Jerome C. Ringo

Jerome Claude Ringo was born March 2, 1955 to the late Earl and Nellie Huddleston Ringo. He departed this life on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at the age of 70 at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, surrounded by his family. He leaves to mourn his wife of 23 years, Mary Guidry-Ringo, his brothers Bennie (Geri) Ringo, Ronnie (Gwen) Ringo, and Wendell Ringo, a beautiful blended family of four children: Earlandra (Chadwick) Finnie, Jerome II (Jennifer Comeaux) Ringo, Brittany (Navar) Pete, and Tayla (Taylor) Phillips. He also leaves 6 grandchildren to cherish his memory: Jimmie & Sarah Ringo, Hailey & Hannah Pete, Jayda Ringo, and Bellamy Phillips. He also leaves a host of nieces and nephews, friends, loved ones, and business associates.
He was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Nellie Ringo, two brothers, Johnny and Robert Ringo, and his granddaughter Lillian Eleanor Watson.
Jerome was a pioneering environmental justice leader, civil rights advocate, and a passionate voice for equity in the conservation movement. Born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana during the civil rights era, he learned early the value of diversity and justice from his parents-his father, a postal worker and civil rights activist, and his mother, a nurse. As one of the first black students to attend Pearl Watson Junior High School, Jerome internalized a lifelong commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and change.
Initially drawn to the petrochemical industry in 1975, Jerome saw firsthand the disproportionate harm that pollution inflicted on poor and minoritized communities. This awakening led him to grassroots environmental advocacy, where he began volunteering with the Calcasieu League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN) in 1991. From those humble beginnings, Jerome's impact would stretch across the globe.
In 1996, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and in 2005, he made history by becoming the first African-American to chair the board of a major national conservation organization. Under his leadership, the NWF expanded its focus on environmental justice and diversity.
Jerome also served as president of the Apollo Alliance from 2005 to 2010, a coalition that united labor, business, and environmental interests to advance clean energy solutions. He continued his work with Apollo as a board member while also serving as the Goodwill Ambassador to the Pan-African Parliament for Trade and Investment and as Senior Executive for Global Strategies at GreenPort, Inc., a company dedicated to creating sustainable infrastructure at seaports worldwide. Jerome most recently served as co-founder and Executive Chairman of Zoetic Global, a technology and energy solutions provider.
Internationally recognized, Jerome represented the United States as its only Black delegate at the 1998 Kyoto Protocol global warming treaty negotiations and later spoke at sustainability conferences in Belize, Berlin, Montreal, Nairobi, and New York. He also delivered remarks at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and was a McCloskey Fellow and Associate Research Scholar at Yale University in 2006. His academic contributions also included guest lectures at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and numerous historically black colleges and universities.
Jerome was not only an environmental advocate but a powerful mentor and role model. His journey was shaped by personal challenges, including a battle with addiction, which he overcame more than three decades ago. This experience deepened his empathy and strengthened his commitment to uplifting others. He often spoke openly about his path to recovery, using his life as a testimony to the transformative power of faith, purpose, and perseverance.
He co-founded Faith Vision Ministries with his wife Mary in 2005. They served together as co-pastors for 15 years. He also served as a devoted and active member of Word of Hope Family Worship Center, where his faith and service touched his church community.
His written work includes contributions to Diversity and the Future of the U.S. Environmental Movement (2007) and The Green Festival Reader (2008). He also appeared in the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth.
Jerome's voice was one of unwavering hope and determination. He believed in leaving a footprint in the sand for future generations-a legacy built on the belief that environmental work is not only about protecting the planet, but also about justice, equity, and community empowerment.
While he achieved countless honors and accolades, Jerome often said that the greatest highlight of his career would be the day when people of color took on leadership roles in the environmental movement, making it truly inclusive of all people. His life's work brought us closer to that vision.
In honoring his legacy, may we each continue his mission-to care for our communities, to fight for justice, and to ensure that the environmental movement reflects the beautiful diversity of the world it seeks to protect.