Washington, DC — On September 30, Stephen D'Esposito will step down as President and CEO of EARTHWORKS, a position he has held for ten years. Steve has accepted a new appointment as President of RESOLVE, where he will launch a new initiative, the Earth-Solutions Center. EARTHWORKS will continue to build on its 20-year track record of protecting communities and the environment by reforming the mining and energy industries through legislative, markets and corporate campaigns.
Under Steve's leadership, EARTHWORKS, formerly called the Mineral Policy Center, promoted reform of the 1872 Mining Law and assisted communities across the West, and around the world, in dealing with the environmental, economic, and social effects of mining. During this time, EARTHWORKS established the “No Dirty Gold” campaign, expanded its mission to address international issues, and merged with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project. Recently, the organization launched its “No Dirty Energy” campaign to further increase its reach and impact. A special hallmark of EARTHWORKS' activities during Steve's tenure was engagement with corporate leaders to advance responsible mining and oil and gas development practices.
“This transition is bittersweet, but EARTHWORKS is a strong and vibrant organization with an important mission,” said Steve D'Esposito. “My move to RESOLVE and the launch of the Earth-Solutions Center will create an unparalleled opportunity to work with leaders from all sectors, including my colleagues at EARTHWORKS, to help facilitate and shape solutions to natural resource and public health challenges, particularly those in the extractive sector. “
“Steve's strategic sense, innovative approaches and ability to think outside the box have enabled EARTHWORKS to be an extremely effective organization,” said Karin Sheldon, Board Chair of EARTHWORKS. “We are sorry to lose Steve at EARTHWORKS, but we look forward to continuing to collaborate with him at the Solutions Center.”
The EARTHWORKS board, led by Karin Sheldon, has already begun a search for an Executive Director. In the interim, EARTHWORKS will be managed by Payal Sampat (International Campaign Director) and Kimberlee Dinn (Operations Director), with support from the EARTHWORKS Board of Directors.
EARTHWORKS is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the destructive impacts of mineral development, in the U.S. and worldwide.
RESOLVE is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the effective use of consensus building in public decision-making .