NRDC Welcomes New Board Member Tom Soto
NEW YORK – NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) welcomes Tom Soto—longtime environmental justice activist, impact investor, and leader in environmental technology and renewable energy—as the newest member of our Board.
“Tom’s decades of experience in civil rights, activism, business and government are a powerful addition to NRDC’s board,” said NRDC Board Chair Kathleen Welch. “His insights and experience will be crucial in guiding the organization’s ongoing work to build a better future for people in communities across the country and around the world.”
Soto is the son of California State Senator Nell Soto, a longtime advocate for farmworkers, labor rights and Latino communities, and Assemblyman Phil Soto, the first Latino elected to the state legislature and a champion for farm workers.
His own passion for supporting Latino communities is reflected in his impact investment efforts, such as establishing Diverse Communities Impact Fund while as Chairman of the New America Alliance (NAA), a national Latino business initiative that seeks access to capital for Latino entrepreneurs, general partners, and fund managers. And he has brought a focus on environmental justice to his roles as Political Director at the Campaign for Economic Democracy for peace activist Tom Hayden and actor Jane Fonda, as well as Founder of PS Enterprises, a management consulting firm that supported companies and government agencies to meet rigorous environmental regulations.
Soto is also a leader in impact investing and environmental technology, founding four investment funds with a focus on clean technology, AI, Fintech and infrastructure. In 2006, he founded first exclusive clean technology fund based in California. He has also played a key role in developing the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investing under the guidance of the International Conference of Governance Network (ICGN), the precursor to what is now known as the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. And he led the Executive Office of The President’s Transition for The White House Council on Environmental Quality for President-elect Barack Obama, and is a two-time appointee of President Bill Clinton.
“We are in a pivotal moment in the fight against the climate crisis—and for people over polluters,” Soto said. “NRDC is pushing the nation forward toward a better, healthier, more just and equitable future for people everywhere. I am thrilled to join forces and build that world together.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.