Editor’s Note: Judy Minot has moved to Dublin, Ireland.
I started volunteering with the NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club in late 2019. Since then, I was appointed, then elected to the Executive Committee, and I have served as chapter secretary, communications co-chair, fundraising co-chair and chapter vice chair. Unfortunately, my husband and I have moved abroad, so I’m wrapping up my work for the NJ Chapter. Looking back, I’m proud of all that we have accomplished in the Club in just the past four years.
Most of my work with the NJ Chapter has been focused on communication-related issues. When I started volunteering, I had no environmental experience. I had been a video producer and writer, and later an ad agency executive. I did know that good communication is fundamental to building a strong, effective organization. In the Sierra Club, volunteers and members need to know what the Chapter is doing and why, and legislators and the public need to understand the issues and why they should get involved. So, when I first contacted Chapter Chair Rich Isaac, I offered my skills as a communicator. I was soon drafted to take part in many activities that made use of my abilities.
I am particularly proud to have been part of the hiring committee that selected our new director, Anjuli Ramos-Busot. Anjuli has injected a lot of energy into the Chapter. She immediately engaged more closely with volunteers, legislators, and other environmental partners, and she is helping us be better advocates and leaders for the environment and green energy. She is also a passionate spokesperson for environmental social justice issues.
In the past four years, I’ve seen volunteers become much more engaged in our work. The NJ Chapter has set up new committees around offshore wind, building electrification, and warehouse development. We’ve strengthened existing committees, including those for environmental and social justice, transportation, and product sustainability. We’ve created or reorganized volunteer groups that work behind the scenes on communications, fundraising, state legislation, and personnel.
Our Chapter has also improved communications to our members and the public. We’ve beefed up our website, our social media presence, and this newsletter. Sierran Editor Tony Hagen is dedicated to creating an accurate and thought-provoking vehicle for Sierra Club members to know and understand the activities of the Chapter.
We revamped the Chapter website to help bring our successes to the fore and make things easier to find. Jackie Greger, our media and outreach coordinator, creates a monthly e-newsletter that’s packed with timely reports on legislation, campaigns, and other issues. She has helped make our social media presence more consistent and relevant and, with Alicia Remus, improved our media outreach to Spanish-language publications.
The Chapter has also stepped up fundraising efforts to support our increased activity. With help from the national Sierra Club, we’re working to engage the Chapter leadership in getting our message to donors and potential donors. We have sought to make existing donors more aware of and engaged in the work we do. Our new fundraising chair, Jim Andreano, will be directing this important work.
I’m always amazed by the level of dedication, experience, and enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers who work with our Chapter. The NJ Sierra Club continues to work to promote good legislation, formulate policy, and fight for our climate and environment, while ensuring that environmental action doesn’t have discriminatory impacts. We are working more effectively than ever with state legislators and agencies (such as the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and NJ Transit), our environmental partners, and the national Sierra Club.
Our Chapter needs people like you, whatever your talents may be. When I first contacted the NJ Chapter, I had never worked for an environmental organization. I simply offered the abilities and experience that I had. Whatever your current level of involvement, please consider what more you might do. There are many opportunities, from leading hikes to working on membership, supporting local action, or working on one of the many volunteer committees listed on our website. I’ve found working with the NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club to be extremely rewarding and I’m sure you will, too.