Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 Sierra Club Board of Directors election and thank you to all Sierra Club members who voted.
The election concluded on April 26, 2023. Based on a vote count carried out by Election Services Co., the independent firm that manages our annual board election, we welcome Shruti Bhatnagar, Rita Harris, David Holtz, Patrick Murphy, and Dave Scott to the Board to serve three-year terms.
A total of 51,539 members voted in the election, exercising one of the most important responsibilities of membership – helping continue our legacy of a democratically elected volunteer board.
This year, seven candidates ran for the five board seats up for election. Each candidate was selected by the Nominating Committee. There were no candidates running on petition.
Our organization's Board of Directors is an all volunteer team that collaborates on important decisions that determine our organization’s priorities, policies, and financial health. These newly elected directors will join the 10 existing members to make up Sierra Club's highest governing body.
In 2023, the Board of Directors will be responsible for critical decisions, including establishing the Club's conservation priorities and internal policies, as well as adapting and implementing our annual budget. Their strong leadership and dedication are critical to the ongoing effectiveness of the organization.
The five candidates elected:
|
Votes received |
Percent of votes |
|
|
Rita Harris |
38,647 |
16.23% |
|
Patrick Murphy |
38,574 |
16.20% |
|
David Holtz |
37,023 |
15.55% |
|
Dave Scott |
36,583 |
15.36% |
|
Shruti Bhatnagar |
34,192 |
14.36% |
Results for the other candidates who ran:
|
Votes received |
Percent of votes |
|
|
Marisol Rubio |
33,141 |
13.92% |
|
Marquita Bradshaw |
19,950 |
8.38% |
Profiles of the winning candidates:
Valid Returns by Internet: 13,218
Valid Returns by Mail: 38,321
Total Valid Returns: 51,539
(Invalid Ballots: 507)
Total Ballots Distributed: 654,243
Valid Ballots Returned: 7.88%
Sierra Club extends our heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers that made this year’s election possible including: Secretary Meghan Sahli-Wells, the Inspectors of Election, Steve Krieg (Chief), Marianne Dugan, and Mark Walters; the Nominating Committee, Mary Ann Ruiz (Chair), Alyssa Cadwalader, Deitra Covington, Marlene Esquivel, Tim Frank, Crystal Kadakia, and Elisabeth Lamar; the Ballot Statement Review Committee: Victoria Brandon (Chair), Debbie Arthur, Sharon Koch, Tom Thompson, Becky English, and Frank Gruber; and the Forum Questions Committee: Katie Mettle (Chair), Nathan Chan, Nkrumah Frazier, Erica Hall, Gary Lasky, and Paulo Panaligan.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in this election. If you haven't already, you can sign up for an electronic ballot for next year’s election to help us save paper, postage, and money by completing this form.