board chair Nick Nicholas, saying, “Under Nick we have grown from 250 employees to 360, and our budget has grown from $44 million to $100 million. We were recently called ‘America’s most economically literate green campaigners’ by The Economist magazine, a tribute to Nick’s management of EDF. He has a tremendous record of accomplishment, and we’re all grateful for the vision he has provided.”
 

One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund