A longtime leader in environmental science and conservation who has worked for nearly three decades to preserve ecosystems across the globe has been selected to direct the environmental grant-making efforts of one of the country’s largest foundations.

The Walton Family Foundation has named Barry Gold, currently director of Marine Conservation at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, to serve as director of the foundation’s Environment Focus Area. In this role, Gold will work with the Walton family, foundation staff and other partners to continue a vision for marine and freshwater conservation set by the foundation’s founders, Sam and Helen Walton.

“Barry Gold will be a great addition to the Walton Family Foundation team,” said Buddy Philpot, executive director of the Walton Family Foundation. “His deep scientific and policy expertise, together with his dedication to conservation solutions that strengthen both ecosystems and communities, make Barry the ideal person to lead our environmental initiatives.”

Since he joined the Moore Foundation in 2006, Gold has led efforts to keep the world’s ocean healthy through approaches that take both environmental and community needs into account. This includes work to shift fisheries management to an incentive-based system to help end overfishing, rebuild depleted stocks and sustain fishing communities, as well as efforts to advance comprehensive approaches to ocean planning.

Gold has dedicated his career to working at the intersection of environmental science and policy. Prior to joining Moore, he managed the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s work to protect and restore ecological systems. Before Packard, Gold was chief of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center where he led an effort to restore the Colorado River ecosystem throughout the Grand Canyon. He has held senior positions with the National Biological Survey, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Gold has served as board president for the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, the leading affinity group for environmental foundations, and currently serves as vice-chair of the California Ocean Science Trust Board.

“Over the last seven years, Scott Burns built a strong program with talented staff. They and the Walton family have worked to align conservation and economic incentives to find effective solutions for some of our most pressing challenges in marine and freshwater systems,” said Gold. “I’m looking forward to building on that work, in collaboration with the Walton family, staff and dedicated grantees that are helping to conserve both these ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.”

Gold will begin his role as director of the foundation’s Environment Focus Area on June 30. Later this year, he will be responsible for working with the Walton family, foundation staff and other partners to create a strategic plan for an environment portfolio that includes grants totaling more than $90 million annually.

 
What Environment Leaders Are Saying About Barry D. Gold

"Barry has a deep commitment to science-based approaches to deliver outcomes that benefit both people and the environment. As he takes over leadership of the Walton Family Foundation Environment Focus Area, Barry will undoubtedly continue to pursue the large-scale, transformative changes needed to harmonize the needs of local communities with a thriving and resilient environment."
– Fred Krupp, president, Environmental Defense Fund

"Barry Gold has been a stalwart in environmental protection for several decades, with broad experience ranging from government to the private sector. I have been impressed, time and again, with his commitment to making sure that every decision is based on rock-solid science and the latest research, as well as with his ability to work with others. He is always looking for innovative ways to have a lasting impact, and I am sure he will bring that same spirit to his new role at the Walton Family Foundation.”
– Simon Levin, Ph.D., George M. Moffett Professor of Biology, Princeton University

"Barry's leadership in the world of biodiversity conservation and his generous willingness to give back to civil society make him a stellar choice to lead the Walton Family Foundation Environment Program."
– Lynn Lohr, executive director, Consultative Group on Biological Diversity

"When it comes to our planet’s ocean, Barry has been a strong champion for conservation, applying science to conservation in government, philanthropy and the nonprofit community.”
– Jane Lubchenco, former administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

"We are so grateful to Barry for creating and building our Marine Conservation Initiative. His talents run deep, in thought and action. Not only did he design an initiative with thoughtfully interwoven conservation strategies but his execution of those strategies was bold and brilliant as well. I am especially grateful for his integrity, humility, leadership and in particular his personal devotion to his team, whom he mentored so well."
– Kathleen Moore, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Trustee

"I admire Barry’s commitment to protecting and restoring our world’s ocean. He has deep expertise and understanding that the health of our ocean and freshwater systems is critical to the future of all life. I look forward to collaborating with Barry as he continues this important work at the Walton Family Foundation.”
– Julie Packard, executive director, Monterey Bay Aquarium

“With his experience on marine conservation issues and his previous work on land and water conservation in the United States, Barry Gold is an outstanding choice for the Walton Family Foundation’s new Environment Program director.”
– Walt Reid, director of the Conservation and Science Program, David & Lucile Packard Foundation

"The selection of Barry Gold as the environment director of the Walton Family Foundation underscores the foundation's commitment to excellence. Barry is a thoughtful leader with deep knowledge of the environmental challenges facing communities and nations all across the globe. He combines the expertise to guide and the humility to learn, creating great partnerships amongst colleagues."
– Pete Seligmann, chairman, chief executive officer, co-founder, Conservation International