The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced Bettina Ring as its new Chief Sustainability and Diversity Officer. Ring will provide leadership internally and externally on strategic initiatives related to sustainability and diversity. She will also seek to leverage SFI’s scale to drive meaningful change in the forest and conservation sector through collaboration with SFI’s network. Her role with SFI will officially begin on February 15, 2022.
Ring has deep connections to the forest sector, most recently serving as Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to SFI, having formerly served on the SFI Board of Directors and recognized as the SFI President’s Award winner in 2018. Additionally, under Ring’s leadership, 68,000 acres of Virginia’s state forests were certified to the SFI Forest Management and American Tree Farm System Standards, which provide assurance of sustainable practices on managed forestlands.
Working closely with the entire SFI Leadership Team and reporting to the President and CEO, Ring will elevate and scale the sustainability contributions of SFI’s standards, conservation, community, and education pillars. Ring will work with the entire SFI staff and engaged network partners to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into SFI’s operations, programs, and partnerships. Ring will also collaborate with SFI-certified organizations, customers, investors, and government agencies interested in partnering with SFI to address material environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.
