Experts & Staff

David Tomberlin joined WRI in July 2010 as Deputy to the Vice President for Science and Research. He contributes to the planning, quality control, and evaluation of WRI’s research and publications, primarily by mentoring research staff and managing effective peer review processes.

A natural resource economist by training, David’s research has focused on forest and marine management. His experience includes more than a decade at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) working on issues such as endangered species monitoring programs, harvest rules for fisheries, prioritization of watershed restoration activities, and environmental management under uncertainty. Previously, he analyzed international trade in forest products as a consultant to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Forestry Department. He has been a visiting researcher at the Center for International Forestry Research, the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei , and the University of Reading, and has served as adjunct faculty at Oregon State University and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He also spent two years teaching English language and literature in Indonesia.

David received a Ph.D. in forest ecology and management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1999), an M.Sc. in agricultural and resource economics from North Carolina State University (1993), and a B.A. in creative writing from Princeton University (1988).

David and his wife, Jeannie, have two sons, Pablo and Oliver.