Environmental activist, actress, singer, and author to lead global nonprofit in fight for clean water
Waterkeeper Alliance, the leading global nonprofit focused on clean water which unites more than 350 Waterkeeper groups worldwide, announced today the appointment of Gloria Reuben as its new president.
An actress and social activist, Reuben served as a Trustee with Waterkeeper Alliance from 2007 to 2010, before becoming an advisor to Vice President Al Gore’s environmental organization, The Climate Reality Project. Reuben previously served on the Advisory Council of the National Wildlife Federation, as well as on the Leadership Council for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Gloria Reuben as the new president of Waterkeeper Alliance,” said Marc Yaggi, the organization’s executive director. “Gloria is a champion of the movement to protect our waterways, and as we look ahead to the next decade — which will be a critical one in the fight for clean water – and prepare for the significant work that must be accomplished, we look forward to having Gloria’s voice, vision, and leadership at the forefront.”
“We are proud to welcome Gloria Reuben as Waterkeeper Alliance’s new president,” said Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the organization’s co-founder and president emeritus. “Gloria has made protecting our waterways and climate advocacy part of her life’s work. For over a decade Waterkeeper has benefited from Gloria’s steady and passionate leadership. I look forward to watching a new wave of successes and growth for Waterkeepers with Gloria as our new champion.”
As president, Reuben will represent more than 350 Waterkeeper groups on six continents and amplify the organization’s vision for drinkable, fishable, swimmable water. The clean water warriors of the Waterkeeper movement are on the front lines of our global water crisis, fighting for the future of the planet, the world’s great water sources, and the communities surrounding them.
In addition to her life’s work as an environmental champion, Reuben is an actress, singer, and published author whose credits in television include ER, Raising the Bar, Marvel TV’s Cloak & Dagger, City On A Hill, and Mr. Robot. She has also starred in films including Lincoln, Admission, and Reasonable Doubt. In 2007, Gloria won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her portrayal of Condoleezza Rice in David Hare’s play, Stuff Happens. Gloria’s first nonfiction book My Brothers’ Keeper. Two Brothers. Loved. And Lost. was published in November 2019.
“Our world has changed dramatically in a very short amount of time, but one thing that will never change is the fundamental, life-sustaining need for drinkable, fishable, and swimmable water,” said Gloria Reuben, president of Waterkeeper Alliance. “I’m honored to serve as president of an organization that is doing essential work for our planet and quality of life, and I am eager to get to work to support this incredible group of clean water warriors. With the determination and force of our network of more than 350 Waterkeeper groups urging us onward, I am confident that we will be able to achieve real progress.”
*Photo by James Reddington