Hales to Become President of Second Nature

 

 

BOSTON, MA (August 7, 2012) – David Hales, former president of the College of the Atlantic, has become the next president of Second Nature, a Boston-based advocacy organization committed to promoting sustainability through higher education, Second Nature Board Chair Dr. Richard Cook announced today. Hales succeeds founding president Dr. Anthony Cortese.

 

Recognized internationally as a leader on environmental and sustainability issues, Hales brings a wealth of academic, government, and NGO leadership and practical experience to the Second Nature Presidency.

 

“David's dedication to the sustainability cause and leadership experience are critical for building on the strong foundation that Tony has built,” remarked Cook.

 

Second Nature provides program support for the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), a partnership of nearly 700 colleges and universities from all 50 states (representing some six million students) that have committed to climate neutrality through institutional and individual practices.

 

“A priority criteria for our new president was a deep understanding of and personal commitment to the ACUPCC,” continued Cook. “Because of David's great familiarity with the Climate Commitment, we anticipate a seamless succession.”

 

Prior to assuming this post, Hales was the president of College of the Atlantic from 2006-2011. Under his leadership, College of the Atlantic received recognition for innovative academic excellence, and became the first institution of higher education in the United States to be a "NetZero" emitter of greenhouse gases. As president of the College of the Atlantic, Hales was one of the twelve Founding Signatories of the ACUPCC.

 

“I am honored to have been selected for this position,” said Hales. “Tony Cortese and I share a commitment to a constructive transition to sustainable and just societies, and a sense of urgency in addressing the barriers to that transition. The role of higher education is essential to this transition.”

 

Hales has held numerous positions promoting sustainability nationally and internationally. He directed environmental policy and sustainability programs of the United States Agency for International Development from 1993 to 2001, served from 1977 to 1980 as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the United States Department of the Interior, and was Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. For seven years, Hales held the Samuel Trask Dana Chair in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan. A biographical brief of Hales's career may be found here: www.secondnature.org/who-we-are/staff/david-hales.

 

About Second Nature:

Second Nature works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education. Second Nature is the lead supporting organization of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, a growing network of over 675 signatory higher education institutions in all 50 states that have made a public commitment to transform the educational experience for all students so they are prepared to solve the climate crisis.

Learn more at: www.secondnature.org.

 

About the ACUPCC
:
The ACUPCC is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments from college and universities to accelerate the education, research and community engagement to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations.

Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.