SFI Appoints New Chief Sustainability, Diversity Officer

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced Bettina Ring as its new Chief Sustainability and Diversity Officer. Ring will provide leadership on strategic initiatives related to sustainability and diversity. She will also seek to leverage SFI’s scale to drive meaningful change in the forest and conservation sector through collaboration with SFI’s network.

Ring has deep connections to the forest sector, most recently serving as Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to SFI, having formerly served on the SFI Board of Directors and recognized as the SFI President’s Award winner in 2018. Additionally, under Ring’s leadership, 68,000 acres of Virginia’s state forests were certified to the SFI Forest Management and American Tree Farm System Standards, which provide assurance of sustainable practices on managed forestlands.

“I am honored to be joining SFI under the leadership of Kathy Abusow,” Ring says. “I look forward to working with SFI’s dynamic and talented team to help scale their efforts to create healthier forests and more resilient communities across the United States and Canada.”

Ring has been instrumental in Virginia’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. She worked in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Institute for Engagement & Negotiation to hold the first Governor’s Summit on Equitable Collaboration, engaging more than 1,000 participants.