Leslie Lowe

Leslie Lowe served on River Network’s Board of Directors from 2009 until 2017. Her calm demeanor and bold encouragement pushed River Network to look deeper into specific geographies and issues where inequality persists, to shine a light on what we find, and bring attention to issues that others ignored. A champion of emerging leaders and always generous, Leslie’s contributions and spirit of determination left a lasting mark. Her professional contributions focused on corporate and governmental accountability and environmental law and policy. She worked as a Program Officer for Institutional Accountability & Individual Liberty at the Rockefeller Foundation, was the founder and Managing Director of UCI Environmental Accountability, directed the Energy & Environment Program at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), and also served as Executive Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Leslie received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennington College, a Master’s of Science from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and did post-graduate research in economic and social history at the University of Paris. She also served on the board of the Highlander Research and Education Center and is a past Chair of the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation’s Board of Directors. Leslie was a second-generation New Yorker who had adopted New Orleans as her home. 

Leslie established the Emerging Leader Award at River Network in 2019 to recognizes a burgeoning leader working at the intersection of water and justice. This award provides early career recognition to expand their aspirations, gain confidence, and widen their network.