The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation today announced the appointment of Steven J. McCormick as its President and a Trustee of the Board, effective January 21, 2008. He will succeed retiring President, Dr. Edward E. Penhoet, who has served in that capacity since 2004.
McCormick served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy (Conservancy) from 2001 to 2007 providing oversight for an operating budget of over $500 million, and a staff of over 3,000. Under his leadership, the Conservancy’s revenues increased significantly, hitting an all-time high of $1.2 billion in 2006. In addition, the Conservancy launched joint ventures with other conservation groups, including Conservation International, the World Wildlife Fund and many local partners as well as public-private partnerships, leading to such successes as a collaborative effort with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the management of dams across the country, and a major new program at the World Bank to reduce deforestation in tropical countries. McCormick began his career with the Conservancy in 1976 as the Western Regional Legal Counsel, and rose through the ranks to spend 16 years as the Executive Director of the California state program.
Retiring president, Dr. Penhoet, will continue to serve as a Trustee of the Board of the Foundation. “We are grateful to Ed Penhoet for his leadership and contributions to the Foundation since he joined as the Chief Program Officer for Science in 2002." said Gordon Moore, Chairman of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. "Under Ed’s leadership, the Foundation created and implemented new initiatives including Marine Microbiology, Marine Conservation and the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative and strengthened the Foundation’s grantmaking practices."
“We are delighted to have Steve McCormick join the Foundation and look forward to his leadership.” said Gordon Moore. Steve’s extensive experience innovating in the non-profit world will prove extremely valuable in achieving our objectives.”
“I am honored to join the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,” said Steve McCormick. “Since its inception, the Foundation has made tremendous impact in its three program areas of science, environmental conservation and the San Francisco Bay Area. I look forward to working with the dynamic staff at the Foundation to catalyze change and to create sustainable large-scale impact across the Foundation’s three program areas.”
Mr. McCormick has a B.S. Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated with honors, and a J.D. Degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law. He has served on several boards, including the Advisory Board of the U.C. Berkeley College of Natural Resources and the Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative. He is also the recipient of numerous conservation awards, such as the Department of Interior Silver Award (1986) and the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Award for Sustainable Development (1999).
About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, established in 2000, seeks to advance environmental conservation and scientific research around the world and improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.moore.org.