December 1, 2021
For Sierra Club members: Information about voting for Chapter and Group executive committees has been sent to you by postcard and email. Also look for details in Footnotes Online, the N.C. Chapter's monthly e-newsletter, which came out Nov. 17. Online voting is highly recommended. You will need your eight-digit membership number. This can be found on your Sierra Club magazine label or the mailing label of the postcard. If you need to vote by mail or can’t find your member number, send an email to nc.chapter@sierraclub.org or leave a voicemail at 919-833-8467, ext. 107.
To vote and to view the biographies of the candidates, visit the WENOCA election page on the N.C. Sierra Club site. The WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA) has endorsed the following three candidates for the North Carolina Sierra Club executive committee:
- Pat Carstensen, Durham (incumbent)
- Katie Tomberlin, Newport (incumbent)
- Drew Ball, Asheville (WENOCA
Candidates for our local WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA) Group executive committee are listed below, with biographies. You may select up to FOUR of these five candidates.
Judy Mattox (incumbent)
Chair of WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA), with multiple successful campaigns: shutting down the coal-powered electric plant in Buncombe County, getting Buncombe County and Asheville City to adopt 100% renewable energy goals, including a $10.3 million bond initiative to put solar on government and school buildings in Buncombe County. Helped provide monthly educational programs on critical environmental issues, as well as programs on wildflowers, birding, hiking trails, etc. Recipient of a national Sierra Club award for WENOCA programs working with youth.
Nancy Waldrop (incumbent)
Current executive committee member of the WENOCA Group, on the Political Committee, and co-chair of the group’s Equity Committee. Chair of the Buncombe County Planning Board, chair of Leadership Asheville Forum, Connect Buncombe, and a guardian ad litem. The WENOCA political committee interviews all candidates running for Buncombe County Commission, Asheville City Council, and our WNC state legislature. The Buncombe County Planning Board hears zoning proposals and variances for land development. Leadership Asheville Forum hosts a monthly meeting on Asheville issues such as policing, environment, education, etc. Connect Buncombe works on planning Greenways across Buncombe County. Guardian ad litem protects the rights of children involved in court cases.
Rachel Muir
Environmental scientist and ecologist, scientist emeritus with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Has worked with the EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others, focused primarily on aquatic ecology, wetlands ecology, conservation of imperiled species, and impact of environmental contaminants on wildlife and human health. She presented two educational programs at WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA) meetings, and is becoming certified to become an outings leader and a leader for WENOCA’s Kids Adventure Club.
Beth Pape
A self-sustaining organic gardener who became concerned about environmental toxins as her husband battled Parkinson’s disease. She opened an ethnic advertising agency, which highlighted the intersection of environmental hazards and discrimination against Black and Brown communities, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. As a member of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Program (BRNP) at the UNC Arboretum, she became conscious that the diversity of western North Carolina's plant and animal life was celebrated, but diversity among humans was missing. Her BRNP project was to start changing that by navigating the Sierra's Club’s stringent protocols to start Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Kids Adventure Club) for the WENOCA Group. She is now media relations liaison for WENOCA.
Stephen Thomas
Active in a number of environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Energy Savers Network, and Care of Creation at Saint Eugene Catholic Church. Media liaison for the bimonthly WENOCA e-newsletter which goes to 16,000 members and supporters. During election time, from 2016 through to Nov 2, 2021, he volunteered many hours handing out Sierra Club endorsement cards to help elect good environmental candidates. He volunteers weekly with the Energy Savers Network, helping to weatherize and make low-income homes more energy efficient, including units at the Asheville Housing Authority, to reduce climate change and save energy costs for those who can least afford them. He is current co-chair for Care of Creation at Saint Eugene's, working to reduce the use of single-use plastic, increase the use of recycled paper products, and improve general recycling within the congregation. Saint Eugene’s received a Sierra Club award for installing solar panels.
Judy Mattox (incumbent)
Chair of WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA), with multiple successful campaigns: shutting down the coal-powered electric plant in Buncombe County, getting Buncombe County and Asheville City to adopt 100% renewable energy goals, including a $10.3 million bond initiative to put solar on government and school buildings in Buncombe County. Helped provide monthly educational programs on critical environmental issues, as well as programs on wildflowers, birding, hiking trails, etc. Recipient of a national Sierra Club award for WENOCA programs working with youth.
Nancy Waldrop (incumbent)
Current executive committee member of the WENOCA Group, on the Political Committee, and co-chair of the group’s Equity Committee. Chair of the Buncombe County Planning Board, chair of Leadership Asheville Forum, Connect Buncombe, and a guardian ad litem. The WENOCA political committee interviews all candidates running for Buncombe County Commission, Asheville City Council, and our WNC state legislature. The Buncombe County Planning Board hears zoning proposals and variances for land development. Leadership Asheville Forum hosts a monthly meeting on Asheville issues such as policing, environment, education, etc. Connect Buncombe works on planning Greenways across Buncombe County. Guardian ad litem protects the rights of children involved in court cases.
Rachel Muir
Environmental scientist and ecologist, scientist emeritus with the U.S. Department of the Interior. Has worked with the EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others, focused primarily on aquatic ecology, wetlands ecology, conservation of imperiled species, and impact of environmental contaminants on wildlife and human health. She presented two educational programs at WNC Sierra Club (WENOCA) meetings, and is becoming certified to become an outings leader and a leader for WENOCA’s Kids Adventure Club.
Beth Pape
A self-sustaining organic gardener who became concerned about environmental toxins as her husband battled Parkinson’s disease. She opened an ethnic advertising agency, which highlighted the intersection of environmental hazards and discrimination against Black and Brown communities, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. As a member of the Blue Ridge Naturalist Program (BRNP) at the UNC Arboretum, she became conscious that the diversity of western North Carolina's plant and animal life was celebrated, but diversity among humans was missing. Her BRNP project was to start changing that by navigating the Sierra's Club’s stringent protocols to start Inspiring Connections Outdoors (Kids Adventure Club) for the WENOCA Group. She is now media relations liaison for WENOCA.
Stephen Thomas
Active in a number of environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Energy Savers Network, and Care of Creation at Saint Eugene Catholic Church. Media liaison for the bimonthly WENOCA e-newsletter which goes to 16,000 members and supporters. During election time, from 2016 through to Nov 2, 2021, he volunteered many hours handing out Sierra Club endorsement cards to help elect good environmental candidates. He volunteers weekly with the Energy Savers Network, helping to weatherize and make low-income homes more energy efficient, including units at the Asheville Housing Authority, to reduce climate change and save energy costs for those who can least afford them. He is current co-chair for Care of Creation at Saint Eugene's, working to reduce the use of single-use plastic, increase the use of recycled paper products, and improve general recycling within the congregation. Saint Eugene’s received a Sierra Club award for installing solar panels.