Save the Redwoods League Names Cecilia Cordova as Conservation Finance Director

Cordova will design and implement financing strategies for Save the Redwoods’ landscape-scale conservation initiatives

San Francisco, Calif. (February 9, 2026) — Save the Redwoods League announced today that Cecilia Cordova has joined the organization as conservation finance director. Cordova has more than a decade of experience designing and executing conservation finance strategies and large-scale land transactions. She will advance Save the Redwoods’ long-term, landscape-level efforts to conserve redwood forests and report to Kirsten Saenz Tobey, chief operating officer.

Cordova joins Save the Redwoods after serving more than five years as investment director at Mirova, where she guided private equity investments in land restoration, sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation in Latin America. Her successful track record of mobilizing capital for nature-based solutions, extensive experience in impact investment and her sophisticated understanding of carbon markets will help Save the Redwoods’ conservation programs and acquisitions remain financially resilient.

“The conservation finance director is crucial to ensuring our ambitions translate to well-executed projects on the ground, and we are fortunate to have an experienced leader like Cecilia step into the role,” said Tobey. “Her background structuring complex capital stacks that blend philanthropic contributions, public funding, commercial loans and other financial resources will be invaluable to the long-term sustainability of Save the Redwoods’ conservation work. She is a wonderful addition to our leadership team and her talent will help us realize our Centennial Goal to permanently conserve thousands of additional redwood acres, yielding lasting benefits for these precious ecosystems and neighboring communities alike.”

“I’m thrilled to join Save the Redwoods and apply my expertise to help protect and restore redwood forests,” said Cordova. “I’ve spent my career crafting deals that prove nature is our most valuable asset. The opportunity to bring that global experience home to California’s redwoods is a full circle moment for me. These forests are the world’s most effective climate giants, and I look forward to bridging the gap between institutional capital and landscape-scale restoration to ensure they thrive for generations to come.”

Across her career, Cordova has utilized financial modeling, stewardship planning and innovative investment structuring to benefit industries based on landscape health. As fund advisor of Regenera Ventures, Mexico’s first equity agriculture fund, Cordova designed investment strategies around regenerative and climate-centered agriculture as well as carbon credit monetization. Her background also includes other fund manager and finance director roles where she successfully led negotiations with timber companies, real estate investors and public agencies to align financial returns with conservation outcomes.

Cordova earned her Master of Business Administration from Warwick Business School, as well as her Master of Science in Finance and Bachelor of Business from Universidad de Lima, Perú.

Save the Redwoods League revitalizes coast redwood and giant sequoia forests across California’s redwood range. In partnership with state and federal agencies, Tribes, and communities, we have conserved more than 220,000 acres in 76 parks and preserves and restored 37,000 acres. Our work bolsters carbon storage, strengthens wildfire resilience, benefits local economies, and safeguards iconic landscapes enjoyed by millions. For information, visit SaveTheRedwoods.org.

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