Candidate Statement:
I am an energetic retiree who has spent his entire career educating and motivating others to learn about and enjoy the natural world; I see working with the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter as an opportunity to continue this work. I continue to volunteer in environmental organizations and serve in leadership roles in some of them. I am an avowed nature enthusiast; I spend time in nature every day; I need it nearly as much as I need food. I respect the diversity of humanity and realize that we have all had different experiences and have developed different interests. But I do believe that by listening to one another carefully and with compassion and by expanding our community with openness and sincere welcome we can foster a better world and a better future for ourselves and the planet. I am also an optimist. Humanity faces challenges but among us we can overcome these challenges. Fear and pessimism are paralyzing but hope is empowering.
Candidate Q+A
- Why are you interested in being a part of the Ohio Chapter Executive Committee?
The Sierra Club has a long, proud, and well-deserved reputation for involving people in learning about, enjoying, and protecting the natural world. Those aspirations have been my passion throughout my life. Having spent a lifetime working towards these goals in both my personal and professional life, I would enjoy working with others in the Ohio Sierra Club to further this mission in our state.
- What is your vision for a successful Ohio chapter?
A successful Ohio chapter will provide opportunities for members to pursue and develop their passion for and understanding of the natural world while also inviting and welcoming others to join the work and discover the joy. It will provide opportunities and connections for volunteer actions that would involve and empower members and others to engage in environmental actions ranging from field work to promotion of sound environmental policies. The Sierra Club Ohio Chapter will find appropriate ways to work with other statewide or regional organizations to address environmental issues within Ohio and beyond.
- What special skills and relevant experience do you bring to the Executive Committee?
I have had a variety of leadership positions in the realm of environmental education and non-profit leadership. For thirty years I was on the faculty at the University of Mount Union teaching ecology and environmental science. At Mount Union I served as the founding director of the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center, a facility that serves the public and students at both regional schools and at Mount Union. During that time, I hired and retained an incredible staff with whom I worked to create an amazing and productive workplace and to provide engaging programs. Earlier in my career I was the director of operations at Maymont Park, a city park in Richmond, Virginia that featured a nature center and an array of public programs, all on the grounds of a late nineteenth century estate. While there I supervised a staff of 20 + and oversaw two major developments: converting a stone barn into a Nature Center and restoring a Japanese garden that included waterfalls and other water features.
In the non-profit realm I served on the Board of the Environmental Education Council of Ohio, both as President and then as Treasurer. While with EECO, we developed a partnership with the Ohio EPA and hired a full-time executive director. I recently served two terms on the board of the Canton Audubon Society and continue as their membership coordinator. I am currently on the board of The Wilderness Center, an environmental education and land preservation organization in Wilmot, Stark County, Ohio. I am the group leader of the Akron Canton chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, working to support environmentally responsible legislation. As I write this, I am preparing to serve on a panel to meet in a “Town Hall” setting with a candidate for our Congressional seat to discuss his positions on environmental issues.
In the governmental realm, I worked with others and the mayor of Alliance to develop a city sustainability plan. I have continued to serve on the mayor-appointed Green Commission since initial adoption of that plan and I recently co-authored an update to the plan that Alliance City Council recently approved. Our city has made significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, increasing recycling rates, maintaining health forest canopy cover, and expanding and improving parks, recreation, and bicycle routes.
On a personal level I have always been an environmentalist. For example, I was the last member of my family to live on a farm in southwestern Virginia. When the family decided to sell the farm, I asked to keep fifty acres of wooded mountain land which I then placed in a permanent conservation easement. I now spend considerable time managing the land for carbon sequestration and biological diversity and just this fall continued long-term invasive species management there with my 13-year-old grandson.
- A core priority for Sierra Club is centering equity, justice, and inclusion in all of its work. What is your experience contributing to the advancement of these values?
As a member of the Canton Audubon Society board, we created a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee of which I was a member. We participated in several Juneteenth programs in a city park and engaged families and children in nature-friendly activities. In urban areas that include diverse populations we sponsored, and I helped to lead bird walks and free educational programs in public libraries.
While director of the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center at the University of Mount Union my staff and I worked to create a network of accessible trails for persons with limited mobility. We collaborated with community members to evaluate and modify our plans and assess our trails during and after construction.