Rich Innes

Rich is a Senior Fellow at Meridian Institute where he leads the work of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative, and helps direct the work of the National Estuary Programs to protect and restore some of the nation’s most vital bays and estuaries. He advises the State of Washington on climate, salmon and wolf recovery and natural resource issues. Rich previously worked at Browning Ferris Industries as Director of Government Affairs for former EPA Administrator and then CEO Bill Ruckelshaus. During this time Rich worked directly with Bill Ruckelshaus on a blueprint for realizing a more desirable environmental future with input from industry, government and NGOs. He assisted Bill in his efforts to help establish an institute at the University of Wyoming dedicated to fostering collaboration around challenging natural resource issues in the West. Rich served for eight years as a senior staff member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He began his career in the Federal Government at EPA under then Administrator Ruckelshaus, helping design management tools to achieve environmental results. Rich earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, served for three years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in East Africa working on reforestation, and has led Habitat for Humanity builds in Guatemala. He is an avid fly fisherman, bike rider, and aspiring sommelier.