During the past six years as Chairman of the Board, I have had the pleasure of working with an extraordinary team at WRI. Innovative and energetic, they are the heart and soul of this remarkable organization. Their expertise ranges from climate change to sustainable enterprise, from poverty alleviation to biological resources to issues of governance and access.

While I am stepping down as Chairman, I remain strongly committed to the mission and goals of WRI and will continue to serve on the WRI Board and to co-chair the Campaign for the Crucial Generation, WRI’s first-ever capital campaign.

In the next few years at WRI, I know that Jim Harmon is going to do a world-class job as Board Chairman. Aside from his boundless energy, he brings to the organization several decades of highly relevant international experience in the private and public sectors.

A respected investment banker, Jim was appointed by President Clinton as Chairman and CEO of the Export- Import Bank of the United States, where he extended the scope of its environmental guidelines and pushed for formal, multilateral adoption of substantive environmental standards by all OECD member country export credit agencies. He chaired the Corporate Council on Africa, and helped launch and chaired the Commission on Capital Flows to Africa.

With Jim as Chairman and Jonathan Lash as President, WRI has an exceptional team at the top. Everyone associated with WRI—board and former board members, staff, partners, funders, and friends—can rest assured that this organization is now and will continue to be an important catalyzing force for change around the world.

William D. Ruckelshaus
Chairman Emeritus, WRI