After 20 years, N.Y.’s premier environmental advocacy group will search for new President
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LAK Public Relations: Lisa Linden, (917) 589-5443 or llinden@lakpr.com or
David Simpson, (646) 338-2436 dsimpson@lakpr.com
NEW YORK (Oct. 23, 2017) — Marcia Bystryn announced today she will step down as President of the New York League of Conservation Voters and the NYLCV Education Fund at the end of 2018, after a near 20-year tenure in which the organization played integral roles advocating for and achieving major statewide environmental policy advancements.
“This has been a remarkable 19-year journey during which the League has been at the forefront of spurring unprecedented administrative and legislative actions to protect our environment and affirm New York’s rightful place at the vanguard of the conservation and environmental protection movement in America. Working alongside some truly towering public figures as well as a dedicated and talented team, I am proud of the League’s consistent record of accomplishment and am confident that more triumphs lie ahead,” Ms. Bystryn said.
Kevin Corbett, Chairman of the Board, New York League of Conservation Voters, added, “Marcia has defined and elevated the League for nearly two decades, overseeing an era in which the League has continued to grow in stature, influence and efficacy. We are grateful for her leadership and service. Building on her legacy, we will ensure the organization remains strong and effective as the leading voice for environmental conservation and protection in the State of New York.”
Edward F. Cox, Chairman of the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, said, “New York voters are more environmentally conscious than they’ve ever been. I believe that’s due in part to the efforts of conservation and environmental protection activists through vehicles like the League’s Education Fund, developed under Marcia’s leadership to increase awareness around critical environmental issues not only for voters but for legislators and policy makers as well. Her work in this regard will continue to have a positive impact for many years to come.”
The League and the Education Fund will form a search committee to seek qualified candidates to succeed Ms. Bystryn, who will remain President through 2018 to ensure an orderly transition and maintain organizational stability.
Marcia Bystryn joined the League as Executive Director in 1999 and was named President in 2008. Under her leadership, the statewide organization has worked to elect strong environmental candidates to office and to hold them accountable. Her accomplishments include the launch of a Political Action Committee that supports pro-environment candidates for state and local office, an Education Fund to educate voters and policy makers on conservation and environmental protection issues, and the development of clear policy dicta on a range of critical issues including climate change, clean air and water, public health, renewable energy, transportation, and open space. These efforts have resulted in numerous state and local legislative and administrative victories for sound environmental policies.
Prior to joining the League, Ms. Bystryn served as Senior Corporate Policy Manager for the Environment and then Senior Business Manager for Economic Development at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Previously, she served as the Assistant Commissioner for Recycling at New York City’s Department of Sanitation, as well as the Deputy Director of the Twentieth Century Fund, now the Century Foundation.
The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) is the only non-partisan, statewide environmental organization in New York that takes a pragmatic approach to fighting for clean water, healthy air, renewable energy, and open space. Follow NYLCV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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