WARRENTON, Va., April 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rainforest Trust, a
global leader in the protection of tropical ecosystems and
endangered wildlife, announced today that James C. Deutsch has been appointed Chief
Executive Officer. In this role, he will build on Rainforest
Trust's 32 years of conservation success and lead the next phase of
the organization's growth and conservation impact. Dr. Deutsch, a
strategic leader in global conservation with a passion for saving
wildlife and wild lands, joins Rainforest Trust from the Paul G.
Allen Family Foundation, where he served as Director of Wildlife
and Biodiversity. The appointment is effective April 6, 2020.
"James is a conservation leader with outstanding experience,
vision, energy, and a commitment to Rainforest Trust's mission to
protect the most threatened tropical forests through partnerships
and community engagement," said Dr. Eric
Veach, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Throughout his
distinguished career, James has demonstrated a talent for
translating cutting-edge science into groundbreaking strategies and
effective field conservation projects. His leadership, enthusiasm
and dedication have inspired colleagues, partners, teams and donors
alike. We have full confidence that James is the right leader for
Rainforest Trust at this urgent time as we continue our
efforts to save species, care for communities and protect our
planet."
Dr. Deutsch succeeds Mark Gruin,
who has served as Acting CEO since May
2019. Gruin has been named Vice President, Strategic
Initiatives.
"As Acting CEO, Mark provided strong and steady leadership. With
his dedication, skill and insight, he earned the trust of employees
and the confidence of partners and donors," Dr. Veach continued.
"We are delighted he will continue to have an impact in his new
role at Rainforest Trust."
"Rainforest Trust's mission is critical to scaling up global
efforts to save nature, and I am inspired and excited to have the
opportunity to advance that mission as CEO," said Dr. Deutsch. "It
is remarkable that Rainforest Trust is the only U.S. nonprofit
focused exclusively on supporting land purchase, protected area
creation, and the establishment of indigenous nature reserves in
the biodiverse tropics. Building on that strategy, while staying
true to the mission, can have an extraordinary impact on the future
of life on Earth. I am looking forward to working with the board,
my new colleagues, our partner organizations and all of the donors
who make this important work possible."
Dr. Deutsch has more than 20 years of conservation experience.
At the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, he oversaw the Great
Elephant Census; worked with the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) to close ivory markets and save sharks;
and launched programs to support the Convention on Biological
Diversity, to dismantle wildlife trafficking networks, and to save
coral reefs.
Previously, he was Africa
Director and then Vice President for Conservation Strategy at the
Wildlife Conservation Society, where he helped design and implement
the Congo Basin Forest Partnership
and launched new programs in Nigeria, Mozambique and South
Sudan. He also helped launch the Tropical Biology
Association, taught secondary school in Kenya, and was founding chair of the boards of
Aidspan and Community Markets for Conservation. For six years, Dr.
Deutsch was CEO of the U.K.'s national fundraiser for
HIV/AIDS, Crusaid, helping make life-saving treatments
available in the U.K. and Africa.
A New Yorker, Dr. Deutsch was educated at Harvard (AB Philosophy) and Cambridge (MPhil Anthropology and Ph.D.
Zoology) and taught ecology and conservation biology at Imperial
College and the University of East Anglia. His research career
included fieldwork on the Uganda Kob antelope and Malawi cichlid fishes with papers in
Nature, Evolution, and other journals and books.
About Rainforest Trust
Since 1988, Rainforest Trust has been safeguarding imperiled
tropical habitats and saving endangered species by establishing
protected areas in partnership with local organizations and
communities. In that time, the organization has helped protect over
23 million acres of critically important rainforest and other key
habitats at more than 125 project sites around the world. Learn
more about and support this important work by
visiting www.RainforestTrust.org, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Contact:
Leslie VanSant, Chief Philanthropy
Officer
leslie@rainforesttrust.org
(540) 270-0562
Related Images
james-deutsch.jpg
James Deutsch
James Deutsch, Rainforest Trust
Chief Executive Officer
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SOURCE Rainforest Trust