Contact:
Patsy Barich
Bon Mot PR
(415) 596-5860
[email protected]
SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE HIRES CONSERVATION LEADER PAUL RINGGOLD AS CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
— Ringgold to oversee all property transactions, redwoods research, education outreach and forest restoration work by the League
Download the full press release
SAN FRANCISCO (July 14, 2015) — Save the Redwoods League, the only nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring redwood forests throughout their natural range, today announced the appointment of longtime conservation and forestry expert Paul Ringgold, 50, as its new Chief Program Officer to lead the its land acquisition and stewardship work. As the League approaches its 100th anniversary in 2018, Ringgold will be instrumental in helping the organization advance its centennial vision for the future of redwood forest conservation.
In his role as Chief Program Officer, Ringgold will oversee all land conservation transactions, land stewardship and management activities, scientific research and grant-making, education outreach, and forest restoration work conducted by the League. He comes to the organization with nearly 30 years of land management and conservation experience, most recently as vice president of land stewardship at Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in Palo Alto, Calif. He will report to Sam Hodder, League CEO and president.
“We are extremely fortunate to have Paul join Save the Redwoods League in this vital role leading all of the conservation activity of the League,” said Hodder. “Redwood forests occur naturally nowhere else in the world. With the remarkable benefits they deliver—from clean air and water and carbon storage, to wildlife habitat and truly stunning beauty and spiritual rejuvenation—their protection and stewardship is now more urgent than ever. Paul joins us at a critical time when the needs of the redwood forest and those of our changing global community are coming together to find answers in a vibrant redwood forest vision of conservation, restoration and inspirational connection.
“The role demands an experienced, knowledgeable professional passionate about redwoods and the natural world, but also a seasoned manager, thoughtful bridge-builder, strong negotiator and eager collaborator. Paul fits this bill perfectly, and we are thrilled to have him onboard.”
Before joining the League, Ringgold was at POST for 16 years, creating strategies for the permanent protection of conservation values and natural resources on all POST-protected lands and easements. Prior to that, he worked as a policy research associate at the Pinchot Institute for Conservation in Washington, D.C., and served as staff forester, lands manager and ecosystem research program director with the University of Washington. He holds a master of forest science degree from Yale University and a bachelor of science degree in forest resources management from the University of Washington. He currently serves as advisory council chair of the Bay Area Open Space Council.
A Los Angeles native, Ringgold lives in San Francisco with his wife and son. He is a licensed pilot and also takes a keen interest in botany and exploring the desert, as well as the history of parks and open space in Paris, France, where he lived for a time as a young boy. Despite the lure of Europe and later the East Coast, Ringgold found himself drawn back to the West Coast, whose signature landscapes inspire him to this day.
“Save the Redwoods League leads the way in protecting the unique, iconic forested landscapes that make California such a special place,” said Ringgold. “As a forester who grew up in California, I have always felt a strong affinity to such landscapes and remain awestruck by their tenacity and resilience in the face of so many natural and man-made challenges to their survival. That’s why I am so excited and honored to have the opportunity now to work with the League to help craft a vision for the next century of coast redwood and giant sequoia protection throughout their entire ranges.”
About Save the Redwoods League
Walk through a redwood forest—home of the tallest, largest and some of the oldest living beings on Earth—and you can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and peace among these magnificent giants. Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has led the effort to protect coast redwoods and giant sequoias for all to experience and enjoy. To date, the League has protected nearly 200,000 acres of redwood forest and associated land from southern Oregon to the Big Sur coastline of central California. As part of that effort, the organization has created and expanded 63 redwood parks and preserves that inspire awestruck visitors from around the world. For more information, visit SaveTheRedwoods.org.
Tags: 2015, Chief Program Officer, Executive Team, Paul Ringgold, Press Release
