Bequest of Retirement Plan Assets

Jim Reisa's Generous Gift to Support the Work of the Academies Adds to His Legacy

Jim Reisa has accomplished a lot in the 27 years he has served as director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, now part of the Division on Earth and Life Studies. Under his leadership, BEST has produced nearly 300 reports that have made substantial impacts on national policies and scientific practices affecting human health and the environment.

Reisa believes so strongly in the Academies' work that he is naming the institution as a beneficiary under his retirement plan. He takes comfort in knowing that his work will go on indefinitely, supported by a fund for environmental studies in his name long after he's gone.

"Some of our reports have truly changed the world," he said. "No other institution stands for getting the truth out there with such credibility."

Reisa has had plenty of experience in Washington to know. Before joining the Academies in 1986, he served with the White House Council on Environmental Quality during the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations and then at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

But being director of BEST is his dream job. "I have been blessed to become director of my field of scientific interest at the most prestigious scientific institution in the world."

"Each of us has only one life to live, and we must try to make it count for something," Reisa said. "We are fortunate to be able to contribute to the work of our wonderful institution in our careers. Through a financial legacy, we can ensure that our contributions will continue in perpetuity."