Steve McCormick (executive)
Steve McCormick is the former president of The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (2007-2014) and the former president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy (2000-2007). In May 2014, Gordon Moore announced that McCormick was leaving the Moore Foundation[1] to co-found a startup to create the first global, open-source database on ecosystem services and natural capital, called The Earth Genome.[2] McCormick is a board member for many social impact and environmental organizations.
Steve McCormick | |
---|---|
(Former) CEO The Nature Conservancy and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation | |
In office 2000–2014 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1951 (age 68–69) |
Spouse(s) | Kathryn |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | UC Berkeley, University of California, Hastings College of the Law |
The Nature Conservancy
McCormick is credited with reorganizing The Nature Conservancy (TNC) into a "truly global entity to fulfill its mission."[3][4][5][6][7] During his tenure, the group grew to operate in 30 countries and all 50 states in the United States, with revenues in excess of $650 million,[3] with its assets increasing to $5.4 billion.[8] McCormick began his career with TNC in 1976 as western regional legal counsel. He then spent 16 years as executive director of California and Western Region.[9] In 2004, he asked TNC's science staff to develop a framework to guide global conservation at the organization, which ultimately produced The Atlas of Global Conservation to collate environmental information[10][11][12] He led the effort to create and incorporate the strategic framework that still guides the group's work, called Conservation by Design (see "Method" at The Nature Conservancy).[11][13][14] On June 8, 2005, McCormick defended TNC's land acquisition practices in front of the United States Senate Committee on Finance,[15] after a 2003 Washington Post article, Nonprofit Land Bank Amasses Millions, questioned TNC's motives.[16][17] An academic study of the incident concluded that the Post's analysis was "reductionist" to the point of "misleading."[18]
The Moore Foundation
As president and CEO of the Moore Foundation, McCormick wrote prolifically on the importance of supporting basic science, especially for environmental conservation.[19][20][21][22][23] McCormick oversaw more than $1 billion in grants, many of which were granted to scientific research, including $34.2 million to simulate experimental research in the physics of quantum materials and $12.5 million (joint with Sloan Foundation) to the Berkeley Institute for Data Science.[24][25][26] McCormick left "abruptly" with much speculation as to why.[27][28] It became clear in subsequent months that McCormick left to create a 501(c)(3) non-profit, The Earth Genome, to make environmental information more accessible, using best practices from the tech industry.[29][30]
Board service and awards
McCormick has served on numerous boards, including The Independent Sector,[31] Sustainable Conservation,[32] the California Academy of Sciences,[33] and the advisory board of the UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources.[34] He is the recipient of the Chevron Conservation Award; the Department of Interior Silver Award; and the Edmund G. Brown Award for Environmental and Economic Balance.[34]
References
- Moore, Gordon. "Steve McCormick to step down after six years of high-impact, visionary leadership". Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- McCormick, Steve (13 May 2014). "A New Approach to Global Conservation". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- Grossman, Allen; Wei-Skillern, Jane (February 2003). "Nature Conservancy, The". Harvard Business School, Case 303-007. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- Stephens, Joe (2 October 2007). "Nature Conservancy's President Abruptly Announces Resignation". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Anderson, Scott (2 October 2015). "Conservation: Steve McCormick's Departure from The Nature Conservancy, Questions and Appreciation". The Green Skeptic. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- Birchard, Bill (2005). Nature's Keepers: The Remarkable Story of How the Nature Conservancy Became the Largest Environmental Group in the World. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0787971588.
- "President and CEO of Nature Conservancy to Discuss "Sustainable Conservation: A Model for the 21st Century"". Yale News. Yale University. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- "Report of Independent Auditors" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy: Consolidated Financial Statements. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLC. 19 November 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- "Steve McCormick". California Department of Parks of Recreaction. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- Kareiva, Peter; Groves, Craig; Marvier, Michelle (2014). "The evolving linkage between conservation science and practice at The Nature Conservancy". Journal of Applied Ecology. 51 (5): 1137–1147. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12259. PMC 4301179. PMID 25641980.
- Hoekstra, Jonathan; et al. (2010). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520262560.
- "Conservation by Design: A Strategic Framework for Mission Success" (PDF). The Nature Conservancy. 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2015. Cite journal requires
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(help) - Groves, Craig; Klein, Mary; Breden, Thomas (1995). "Natural Heritage Programs: public-private partnerships for biodiversity conservation" (PDF). Wildlife Society Bulletin. 25 (4): 784–790. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- "Statement of Steven J. McCormick On Behalf of The Nature Conservancy: The Tax Code and Land Conservation" (PDF). 8 June 2005. Retrieved 12 October 2015 – via United States Senate Committee on Finance.
- "Nature Conservancy Changes". Living on Earth. National Public Radio. 20 June 2003. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- McCormick, Steve (13 May 2003). "Balancing The Nature Conservancy Story". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- Stephenson, Jr., Max; Chaves, Elizabeth (1 June 2009). "The Nature Conservancy, the Press, and Accountability". Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 35 (3): 345–366. doi:10.1177/0899764006287886.
- Linden, Larry; McCormick, Steve; et al. (1 October 2012). "A Big Deal for Conservation". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- Tercek, Mark (2 October 2012). "Q&A With Steve McCormick: Dialogues on the Environment". The Blog. Huffington Post. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- McCormick, Steve; Tjian, Robert (19 November 2010). "A New Focus on Plant Science". Science. 330 (6007): 1021. Bibcode:2010Sci...330.1021M. doi:10.1126/science.1198153. PMID 21097906.
- McCormick, Steve (16 October 2013). "Changemaker vs. Grantmaker". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Kareiva, Peter; McCormick, Steve (16 June 2015). "Improving global environmental management with standard corporate reporting". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (24): 7375–7382. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.7375K. doi:10.1073/pnas.1408120111. PMC 4475964. PMID 26082543.
- "Moore Foundation Awards $34.2 Million for Quantum Physics Research". Philanthropy News Digest. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
- Ungerleider, Neal (13 November 2013). "White House to Universities: We Need More Data Scientists". Fast Feed. Fast Company. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- "Form 990-PF: Return of Private Foundation" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- Callahan, David (19 February 2014). "Four Theories on Why Steve McCormick Is Leaving the Moore Foundation". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- Donovan, Doug (19 February 2014). "CEO of Moore Foundation Resigns Abruptly". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- "The Earth Genome". Funded Ventures. Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- McCormick, Steve (13 May 2014). "A New Approach to Global Conservation". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- "Board Biographies". The Independent Sector. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- "Our Board". Sustainable Conservation. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- "Our Leadership". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- "Two CNR advisory board members named to high-profile national positions" (PDF). Breakthroughs: 25. Spring 2001. Retrieved 21 September 2011.