Message From the President

ELI Mourns the Loss of Colleague and Friend, Ridge Hall

It is with deep and heartfelt sadness that I share the news of the passing of one of ELI’s greatest supporters and a true environmental champion, Ridgway M. Hall, Jr. You may have known Ridge through his work with the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, Crowell & Moring, EPA, ACOEL, ELI, or in any other of the myriad spaces that he served to advance environmental law and policy, a field in which his impact has been profound. But no matter how you came to know him, anyone who knew Ridge knew the warmth and light that he shone on everyone and everything around him, always accompanied by a huge smile and a genuine inquiry about you. His is a tremendous and sudden loss to this community.

Over the course of his career, Ridge worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He served as EPA Associate General Counsel for Water, and was also a founding partner of Crowell & Moring, where he started the firm’s environmental practice group. More recently, Ridge served as Vice Chair of the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, a network of lawyers who handle cases on a pro bono basis relating to the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, its watershed, and its natural resources. Ridge was also an active member of ELI throughout his career. In addition to serving on ELI’s Board for two terms, Ridge was a member of ELI’s Leadership Council, and wrote several articles and columns for ELI’s policy magazine, The Environmental Forum. He even wrote a blog to commemorate ELI’s 50th anniversary, sharing his early experiences with the Institute.

A longtime advocate for clean water with more than 40 years’ experience in environmental law, Ridge was a colleague and friend to many and will be sorely missed. ELI is so grateful that we had the opportunity to know and work with Ridge, and we send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

—Jordan Diamond, November 1, 2023