51�������

A philanthropist of many interests serving on boards across an array of organizations, David Ford is remembered for the 13 years he devoted to the 51������� as board chair from February 2014 to January 2019, and board member from January 2006 to January 2019.

“He was so busy that he was reluctant take the helm of 51�������’s national board in 2014, but David stepped up because he believed in the potential to transform 51������� into an unmatched force in conservation. He helped bring 51�������’s focus back to birds and a science-based approach,” says David Yarnold, president & CEO of the 51�������. “His leadership and support guided 51������� through a re-imagining of strategic, large-scale conservation in protecting birds—and an effort to champion climate change as a key priority.”

With a 33-year tenure at the Goldman Sachs Group as a senior executive during the company’s historic IPO, David was also a world traveler and explorer. He became an avid birder through many days-long excursions in search of birds and other wildlife with former 51������� board chair Holt Thrasher and Dr. Frank Gill, former director of science of 51������� and cofounder of the eBird initiative at 51������� and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

“We’d hike through jungles and up mountains to remote and historical spots to appreciate the pristine landscapes around us, where we spent hours discussing the importance of protecting the untouched land and conveying it’s importance to others,” Thrasher says. “David believed birds were the indicator species that was the shortest path to making that connection to large-scale environmental conservation for many people. And he believed in 51�������’s ability to tell that story and to take on the scale of conservation needed.”

During his time as board chair, David was integral in centering 51������� around science-based conservation efforts as well as climate change. This culminated in 51�������’s groundbreaking  that provided scientific evidence indicating climate change was the #1 threat to birds, profoundly shaping 51�������’s commitment to protecting birds from the negative effects of climate change. (In 2019, 51������� released a second climate science report, Survival by Degrees.) Today, 51������� is recognized as an influential nonpartisan voice in climate science and in federal and state policymaking, advocating for clean energy and natural climate solutions.

“We will all miss David. He was a kind and generous man and he was an important part of 51�������’s resurgence, a steady hand at a critical time for 51�������,” says Maggie Walker, current board chair for 51�������. “Our thoughts are with his family.” 

David’s commitment to 51������� transcends his roles on the national board. While his mother was a member in her local chapter in Florida, he was also an active supporter of 51������� New York and 51������� Connecticut with a particular passion for the Greenwich 51������� Center, which he moved right next to.

He will be remembered as a philanthropist dedicated to a wide range of causes. He was also a member of the board and director/trustee of The World Monuments Fund, The American Agora Foundation, The Animal Medical Center, The International Tennis Hall of Fame, and The Preservation Society of Newport County. He formerly served as a trustee/director of The New School, Florida State University, the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and on the Board of Overseers of the Wharton School.

“David loved the world, he adored being in wilderness, and he was a good friend to many. I’m shocked he has left us, as I never imagined him even slowing down,” says Jane Alexander, award-winning actress and 51������� board member. “He had conviction, understated passion and steadfastness no matter what he took on, and he took on a lot—more than anyone I’ve ever known. He was a very fine man to be with us at 51������� those years.” 

David was a committed chair to the national board and a supportive ally to the organization’s leadership during transformational years that led to a Harvard Business case study on the turnaround of a century-old environmental nonprofit. We are grateful for the leadership, sophistication, and business acumen he brought to 51�������. His legacy lives on in the 51������� of today.

David is survived by his wife Pamela, his two brothers Dick and Tom, his sister Dale, his two sons David and Jamie, their wives Anne and Lauren, and his grandchildren Render, Jack, Evelyn, Hunter, Wiley, and Lucy Jane.