Contact Us

Sierra Club Ohio Staff and Leadership

General Information or Inquiries

For specific inquiries, email the following:
Conservation: conservation@ohiosteeringcommittee.com
Compliance Review: Ohio.Compliance.Review@ohiosteeringcommittee.com
For Media: ericka.copeland@sierraclub.org 
For any other Requests: ericka.copeland@sierraclub.org  - State Director

For Sierra Club Staff in Ohio:

Ericka Copeland

Director

Ericka Copeland is a compassionate, transformational, and mission-focused leader-driven leader who has spent her career serving diverse populations in the non-profit sector for more than 25 years and is particularly committed to public service. She has been responsible for providing vital services to communities with a higher risk of inequity throughout the Greater Cincinnati Region – with an emphasis on advocacy, equity, and justice. She is skilled in using strategic, long-term solutions in business transformation, fundraising and fiscal management, strategic planning, and partner and community engagement.

An advocate for the most vulnerable, Ericka has championed many successful initiatives that have a long-term impact on the overall health and social well-being of communities in the areas of education, health, social justice, fair housing, career and workforce development, and economic stability. She has studied Psychology and Education at Wilberforce and Xavier Universities.

Ericka is a former elected official and is the past two-term President of the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education, where she worked to address disproportionate rates of poverty and ensure equitable access to excellence for every child in every school.

In her personal time, she enjoys time with her family and is a member of organizations that support the betterment of women.

Email: ericka.copeland@sierraclub.org 

Phone: (513) 378-7589

Nathan Alley

Conservation Program Coordinator

A native of Cincinnati, Nathan spent more than a decade practicing environmental law in California and working with organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, and WildEarth Guardians before returning home in order to protect his family's farm from development. Since 2014, he has worked with Sierra Club Ohio to promote sustainable and equitable transportation alternatives, improve our state's building codes, reduce waste, advance clean energy, and prevent the petrochemical industry from transforming our Ohio River Basin into a hub of polluting activities.

Nathan earned a B.A. in Journalism and Religious Studies from Indiana University, where he was a Wells Scholar, and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law, where he was Editor-In-Chief of the NYU Environmental Law Journal. He spends most of his free time on a bicycle, in a kayak or hiking with his wife, two children and their dogs.

Email: nathan.alley@sierraclub.org

Phone: (513) 713-1134

Chad Stephens

Conservation Program Coordinator - Ready for 100 Cleveland                 

Chad Stephens is a Conservation Program Coordinator with Sierra Club Ohio who works for the Ready for 100 Campaign in Cleveland. Chad's organizing principles are rooted in the belief that anything is possible when it comes to our future. If each person does his or her fair share, we will make our planet a better place. Being solution-oriented, Chad believes in the resilience of the human race, and our ability to solve and implement solutions to the environmental problems that we have created. Chad is a graduate of Cleveland State University and has previously worked for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. 

Email: chad.stephens@sierraclub.org

Phone: (216) 322-6998

FIELD STAFF:

Neil Waggoner

Federal Deputy Director for Energy Campaigns

Neil has been with the Sierra Club since 2012, when he started as an organizer with the Ohio Beyond Coal Campaign. In 2017, Neil became the Ohio Campaign Representative. Over the 10 years from 2012-2022, the Ohio Beyond Coal Campaign team retired or announced for retirement more coal capacity than any other state in the country, a fact Neil is always happy to discuss.

In 2022, Neil became the Federal Deputy Director for Energy Campaigns. In this role, Neil works in close partnership with Sierra Club's energy campaigns -- Beyond Coal, Clean Transportation for All, Building Electrification, Dirty Fuels, and others -- to help drive federal regulatory and legislative opportunities that support the Sierra Club's goal of transitioning the U.S. from a fossil-fuel based economy to a clean energy economy rooted in racial, gender, and economic justice. 

Neil is a Cleveland area native now living in Columbus with his wife, Jaclyn, whom is also a Sierra Club staffer, and their pup/frequent zoom bomber Winnie.

Email: neil.waggoner@sierraclub.org

Jocelyn L. Travis

Central Region Field Manager

Email: jocelyn.travis@sierraclub.org

Phone: (216) 926-6535

Shelly Corbin

Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Representative

 My name is Shelly Corbin and I am Mnicoujou/Itapizco - Lakota & Kinichii’nii Dine’ - Navajo. I was born and raised in North Central South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. My future after marrying my partner led me to Ohio in the Spring of 2011. I enrolled in Kent State University part-time and accepted a full-time position working for the Department of Defense as an Electrical/Environmental Systems Craftsman. Discovering my passion for the environment, I started attending protests at The Ohio State University and found myself agreeing to volunteer for the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter. I sat as the Dirty Fuels Pipeline Committee Chair from September 2017 until September 2019. I have experience assisting local communities working to prevent substance misuse and promote mental health wellness through education, outreach, and community empowerment. I graduated Kent State University in May 2019 with a B.S in Public Health Education and Promotion. I transitioned from my previous civilian position as the Logistics Management Specialist for the Department of Defense into my new role here at the Sierra Club. I look forward to working and building relationships to accomplish the goals and vision of this campaign.

Ohio Steering Committee

To reach an individual member of the committee:

Bob Shields - Conservation Chair: The conservation chair works with Sierra Club Ohio leaders and the Strategic Planning Committee to develop a long-range vision of what the Sierra Club's conservation strategy and priorities should be over the next four years. Reports regularly on conservation committee activities to the Sierra Club Ohio vice-chair, external and Steering Committee.
 

Lisa Rooney - Strategic Planning Chair: Lisa has more than 30 years of professional experience as an attorney, manager, and research administrator in both public and private sectors.  Her management experience includes developing partnerships, working with new ventures, and facilitating consortia between industry, university, and government agencies to launch technologies resulting from university research.  Much of this work has been focused on green energy and environmental technologies. Lisa is semi-retired but continues as a partner with the Vortechs Group, providing economic engagement and innovation recruiting services to universities and non-profit research organizations.  Volunteering has always been an important part of her life and in most recent years, she has been active within the Sierra Club as a member of the Grassroots Network Support Team and the Leader Recruitment Committee, as well as participating with several Ohio Chapter teams.  Lisa has a passion for the outdoors and nature and spends much of her time hiking in Ohio and New Mexico, among other places around the world.

Gwen Short's journey towards environmental advocacy began in Dayton, where she explored the beauty of the Miami Valley and developed a profound sense of stewardship. As an outdoor educator, Gwen inspired others to appreciate and care for our natural world while actively breaking down barriers to outdoor recreation. Her transition from education to the legal field demonstrates her commitment to social justice. As a social justice lawyer, Gwen brings a unique perspective to our committee, advocating for Ohioans and the environment. Her passion for seeing Ohio thrive in every aspect aligns perfectly with our vision, and her legal expertise will be instrumental in addressing environmental challenges and supporting the communities we serve.