Yesterday afternoon at a Ceres gathering I saw a video of President-elect Obama's remarks to the Governors' Global Climate Summit on Tuesday. He stated his commitments forcefully, unconditionally, in about four minutes.

As the clip ran, Joan Bavaria was on the minds of everyone in the room.

I thought, as I listened, of how hard she had worked to craft and then to forge a consensus around the Valdez Principles, the forerunner of the Ceres Principles. How thrilled she would have been with Obama's substance, style and brevity!

I was among several in the room who could say that without Joan's influence we would not be who we are. For me, that statement is both personal and professional.

It was fitting last spring that Ceres launched the Bavaria award, just as social investing has the Moskowitz prize. Joan Bavaria and Milt Moskowitz, these two great friends – modest, generous, hardworking and visionary – transformed socially responsible investing, corporate accountability and the environmental movement.

At this moment of great hope and greater challenges, it seems to me that Joan would want to be remembered through our renewed commitment to her and our causes. She has left a marvelous legacy for us to burnish and grow.

Please visit Ceres and Trillium for their tributes to Joan Bavaria.