Elizabeth Hewitt named chair of Cary Institute Board of Trustees

MILLBROOK — Elizabeth Hewitt, longtime trustee of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, has been named Chair of the research institute’s Board of Trustees. She plans for long-term financial stability and scientific expansion during her tenure.

Hewitt began her tenure in the midst of a six-week recovery from a riding incident when she was bucked from her horse. She suffered numerous broken ribs and a punctured lung. Despite her injuries, Hewitt has begun working in her new role.

The Cary Institute Board of Trustees is volunteer-based, and members do not receive compensation.

She comes to the position with nonprofit experience in financial management and asset allocation. Hewitt was chair of the investment committee with Cary before serving as co-vice chair of the Board of Trustees. She was named chair in June.

Hewitt currently works as the Chief Investment Officer at Miras Investments, an institutional family-owned business. She also serves on the board of the Dana Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on neuroscience. Previously, Hewitt has served on the boards of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and The Madeira School, and was the chief investment officer at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a science-based nonprofit.

“Cary and its work expands our understanding of how ecosystems work, and it helps communities and decision makers and land managers make better decisions,” Hewitt said. “It’s a real honor to help steward an organization with that kind of mission.”

Hewitt was drawn to Cary Institute in part because of its work with the Hubbard Brook Research Forest, which first documented acid rain in North America in 1963.

“I always remember Cary as this incredible institute that did world class ecological studies and independent ecological science with a real practical impact,” Hewitt said.

Cary Institute President Josh Ginsberg has worked with two board chairs prior to Hewitt, and says each chair brings a unique skill set to the institute.

“Elizabeth’s skills as a nonprofit financial manager will be especially important,” Ginsberg said.

The Cary Institute has faced recent federal funding cuts, with Hewitt describing the federal funding environment as posing a challenge for science.

“She is going to be a remarkable leader in managing the uncertainty of these times for science-based institutions,” Ginsberg said.

In recent years, the Cary Institute has focused on long-term financial stability, a goal that Hewitt continues to work toward.

“Our role as a board is to create the conditions where great science can thrive,” Hewitt said. “It’s about supporting the institute and helping to expand the reach and impact that Cary science and their scientists can have.”

Hewitt hopes to support the scientific missions of the institute.

“While we’re rooted in the Hudson Valley, we have a much broader national and global impact. I think that’s a really important part of what makes Cary unique,” she said.