State Director, The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island

John Torgan is the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island. In this role he leads a staff of more than 30 to protect and restore lands, fresh water, and tidal waters of Rhode Island in collaboration with the worldwide organization and many local partners. TNC is also actively engaged in policy including climate change, in partnerships for conservation and restoration, and in urban forestry in RI and across the region. John has served as State Director since 2017. John also serves as Executive Sponsor of TNC’s Offshore Wind program. Prior to being State Director, John was TNC’s Director of Ocean and Coastal Conservation, a role he served in for 5 years. From 1993-2011, John worked for Save The Bay doing advocacy and education about protecting Narragansett Bay.

John is a lifelong Rhode Islander with a background in environmental science and coastal law, policy, and management. He lives in Providence with his wife and 2 kids and can often be found in the woods and waters off Rhode Island fishing and exploring!