Ballot 2019

Illinois Chapter Candidates: J.C. Kibbey, Connie Schmidt, Mavis Bates

J.C. Kibbey

Fighting climate change is the guiding purpose of my life. In more than five years volunteering with the Sierra Club in Chicago, I have helped endorse and elect candidates, worked to pass the Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA) and now the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA), and continually strived to make our Club more equitable inside and out. I have deep knowledge of energy and climate policy, and experience in organizing, political campaigns, and lobbying. I am an Eagle Scout and enjoy biking, rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, and camping. I am always learning from my fellow Club members. I grew up in a coal plant community, spent years in the labor movement, and am one of the only Millennials on the Chapter Executive Committee. I ask for your trust and support, and for the opportunity to continue to serve you and the Club as a member of that committee.

Connie Schmidt

I look forward to serving again on the Illinois Chapter Ex-Com. Over the last two years I have served as Chapter Chair, and appreciate traveling around the state in this role. I feel it is important to network groups together for support and resource sharing. I am the statewide volunteer leader for the Clean Power Team working to pass legislation for Clean Energy. I began lobbying for state priority bills when that program was started in 2006. In my local group, I am a leader with the DuPage Monarch Project and have held many fundraisers for chapter PAC funds. My top personal interests in the outdoors are, clean energy, water quality, and land conservation and providing an equitable and just organization for all. I use the local trails on foot, bicycle and by horseback and I love to paddle our rivers in my kayak or paddleboard.

Mavis Bates

I have dedicated much of the last ten years to Sierra Club. I have served on the Chapter Ex Com as a group delegate and elected member for over 5 years, bringing my technical expertise from my career at Lucent/Bell Labs to bear on energy and policy issues. I have been the Chair for our Valley of the Fox Group for five years, where I am also on the Lobbying and Political Committees. On the chapter level, I am a member of the Clean Power Team and am leading the campaign for the Green New Deal. I hold a Master’s in Sustainable Management from the University of Wisconsin, which gives me a broader perspective on all aspects of sustainability, resilience, and care for our earth. There is still time to save the world, but we better hurry up. Please vote for me for Illinois Chapter Excom.

 Groups with online ballots: Chicago, Northwest Cook, Piasa Palisades, River Prairie, Woods and Wetlands

Chicago Group Candidates: Ryan Baker, Charlie Isaacs, Jeff Shelden, Allison Schraub

Northwest Cook Group Candidates: John Barzditis, Peter Gorr, Barbara Hill, James T. Wallace

John Barzditis

I have been a member of the Sierra Club for 8 years and active in the Northwest Cook County Group for the last 3 years. My participation has principally involved working through the club to support candidates for election endorsed by the club, and political action generally. I am impressed by and thankful for the dedication, commitment, and hard work shown by all of the current executive committee members.

I have always had an appreciation of nature and the outdoors; I am awestruck and inspired by its beauty and perfection. I want to be a contributing part of an organization that shares this vision and whose focus and goal remains the preservation of nature. For several years I have volunteered doing restoration work in the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Peter Gorr

I am running for reelection to NWCCG ExCom. I have been on the ExCom for 9 years and have held numerous positions and am presently Treasurer. Due to inadequate responses at all levels on the issue of Climate Change, we are now dealing with a Climate Crisis. My personal response has been a focus to Solar Energy and have converted my last 2 homes to solar power. In collaboration with the IL Solar Energy Association, I am a Solar Ambassador promoting residential solar energy. I plan to continue this work and expand our reach through collaboration with the many local like-minded groups. Another focus will be to leverage the widely adopted Greenest Region Compact to motivate the development of village sustainability plans where non exist, help refine those that are not appropriately focused, and assist in advancing all plans. 

Barbara Hill

The Sierra Club is a special organization, because we members direct it. The Club succeeds by enabling us to make a difference for the environment. I have served on the executive committee of the Northwest Cook County Group since 2000. I am also the group’s political chair. The political committee works to endorse and elect pro-environment candidates. I am also political chair for the Illinois Chapter and participate in the Grassroots Lobbying Network. 

I came to activism through ecological restoration. I have volunteered with the Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards since 1989. In 1995 Cook County halted all restoration work when a few residents raised objections. I saw that politicians cannot make good policy unless we talk with them. So I started talking. It took a decade to whittle away the restrictions, but the county board now knows something about protecting and restoring local nature.

Please reelect me. Thanks!

James T. Wallace

I’ve witnessed firsthand the passionate dedication exhibited by leaders and members of the Sierra Club. Since joining the NWCC Group in 2013, I volunteer during elections - canvassing and making calls at phone banks - participate in marches and protests, and avail myself to as many activities as I can. I am a regular attendee at the monthly NWCC ExComm and Program meetings, learning more and more not only about the Sierra Club but about environmentalism and nature, as well. Currently I am the Membership Chair for NWCC and a participant on the Illinois Chapter Equity Team; helping to develop a culture of equity within our groups through training and movement building appeals to me very much! I enjoy my participation within the NWCC Group and I believe these experiences qualify me to be a voting member on the ExComm. Therefore, I happily offer myself as a candidate. 

