Neal Hess has extensive experience and expertise in the conservation and restoration fields. Neal has a Bachelor of Science from Ohio University and two years of Master’s level coursework in geology.
Neal has worked in the nonprofit sector (West Creek Conservancy and Trust for Public Land), the public sector (Summit Metro Parks), and the private sector (CT Consultants and EnviroScience). Neal has an Ohio real estate license and is in the process of earning a real estate broker’s license. He is the founder and principal of Conservation Realty Group LLC (Rubber City Realty broker). He has acquired and restored properties for clients in every corner of the state.
Since 2006, Neal has raised and managed over $48 million in grant and other financings for natural resource protection, restoration, and park development projects throughout the state of Ohio. His specialty is identifying, financing, developing, and managing high-quality ecological protection and restoration projects from the initial concept stage through to implementation and project completion. In addition to traditional grant sources, Neal is also experienced in the financing and development of stream, wetland, and species mitigation projects. At Summit Metro Parks Neal was instrumental in the development and submission of the state’s first prospectus for an endangered species conservation bank and the nation’s first proposed conservation bank for endangered bats. He enjoys and is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to finance conservation and restoration projects.
Neal received the 2015 Conservation Achievement Award from the Appalachia Ohio Alliance. He has completed the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM) Training for wetland classification through the Ohio EPA and Rosgen Applied Fluvial Morphology Level 1 training. Neal is an alumnus of the 2012 Yale Conservation Finance Bootcamp and attended the 2013 Conservation Banking Class taught by The Conservation Fund. Neal also is a licensed Ohio Real Estate Broker, which he utilizes primarily to assist clients with purchasing land for conservation and public park purposes.
Email: NHess@EnviroScienceInc.com