Jason Rainey Appointed as International Rivers’ Executive Director

Date: 
Friday, April 29, 2011

Media Advisory

Berkeley, CA -- International Rivers, a leader in the global movement for healthy rivers and human rights, has named Jason Rainey its new Executive Director. Mr. Rainey joins the 25-year-old organization as it grows to meet the challenges posed by a revival in global dam-building that threatens many of the world’s last remaining great free-flowing rivers.

Before joining International Rivers, Mr. Rainey served as the Executive Director of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) from 2005-2011 and as the Program Director of the Marin Conservation Corps from 1999-2005. At SYRCL Mr. Rainey led watershed protection and social equity programs, and organized a grassroots campaign to restore California’s wild salmon through federal dam decommissioning. Mr. Rainey has also worked as an educator, researcher and organizer for human rights and environmental initiatives in Russia, Zimbabwe, Nicaragua, and Thailand.  

Jason Rainey succeeds Patrick McCully, who now heads the solar power advocacy and education non-profit Blackrock Solar. Interim Executive Director Aviva Imhof will resume her position as Campaigns Director.

International Rivers Board Co-Chair Deborah Moore said "We are so excited that Jason will be joining our talented team of activists! He's got the right mix of creativity, passion, advocacy, and community organizing to forge a healthy future for International Rivers." Marcia McNally, Board Co-Chair, added "Jason’s hands-on experience and leadership working in dam-affected communities to restore watersheds and his experience in international economic development will be a great asset for our global movement."

Mr. Rainey is thrilled to join International Rivers. "The opportunity to work with International Rivers feels like a culmination of my life's work to date. I'm not aware of any other organization contributing so significantly to the urgent quest to transform global energy consumption patterns and protect the planet's most productive and imperiled ecosystems – the rivers that nourish people and life."

Read Jason's full biography.

Jason begins his work at International Rivers on July 18, 2011.

With staff in four continents, International Rivers is an environmental and human rights organization headquartered in the USA. For 25 years, International Rivers has been at the heart of the global struggle to protect rivers and the rights of communities that depend on them.

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Media contacts: 

Aviva Imhof, Interim Executive Director 510 717 4745 aviva@internationalrivers.org