The Ecosystem Investment Partners team brings deep experience in private equity management, real estate investment, conservation finance, environmental policy, ecological restoration, environmental permitting, mitigation credit sales & marketing. Our diverse and complementary skills encompass all the disciplines involved in successful mitigation banking and full delivery restoration projects.
Nick Dilks co-founded EIP in 2006 and has extensive experience in land conservation, finance, private equity fund management and real estate. Prior to EIP, he spent 10 years with The Conservation Fund, most recently as its Vice President for Real Estate. He has a BA in Environmental Science & Policy from Duke University and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Adam Davis has over thirty years experience in owning and running businesses that align economic incentives with environmental outcomes. He has focused specifically on mechanisms that enable land-based offsets and the financial value of natural systems since the late 1990’s and is one of the national leaders in this investment space. Along with Nick and Heath, he is involved in all aspects of EIP investment and company operation, and he heads up national policy engagement for EIP as a board member of the trade association that EIP is active in, the Ecological Restoration Business Association (“ERBA”). Adam originally hails from Baltimore, earned a BA from Cornell University, and now lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Heath Rushing has over 20 years experience investing in natural resource real estate and conservation opportunities across the US. Heath was a co-founder of Fountain Investments, Inc. and New Nevada Resources, LLC. He has a BBA from Mississippi State University.
David Urban has over 28 years experience in wetland and stream restoration. David is a nationally recognized expert in mitigation banking, is the past President of the Ecological Restoration Business Association, and was a permit officer with the Chicago District of the US Army Corps of Engineers. David has been directly responsible for the design, permitting, construction, management, and/or monitoring of over 49 mitigation and restoration projects in 11 different Districts of the US Army Corps of Engineers since 1995. David has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a MS in Environmental Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and was commissioned in the US Navy for 5 years.
Katherine Birnie has cross-disciplinary experience in real estate acquisition, conservation finance and ecosystem service market analysis and research. Prior to joining EIP, Katherine was Conservation Innovation Program Manager at the Maine Coast Heritage Trust where she launched an initiative to develop and implement new project finance approaches to land conservation. She has also served as Project Manager at the Peninsula Open Space Trust in California. She has a BA in Biology from Williams College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Nelly Perkins has over 20 years of banking, finance and real estate experience. Prior to joining EIP, she worked for Preston Scheffenacker Properties Inc., a real estate investment and development company, where she served as Senior Vice President and Controller overseeing all aspects of accounting and tax preparation, as well as investor reporting. She also worked for Bank of America and predecessor banks for ten years in several specialty lending groups. Nelly received her undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University and her MBA from the University of Baltimore.
Zachary Davidson has experience in project development, capital markets, natural resources, environmental sustainability and research. Prior to joining EIP, Zack was an Analyst in the Investment Bank at Barclays in New York. While at Barclays, Zack provided capital markets advisory services to a variety of stakeholders in the Natural Resources sector. He has a BA in Environmental Studies from New York University.
Trygg has experience in real estate, research, natural resources, and environmental restoration. Trygg previously worked for EIP for two years as an Analyst and Associate prior to leaving for business school at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he received his MBA with a concentration in real estate. Prior to his first stint at EIP, Trygg worked at Trout Unlimited and played professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox organization. Trygg received his BA in environmental studies from Yale University.
Troy Anderson has nearly 20 years of experience in ecological restoration and construction, including prairie, wetland, savannah, streams, lakes, rivers and unique habitats requiring critical regulatory performance standards. Prior to joining EIP, Troy worked for private ecological restoration firms including Applied Ecological Services where he served as Vice President, managing multiple offices and a wide range of large restoration projects. Troy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Biological Aspects of Conservation.
Stephanie has over 12 years’ experience in wetland and ecological permitting, most recently at WRA where she lead teams supporting a variety of environmental and Section 404 permitting activities in a variety of ecosystems. Prior to WRA she worked in the field of human and environmental exposure as a health scientist and previous to that as a field biologist supporting the oil, gas, public sector transportation and energy sectors, and Federal agencies.. Stephanie graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Biology and Ecology.
Joseph Williams, Assistant Director of Markets, has experience identifying new markets for mitigation banking, working with developers to solve their mitigation needs and developing green field mitigation banks. Prior to Joining EIP, Joe was the Director of Operations for Meritract, a nationwide mitigation banking company. Joe served two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, focusing on agroforestry, environmental, business and education initiatives. Joe earned a BS from James Madison University and a Masters of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Joann is a certified public accountant with a variety of accounting and finance experience. Prior to joining EIP, Joann was an Accounting Manager for Greenspring Associates where she worked on the management company and quarterly fund financial statements. She also worked as an Accounting Manager for Videology, Inc. managing the month end close processes for the North America region. Joann began her career working in the Assurance and Advisory Business Services Practice at Ernst & Young, LLP. Joann graduated Magna Cum Laude from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Joann also earned her Master of Science degree in Accounting and Business Advisory Services from Towson University.
Liam Brooks has experience in environmental policy, renewable energy and environmental markets, and research. Prior to EIP, Liam worked as a Research Associate at Karbone, where he evaluated regulatory policy and energy market data to inform investment decisions for a variety of stakeholders. Liam received a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Abby is a certified public accountant who, before joining EIP, worked as a fund accountant for Greenspring Associates maintaining fund records and preparing financial statements. She also worked for a large, non-profit health system as a staff accountant conducting month-end closes and reconciliations . Abby earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Kennesaw State University and received her Master of Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland.
Fred was a visionary environmental investor, conservation hero, strong leader and friend to the EIP family for over a decade. Prior to co-founding EIP in 2006, Fred was a co-founder of Capital Resource Partners and the founder of the Upper Clark Fork Mitigation Bank in western Montana. Please click on this link for an article that describes more about Fred’s extraordinary life and his contributions to our firm and conservation.
