Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Welcomes New CEO, Josh Zinner

Josh Zinner

ICCR’s Board of Directors announced that Josh Zinner will be assuming the role of ICCR’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective January 4^th2016.

Josh Zinner comes to ICCR with 20 years’ experience as a non-profit leader, coalition-builder and policy advocate. For the past eight years Josh has co-directed the New Economy Project, an organization that works with community groups to promote economic justice – through policy advocacy, litigation, coalition building, shareholder action, community education, and research – and has been at the forefront both locally and nationally in the fight against discriminatory financial practices.

Having built and led organizations for nearly two decades, Josh Zinner is an experienced executive skilled in non-profit management including fundraising and budget management, supervision of staff, long-term strategic planning, communications and advocacy, and effective collaboration with key stakeholders to advance organizational goals. 

Josh Zinner is also a long-time public interest lawyer who has spent his career working to promote social and economic justice and corporate accountability.  Among earlier roles, Josh founded and ran the Foreclosure Prevention Project at South Brooklyn Legal Services for a decade, and was an early voice sounding the alarm about predatory lending.  He helped to build and lead an influential statewide coalition of over 160 non-profit group members, New Yorkers for Responsible Lending, which fielded successful campaigns to achieve groundbreaking legislation and regulation to curb financial abuses.  He has also worked with Oxfam America on private sector campaigns including access to medicines work; as a housing lawyer with low-income seniors; and as a social worker for five years working with adjudicated youth, street children in Guatemala, and homeless adults.

Said Josh Zinner, 

I am excited to lead an organization with ICCR’s mission and long-term commitment to social justice. Effective corporate engagement is a critical tool for social change, and ICCR’s groundbreaking work leveraging shareholder power to promote corporate accountability is deeply inspiring. In the coming months I look forward to meeting with staff and members to learn how my experience can help advance the organization’s programmatic and institutional priorities.

Said Séamus Finn, ICCR Board Chair,

Josh comes to ICCR at a pivotal and promising time. ICCR has expanded its platform and increased its membership over the past decade and the Board believes Josh is the right person to build on these achievements and contribute to the perceptive and visionary tradition of the ICCR community. As the field of faith- and values-consistent investing expands, under Josh’s leadership, we look forward to seeing ICCR continue to amplify its influence and impact. I know I speak for the entire ICCR community when I say we are delighted Josh is joining us.

Laura Berry

Tim Smith

The Board again expressed its deep gratitude to Laura Berry for her nine years of committed service to ICCR.  Laura will remain in the role of ICCR’s Executive Director until the end of the year, ensuring a smooth leadership transition. Between Laura Berry and Tim Smith‘s twenty-four years as ICCR CEO, Josh Zinner has big shoes to fill but he certainly comes to the job with a great skill-set and excellent grass roots experience. I urge all readers to make a year-end donation to ICCR and to welcome Josh Zinner to his new post. I look forward to working cooperatively with him and others at ICCR to create more democratic companies.