Lone Star Chapter Candidates
Candidate: Derek Eckert
Profile: As a lifelong environmentalist I have always felt the need to nurture and restore the earth to its natural habitat. My love of the land and passion for its rehabilitation and beautification were the driving forces that led me to major in Ecology in college. Rather than pursue a graduate degree in biology I chose to work straight out of college and found myself in the finance business. After more than 20 years of working at large firms I realized a long-time dream and managed to merge my expertise in personal finance with my passion for the planet: I founded an investment management firm which specializes in environmental investing. I believe this is one of the most impactful ways to steer corporations into sustainable practices, which ultimately, will reward shareholders as well.
I am proud to be a member of Sierra Club and evangelize its mission on any platform available. As a member of the Executive Committee I would aim to increase membership by focusing on children and teens. Opening their eyes to wonders of nature and connecting to the physical world are, unfortunately, somewhat novel in this digital age. Offering such experiences at a young age can forge lifelong passions. Thankfully our younger generations realize the urgency of all environmental matters and I believe they are our best hope to resolve them. As a financial planner I also would work to increase the participation of members contributions via lifetime gifting such as charitable gift annuities. I also have chaired several charitable events and would be ambitious in fundraising goals. I thank you for your consideration and promise to bring great energy and excitement to everything that is Sierra Club.
Candidate: Flavia De La Fuente
Profile: The Sierra Club's motto of explore, enjoy, and protect the planet reflects my own values. My husband and I are teaching our children to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Equally important, we also took our children into the voting booth this fall, to protect the planet.
My priorities on Lone Star Chapter ExCom would likely be:
1) Political work. As a member of the Austin Political Committee this year, I led a fundraising effort that raised $3000 and paid for a staff-member’s time to coordinate Get Out the Vote efforts for endorsed candidates, resulting in hundreds of doors knocked, hundreds of calls made, hundreds of environmental voters activated, and two state house seats flipping. By way of these efforts, elected officials understand that the environment/climate change/wild spaces are issues that are important to the grassroots. For 2020, I want to build a war chest and flood the state with volunteers knocking on doors for the sake of the planet.
2) Sharing across groups within the state. Different groups have different strengths and we need a stronger organizational function that enables people to share and learn from each other. This can take the form of case studies and toolboxes.
My professional background: I worked as an organizer for the Sierra Club on the Beyond Coal campaign from 2010 to 2013. Today, I'm a professional investor with a state agency. MBA, UT at Austin, BA from UCLA, political science.
Candidate: John Hertz
Profile: I am an architect, academic, author and investigator dedicated to issues of sustainability. I have written extensively in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the theme of sustainable architecture and urbanism, and most recently my book “Arquitectura Tropical” was published by the Universidad Ricardo Palma in Lima. As an architect I have won multiple awards for sustainable projects in the US and Latin America, starting in the 1970s with groundbreaking passive solar work. My academic experience stretches over decades in universities in Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Puerto Rico and the US, including as Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Puerto Rico, which has an operational budget of over $2.5 million and over 30 staff. I was heavily involved in fundraising, establishing a non-profit arm for the School which included community service and outreach. As an investigator I have generated over $1 million in grants from entities including the National Endowment for the Arts, Department of Energy and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, among others.
My areas of expertise and interest include: green architecture and urban development, alternative energy and energy conservation, sustainability (in its three aspects of environmental justice, social equality and environmental responsibility), and water conservation.
I have been a Sierra Club member for decades, was the Green Building Chair of the Alamo Sierra Club and a contributor to the Alamo Sierran. I have served on other organizations including the San Antonio Historic Design and Review Commission and as President of King’s Court Housing Foundation, a CHODO and 501-C3 organization.
All these skills and experiences would be directly benefit the Ex Com if selected to serve, and I would be honored by the opportunity.
Candidate: Martha Elena Pena
Profile: For me, the most important part of serving on the Lone Star Executive Committee this past year, has been bringing the perspective and voice of those who live in our beautiful, South Texas borderland communities to the table. It was also a privilege to serve as the Council of Club Leaders delegate. I have learned so much from my fellow ExCom members and know that together we can continue to do good work. Even though we all come from different parts of Texas, there are common threads that bind us all together. Unity in fighting pipelines, LNG facilities and the border wall is so important in our current climate. It brings me even more hope knowing that we are standing together to make a difference. I still want to be a kayaktivist when I grow up. Should you entrust me with your vote, I promise to continue bringing the love I have for South Texas to the Lone Star Executive Committee.
