Jane Flegal and Jeff Holmstead join the Board of Directors. Oct. 22, 2026 Resources for the Future (RFF) is pleased to announce that Jane Flegal and Jeff Holmstead have joined the Board of Directors. Flegal and Holmstead bring to the board years of expertise in energy and climate policy - both have worked in the federal government and in the private sector, lending them perspectives that will help inform RFF's strategic mission. "Jane and Jeff have been a part of the RFF community for quite some time, and I'm happy that they've agreed to solidify their relationship with RFF by becoming board members," RFF President and CEO Billy Pizer said. "Both of them are incredibly bright, hardworking people, and I am confident that their insights will elevate the board and the entire organization." Flegal is a social scientist and champion for the use of research in climate and energy policy. She has worked at the Blue Horizons Foundation, Stripe, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust. During the Biden administration, Flegal was the Senior Director for Industrial Emissions at the Office of Domestic Climate Policy, where she was responsible for developing and advancing policies that reduced greenhouse gas emissions, promoted technological advancement, and supported job creation. She is a distinguished fellow at the University of Chicago's Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth and a senior fellow at the Searchlight Institute. Flegal also works as an independent advisor, where she has been involved in the current permitting debate and supports philanthropy on climate strategy and investments. "I have experience working in many places that benefit from quantitative economic data," Flegal said. "As a board member, I hope to use my experiences to help RFF reach key groups - businesses, NGOs, philanthropists, and financial institutions - that would benefit from all that RFF has to offer. Especially in today's politically fractured environment, it is vital that stakeholders and policymakers have access to high-quality, nonpartisan research that will help them make decisions." Holmstead was the Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at the US Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, where he oversaw several of the agency's most important initiatives. He also served in the White House Counsel's Office under President George H.W. Bush and was involved in the passage and early implementation of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. He now heads the environmental strategies group at Bracewell, where he represents companies and industry groups before the federal government and in court on a wide range of Clean Air Act, climate change, and energy-development issues. "I've worked with folks at RFF for years and have always been impressed by the work that's done here," Holmstead said. "The research coming out of RFF is rigorous, practical, and viewed as highly credible by the business community, public interest groups, and policymakers. I'm very much looking forward to working with RFF in this new capacity and hope that my experience will help to ensure that the organization is well situated to navigate the future." The board meeting that welcomed Holmstead and Flegal also launched RFF's 75th anniversary celebrations. Over the next year, RFF will commemorate where we've been and where we're going, with a goal of raising $7.5 million to support future research and programming. Visit rff.org/75 to learn more. Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy. Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.

Announcing the Raymond J. Kopp Award for Outstanding Contributions to Climate Economics and Policy. July 2, 2026 The Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change (CMCC) and Resources for the Future (RFF), under the umbrella of their partnership, the European Institute on Economics and the Environment (EIEE), are proud to introduce an award to honor the memory and legacy of a colleague. Researchers from RFF and CMCC unveiled the award on Thursday during the 7th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists in Portugal. The Raymond J. Kopp Award for Outstanding Contributions to Climate Economics and Policy will recognize a research paper that advances policy discussions and fosters international collaboration. Nominations for the award will open in late 2027, and the inaugural award recipient will be announced at the 2028 conference for the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists. A selection committee will grant the award biennially. The award honors the interests and contributions of Raymond J. Kopp, a preeminent economist whose research influenced climate-related economic policy for decades. Kopp worked at RFF for 47 years, serving at various points as Vice President for Research and Policy Engagement and as director of the International Climate Policy initiative. Kopp passed away in August 2024 at the age of 75. "Ray worked on many issues over the years, but he was particularly interested in international climate policy - he recognized that climate change was an international problem that required international solutions," said Massimo Tavoni, director of EIEE. "He played an essential role in the formation of EIEE in 2018; many of us at CMCC and RFF have benefited from his leadership and guidance. We hope to honor that spirit of collaboration with this award." "We hope that this award will inspire people to do what Ray did best: conduct high-quality research, inform policy, and create new and lasting relationships with people who live far away," said Karen Palmer, a senior fellow at RFF. "While the award cannot fully show how grateful we are for Ray and his contributions, we hope that this award will at the very least help carry his work forward." EIEE will publish more information about the award later this year. Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy. Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.