David Mears has joined the High Meadows Fund Board of Directors. Mears, a professor at Vermont Law School, brings three decades of experience addressing environmental challenges, most recently as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation for the State of Vermont.
High Meadows Fund Board Chair Carl Ferenbach commented, “With the changing climate, it is urgent that we understand the relationships between land use, energy, agriculture, and forestry in building vibrant Vermont communities. The board is thrilled that David will be contributing his varied expertise and perspective to our grantmaking and mission investments.”
“I’m looking forward to working with the High Meadows Fund to find opportunities where innovative approaches in communities and watersheds inform and inspire broader efforts to build more resilient working landscapes and local economies in the face of our changing climate,” said Professor Mears.
David Mears is director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic and a professor at Vermont Law School. He was commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation from 2011-2015. In that position, he shepherded the passage of Vermont’s Clean Water Act and the launch of the Universal Recycling Act. His rich experience in environmental law includes teaching at Vermont Law School from 2005-2011; teaching in Guangzhou, China as a Fulbright Scholar in 2011; and serving in several senior regulatory and policy positions in Washington, D.C., Washington state, and Texas. Mears has a J.D. and Masters of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School and a B.S. in environmental engineering technology from Cornell University. He lives in Montpelier.
The High Meadows Fund’s mission of promoting vibrant communities and a healthy natural environment in Vermont is advanced through grantmaking, convening, and mission investments
The mission of the High Meadows Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation is to promote vibrant communities and a healthy natural environment while encouraging long-term economic vitality in Vermont. Our communities, environment, and economy are threatened by the changing climate. High Meadows helps Vermonters mitigate that change and adapt to its consequences by supporting leadership and innovation in three overlapping areas of focus: energy, land use, and sustainable agriculture.