Gulf of Maine Research Institute Welcomes Glenn Prickett as New President & CEO

PORTLAND, Maine — June 13, 2023 — The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Glenn Prickett as its new President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Prickett will assume the role of CEO on September 1, replacing former CEO Don Perkins, who announced the search for his successor along with his intention to retire last November. In the time since, the institute’s Board of Directors carried out an international search and hired Prickett according to its expected early-summer timeline, with support from executive search firm Spencer Stuart.

Throughout Prickett’s 35-year career, he has held a wide range of leadership roles in NGOs, government, volunteer organizations, and the private sector. Most recently, he served as the President & CEO of the World Environment Center, a 48-year-old global organization that advances sustainable development through corporate business practices across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Before that, Prickett served in senior executive and management roles at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Conservation International, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Prickett also previously served as board co-chair at the Keystone Policy Center and strategic planning chair at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, where he successfully led significant strategic planning and change-management efforts.

“This mission of this organization has never been more critical,” said incoming Board Chair Mike Bonney, who led the search process on behalf of the institute’s Board of Directors. “Glenn is exactly the accomplished leader that this institution and the communities it serves will benefit from.”

Passion & Experience

Prickett’s passion and professional experience addressing climate change prepare him well to take on this new role with an organization focused on one of the most rapidly-warming ecosystems on Earth. Over time, he has led projects and campaigns focused on greenhouse gas mitigation in the energy, forestry and agriculture sectors, as well as corporate and private sector partnerships for climate resilience and adaptation. These experiences, along with a portfolio of ocean-focused work on fisheries policy, coastal flood insurance, and natural infrastructure, have provided Prickett with a strong background and network to begin his work in the Gulf of Maine.

At each of his prior roles, Prickett has demonstrated dedication in equal parts to environmental stewardship and sustainable economic development. At TNC, he led the organization’s international and U.S. policy advocacy and established their Center for Sustainability Science for cutting-edge ecological research in collaboration with the private and public sectors. More recently, at the World Environment Center, he led a regional network of organizations across Latin America to support small entrepreneurs in blue and green economies, with a focus on women-owned businesses.

“As much as I’ve learned throughout my career and hope to apply those lessons in this new role, I’m even more excited to meet and learn from the region’s scientists, state officials, and leaders in the fishing and aquaculture industries,” said Prickett. “The rest of the world has a lot to learn from the Gulf of Maine and the way the hardworking communities that surround it are tackling our biggest ocean challenges.”

A Growing Institution

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s mission is to develop and deliver collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. The independent, objective nonprofit organization collaborates with stakeholders to support healthy ocean ecosystems, a thriving blue economy, sustainable seafood, and climate-resilient coastal communities.

Over the last two decades, GMRI has served as a respected marine research institute, trusted by industry, academia, and government alike. When Perkins assumed leadership of the organization in 1995, he set it on an aggressive growth path that included the construction of its Commercial St. lab. Under Perkins’ direction, GMRI has grown from an organization of two to a world-class research institute with a staff of nearly 100 internationally recognized research scientists, seafood supply chain and fisheries experts, climate change leaders, and skilled science educators.

Today, GMRI is home to leading experts on climate and fisheries who have served at the highest levels — including roles and relationships with NOAA, NASA, three presidential administrations, and multiple international climate, biodiversity, and fisheries management bodies.

Among many other contributions, the institute was the first to identify the Gulf of Maine as one of the fastest-warming ocean ecosystems on earth. This oft-cited body of research has since attracted millions of dollars of federal, state, and private investments in climate solutions across the region. The institute itself is now contributing solutions to climate challenges from the local to the global scale.

“Throughout our organization’s history, we’ve taken on the most pressing ocean challenges facing both the Gulf of Maine and the world’s oceans more broadly,” said Perkins. “The stability and strength of the organization make this the ideal time for a transition, and I have the utmost confidence in Glenn to adapt GMRI and innovate to continue meeting the needs of our partners and stakeholders throughout the region for many years to come.”

About the Gulf of Maine Research Institute:

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. Located in Portland, ME, the institute is dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.gmri.org.

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