Our executive team
Our proven leaders have a huge role in helping us achieve our strategic vision
President
Fred Krupp
Widely recognized as the foremost champion of harnessing market forces for environmental ends, Fred is co-author of Earth: The Sequel—The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming.
Chief Operating Officer
Liza Henshaw
Prior to joining EDF, Liza was the Vice President of Engineering for two dot com start ups including Shopping.com as well as the Practice Director at the international systems integration firm, DMR Consulting.
Chief of Staff
Carol Kinzler
Prior to joining EDF in 2001, Carol worked for the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She holds degrees from Barnard College and Boston University School of Management.
Senior VP Strategy and Communications
Eric Pooley
Author of The Climate War, Eric has served as managing editor of Fortune and national editor, chief political correspondent, and White House correspondent for Time.
Senior VP Global Strategic Initiatives
Paula Hayes
Paula seeks to increase EDF’s global work and transformational change, charting a path forward in China and other locales, including Brazil. Since 1987, she led an annual budget increase from $3M - over $100M. She has served as chief fundraising counsel and program strategist for UNICEF and Women's World Banking.
CFO, Treasurer, VP Finance and Administration
Peter Accinno
Peter has an MBA from Columbia and attended Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He spent over 20 years with MetLife and served as CFO for the online brokerage firm, Wall Street Access Corporation.
VP Human Resources
Flip Bernard
Flip has worked in human resources and employee development at Newsweek, American Express and Merrill Lynch. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from New York University.
VP Marketing and Communications
Cynthia Hampton
Prior to joining EDF in 2005, Cynthia held leadership positions as Managing Director of Global Marketing at the Citigroup Private Bank and as an Executive Vice President at the New York advertising firm, Young and Rubicam.
VP Energy, Director of Texas Regional Office
James D. Marston, JD
Jim is a leader of Pecan Street Inc., the Austin-based smart grid partnership. He won the fight to stop utility TXU from building a dozen coal plants in Texas in 2007.
General Counsel
Vickie Patton, JD
Vickie manages our national and regional clean air programs. For two decades, she has championed and defended vital reductions in air pollution. She began her career in EPA’s Office of General Counsel.
Vice President
Nathaniel Keohane, PhD
Dr. Keohane leads our International Climate program. Previously, he served as Special Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Environment in the National Economic Council and Domestic Policy Council.
Senior VP Programs
Diane Regas
Diane provides overall program vision, strategy and leadership. She previously led EDF’s oceans program as it transformed the U.S. fishing industry through catch shares management. Prior to that, Diane worked at EPA in some of the agency’s highest positions.
Chief Scientist
Steven Hamburg, Ph.D.
Dr. Hamburg ensures the scientific integrity of EDF’s positions and programs. He was previously on the faculty of Brown University, where he founded and directed the Global Environment Program and taught environmental science and ecosystem ecology.
Senior VP Development
Linda Nelson
Linda leads EDF’s fundraising efforts. Her experience includes three decades of development leadership at Yale and Columbia University and high-level consulting for clients such as Barnard College, Brown University, and Rutgers University.
VP Oceans
Amanda Leland
Amanda leads an international team of experts who implement practical solutions to recover ailing fisheries and oceans. Amanda’s prior experience includes research with commercial fishermen in Maine and work on ocean issues as a Congressional staffer.
Director of Congressional Affairs
President of Environmental Defense Action Fund
Elizabeth Thompson
Elizabeth has extensive policy and legislative background and was lead strategist for EDF on the U.S. Climate Action Partnership.
VP Corporate Partnerships
Gwen Ruta
Gwen spearheads EDF’s work with leading companies to develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges. Gwen previously held senior management positions at an international environmental engineering firm, EPA, and Harvard University.
VP West Coast, VP Land, Water and Wildlife
David Festa
Prior to EDF, David worked as a journalist, management consultant, and director of policy for the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also serves on the board of the California League of Conservation Voters.
VP
Daniel J. Dudek, Ph.D.
An economist, Dr. Dudek leads EDF’s office in China. He is widely credited with developing the cap-and-trade model that the U.S. adopted for sulfur dioxide in the early 1990s, which led to dramatic reductions in acid rain.
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