Candidate: Sean Winn
Profile: With the EPA actively seeking to undermine environmental protections, suburban sprawl, and water pollution, threats to our environment are significant. I would like to help the Sierra Club be as forceful as possible in protecting Texas’ environment. Although my direct environmental experience is limited to going solar and working with conservation projects on the family farm, I still have much to bring to the table in the way of operational and financial experience. These complimentary skills, along with bridge-building between stakeholders, were gained most notably as the COO of a small private equity fund. Amongst my goals would be to maximize the positive impact of the organization through prioritization of projects. Despite a career based in urban cities, I’m still happiest under a canopy of trees with the sound of birds nearby. I grew up in a rural farming community in Texas, spending my time running through woods and playing at the edge of creeks as a child. I consider myself lucky to have had access to so much natural space, and wish that everyone could experience nature in the same way.
Candidate: Craig Nazor
Profile: Craig Nazor, DMA, is an Austin musician (pianist/composer/teacher) by trade, and is a lifetime environmentalist and is currently the vice-chair of the Lone Star Sierra Club Conservation Committee, and member of the Austin Group Conservation Committee. Craig grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, along the shores of Lake Erie, where he witnessed the creation of an EPA superfund site that is still considered one of the ten most toxic beaches in the USA. After graduating from college and spending eight years in NYC as a touring performer, Craig moved to Louisiana to obtain a Masters degree, where he became President of the Natchitoches Audubon Society and spearheaded a campaign to oppose the Red River Waterway project, which was eventually successful. Since moving to Austin in 1987 to obtain a doctorate from UT, Craig has been involved with environmental campaigns by Clean Water Action, the SOS Alliance, the Save Barton Creek Association, and the Sierra Club, Austin Regional Group. Sierra Club campaigns Craig has been involved in include: passing Austin's Single-use Bag Ordinance, protecting the Jollyville Plateau salamander, ending Austin’s and Travis County’s contract with USDA Wildlife Services for predator control (particularly targeting coyotes), protecting Texas turtles, supporting parkland acquisition, and protecting water quality. He has received a Keep Austin Beautiful award for creek cleanup efforts, and has been recognized for assisting riparian restoration projects by the Austin Watershed Protection Department. Craig believes that living in a clean environment and stable climate, and having access to clean water and healthy food is a human right that needs to be defended from those who would sacrifice these rights for money or power.
Austin Group Candidates
Candidate: Patrick Murphy
Profile: The Sierra Club is an extraordinary group. We often say we’re the “oldest and largest grassroots environmental group in the US,” but we don’t always emphasize the most important word: “grassroots.” As a grassroots organization, the Sierra Club is led by volunteers, working together from shared values and dedication.
We’re at our best when we welcome new people and perspectives, share power transparently, and build strong teams to win environmental victories. I’m a Life Member, and I’ve been a committed Sierra Club leader for 25 years. I’ve helped lead the Austin Group for several years and am currently serving as Chair of the Executive Committee, and my long Sierra Club experience convinces me that we can become an even stronger grassroots organization for our members and our communities.
In over two decades with the Sierra Club, I have:
- Chaired the Executive Committee of the Chicago Group—one of the Sierra Club’s large urban groups (like Austin)
- Served as national Conservation Director and Board member for the Sierra Student Coalition, helping to boost youth leadership in the environmental movement
- Supported the Sierra Club’s Environmental Justice Program through rapid growth in the early 2000s
- Organized a successful volunteer campaign to get Sierra Club-backed legislation into the US Senate and win bipartisan co-sponsorship
- Led Sierra Club day hikes and backpacking trips in Texas, Utah, and California
In my day job, I enable credit unions and community banks to compete against megabanks—the same megabanks funding destructive projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline and the fracking terminals threatening our Texas Gulf Coast. When I put down roots in Austin, one of my first steps in my new home was to get involved with the Sierra Club. I lead local Sierra Club outings, train new Sierra Club leaders, and am a National Sierra Club consultant and liaison to the Lone Star Chapter (the Sierra Club’s state level in Texas).
