Conservation Strategy Fund is thrilled to announce the appointment of Scott Edwards as Executive Director. Scott starts March 1, 2016 and will open a new headquarters for CSF in Washington, DC. CSF Founder John Reid will remain in California in the role of President, focused on strategy, program development and CSF research projects

Scott is an accomplished manager and leader, with more than 15 years of experience in sustainable finance, protected area business planning, fisheries and in the application of economics and market-based solutions to solve environmental problems. Scott recently served as the Senior Director of Special Projects at the Environmental Defense Fund, where he headed up a global program on fisheries within the Oceans Program. Before his seven years at EDF, Scott was the Senior Director at the National Parks Conservation Association, where he managed the Business Plan Initiative, a unique program in the US that placed graduate students in national parks and forests to write business plans. Scott expanded the program with conservation partners to develop business plans and sustainable finance plans in protected areas around the world, in places such as Madagascar, Belize, Jamaica, and Brazil. “When I realized how committed the staff was to CSF’s mission - sustaining natural ecosystems and human communities through strategies powered by conservation economics - I knew this is exactly where I wanted to be," Scott said. “As someone who has worked on international economic and environmental issues for more than two decades, I can’t imagine a more passionate and effective group to address some of the greatest environmental issues facing society today, including climate change, healthy oceans and fisheries, and conserving natural ecosystems. CSF has had outstanding results in affecting change on the ground through trainings on economic tools for conservation and economic analyses used by policy makers.” "Finding Scott is a huge step forward for us. The depth he brings on marine issues and protected areas and his insight on the economics of conservation across the board are going to take CSF to a new level of impact," said John Reid. CSF Board Chairman Bob Hambrecht added, “The Board is excited to welcome Scott, a person who we believe will push the organization forward in multiple ways. We look forward to seeing the impact of his considerable energy on everything from day-to-day management to outreach to new communities.” Scott holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters in Business Administration from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Scott is an avid road cyclist and ultimate player and has resided in Paris and Mexico. As a result, he speaks French and Spanish and looks forward to learning Portuguese and Indonesian. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and two children.