PROVIDENCE – Save The Bay Inc.’s longtime executive director will call it a career at the end of next June.
The local environmental advocacy nonprofit announced Wednesday that Jonathan Stone, who has been Save The Bay’s top director for the last 13 years, will voluntarily retire from his role on June 30, 2023. Stone is the fourth executive director to ever lead the 52-year-old nonprofit.
Save The Bay said the nonprofit, under Stone’s leadership, raised the awareness and alarms on changing climate conditions that could impact the state and addressed dozens of habitat restoration projects. Save the Bay also had a legislative impact on Rhode Island during Stone’s decade-plus tenure as executive director.
Save The Bay, it said, championed several major environmental legislative victories, such as the passage of the Cesspool Phaseout law in 2015. Additionally, Stone helped the organization expand its regional impact by establishing the Narragansett Bay Riverkeeper program and growing the organization’s South County Coastkeeper program, Save The Bay said.
In a statement, Stone said he always felt it was a privilege to work for Save the Bay and “make history as part of it.”
“It’s been the most rewarding, engaging and fulfilling work experience of my life,” he said. “While I’ll take the satisfaction of our many achievements with me, what I’ll remember most are the people: the relationships I’ve built with our team, board members, supporters and partners.”
Save The Bay also in 2020 retired all of its debt that year, the organization said. Stone says he is proud that with improved sustained financial footing and a growth plan, both with the expansion of our habitat restoration capacity and the building of the new aquarium, Save the Bay is positioned for continued progress to protect and improve the bay.
“It’s time to hand the reins to a new leader who is ready to guide this next chapter,” Stone said.
Save The Bay said the board is currently assembling a search committee to help find the organization’s new executive director.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
