Vanessa Wassenar has been named the new president of TREE Foundation’s Board of Directors. Vanessa has been an active member of the board for several years; her three-year term began January 1, 2024.
Vanessa will work closely with Executive Director Meg Lowman to guide the board in its day-to-day operations and long term strategic goals.
Wassenar is a strategic consultant for schools and non-profits, with particular expertise in helping organizations manage change. She previously served as Director of Resource Management for Proctor Academy in New Hampshire, and founded and served as Chief Executive Officer for Creating Resilient Schools (2001 to present), providing consulting services and executive coaching in matters of finance, governance, accreditation, and organizational analysis for educational and non-profit organizations.
“There is so much work to be done to save our eighth continent, as Dr. Lowman calls tree canopies, and we need to move quickly and intentionally,” said Vanessa. “TREE Foundation is very involved in the local community and also values the opportunity to work globally in those countries experiencing devastating destruction of forests, biodiversity, and genetic libraries.”
TREE Foundation is in its third decade of working to save local and global forests, as well as continuing to promote environmental education for youth. One of Vanessa’s top priorities will be advancing the foundation’s global canopy program which aims to build canopy walkways or “bridges” in the world’s highest biodiversity forests where species of plants and animals are most at risk.
We welcome our new president!