Staff

Julia (she/her) became Sierra Club Kentucky’s first Chapter Director in January 2023. She joined the staff of Sierra Club Kentucky after eight years as a professor in art history at Morehead State University, where she also served as Interim Director of the Kentucky Folk Art Center from 2020–22. Throughout her leadership experience in higher education and arts nonprofits, Julia remained committed to the ideals of shared governance, social justice, and community-building, ideals which she brings with her into environmental justice work. 

The Chapter Director carries out the policies, priorities, and objectives of the Executive Committee for programs and operations, including conservation and legislative programs, fundraising, volunteer development and member services, budgeting and financial management, and media relations. As the lead fundraiser for the Chapter, the Director oversees all professional fundraising, including annual appeals and major donors. The Chapter Director also manages other Chapter staff, and represents Sierra Club to government officials, the media, business and community leaders, donors, allies, other organizations, and the public. They also represent Kentucky’s priorities in the national Sierra Club management structure.
 

Sarah (she/her) has been with Sierra Club Kentucky since 2017, and is a familiar face to volunteers and members. She served for years as the sole Chapter staff member in the position of Chapter Coordinator, and with the addition of the Director in 2023, Sarah has been able to turn her focus to supporting Local Groups through volunteer engagement and digital organizing as State Grassroots Programs Coordinator. Sarah is deeply committed to Sierra Club’s mission and grew up going on Sierra Club outings throughout Kentucky with her dad.

The State Grassroots Programs Coordinator supports essential programming functions for the Chapter as well as digital engagement, volunteer organizing, and communications support for Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter, Local Groups, and advocacy campaigns. Our Grassroots Program Coordinator also develops digital engagement strategies at the Chapter and Local Group level and works closely with volunteer leaders, Chapter Organizers, and community partners on programming and outreach. They also act as an information resource for Chapter volunteers and the general public. 

Tom (he/him)’s Sierra Club journey started back in 2015 when he was hired as a contractor with the Beyond Coal Campaign in Eastern Kentucky. During the Sierra Club’s national reorganization in 2023, the Kentucky Chapter recognized the value of maintaining an organizing presence in Eastern Kentucky, and Tom moved back to the Chapter as our Organizer.

The Kentucky Chapter Organizer develops campaign strategy along with the Chapter Director to further Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter’s goals. They are the lead staff member for the Kentucky Chapter’s Just Transition for Eastern Kentucky campaign. They work to increase public awareness of climate issues and increase pressure on key elected officials through participation in and organization of the following: recruiting and training volunteers, identifying and developing volunteers to take on the role of team leaders, organizing press events, social media campaigns, interactive media, digital organizing, drafting opinion based earned media, organizing editorial board/reporter education meetings, organizing grassroots engagement events, arranging office visits with elected officials, creating educational materials, policy research, and increasing the depth and capacity of our grassroots network to ensure progress towards the Chapter’s mission and goals.