Earthwatch Names Whitney Johnson New Chairman
Ruth C. Scheer Named Vice Chairwoman
Earthwatch Institute, Maynard, MA, 13 November 2006 - Earthwatch Institute has announced the election of Whitney L. Johnson as chairman of the organization's Board of Directors. Boston philanthropist Ruth C. Scheer has been elected to the position of vice chairwoman.
"We are delighted to have Whit Johnson as our new chairman," said Ed Wilson, president and CEO of Earthwatch. "Whit's own international experience makes him the ideal ambassador for the important role that Earthwatch plays, not just in terms of helping to understand the global environmental issues of the next decade, but in promoting the idea that individuals from all walks of life can make a difference."
Mr. Johnson is a principal with PlumRiver LLC, a provider of business-to-business and sales automation software. Prior to co-founding PlumRiver LLC, Mr. Johnson was founder and CEO of Lion Rock International, an apparel manufacturer with offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Boston as well as manufacturing plants in Costa Rica. Lion Rock's customers included J. Crew, Timberland, North Face, and LL Bean. Mr. Johnson tested the concept of sustainable textiles by producing and marketing apparel made from 100 percent organic cotton. Mr. Johnson also served on the Board of Directors for manufacturer Allegro Inc., a company leader in producing textile dyes without harsh chemicals and heavy metals.
First elected to the Earthwatch board in June of 2004, Mr. Johnson said his "great love for nature and the outdoors is at the core of my environmental conscience. I see Earthwatch as incredibly effective in making people aware of the issues, gathering the facts, and getting the public involved." He credits his European upbringing with instilling an early regard for sustainability. "Europeans were already confronting their limited landscapes, whereas, in North America, there was a deceptive belief that natural resources and wilderness were endless."
Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Dartmouth College where he studied international economics. He lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with his wife, Mollie, and two children, Alexandra and Tucker.
Vice chair Ruth C. Scheer is the former executive director of the Cabot Family Charitable Trusts. Mrs. Scheer serves on the Advisory Council of the Harvard School of Public Health's Center for Population and International Health. She is a Trustee of the New England Conservatory of Music and a Governor of the Museum of Fine Arts School. She is also a trustee of Collage, a contemporary chamber music ensemble and a director of the Castine (Maine) Historical Society. She is past chairman of the Board of Governors of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, chairman of the Board of the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park and is a member of the Chilton Club, and Harvard Musical Association. "Ruth's experience in nonprofit management and fund development is invaluable to Earthwatch's growth," remarked Ed Wilson. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts with her husband, Ken.
The election of new board leaders comes during a pivotal chapter in Earthwatch's history, as the organization focuses research efforts on key environmental priorities such as climate change and oceans, and reaches out to new markets. An award-winning HD documentary featuring Earthwatch projects around the globe, A Year on Earth, will debut on Discovery Kids Channel December 3 and 10 at 5PM. The two-part program follows three American teens who work alongside scientists from the coral reefs of the Bahamas to Africa's Okavango Delta. The students report on the pulse of the planet to classrooms across the nation, part of Earthwatch's expanding reach to educators and students.
Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. By offering the general public opportunities to join field research expeditions, Earthwatch stimulates behavioral change and its role in finding solutions to environmental issues. Earthwatch recruits more than 4,000 volunteers a year worldwide, with a $20 million budget for research, conservation, and education activities. In 2007, Earthwatch will sponsor more than 130 research projects dealing with pressing environmental issues in 37 countries. Since its founding in 1971, more than 81,000 volunteers have contributed over $57 million and 10.8 million hours to essential fieldwork.
Press contacts:
Public Relations Director
prdirector@earthwatch.org
Earthwatch Institute
(800) 776-0188