Meet the Staff of Sierra Club California - Part 1

One of the greatest privileges I have as Acting Director of Sierra Club California is the opportunity to work with our dedicated staff every day. Whether focusing on administration, communications, organizing, or strategy, our team comes to work each day with a determination to make California healthier and safer for all of the state’s communities and ecosystems. From the Capitol building in Sacramento, to the towering forests on the North Coast, to the vibrant deserts in Southern California, and everything in between, Sierra Club California’s staff act as the connective tissue between our volunteers, campaign staff, field team, and the policymakers guiding changes in California. 

As staff, we get the opportunity to work with thousands of our volunteers across the state each year. However, we don’t have the opportunity to connect individually with all 500,000+ members and supporters we are fortunate to have. So I wanted to take the chance to introduce you to our incredible team who are hard at work every day representing the voice of Sierra Club and all Californians in the state’s capitol. 

This article is just Part 1. Read below to learn more about some of our staff, and I hope you will catch the rest of our team in our Capitol Voice newsletter next month!

What do you work on at Sierra Club California?

• Michael: As the Communications and Digital Manager, I work alongside all of our chapter staff and volunteer leaders to develop and implement the strategy for Sierra Club California’s campaigns. I also drive our organization’s digital strategy, including our website, social media, and newsletters/alerts.
• Caty: I work to conserve water for our ecosystems, communities, and future generations! I join our members and allies in stopping the environmentally destructive Delta Conveyance Project and its sister project Sites Reservoir. I work on projects impacting the Bay Delta, Colorado River, groundwater and oceans in California, as well as conservation projects to reduce our reliance on imported water. 
• Gaby: After years of working directly with San Joaquin Valley communities organizing around environmental justice issues, I joined Sierra Club California in April of 2023 to work on Industrial decarbonization, renewable energy and agricultural policies and regulatory advocacy. In March of 2023, my work was redirected to cover oil and gas, building decarbonization, toxics, and agriculture, pesticide policies. With a focus on environmental equity, I help guide our advocacy in Sacramento working closely with our field team and our allies, to push for an array of policies and campaign goals statewide.
• Jason: In addition to managing this incredible team of people, I lead our statewide initiatives related to renewable energy and transportation. Coming from a background in conservation research and policy, I saw how important it is to take a comprehensive view of the work that centers it in community needs and climate resilience. 

What is an outdoor activity or place that is on your bucket list?

• Michael: I definitely want to visit Yellowstone National Park someday. I went to Yosemite for the first time earlier this year and it was a life-changing experience!
• Caty: I love our national parks, and would love to see the Hoh Rain Forest at Olympic National Park in Washington, Denali in Alaska, and Banff in Canada! I’d also love to kayak across the Mediterranean if you have any tips for me!
• Gaby: Deep sea diving would be a top outdoor activity on my bucket list. To combine adventure and exploration in underwater terrains with nature that isn’t as often admired by humans would be an absolute dream!
• Jason: I’ve always wanted to hike the pacific crest trail. Someday!

What about the work at Sierra Club California are you most passionate about?

• Michael: Transportation electrification and ending our reliance on oil and gas have always been issues I’m interested in. The upcoming SB1137 referendum will be a huge inflection point for protecting Californians from fossil fuel pollution.
• Caty: One of my favorite things about the Sierra Club is that we are grassroots and answer to volunteers- the people!- and not corporate donors. It scared me to see the Bobcat fire get closer to my home while I was trying to stay put during COVID, to see coyotes and mountain lions coming into neighborhoods in Hollywood because they were so desperately thirsty during drought, and to see flood waters overtake roads in the Delta last year. I am passionate about conservation and the ways consumption intersects. How we choose to develop land, which crops to grow and where, how we transport ourselves and our goods, how we treat each other- these all impact who and what gets protected, and my passion lies in helping people and agencies understand the impact of these decisions.
• Gaby: My passions are continuously evolving in the world of advocacy, but the work I am most passionate about right now at SC CA is the policy work around the fossil fuel industry. Growing up in Kern County, the oil and gas industry is very familiar to me, and the impacts it has had on my own community has been a huge source of my inspiration to dive deeper into this field of work. With the current incredibly impactful legislative efforts being pushed this year, it's hard not to be whole heartedly involved and rooting for our efforts while doing the work!
• Jason: Connecting across campaigns. One of the greatest (and most challenging!) opportunities for making a difference is working across different environmental campaigns to find collaborative paths forward. All of the work we do is connected whether it is renewable energy, transportation, industrial decarbonization, or 30x30. And all of it impacts and has the potential to benefit our communities and habitats.

What is your favorite comfort food to make at home?

• Michael: You can’t go wrong with a simple rice and beans burrito with guac! Easy to make, customizable, and (mostly) healthy - I always default to a weeknight burrito when I don’t know what to cook.
• Caty: I grew up around the best pizza in the country- New Haven, CT- so good Italian food is my comfort food. As a vegan, pasta is a bit easier. I am an unapologetic carb lover!
• Gaby: My favorite comfort food to make at home is my mother’s recipe of stuffed peppers, or in Spanish a “Chile Relleno''. These are not to be confused with the American version sold in chain restaurants here by the way, but the hearty, spicy dish with unique tomato sauce in an egg coated poblano chile pepper with traditional mexican cheese stuffed inside was always my favorite growing up and continues to be a unique taste of home for me that I can’t seem to find anywhere else!
• Jason: My mom’s chili recipe. I don’t have time to make it often though - it’s a 2-day process!
   

Sincerely,