(Washington, D.C.): The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is pleased to announce that, following a nationwide search, Jordan Diamond will become the next president of ELI, beginning January 1, 2022. The announcement was made during last night’s annual Environmental Achievement Award Ceremony, where ELI presented its 2021 Environmental Achievement Award to Carol M. Browner in recognition of her visionary leadership and outstanding environmental stewardship over a most distinguished career.
Jordan Diamond is currently the Executive Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, which designs and develops pragmatic policy solutions to environmental and energy challenges in California and across the nation. During her seven years leading the Center, she helped quadruple the size of the team and research portfolio and helped launch initiatives including GrizzlyCorps and the California-China Climate Institute. Recognized for her work on marine policy, Jordan also co-directs the Law of the Sea Institute at UC Berkeley and was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to serve on the California Ocean Protection Council. She has been recognized in the field of environmental law through the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Distinguished Environmental Advocates: The Next Generation award and ELI’s own Environmental Futures Award. Throughout her career, Jordan has focused on ensuring environmental laws and policies are based on the best information available, developed through inclusive and transparent processes, and implemented through adaptive and accountable systems.
“While Jordan was selected following a nationwide search, she is not new to ELI. Jordan began her career at ELI as a law fellow, then joined the permanent team as a staff attorney and later the co-director of ELI’s Ocean Program,” said current ELI President Scott Fulton. “Despite her familiar face, Jordan is sure to bring fresh energy to the Institute, and I’m so pleased to be passing the baton over to her come January,” he added. After he steps down in 2022, Fulton will continue working at ELI, primarily focusing on ELI’s international programming and partnerships.
“Thanks to Scott’s vision and leadership, ELI was able to adapt and modernize in alignment with our rapidly changing world,” said ELI’s Chairman of the Board, Benjamin F. Wilson. “Throughout his presidency, Scott was steadfast in his commitment to ensuring that ELI’s core functions as a convener, educator, publisher, and research engine remained a sound foundation on which to build for the future,” he added.
Among the many accomplishments under Scott’s leadership, ELI helped launch the Global Judicial Institute for the Environment—a collaboration of judges around the world dedicated to building judicial capacity for environmental adjudication. ELI also assumed the leadership of the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, a partnership of more than 2,000 practitioners from 150 countries who recognize the key role that compliance and enforcement play in environmental protection. ELI also initiated a cooperative program with the government of China, providing a platform from which ELI can bolster good governance and rule of law in China. And Scott was resolute in ensuring that environmental justice plays a key role in the Institute’s mission-central work.