On May 12th Scenic Hudson President, Ned Sullivan, provided an illustrated Zoom talk about how Scenic Hudson launched the modern environmental movement in the 1960’s and emerged as a champion of clean air, water and protected land and farms throughout the region in the 21st century. Ned Sullivan has guided Scenic Hudson for two decades in ever-evolving strategies to magnify its positive impacts on the natural resources and people of the Hudson Valley, inspiring it to build on, and strengthen, its record of connecting residents and visitors with the power of the Hudson River through preservation, parks and advocacy.
Sullivan has led the organization’s most historic collaborative victories against threats to the region’s natural beauty and environment—halting the proposed St. Lawrence Cement plant, reducing the height of LG’s headquarters atop the Palisades and spearheading our ongoing campaign for a comprehensive PCB cleanup. During his tenure, Scenic Hudson has protected 35,000 “must-save” acres—from scenic landmarks in the Hudson Highlands to productive fields and orchards on more than 125 family farms and the organization of a dozen public parks. Prior to joining Scenic Hudson, Mr. Sullivan served as Environmental Commissioner of Maine, where his hallmark was bringing together environmental and business leaders across party lines.
Mr. Sullivan earned a B.A. in political science and a coordinate degree in environmental studies from Williams College and master’s degrees from Yale University’s School of Management and School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. In recognition of his “dedication and willingness to build the necessary bridges, battle through the bureaucratic red tape and address financial and technical challenges,” Mr. Sullivan received the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies Distinguished Service Award in 2012.