Tim Purinton

Tim’s diversity of work—ranging from leading the implementation of our conservation vision and launching new initiatives to working closely with the chapter’s volunteer trustees—is for a single purpose: to address the most pressing environmental issues facing Maryland and the District of Columbia. 

The outcomes, if successful, will be cleaner water, healthier forests, and more resilient urban and coastal communities.

Before joining TNC in 2017, Tim served as the director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, part of the commonwealth’s Department of Fish and Game. It was a division he co-created in 2009 to help the state adapt to climate change, provide clean water, revitalize cities and protect biodiversity.

In his previous roles, Tim worked alongside TNC staff restoring ecosystems, influencing environmental policy and instituting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in Massachusetts as a state government official for over a decade. 

• Master of Public Administration (MPA), Harvard University
• B.A., Geography, McGill University

Tim's work is focused on areas where the chapter's outcomes can have the greatest impact: protecting clean water and tackling climate change.

• RURAL SOLUTIONS. Engaging with Maryland’s largest industry, agriculture, to keep nutrients on farms and out of our streams and rivers.
• URBAN SOLUTIONS. Using the power of nature to make cities more resilient and livable places.
• COASTAL SOLUTIONS. Helping our coastal communities plan for and adapt to rising seas.
• FOREST SOLUTIONS. Enabling habitats, wildlife and communities to thrive in the face of a changing climate.

While the states' geography occupy a relatively small footprint, they are critical to the health of the mid-Atlantic region. Maryland’s western forests are a key wildlife corridor along the Appalachian Mountains. The intact watersheds on the Eastern Shore represent some of the best opportunities for ameliorating the impacts of sea level rise. And Washington, D.C., is on the forefront of creating new and replicable mechanisms for financing stormwater pollution treatment.