Matthew Cassetta

Matthew Cassetta

Matthew Cassetta joined JRS in 2021 as the Foundation’s third Executive Director. He has over two decades of experience in international diplomacy and project management, much of it focused in Africa on capacity-building and development partnerships. With a Master of Science concentrating in Protected Areas Management, conservation has greatly influenced his professional trajectory in the NGO sector, in the U.S. Foreign Service and in a private philanthropic foundation. Fluent in French, Portuguese, and Spanish, he has developed creative collaborations with partners in civil society, academia, the private sector, and national governments for impactful programs to advance development while valuing unique biodiversity and enhancing environmental stewardship. These included such diverse projects as grants competitions for African forest conservateurs, media outreach to prevent wildlife trafficking, anti-erosion and forest conservation efforts in the Congo Basin, and biodiversity awareness campaigns in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. As Executive Director of JRS Biodiversity Foundation, he currently manages a grants portfolio of over $4 million across 20+ African countries.

The JRS Biodiversity Foundation

Executive Director

USA

https://jrsbiodiversity.org/