Jeffrey Parrish
Global Managing Director for Protect Oceans, Lands and Water
Denver, CO
Jeffrey Parrish Global Managing Director for Protect Oceans, Lands and Water © TNC
Areas of Expertise
Conservation
Biography
Dr. Jeffrey Parrish is The Nature Conservancy’s Global Managing Director for Nature Protection, responsible for TNC’s vision, ambition and direction to protect terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity across all our geographies. In his role, he is our organizational champion for the world to protect 30% of the planet by 2030, in a way that is ecologically representative, effectively managed, durably financed and inclusive and equitable.
Jeff is responsible for accelerating and supporting the protection work of our field-based teams and inspiring and fundraising for bold, at-scale strategies in priority places. With more than three decades of conservation experience, two of those at The Nature Conservancy, he is a global champion of protected areas and community‑centered conservation within and beyond TNC. Jeff is TNC’s stalwart advocate for radical collaborations and innovative partnerships to unite institutions and people to make protection efforts bigger, better and faster in a warmer and more crowded world.
Jeff leads several of the world’s most ambitious and innovative conservation finance and protection initiatives, reshaping how conservation is funded and delivered. He co-founded and helps lead the Enduring Earth partnership, the most ambitious conservation initiative in history working to effectively conserve and finance one billion hectares by 2030, implementing landmark Project Finance for Permanence agreements in some of the planet’s most ecologically significant places. His leadership of the groundbreaking Nature Bonds program has helped pioneer debt‑refinancing models that redirect national debt savings into long‑term conservation, unlocking roughly US$1 billion to date for conservation efforts. Seeking strategic collaboration to scale impact, he also chairs the Debt for Nature Coalition which shares this innovative conservation financing approach amongst six global organizations. As a migratory ecologist and ornithologist by training, he models the science-based principles that guide TNC’s investments.
Jeff has a PhD from Brown University, and has also worked at the World Wildlife Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Wildlife Conservation Network.