J. Gabriel Lopez

Doctor Gabriel López assumed the Executive Directorship of the Charles Darwin Foundation "in January 2009, and is poised to lead the organization in these critical times of enormous socio-environmental challenges. He is armed with 25 years of experience in sustainable development, conservation, philanthropy, public policy, environmental management, and community development on five continents. Dr. López holds a doctorate in Anthropology and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies, with a focus on development studies, a theoretical background complemented by experience in 14 Latin American countries and over 40 countries worldwide.

"Before coming to the CDF, he served as the Director of Global Strategies and Chief Global Strategist at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) headquarters in Switzerland. Additionally, he has worked for sustainable development and conservation around the world in various strategic and directorial capacities with the Ford Foundation. Dr. López has investigated and written on environmental and sustainable development issues with a focus on social justice, participatory democracy, and ecological sustainability."