Brent Blackwelder

Brent Blackwelder served as president of Friends of the Earth-US "from 1994 until his retirement in October of 2009. He was the founding chairman of American Rivers in 1973 and worked for 40 years on environmental issues, testifying over 100 times to Congress."

"Brent Blackwelder has served as an environmental advocate in our nation’s capital for over 30 years. In 1994 he became president of Friends of the Earth and is the most senior environmental lobbyist in Washington. He has testified in front of Congress on pressing environmental issues more than 100 times.

"Brent was founder and first chairman of the board of American Rivers, our nation's leading river-saving organization. He also founded the Environmental Policy Institute, which merged with Friends of the Earth in 1989.

"As a leader in the effort to save rivers, Brent helped expand the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System from eight rivers in 1973 to over 160 today. He also worked to eliminate over 200 dams and stream channelization projects, which would have destroyed rivers, wetlands, wildlife and areas of special scientific value.

"Brent initiated campaigns to reform the World Bank and succeeded in getting Congress to enact a series of significant reforms directing the Bank and other multilateral lending institutions to pay more attention to the environment.

"Brent serves on the board of directors of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and 20/20 Vision. He graduated summa cum laude from Duke University and received an M.A. in mathematics from Yale, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Maryland."

Affiliations

 * Executive Board, Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
 * Director, Restore Hetch Hetchy
 * Honorary Director, League of Conservation Voters
 * External Advisory Board, Global Development and the Environment Institute
 * Advisory Council, Gender Action
 * Advisory Board, Environmental Media Association
 * Member, Committee of 100 for Tibet