SWMG Executive Committee

Kristi Lloyd, Executive Committee Chair and Communications Committee member

The focus of my environmental activism has been on wildlife since 2010, primarily advocating for wolves, and I’ve been Southwest Michigan Group’s Conservation Chair for the past year. I’ve also been active in political issues from the local to federal level. I’ve lived in the Kalamazoo area for 34 years. I make frequent trips to the UP and Yellowstone National Park to watch wolves and wildlife and to network with other advocates.

Wildlife is negatively affected by climate change, air and water pollution, and loss of habitat. Being involved with the Sierra Club is the best way to make positive changes for wildlife and for us.

David Benac, Vice-Chair

My goal is to help Sierra Club’s Southwest Michigan Group further the work of its many dedicated volunteers. As a member of the Executive Committee, I will bring a focus on increasing the chapter’s visibility, membership, and activist stance. My experiences with other environmental groups, my Congressional campaign, and my academic study of grassroots activism will be valuable in helping the Southwest Michigan Group succeed. I hope to highlight the passions of active members with targeted programs that attract public interest and generate support for direct actions to protect the ecological integrity and beauty of the natural world.

Roz Linsea, Delegate to Michigan Chapter Executive Committee

I am an activist and organizer with a passion for reducing activities that contribute to climate change. My travels and activities revolve around attending in- and out-of-state environmental focus groups, events, and marches to draw attention to dismal situations like the Keystone Pipeline, fracking, and climate change.For over 30 years, husband and business partner, Mike, and I have shared a solar powered home in the forest. As VP of Solar Winds Power Systems, Sierra Club’s solar partner, I have been active in working on renewable energy legislation in Michigan and happily able to enjoy opportunities to demonstrate the aspects of becoming energy independent.

Mark E. Miller, Secretary

I gave my first environmental talk to my church on The Limits to Growth in 1975, when I was still an undergraduate. From that day to this, I have been an environmental activist. I am a Climate Reality Presenter and a member of 350.org, Kalamazoo Environmental Council, Citizens Climate Lobby, and the WMU Climate Change Working Group. I will be teaching “Energy and Environment” in the Physics Department at WMU this spring.

With the Sierra Club being one of the oldest and strongest environmental groups in the world, I hope that the Southwest Michigan Group can continue to take leadership on a broad array of local issues, as well as supporting groups which have a tighter focus on the climate issue, the greatest threat we face. I see the need for an ongoing platform for communication between the various environmental groups in SW Michigan, so the membership of each group is aware of all relevant events. I hope Sierra Club can be part of that.

Raymond Mickus, Political Committee Chair

I live in Marshall and work as a probate attorney in Calhoun County. I became active with SWMG because of my strong commitment toward environmental issues. I believe I could contribute even more to the Group as a member of the Executive Committee.

As a University of Southern California law student, I absorbed every class offered in Environmental Law/Ethics. Thus inspired, I spent a summer working with activists from the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. We forced the state to impose wastewater treatment protocols for any discharges into the Pacific Ocean at or near Santa Monica Bay. Our organization, Heal The Bay, is still active in the Santa Monica area.

After moving to Chicago and now Michigan, I have a rekindled passion for working on behalf of the environment. My strengths are in the legal and legislative areas, but I’m also anxious to expand my knowledge of how to effectively spread awareness of the Sierra Club’s concerns.

Pam Dalitz

After attending her first Sierra Club outing in 2008, Pam felt right at home. With her educational background in Community Education, Exercise Science, and Outdoor Recreation, Pam led backpacking, canoe, and hiking trips for a former environmental education camp and for Northern Michigan University prior to volunteering with National Outings.

Pam has been leading trips with the Sierra Club since 2010. She has led or assisted with backpacking, llama trekking, lodge, and basecamp outings in the Rocky Mountains, Canada, Yosemite, and thePam lives in Kalamazoo with her dog Wesley. Recently retired from a career in healthcare, Pam remains certified as an RN and is certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support.

Craig Brainard

Since 2010 I’ve been a member of the Michigan Chapter Executive Committee, serving now as Fifth Officer and as a member of the Steering Committee, the Beyond Natural Gas and Oil Committee, and the Group Support Committee. I chaired the Michigan Chapter’s West Michigan Group from 2010-2013, published “The Fracking Linkletter©”, a weekly online and email newsletter, from 2013-2016, and traveled Michigan for several years with my anti-fracking presentation “Don’t Frack Up Our Future.” I’ve developed a
new presentation, “Embracing Our Clean Energy Future.”

Other Volunteer Leaders and Committee Heads