After a comprehensive search, the EarthRights board is thrilled to announce that Bobbie Sta. Maria will be the next executive director of EarthRights International.

Bobbie is a respected leader in the climate and human rights arena who has a deep understanding and care for the communities that are the heart of any systemic change. She gained this worldview while first working at EarthRights 13 years ago to create transnational legal strategies to challenge harmful projects in the Mekong region.

In addition to her prior years at EarthRights, Bobbie’s career spans leadership roles at the Business and Human Rights Resource Center, Global Labor Justice, and the Sunrise Project. Bobbie grew up and earned a Bachelor of Laws in the Philippines and a Master of Human Rights and Democratization in Australia before going on to work in Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, and Washington, D.C. Bobbie is committed to leading EarthRights towards continued success as its next executive director.

Nearly 30 years after Ka Hsaw Wa co-founded EarthRights with Katie Redford and Tyler Giannini, he is stepping down from his role as executive director and transitioning to a new leadership role at the organization to train, mobilize, and support defenders and communities worldwide. 

With Bobbie’s new leadership alongside the decades of trust and power that Ka Hsaw Wa and the EarthRights team have built, we’re incredibly confident for the future of EarthRights and the communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Meche Lu & Aaron Eske
EarthRights International Board of Directors Co-Chairs