Renée Martin-Nagle
Company: A Ripple Effect
Location: Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
Renée Martin-Nagle founded A Ripple Effect to focus on water sustainability and serves as its President and CEO. The name of the company reflects her philosophy that every action has an impact and should therefore contribute to the greater good.
Renée came to the water sector after a 25-year career as chief legal officer for aviation manufacturers, including more than 20 years as chief legal officer for Airbus Americas. The birth of the first of her two grandsons inspired her to dedicate her life to preserving the planet for future generations, so, while continuing to work her full-time day job, she earned an LL.M. in environmental law from George Washington University, graduating with highest honors. Her LL.M. thesis on sharing the ancient waters sequestered in fossil aquifers won an award for environmental law scholarship, which led to her joining the Environmental Law Institute as a Visiting Scholar shortly after her “retirement” from Airbus. Her scholarly publications attracted the attention of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, which invited her to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD in water law. Her doctoral thesis, Governance of Offshore Freshwater Resources, was published as a book and has been called ground-breaking by reviewers. As a result, the publisher has nominated the book for a global award in international law. Teaching international environmental policy at three universities has given her a broad perspective on environmental issues and the critical role that water plays in sustaining life. Her numerous publications and presentations call for a communal approach to water that ensures both intergenerational and interspecies equity.
Renée’s dedication to making a positive impact within her sphere of influence is manifested through her current affiliations with various organizations: Treasurer of the International Water Resources Association, Special Counsel at Eckert Seamans law firm, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Mount Aloysius College (her AA alma mater), adjunct faculty at Saint Francis University (her BA alma mater), member of her hometown water authority, audit committee member of Omega Institute, and sustainability co-chair of the ABA Forum on Air and Space Law.
