Vote for the Sierra Club Executive Committee by December 16
For more information, click the links below:
Mickkayla CallahanI want to be on the Executive Committee because I am passionate about climate advocacy, critical thinking, and leadership. I have been advocating in the climate sphere for the last 6 years. I was a founding member of my local climate action council, the White Lake Area Climate Action Council, in 2020, where I have served as a Steering Committee member since. Throughout the years, I have had numerous climate and equity-related internships, contract gigs, partnerships, and more, with trusted organizations, such as MICAN, WMEAC, and the Sierra Club. I have a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and am working toward my graduate degree in Human Resource Management. Presently, I am a Talent Development and Marketing Specialist. My education, passion, and experiences in climate leadership roles make me a qualified candidate for ExCom. As a member of the ExCom, I will make educated decisions that help further the Sierra Clubs' goals of spreading climate awareness, preserving the environment, and preventing climate change.
Marty HabalewskyI have been an at-large executive committee member since 2020. In 2021 I received the chapter’s Theodore Roosevelt Award for political leadership. I serve the Michigan Legislative and Political committees and have been chair of the Blue Water Committee in Port Huron. I worked in public relations, and in sales and marketing. Four Michigan governors have been my public relations clients. A citizen lobbyist and a witness or plaintiff in Sierra Club lawsuits against major polluters, I helped a homeowners’ group convince the St. Clair County Commissioners to spend $1 million to solve a landfill odor problem.
Yousef Rabhi
As a lifelong environmental activist, long-time Sierra Club member and current Co-Chair of the Michigan Chapter, I have devoted my life to the struggle for a better, more just planet. In my 14 years of elected public service both as State Representative and County Commissioner, I sponsored bills to protect our groundwater, force polluters to pay, set a 100% renewable energy standard, expand access to home solar and ban PFAS in consumer products, among others.
Andrew SarpolisAndrew served on staff at the Michigan Sierra Club, most recently as the Michigan Field Manager. While there, he helped to manage the Sierra Club’s award-winning Beyond Coal Campaign and field programs in the state. Now, Andrew is looking to use the knowledge and experience he has built to continue to help support the chapter on the executive committee as a volunteer leader. Andrew has a background in nonprofit management, campaigns, and community organizing.
Jamie SimmonsJamie Simmons is a lifelong environmental activist, social worker, and restorative justice advocate. Jamie has worked within the movement for a just energy transition for the past seven years. She started her collaborative work with the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter during the 2021 Build Back Better Campaign, while holding the position of Engagement Director for Michigan Climate Action Network. Since her role at MICAN, she has gone on to act as the Community Engagement Reporter and Coordinator for NPR’s Michigan Radio. She is now the Program Manager for Elevate’s MI Community Programs team. Jamie centers her work around the Jemez Principles and bottom-up organizing. She believes that everyone deserves to live a healthy, happy life and she knows that the environmental justice movement intersects with all the other social and systemic issues affecting Michiganders today.
Anne Woiwode
For four decades I’ve worked to protect our state and the planet through the Michigan Sierra Club. I had the honor of working for the Michigan Chapter, and continue to serve as a volunteer leader, because our unique grassroots nature is critical to win the fight against climate disruption, to protect the Great Lakes, and ensure a legacy of protected wild lands for all future generations. I would appreciate your vote!
Randy YoungMy professional background aligns well with the mission of the Sierra Club. I have an undergraduate degree in Environmental Health and graduate degrees in Marine Environmental Science and Coastal Oceanography. I worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an environmental scientist before moving on to a career in academia. After teaching various college-level Environmental Science and Biology courses for over 25 years, I took on the role of Associate Dean of Science at Macomb Community College, where I currently supervise approximately 100 faculty and staff.
I served for many years on the board of the Clinton River Watershed Council, including several years as board president and a short period as interim executive director. I continue to serve on the Clinton River Area of Concern Public Advisory Committee. I also currently serve on the Green Macomb Urban Forest Initiative.
I look forward to continuing my service to the Sierra Club!
Who is eligible to vote? All members of the Sierra Club who live in Michigan and who were registered as a member in the Sierra Club Club database as of the first day of the election are eligible to vote.
Where do I get my ballot? Members of the Sierra Club in Michigan will receive a paper ballot via mail. Links to the online ballots will be emailed to every member for whom we have an email address.
You may choose to vote online or with the paper ballot. If we receive both electronic and paper ballots for the same membership number, only the electronic ballot will be counted. Instructions for correctly submitting your paper ballot are included with The Mackinac.
When can I vote? The Chapter election opens on October 1, 2024 and closes 11:59 pm on December 16, 2024.
What is my membership number? Your eight-digit membership number is on your membership card or on the mailing label of The Mackinac newsletter. Your membership number is also printed on the mailing label of your Sierra magazine — instructions for finding it are here. If you still cannot find your member number contact member.care@sierraclub.org or you can simply use your name and zip code instead of the ID.
What if I have a Joint membership? Both members in a Joint membership can vote, but both members must vote in the same medium (either paper or electronic ballot). The mailing label on your print newsletter will indicate whether your household has a single ("SNGL") or joint ("JNT") membership. Each person in a joint membership has their own ID which can be found by contacting member.care@sierraclub.org or you can simply use your name and zip code instead of the ID.
What counts as a “spoiled” ballot? Your ballot will be considered spoiled and will not be counted if:
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You vote for more candidates than the maximum indicated on the ballot (the ballot will tell you how many candidates you can vote for in each case);
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Your (paper) ballot is illegible; or
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You have already cast your ballot (Only your most recent electronic ballot will be counted; If we receive both electronic and paper ballots for the same membership number, only the electronic ballot will be counted. For Joint membership voting rules, see above.).
What if I still have questions? If you have any questions, contact the Chapter office at 517-484-2372 or excomelectioncommittee@michigan.sierraclub.org.
Chapter and Group Executive Committees (Excoms) represent Sierra Club members in deciding local conservation policy, endorsing political candidates, and administering programs and activities: essential functions that require a substantial, sustained commitment from our volunteer leadership.
Key responsibilities: Each Executive Committee member is expected to be actively involved in some aspect of the chapter or group’s work:
- set Chapter priorities and policies
- ensure financial stability and solvency
- monitor and evaluate Chapter and Club activities
Executive Committee must attend regular meetings, determine Sierra Club positions on many critical environmental issues, and take an active part in making the Chapter or Group function well. A substantial time commitment between meetings is the norm. This is not an entry-level role; some knowledge of how the Sierra Club works is essential.