Jerome Ringo: Chair, Board of Directors, National Wildlife Federation

Ebony, July, 2005

Jerome Ringo is chair of the board of directors for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the first African-American to hold a post with a major national conservation organization. He oversees the organization's administrative affairs, including its initiatives to resolve global warming, reduce mercury pollution, combat invasive species, restore America's waters and strengthen the Endangered Species Act.

"Leading the power and commitment behind America's conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife is an honor and a challenge I eagerly anticipate" he says. "I will help guide the National Wildlife Federation to unite all Americans who share a conservation ethic so that the wildlife legacy we leave future generations is one we can be proud of." Ringo's company, Progressive Resources Inc., has over 20 years in the petrochemical industry and provides technical, legal and scientific assistance to communities affected by petrochemical plants. He and his wife, Mary Guidry Ringo, live in Lake Charles, La., with their four children.