MoValley Candidates

Statement

I am currently seeking reelection for the Missouri Valley Group -
Sierra Club’s Executive Committee. I have been an active member of the Nebraska Chapter since 2020 and have had no shortage of exciting and meaningful experiences as a member of Chapter leadership. I have served two terms on the Executive Committee and was elected Chapter Chair for my most recent term. It has been a whirlwind two years in this position, which have helped me become a better leader and environmental steward. I’ve had the experience of taking part in legislative and political outreach through both our legislative and political committees. I have continued to work with Chapter members to reach out to underserved communities to address environmental injustice. I have also taken part in outreach and community event efforts to empower youth climate activism. Since becoming Chair, I have also made it a point to develop relations with other Sierra Club leaders in neighboring states and at the National level.

Moving forward, I will continue to work hard to ensure the Nebraska Chapter earns the funding to hire full time staff to help bolster our already strong volunteer network. I will continue to try and build the Chapter into a diverse coalition of community stakeholders, both rural and urban, dedicated to solving both environmental and social justice issues within Nebraska. I also believe it will be important for the Chapter to reinvigorate its Outings Program to help fellow Nebraskans get outside and enjoy nature. I will work diligently with other Chapter volunteers to rebuild this crucial component of the Sierra Club. 

Outside of my work with the Sierra Club, I work as a Juvenile Probation Officer, where I have helped mentor and serve at-risk youth in both the Lincoln and Omaha area.

Please consider my nomination to continue serving you.

Statement

My husband and I have been members since the mid-70’s. I became intrigued hearing about this National Environmental Club while studying at UNL, and soon started attending meetings here in Omaha and became a member.

I have a master’s degree in Life Sciences from UNL and have 3 adult kids and 3 grandsons.

I was quite active with the Group and Chapter back then, working on getting the Niobrara designated a Wild and Scenic River, lobbying in Washington for the Alaska Lands Act, participating in and leading outings, and served in various leadership positions – Conservation Chair, Secretary, Vice Chair and Chair. I remember when the Chapter had active members and active Groups across the state, with Chapter meetings held in various parts of the state, often combined with a fun Outing. 

I took a break from being active in the late 90’s.  Then decided it was time to get started again in 2016 –you can probably guess why.  The last few years I have been active on the Political Committee, which I currently chair.  I will continue to be active if I’m elected to the MVG ExCom, and will remain active even if I’m not.  We need to stay involved in advocating for environmental regulations, for renewable energy and for ways to fight climate change.

Statement

David E. Corbin, PhD is currently the MVG Chapter Delegate and the
Nebraska Chapter Legislative Committee Chair, Energy Committee Chair, Webmaster and social media administrator. In the past, he has been the Chapter and MVG Chair.

He is on the advisory board of the American Public Health Association’ s Center for Climate, Health & Equity. He is professor emeritus at UNO and he has taught Energy Policy at Creighton
University.

Statement

I currently serve as the Sierra Club MoValley Group President and have been volunteering with the Sierra Club for the past 6 years. During my time with the Sierra Club, I have monitored Nebraska legislation impacting the environment, hosted the Sierra Club table at Earth Day Omaha, and presented environmentally friendly waste management options to Mayor Jean Stothert.

In 2018, I was awarded a Sierra Club Environmental Achievement Award. I hope to continue our advocacy work for environmentally friendly policies and legislation. I have been practicing tax law since graduating from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2011. Clean energy has been an interest of mine for years. During my career, I have been involved with financing several renewable energy solar projects and recently presented at the Nebraska State Bar Association annual meeting detailing new energy incentives provided through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Statement

Member of Sierra Club since 2017. Member of the Political Action Committee that works on the questionnaire that was sent to the Local, State and Federal candidates during the 2019-2020, 2024 elections cycle. The questionnaire’s responses were used to validate their views, vision, and priorities on protecting the public health with clean air and water. Based on their responses the candidates earned the Sierra Club endorsements.

I had participated in Sierra Club training; such as, as SmartVan, Salesforce and Hustle and function in an IT capacity with NE SC.

I earned a Bachelor’s Degree BS, Civil Engineer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. My computer skills include Microsoft Project, Excel, Words, PowerPoint and Publisher.

During my career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District as a Project Manager I was responsible for the planning, management, control, coordination, and execution of diverse environmental remediation sites contaminated with toxic pollution. I believe in renewable energy projects that will provide alternative clean energy sources for future generations.

Statement:

I am seeking to serve another term on the Sierra Club Board; to bring representation from the Northeast Omaha/Midtown community - a community of which I have been a lifetime member - as well as to bring environmental and climate change information back to the community.

I believe that climate change, lack of clean air, green space, and the decline of our Earth's diversity are currently one of the greatest threats to our existence. Some of my experiences of serving the community began years ago with my involvement as a volunteer within my church, continuing as a high schooler volunteering at local homeless centers and with nonprofit organizations fighting to give a voice to the voiceless. Not only was I one of the first women to serve on the Jaycee Board of Directors for Omaha, but I was also the first woman of color to hold a position on the Jaycee Board of Directors. In the past, I have volunteered at the Child Saving Institute. Served as a volunteer on the Board of Big Brother Big Sister and serve as a mentor to a “little sister.”

One of my greatest and most important roles in the environmental arena was serving as the President/CEO of the Lead Safe Omaha Coalition (LSOC). A non-profit organization that was instrumental in working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in winning their case against polluters, primarily Union Pacific Railroad in the largest Superfund Clean Up in the history of the EPA. Not only, did we (LSOC) help to remediate the area of lead contamination, but we were also able to secure highly paid lead-abatement jobs for the people living within the affected community to perform lead remediation, education, and training for the people living in the area on the how-to live-in lead infestation, free testing of children for lead poisoning, free testing of houses for high levels of lead, and obtained funding to scrape and paint houses that were found to have high levels of lead-based paint.  We assisted individuals to become entrepreneurs as environmental contractors. We tackled the problem and worked to secure solutions. 

Being involved as a Board member of the Sierra Club I will be able to help educate an often-forgotten community (Northeast and South Omaha) on the Green New Deal, the recently passed 2022 Infrastructure bill, a bill that will support energy reliability and cleaner energy production coupled with historic investments in American clean energy manufacturing, electric vehicles, and electric vehicle chargers. To understand the crises of climate change and the need for clean energy and green space. 

My ability to communicate with people, all people; involve them in decisions that affect their community and resolve issues that play a part in their everyday lives, their children’s lives, and their families is one of my greatest attributes. I believe that I can help people to understand that they are not the problem (as some would claim them to be), but they can be part of the solution to making our world more environmentally clean and safe. I want to help them, the people of the often-forgotten community to be able to communicate their ideas and their needs for a cleaner living environment.

As a Sierra Club board member, one of my goals would be to build a stronger understanding between the North and South Omaha community regarding the purpose of the Sierra Club. To encourage more participation and membership in the Sierra Club from the North and South Omaha communities. To bring about an understanding of the importance of our communities to be involved in the Sierra Club, the oldest and most influential environmental grassroots organization in the United States. My final goal is to bring about the first ever North and South Omaha 2025 Earth Day!