Piasa Palisades Group Candidates: Amitie Flynn, Susan Murray, Sasha Bassett, Toni Oplt, Chris Krusa

Amitie Flynn

Over the years of serving on ExCom I have had the pleasure of being involved in many efforts that have positively impacted our communities and beyond.  While the times change, and issues evolve, we are fortunate to be part a group that embraces the many challenges we face with optimism. It is this spirit of optimism that gives us strength and helps us to make an even greater positive impact in our communities and for our planet.  I look forward to continuing to serve our group as a member of ExCom and ask you to allow me the opportunity with your vote.

Susan Murray

A love and respect for nature was instilled in me growing up. My family spent a month touring a different state every summer. Our home away from home was a pop-up tent trailer. I loved it.  

I have been on a life-long course of learning about and loving the outdoors. My husband and I backpacked for years. When we didn’t backpack, we chartered an airplane to fly us into the Canadian wilderness with our packs and a canoe. I became a Leave No Trace trainer and a Master Gardener. I am earning my Master Naturalist certification. 

Being on the Executive Committee of the Piasa Palisades Group gives me the opportunity to give back: to help direct local efforts to protect, explore, and enjoy the natural world. I would like to continue to serve and find new ways to connect our membership with the world around them.

Sasha Bassett

I’m a first year law student at St. Louis University and work part-time at Simmons Hanly Conroy in their asbestos department. I want to apply environmental litigation to hold corporations that pollute our water, air, and soil accountable.

 My background is largely in the non-profit field, with some political. I worked for the YMCA, a run-away youth shelter, a vocational program for people with disabilities, and community development project. I worked for the Senator Rachelle Aud Crowe campaign and interned for Senator Dick Durbin. I had a fellowship in Washington, D.C. for the Syrian Emergency Taskforce.

 I look forward to a truly green future, which I believe rests on both individual actions, and broad-scale societal action and regulations. I believe we need to drastically reduce our energy consumption through slowing down our lifestyles, while also switching our infrastructure to clean energy. I believe this work needs to be done NOW.

Toni OpIt

I worked for University of Illinois Department of Agriculture for nearly 10 years. I managed the community outreach for 17 counties during the Flood of ‘93. I was deeply affected by this natural disaster and developed a keener understanding of agriculture and its relationship with the environment—directly and indirectly. 

When I became ill, I spent a lot of time researching the connection between environmental pollution, quality of food supply and human health. This search made me a strong advocate for accessible organic food supply and plant-based diets. 

 I have moved from knowledgeable consumer to vocal advocate, with a sense of duty beyond self, seeing my journey intrinsically linked to the journey of others—my community—my state—my country—Earth.

Currently, I work on Illinois energy issues and chair the Metro East Green Alliance.

I would be honored to serve on the Executive Committee. 

Chris Krusa

 After 30 years of USG service in maritime training and education, I became an environmental activist on the Chesapeake Bay and to help reduce greenhouse emissions.  Since moving from Maryland, I have supported the mission of the Sierra Club in protecting the environment and fighting global warming. One job as Executive Committee member of PPG has been to promote the establishment of the Cool Cities program in Metro East in Glen Carbon, and other local municipalities.  I represent PPG at Chapter meetings and support Sierra Club political and lobbying activities, including testifying against coal ash. I work as Program Officer for the PPG monthly Speakers’ Series and am active with the Metro East Green Alliance subcommittee to fight dirty coal. During the past three years I helped create a successful bulk solar installation program in Metro east, now called “Grow Solar”.  Your continued support is appreciated. 

River Prairie Group Candidates: Jeff Gahris, Kathy Franke, Joe Pokorny

Jeff Gahris

 Jeff, a 39-year resident of DuPage County, has long been active with the River Prairie Group and other environmental organizations in the area, such as the DuPage Clean Energy Coalition, Illinois Solar Energy Association, and Citizens Climate Lobby. He is currently serving for the third year as chair of RPG’s Executive Committee.

 For 36 years, Jeff worked for state and federal agencies implementing Clean Air Act programs and regulations before retiring. Now he enjoys hiking in natural areas such as the DuPage Forest Preserves, explores permaculture and the local food economy, and is an avid solar energy enthusiast and public speaker.

Jeff’s priorities for the Sierra Club are a just transition to renewable energy, preservation of natural areas, and public access to green space.

Kathy Franke

Hi, my name is Kathy Franke. I have been an active Sierra Club member for more than 25 years, since the days we activated the “phone tree” for “action alerts”. We are much more efficient now! I have been an Ex Commember for close to 10 years, serving as secretary for most of that time. Additionally, I participate in the membership and outreach committee, as well as the political committee for which we were very successful with our endorsed candidates in the mid-term elections of 2018! I would be honored to continue to serve if elected to another term on the Ex Com.

Joe Pokorny

I have been a Club Life member since 1986 and a computer geek since the mid-1960s.

I had been acting as an RPG outings leader/assistant since joining and currently as RPG Administrator for HELEN (Club membership database), activity calendar, and email list servers, plus serving as assistant webmaster. I plan to continue to aid the Executive Committee in attaining their goals, work with the Outings Committee, find ways to enhance our communications, and verify and aid in compliance with Club rules and use of Club resources.

Woods and Wetlands Group Candidates: Doug Ower, Dulce Ortiz, Marta Guzman