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Michael Brune joined the Old Growth Team at Rainforest Action Network (RAN) in 1998 to work on the Home Depot campaign. At that time, "old growth free" and "endangered forest free" were far from household terms in America. One year later, Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, became the world's first to make a public commitment to stop sourcing wood from old growth forests. Time magazine heralded it as the #1 environmental story of 1999. Subsequently, Michael negotiated old growth free agreements with lumber retailers including Lowe's and Menards and homebuilders including Centex Homes and KB Home.
After his promotion to campaign director, Michael became the driving force behind RAN's campaigns to lead more companies like Kinko's and Boise Cascade out of old growth and endangered forests. His leadership has helped support the rights of indigenous communities from South America to Southeast Asia, preserve the Great Bear Rainforest of British Columbia and stop Citigroup from funding rainforest destruction.
Prior to joining RAN, Michael worked as a campaigner for the Coast Rainforest Coalition and public outreach director for Greenpeace in San Francisco. He received a B.S. in accounting and finance from Westchester University.
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