WASHINGTON (May 22, 2017) – World Resources Institute is pleased to announce that Frances Seymour has rejoined the Institute as a Distinguished Senior Fellow. Seymour is recognized as one of the world’s top thinkers on forest and governance issues, and is the lead author of the book, Why Forests? Why Now? The Science, Economics, and Politics of Tropical Forests and Climate Change.

At WRI, Seymour will conduct research and writing on forest and governance issues, advise major initiatives – such as Global Forest Watch, the Global Restoration Initiative, the Forest Legality Initiative and the New Climate Economy – and provide strategic expertise to WRI Indonesia.

“Frances has had a brilliant career combining exceptional intellect and innovation to shift behavior around forest management and environmental governance,” said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of WRI. “We are delighted she will be bringing her passion and powerful ideas back to WRI to help inspire even more action.”

Seymour joins WRI from the Center for Global Development, where she was a Senior Fellow. She also served as Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) from 2006 to 2012. Prior to that, Frances was the founding director of the Institutions and Governance Program (now the Governance Center) at WRI. Seymour also continues to serve as Senior Adviser to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She has been awarded France’s Order of Agricultural Merit.

“WRI is at the cutting edge of the most exciting new ways to improve forest governance, from near-real-time satellite monitoring to innovative tools to disrupt the illegal timber trade,” said Seymour. “I am thrilled to return to WRI, and look forward to continuing to make the case for forest management and restoration as strategies to reduce poverty and slow climate change.”

Craig Hanson, WRI’s Global Director of Food, Forests and Water, added, “This is a warm welcome back for Frances. During her first tenure at WRI she instilled the concepts of environmental governance and transparency – key values that have shaped our approach ever since. During her new tenure, we all look forward to working with her to advance those concepts worldwide.”

Seymour officially joined WRI on May 22 and will be based in Washington, DC.