Rhea Suh

Suh worked at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, where she created and managed a program dedicated to environmental conservation and clean energy and coordinated energy conservation efforts of various nonprofits across the Colorado River Basin.^[1]

She then worked at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she led the effort to create the Great Bear Rainforest and spearheaded conservation and clean energy initiatives.^[1]

On March 25, 2009, she was nominated by President Barack Obama for the position of Assistant Secretary for Policy Management and Budget at the United States Department of the Interior.^[8] The senate confirmed her nomination.^[9]

In 2013, President Obama nominated Suh to serve as Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks but her nomination faced opposition from the Republicans.^[10] She was also criticized by The Wall Street Journal for her stance against fossil fuels.^[11] Although her nomination was approved by the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,^[12] her nomination was held up in the United States Senate and was withdrawn.^[13][14]

After she resigned from her post in 2014, Suh became the third president of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), replacing Frances Beinecke.^[14] She assumed her post in January 2015.^[1] Under her leadership, the NRDC helped steer high-level talks leading up to the Paris Agreement, championed a settlement for the residents of Flint, Michigan,^[6] and was a partner for the Women's March on Washington.^[15]

Suh stepped down from her position as president on June 30, 2019.^[16] She is a current fellow of the Walton Family Foundation.^[17]

Suh is married to Michael Carroll and has one daughter, Yeumi.^[3] She and her family live in Washington, D.C.^[18]