Philanthropic, Business And Public Agency Leaders Join The Conservation Fund’s Board Of Directors

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit environmental organization, has appointed four prominent conservation advocates to its Board of Directors:

• Robert Bonnie, Rubenstein Fellow, Duke University, and former Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
• J. Storey Charbonnet, Partner of Johnson Rice & Company, L.L.C;
• Kimberlee R. Cornett, Managing Director of The Kresge Foundation’s Social Investment Practice; and
• Daniel R. Tishman, Principal for Tishman and Vice Chairman for AECOM.

Larry Selzer, President and CEO of The Conservation Fund remarked: “We are thrilled that these leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors have decided to join The Conservation Fund team. Each has demonstrated over many years the kind of vision, courage and leadership that will help the Fund accelerate its dual mission of conservation and economic development.  They join our Board at a time when the country needs new ideas, new relationships and new definitions of conservation and how it leads directly to economic vitality.”

  Charbonnet is a Partner of Johnson Rice & Company, L.L.C., one of the longest standing independent energy brokerage and investment banks in the United States. He is also Co-founder of Green Turtle Partners, LP and the managing member of Green Turtle Capital Management, LLC. Charbonnet previously worked in the Corporate Finance Department at the Robinson-Humphrey Company in Atlanta until 1995. He is Chairman of the Pro Bono Publico Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Nativity Mission School in New Orleans, the Bureau of Governmental Research, the Institute of Mental Hygiene, the Libby-Dufour Foundation and Carrollton Boosters.

“It is a pleasure to join such a talented and dedicated group of individuals who serve on the Fund’s Board,” said Charbonnet. “In particular, I am impressed with the Fund’s role in protecting land in its natural state as well as its ability to support the economic health and vitality of rural communities throughout our country.”


Kimberlee R. CornettAs managing director of The Kresge Foundation’s Social Investment Practice, Cornett oversees Kresge’s $350MM impact investing fund that makes debt, equity and loan guarantees available to organizations working on key, strategic priorities of the foundation. Prior to joining Kresge in 2010, Cornett worked at Maryland-based Enterprise Community Investment, a real estate investment services company for affordable housing and community development, where she served as Vice President of the firm’s investment management division and Vice President of national equity initiatives. Cornett was appointed a White House Fellow by President Clinton and served at the Small Business Administration. Earlier in her career she led a Habitat for Humanity start-up affiliate and worked at a shelter for homeless women and children in Washington, D.C.  She serves on Habitat for Humanity’s International Board of Directors.

“I’m pleased to join The Conversation Fund and such a distinguished Board of experts,” said Cornett. “I look forward to lending my skills to furthering the Fund’s mission with investment strategies that preserve our country’s most precious and irreplaceable assets.” Tishman is Principal and Vice Chairman for Tishman. He is also Chairman of Tishman Construction Corporation and Vice Chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of its parent company, AECOM. Tishman is former Chairman and current member of the Board of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the world's leading environmental advocacy organizations. He also serves on the boards of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medicine and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, among others. He serves as chairman of Governor Cuomo’s Airport Advisory Panel and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. Tishman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology and Planning from Evergreen State College and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Lesley College.

“Making investments that lead to both conservation and economic growth, particularly in rural areas, will be key to protecting vital natural assets in the future,” said Tishman. “The Conservation Fund’s approach is something I’ve long admired and I’m looking forward to joining a distinguished group of colleagues on the board.”

About The Conservation Fund
At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect nearly eight million acres of land.