By Richard Isaac • Richard.Isaac@sierraclub.org
On behalf of our NJ Chapter, I welcome our new volunteer officers and a college intern:
Bill Brazell, Leaf-Blower Reform Coordinator
Bill Brazell is our Chapter’s new coordinator of leaf-blower reform, focused on helping ban two-stroke gasoline-powered leaf blowers in as many municipalities as possible.
While Bill may ultimately help us ban all two-stroke outdoor lawn and garden equipment, which emits considerable amounts of volatile organic compounds, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide, he is currently focused on gasoline-powered leaf blowers because they are not only major air polluters but also major noise polluters as well and will most likely be the easiest to ban.
Bill is a happily married father of three school-age daughters and a partner at WIT Strategy, a strategic public-relations firm. Dressing up as a giant kidney helped him raise money and awareness for PKD Foundation, which advocates for a polycystic kidney disease cure. For environmental causes, he’s quite open to dressing up as something else—a tree, maybe, making use of his 6’6” height, or, perhaps even an electric leaf blower. A former magazine and book editor, Bill lives in Millburn, where he coaches his kids’ teams and wonders how he can best help humanity to decarbonize.
Winston Kim, Youth Committee Member
Winston Kim is a rising senior in high school. Winston is passionate about the environment and climate science and is very much looking forward to working with the rest of our Chapter’s Youth Committee, which now includes six high school students. All interested students are invited to join in.
Alicia Remus, Press Release Translator
Originally from Mexico, Alicia is 100% bilingual. Alicia is passionate about anything that can help our world and reduce our carbon footprint. She is very excited to help make our Chapter’s activities known to Spanish speakers. Alicia will translate several of our press releases each month for distribution to Spanish news media in our state.
Danielle Rapsas, Gateway Group College Intern
An environment and sustainability and human rights double major at Barnard College of Columbia University, Class of 2026, Danielle Rapsas is interning with our Chapter’s Gateway Group. With guidance from Group Chair Bill Beren, Danielle has done research on recycling challenges in Essex County. She is also interested in environmental justice efforts, species conservation, environmental policy, and clean energy. Danielle aims to obtain a degree in law.
She volunteered at the Essex County Environmental Center from 2018 to 2022 and, among other activities, led group tours of the West Essex Park butterfly garden, becoming a lead intern. She acquired very specific knowledge about swallowtails and monarchs.