Meet the Board

Board Members

Harry Lynch, MS

Harry 'Hank' Lynch is a resident of Norfolk, Virginia. He most recently held the position of President and CEO for WildAid, which is an international NGO working in 24 countries and is the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Earthshot Prize award, presented by Prince William for the organization's work in the area of global marine protection. Lynch has previously led Reston, Virginia as its CEO. Reston is recognized as the first Biophilic City in the United States. He has also served as the CEO of the nation’s oldest and largest farmed animal welfare, education, and advocacy organization with operations and offices across the country. Additionally, Lynch’s previous executive experience includes the top positions at The National Maritime Center in Norfolk, Virginia and Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in northeast Ohio.

Mark Benthin

As a business entrepreneur, Mark brings over 25 years of global experience in high tech solutions, innovation consulting, commercialization, and management. Serving as Founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman at ViiHealth, Mark helps forward-thinking life sciences organizations improve the way they engage with customers and maximize their digital ROI. Mark has been an officer on One Tree Planted's Board of Directors since 2014, serving as Secretary.

Jim Massey, MS

Jim Massey is an influential figure in the field of business, leadership, and corporate governance. He is the #1 best-selling author of Trust in Action, a guide to help leaders tackle the biggest problems facing society. For more than two decades, Jim created industry leading programs with ground-breaking global partnerships. Most notably, Jim established one of the world’s first Net Zero programs, which included a 50M tree planting program in partnership with One Tree Planted.

Hugh Locke, BES

Hugh Locke brings a wealth of experience in tree planting, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. He is Co-founder and President of the Smallholder Farmers Alliance that plants an average of one million trees a year with its farmer-members in Haiti. He is also Co-founder and Partner in Smallholder Data Services, which recently released a series of groundbreaking reports on the current status and future potential of smallholder regenerative agriculture around the world.

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Annabella Riccio, BA

Annabella Riccio first joined the executive team of the USO in 2010 as Vice-President of Marketing and Development and is currently Senior Development & Board Relations Officer, responsible for managing the organization's corporate development, fundraising, and Board relations efforts.

A graduate of Rutgers University with over 35 years of corporate marketing, strategic planning, public relations, and business development experience; Ms. Riccio brings an extensive track record of success and executive-level leadership to her role at the USO. Previously, Ms. Riccio was Vice-President of Business Development for First Degree, a national marketing agency specializing in mission marketing. She has also held a variety of leadership and marketing positions in both the media industry and the non-profit sector.