My name is Doug Cress and I intend to run for a seat on the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ) Board of Directors. In addition to being a member of SEJ and a print and radio reporter, I bring over 40 years of professional experience both serving on international boards and collaborating with global boards, executive committees, working groups, task forces and strategic alliances to address global environmental issues.
I believe SEJ is uniquely poised to play a decisive role in the battle to arrest climate change, standing as the link between news, data and discovery and the public that must receive and appreciate this information. The world has less than a decade to alter the behaviour that has brought us to the brink, and information is essential to that process. Environmental journalists are committed to providing that information, and I believe my experience, energy and commitment will help SEJ board facilitate that process.
As a reporter I worked for publications such as The Washington Post, Los Angeles Daily News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Time, and I coauthored the critically acclaimed book, "In My Family Tree: A Life with Chimpanzees" (2001). Later, I brought those same research, reporting and writing skills to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2011, where I authored and edited scientific reports on emerging infectious diseases, the illegal wildlife trade, sustainable logging and the palm oil industry, among other issues of concern.
I also worked on drafting committees that produced the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2023, I launched the PDX-Earth radio program to highlight environmental issues through Portland State University’s KPSU. Each week, I discuss environmental news, interview thought leaders and experts, offer tips on reducing your carbon footprint and play world music.
I have extended experience both serving on boards and working closely with boards. I both created and served on boards for the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage and the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA), and I served on the board of the Portland French School from 2009-11.
Over the last 25 years, I served in senior leadership positions with UNEP, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and Ocean Conservancy that allowed me to collaborate closely with international boards that directly addressed environmental issues such as endangered species, habitat loss, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, emerging infectious diseases, marine litter, plastic waste, sustainable development and other 21st century crises.
I brought together boards and executive committees within UN agencies like UNEP, UNESCO, Unicef and UNHCR, and I have worked across UN programmes such as CITES, CBD, CMS, the Ramsar Agreement and World Heritage Sites. I also directly managed the processes that stage annual conventions, quarterly meetings, international conferences and regional meetings around the world, and I speak Spanish and French.
My experience both serving on boards and also reporting directly to boards on a regular basis to focus on environmental issues — while also reporting on the same issues — allows me to bring a unique perspective to the SEJ Board of Directors.
Back to the main elections page
Advertisement 
