After more than 30 years of involvement with the Environmental Defense Center, first as a pro bono attorney, then as a member of the Board of Directors and currently leading the organization as its executive director, David Landecker has announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31.
The EDC Board of Directors is seeking applications for a new executive director and plans to hire a replacement by year’s end.
“EDC is a strong, vibrant and very well-functioning organization,” Landecker said. “We have an excellent and hardworking staff, the superb leadership of Linda Krop as our chief counsel, and a powerful, cohesive and committed Board of Directors.
“I’ve decided to retire based on my own personal needs and desires, and with profound confidence in the strength of this organization. It will undoubtedly continue its 35-year history of excellence protecting and enhancing our region’s environment.”
“David has led EDC with distinction for more than five years, working closely with our board,” said Chris Hahn, EDC’s board president. “Despite difficult economic times, together we have strengthened EDC. With David’s leadership we have added an attorney and a planner to our staff, improved our capacity to communicate our work to the communities we depend upon for support, and begun building a significant endowment to assure EDC has a reliable source of income to support its critical work, regardless of economic conditions.”
The EDC is the pre-eminent nonprofit environmental law firm between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Its staff includes four lawyers, two biologists, a planner and a small administrative staff responsible for communications, outreach, accounting and development.
The EDC uses its legal and policy expertise to educate, advocate and — when necessary — litigate to protect and conserve the highest priority environmental resources of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
“EDC owes its strength to the commitment of the groups and individuals we represent to protect the spectacular environmental quality of our region,” Landecker said. “As an active resident of Santa Barbara for the past 32 years, I have always had great respect for EDC and its success in assuring that this area remains the paradise we all love. It was a great honor to serve in a leadership position at EDC for the last years of my professional career. I, and everyone at EDC, look forward to welcoming a new executive director and introducing him or her to all of our communities later this year.”
— Betsy Weber is the communications director for the Environmental Defense Center.
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