The Board of Directors of the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown has announced the selection of Anne-Marie Runfola to lead the Center as Executive Director. The decision follows a lengthy, nationwide search.
Runfola will succeed Richard Delaney, who is retiring after 17 years at the helm. Delaney will continue to assist in the Center’s fundraising efforts, on a part-time basis. The transition is scheduled to begin in the new year.
She brings deep experience in the management and conservation of the coastal environment, marine education and community engagement. For the past 14 years, Runfola has served in the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she is currently the Senior Advisor in the Directors Office. Previously, she also served as Deputy Superintendent at the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
“Anne-Marie is a wonderful choice to join the Center for Coastal Studies as its next Executive Director. In addition to her impressive list of accomplishments working with the National Marine Sanctuary Program, she has a long history of collaboration with our staff and shares our dedication to high quality marine science and ocean conservation initiatives,” said Delaney.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I am excited to welcome Anne-Marie to the Center for Coastal Studies. Her life work has paralleled what the Center does and stands for. She has worked closely with Center staff in the past and will hit the ground running. I also want to thank Rich for his incredible work with the Center as he transitions to retirement. He has placed the Center for Coastal Studies on the international stage and is handing the reins of a world class organization to Anne-Marie,” said CCS Board Chair Steve Carlson.
Before joining NOAA, Runfola was Deputy Director of the Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit, public-private partnership with the City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation focused on river restoration and environmental justice.
A resident of Falmouth, MA, Runfola has a leadership role with The 300 Committee Land Trust. She is a graduate of Ithaca College, and received a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College.
“I have worked with the talented team at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown for years and am thrilled to join them as Executive Director,” said Runfola. “Their work has had an outsized impact on communities and ecosystems on Cape Cod and across the globe. I’m honored to be the next steward of the organization and to help continue that legacy,” said Runfola.
About the Center for Coastal Studies
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, MA is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding, preserving and protecting marine ecosystems and the coastal environment through research, education and public policy initiatives. For more information go to www.coastalstudies.org.
Photo credit: Ken Kostel