John B. Thomas

John Thomas joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2011. As a Program Associate, he manages relationships with current and prospective grantees throughout the grantmaking process, coordinates Foundation work with partners, and conducts research in support of the strategic development and execution of Foundation initiatives. His work at the Foundation focuses on revaluing ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, water, and agricultural development.

Prior to joining The Rockefeller Foundation, Mr. Thomas led a team of designers, engineers, business students, and scientists to develop innovative sanitation solutions that met the needs of Cambodia’s rural poor through a partnership with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design and International Development Enterprises – Cambodia (iDE). Previous experience includes research on school-based hand hygiene interventions in Kenya and Uganda with the Davis Group at Stanford University. He has also worked on community based natural resource management in Namibia with Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) and as a member of the leadership team of FACE AIDS, a global youth movement to fight HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Thomas received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology from Stanford University with a concentration in Global Public Health and Economic Development, and a Master of Science in Earth Systems from Stanford’s School of Earth Sciences.