Esther Feldman

Esther Feldman is a pragmatic and visionary environmental leader.  She has a long history of pioneering new conservation initiatives that successfully address challenging environmental problems, and is adept at leveraging funds to ensure the longevity of the projects she directs. She is responsible for generating billions of dollars in public funds to protect parks, beaches, rivers and natural lands, and provide badly-needed urban recreation facilities.  She has been especially successful in building broad-based coalitions to achieve community and conservation goals.  She has expertise in public finance, legislation, community outreach, planning and technical research, conservation real estate, working with elected officials, and running campaigns.  Her vision and ability to make that vision a reality have made a permanent impact in the State of California and in many communities nationwide.

She is President of Community Conservancy International (CCI), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to the challenging problems created where people and nature intersect. CCI has been a visionary leader in conserving natural lands and water resources and in working with communities. CCI conceived of and spearheaded the two-square mile Baldwin Hills Park Project in the heart of urban Los Angeles, launched wetland restoration efforts in Upper Newport Bay, and has developed new project and funding approaches to creatively solving polluted runoff problems through CCI’s Water Quality Improvement and Green Solution Projects. She is currently working on developing projects in the Eastern Sierra Nevada and on expanding the Green Solution Project approach throughout California.

Ms. Feldman has a Bachelor of Science in Soil and Water Science from the University of California, Davis, has a background in organic farming, and is an experienced outdoorswoman with a passion for waves, reefs, rivers, exposed rock faces, and mountain tops.