*** For July 20, 2021, Release ****

MINNEAPOLIS, MN— July 20, 2021 - The Climate Collaborative’s Board of Directors announced today that it has selected Courtney Pineau to serve as its new Executive Director. Pineau joins the Climate Collaborative from Green America’s Center for Sustainable Solutions where she led their Climate and Agriculture Networks. She has worked extensively with businesses in the food and agriculture sector and stakeholders throughout the entire supply chain for more than fifteen years. 

“Courtney was selected after an extensive national search and we are delighted that she has accepted the position,” said Corinne Shindelar, President of the Climate Collaborative’s Board of Directors.  “Her breadth of experience and skills in non-profit management, networking and program development is exactly what is needed to support the Collaborative’s next level of growth. This along with Pineau’s recent climate action focus, excellent communication skills and deep understanding of the need to engage and incorporate justice and equity in our work makes Courtney the perfect person to be our Executive Director”.

Pineau’s career has focused leading mission-driven organizations to help them scale their impact through strategic programming, partnerships, and communications. Prior to Green America, Pineau was the Associate Director of the Non-GMO Project for seven years where she helped lead the organization to achieve enormous success, growing sales of Non-GMO Verified products from $1 billion to $28 billion and increasing their engagement with brands from 400 participating brands to more than 3,000.

“I’ve been a longtime admirer of the work of the Climate Collaborative and how it brings market-based solutions to the greatest challenge of our time,” said Pineau. “I’m honored to have been selected to lead the organization in its next phase and I look forward to start working with this impressive community that is deeply committed to being a part of the climate solution.”

Pineau will lead the Collaborative’s work to support the $290 billion natural products industry’s efforts to leverage their ecosystem of more than 700 companies and partners to create the greatest impact scaling climate solutions. She will oversee the Collaborative’s work in nine key areas including climate policy, regenerative agriculture, packaging, and food waste as well as new efforts underway. Pineau will also be responsible for working with partners in the climate justice community to identify ways to apply a justice lens more fully to the work of the Collaborative. She will begin her new role full-time in September.

“Courtney is the right person at the right time,” said Lara Dickinson, Executive Director of One Step Closer, co-founder and board member of the Climate Collaborative, and Co-founder of the J.E.D.I. Collaborative. “Since we founded the Collaborative four years ago, the imperative for climate action has only grown.  Courtney’s experience creating successful networks will help take the Climate Collaborative to the next level providing support to businesses in our transition to a clean, green, and just economy.”

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About the Climate Collaborative

The Climate Collaborative is an independent not-for-profit organization that works to catalyze bold climate action among natural products companies to put our nation and our world on a path to solving the climate crisis and creating a healthier, more just and equitable world. For more information, visit our web site: www.climatecollaborative.com or follow the Climate Collaborative on Facebook at @climatecollab and on Twitter at @ClimateColl.

Media Contacts

Corinne Shindelar, Climate Collaborative Board Chair,  [email protected], 312-985-7576