Candidate Statement:
Hello fellow Sierra Club members. I am interested in serving on the Ohio Chapter Executive Committee because as an environmental activist, advocate, and organizer I see this as an opportunity (and a responsibility) to give back to the community, to serve this amazing organization, and to help make a real difference in Ohio’s environmental movement. Serving on this committee will allow me the opportunity to share the knowledge, skills, and resources that I have gained over the years from my background as an environmental and political activist and organizer, as well as from my years of experience serving on the boards of various other environmental and civic organizations throughout Ohio. My undergraduate experience at Kent State University (majoring in environmental studies and political science, along with my minors in geology, geography, and urban studies) gave me a strong educational foundation on which I continue to expand my knowledge as I complete a Master of Science in the Environment and Sustainability and Master of Public Policy dual program which lends itself well to understanding environmental policy implications at the local, state, and national levels. My professional training and education through certificate and leadership development programs (including the Climate Reality Corps, the US Green Building Council’s LEED Green Associate program, the US EPA’s Environmental Justice Academy, the Oxford Climate Society’s School of Climate Change, LEAD Ohio’s Campaign Manager Academy, and others) has built upon my academic foundation so that I may better serve the world through environmental policy, activism, and advocacy (both now and in the future). I hope to serve the Sierra Club in this way, and to be a liaison between the Sierra Club, its members, and other environmental and civic organizations throughout Ohio and the Great Lakes Region, so that together we can better protect the environment.
Candidate Q+A
- Why are you interested in being a part of the Ohio Chapter Executive Committee?
I am interested in serving on the Ohio Chapter Executive Committee because I want to share the knowledge, experiences, and resources that I have gained through my education, and from my experiences serving on the boards of other environmental and civic organizations, with the Sierra Club so that the newly rechartered Ohio Chapter can be a leader and help make a real difference for climate, the environment, and all Ohioans.
- What is your vision for a successful Ohio chapter?
My vision for a successful Ohio chapter is one that is thriving, growing, and collaborating with other organizations throughout Ohio and the region so that we may expand our reach and impact as an organization.
- What special skills and relevant experience do you bring to the Executive Committee?
I bring my knowledge, skills, and connections with other organizations to the Executive Committee. I have served on the boards and have worked with multiple civic and environmental organizations throughout Ohio and bring not only those connections, but also a number of lessons learned from those experiences as well. In past board positions, I have helped with the development of organizational bylaws, policies, and programs, facilitated strategic planning, and advocated for coalition building and collaboration.
I received my undergraduate degree from Kent State University where I graduated Summa Cum Laude double majoring in Environmental Studies and Political Science and triple minoring in Geography, Geology, and Urban Studies. My undergraduate Honors Thesis looked at how the State of Ohio is in violation of the spirit of the Great Lakes Compact as a result of fracking and mores specifically the use of injection wells to dispose of the industry’s radioactive and chemically contaminated wastewater. I am currently continuing my education pursuing a dual Master of Science and Master of Public Policy degree program at the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability and Gerald R. Ford School for Public Policy focusing on Environmental Policy.
My experience as an activist, advocate, and community organizer lends itself well to helping the organization consider perspectives of the local chapters and members throughout the state and consider how we can better act and implement plans strategically. I believe in listening, being empathetic, and working to empower the members and communities that we serve.
- 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?
In terms of my academic background, I recently received a Graduate Certificate from the University of Michigan in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and as such am well versed in these principles. My Master’s Project (Nurturing Roots of Justice: Integrating Equity and Environmental Stewardship into Michigan’s Food System Education) was awarded a scholarship from the University of Michigan National Center for Institutional Diversity as part of their Anti-Racism Collaborative (ARC). The ARC program “support[s] a variety of activities to catalyze innovation in research and scholarship, as well as informed practice, public engagement, and action to advance anti-racist principles and organizing.” In addition, I am also a graduate of the US EPA Region V’s inaugural 10-month Environmental Justice Academy.
As far as first-hand experience, I serve as the Environmental Climate Justice Chair for the Ashtabula County NAACP and in that capacity (as well as in others) I advocate strongly for diversity, equity, inclusion, as well as justice and accessibility. Through this role in the NAACP, I had the opportunity to participate in a year-long energy justice certification and have regularly participated in the NAACP’s Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector Initiative. Additionally, my work in the Democratic Party has always included advocating and fighting for policies, issues, and candidates that aim to advance the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility.