Our Founders
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — An avid environmentalist and lawyer, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is the Chairman of Keeper Springs, and its public face meeting members of the press and potential retailers. Early in his career, Kennedy pursued his passion for the environment by dedicating his professional law experience towards it.
In 1984, the former New York City Assistant District Attorney began working with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national environmental organization of lawyers and scientists. Now, he currently serves as NRDC’s Senior Attorney. Through his work with the organization, he became Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association, suing polluters and making them accountable for their actions. The organization later changed its name to the Hudson Riverkeeper and has been a catalyst for America’s fastest growing environmental movement.
Through the actions of the Hudson Riverkeeper and others, the Hudson River has become an international model for ecosystem recovery. Spurred by this tremendous success, Kennedy founded the Water Keeper Alliance to support approximately 75 Keeper organizations. He serves as President of the organization.
In addition to his roles with environmental groups, Kennedy is also a Clinical Professor and Supervising Attorney at the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic at Pace University School of Law in New York. He is credited with helping negotiate the $1.5 billion New York City watershed agreement.
Kennedy’s commitment to the environment extends far beyond New York. He helped lead the fight to turn back anti-environmental legislation during the 104th Congress and has worked on environmental issues throughout the Americas, including commencing lawsuits against the factory hog farming industry.
Kennedy has authored three books: The Riverkeepers, New York State Apprentice Falconer’s Manual and Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr.: A Biography. His articles have appeared in several national magazines and newspapers. He is a licensed master falconer and has organized and led several expeditions to Latin America, including first descents of rivers.
Kennedy is a graduate of Harvard University. He studied at the London School of Economics and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. He holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law.
Chris Bartle — Chris currently manages the company and co-leads the company’s environmental efforts. Chris was formerly a practicing attorney, then a partner in an investment firm in New York and is now general counsel and a principal at Market Shield Capital (www.marketshieldcapital.com) near Boston. While he was practicing law full time, he was one of the lawyers who brought a Clean Water Act case to protect billions of fish from plants that use water for cooling, and which now affects every major U.S. waterway. He is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School.
John Hoving — John has engaged in a multifaceted career working in both the corporate and non-profit worlds becoming a seasoned veteran in the intricacies of fund-raising, event management, and production coordination.
He began his career at Tiffany & Company and ended it as Associate Director of Design. Among other things, John oversaw the development and production of new products for the store and window designs. Additionally, he worked full time as a clinical therapist in a hospital specializing in alcohol and drug rehabilitation and dual diagnosis.
But when his friend Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked him to join Riverkeeper (http://www.riverkeeper.org/ ), then a small grassroots environmental group, he saw an opportunity to make a real difference. Over the course of five years as the Director of Development, John successfully oversaw the complete renovation of the organization’s overall fundraising strategy, direction, and developed significant new corporate and individual donor solicitation programs, all of which resulted in major sources of financial support and revenue for the organization.
He is responsible for the creation of Riverkeeper’s Annual Awards dinner, producing the first three.
While at Riverkeeper, he helped found Keeper Springs and worked full time for several years on the initial stages of development and marketing of Keeper Springs. Using his expertise in sales and logistics he orchestrated the sale and delivery of one million bottles of water to Woodstock’s 30th anniversary in upstate New York.
As Vice President of Development at the Caron Foundation, he was responsible for all aspects of development, fund-raising, public relations and special events and conceived and produced the most successful revenue generating vehicle in the organization’s history.
Working as an independent event producer, John has had the unique opportunity to work in both the music and film business in a variety of different production positions and in locations all over the world and with a variety of different companies, organizations, musicians and personalities.
John is currently working with Olmos Productions as Vice President of Media overseeing media & film development, merchandising and special projects. He is also writing and editing several books based on the prolific writings of his grandfather, the former Chairmen & CEO of Tiffany & Company, Walter Hoving. Topics will range from, advice and thoughts about Business, Manners and Personal Development to Mr. Hoving’s career and experiences at Tiffany.
John was also recently asked by Random House to write the forward to the upcoming 50th anniversary edition of “Tiffany’s Table Manners for Teenagers,” a book, according to his grandfather, that was written to improve his table manners!
John graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Philosophy and from Fordham University with a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work.