The History of Newton Marasco Foundation
NMF reaches thousands of children and young adults with its message of environmental stewardship
The Newton Marasco Foundation (NMF) started in 2004 by Amy Marasco Newton and over 100 volunteers. Amy and her late husband, Dave Newton were the founders and senior partners of the Marasco Newton Group, Ltd., a $50 million environmental consulting and IT firm in Arlington, Virginia. The firm was recognized as a leader in its field and as one of the top philanthropic companies in the region. They sold the firm in 2002 and retired to rethink “chapter two” of their lives. However, Dave died in August of 2003. A year later, NMF was born out of a desire to leave a legacy in honor of Dave and to continue their philanthropic work in the area of environmental stewardship and education.
The Foundation was started in 2004 by current NMF President, Amy Marasco Newton. NMF was originally both a way to commemorate the legacy and works of her late husband and business partner, David Newton, and to channel the energy and enthusiasm of hundreds of employees and friends who had worked for Dave and Amy at their environmental consulting firm in Washington DC. The Foundation is now managed by an Executive Board with representatives of the top environmental, energy and sustainability firms in our nation.
In just six years the Foundation has reached thousands of youth. NMF has co-sponsored the Centennial Celebration for Rachel Carson on Capitol Hill; designed the nation’s first environmental stewardship literature and book award program for authors who write about stewardship for children and young adults; responded to the President’s call for individual energy conservation actions by launching its enGAUGE It program where high school students check car tire pressure to save lives, save money and save the environment; and assisted schools in the national Capital region turn outdoor areas into environmental learning centers and natural habitats into working classrooms. Most recently the Foundation arranged the dedication of ten acres in Western Loudoun County, Virginia that were placed into a conservation easement and through NMF’s stewardship, turned into a student designed and maintained nature trail for the entire community to use.