If re-elected to the Austin ExCom, I will:
- Champion environmental solutions for all Austin residents, including East Austin residents who have often been ignored by mainstream environmental groups
- Support climate change organizing that makes a difference locally, through equitable energy and transportation policies in Austin
- Target climate villains in our region, like Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Trans-Pecos Pipeline
- Strengthen relationships and participation between the Austin Regional Group, Young Sierrans, and social justice organizations—vital partners in the larger Sierra Club community here
- Build a clear strategic plan and organize strong, long-lasting volunteer teams within the Austin Sierra Club
I’m grateful for your membership and participation in the Sierra Club. If you agree with this vision of an inclusive, strategic Austin Sierra Club that welcomes new people and perspectives, I would also be grateful for your vote.
Candidate: Flavia De La Fuente
Profile: I'm thrilled to throw my name in the ring for Austin's executive committee. My passion for the planet runs from a deep love for our smallest, humblest creatures and the beautiful places on this planet (including right here in Austin) to the vision of a just energy future for all of humanity.
The Sierra Club's motto of explore, enjoy, and protect the planet perfectly encapsulates my own relationship with the earth. I'm a passionate adventurer and my husband and I are teaching our children to love the outdoors as well, through camping trips, hikes on the greenbelt, and catching all manner of interesting insects... which are then promptly released. We connect our appreciation for the planet with the truth that the personal is political. We took our children into the voting booth this fall and have had conversations about what elected officials do and what we, as the citizenry in the broadest sense, must do for a just society.
My priorities reflect these themes: 1) I would like to build out our local political program. As a member of Political Committee this year, I led a fundraising effort that raised $3000 and paid for a Lone Star Chapter staff-member’s time to coordinate Get Out the Vote efforts for endorsed candidates, resulting in hundreds of doors knocked, hundreds of calls made, hundreds of environmental voters activated, and two state house seats going from red to green (hah!). By way of these efforts, we build a relationship with elected officials who understand that climate and the environment are priority issues. 2) I would like to have a more family-friendly Sierra Club. Aside from the outings program, I would like to experiment with different event formats and locations to make sure that everybody gets to be a part of exploring, enjoying, and protecting the planet.
Candidate: Christy Williams
Profile: When I was a small child if someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I would say “Truck driver.” My dad was a truck driver, I had been on trips and I thought it would be a very exciting life to lead. It didn’t take many years, however, to realize that my dad’s occupation was not my only choice and my response immediately changed to “Director of the EPA.” Seems like quite an about face now, but then it made perfect sense to me. I grew up in a time and place where packs of children roamed free on farms and mountains and were told to be home by dark. I was sometimes along however (with the exception of my dog Buddy and my horse Red – I am not making this up) and we would leave the house and explore the logged mountain behind our house for hours. Very early I was disturbed by litter – the only visible sign of pollution in my part of the world – and would pick up cans along the road. I drank straight from the creek behind our house - avoiding the bubbles that indicated cows up stream, built many forts and would imagine that I was a cowboy on the range. One of my favorite memories is packing my lunch and a book into my saddle bags and making it to the top of the mountain one weekend day. While there were no family camping trips or hikes, I made the connection the old-fashioned way – by just growing up outside.
My elementary school declaration about becoming the EPA Director eventually culminated in being a contractor for the EPA for nearly 20 years. Along the way I was the president of the Save Our Environment in high school, majored in biology and my first job was as an intern for our department of environmental quality inspecting dairy farms and counting dead fish in streams post-spill. The trajectory was very straight and never wavered. However, while the majority of my life has been spent writing and enforcing environmental regulations, at every opportunity I have also worked to educate and inspire other people to be conscientious advocates of our planet.
This is why the Sierra Club’s mission appeals to me. While I have spent my entire career protecting the environment on behalf of the government, it is so apparent to me now that just isn’t enough. In this age of climate change, new technologies which advance faster than environmental controls and relaxing regulations – it is imperative that citizen advocates are vigilant and demand that the private sector – and government – act responsibly. The Sierra Club is the most respected environmental advocacy group in the country and using my background and knowledge to help further the Club's objectives would be an honor. Especially in Austin.
I lived in Austin in the late 90s and early 'aughts' so I remember it before traffic was a constant source of conversation and angst, before you had to make a reservation at Hamilton Pool, when The Backyard was literally a backyard in the middle of nowhere and when you could visit Enchanted Rock on a sunny weekend afternoon without the fear of being turned away due to crowds. I love this city today and while we can't go back to the days when Austin was an undiscovered green playground I still want to protect its natural areas, trees, spring and laid back vibe and culture. In my mind, this culture is inexorably linked to our hiking areas, blue holes, rivers and shade trees. Being on the ExCom would give me the opportunity to make a real contribution to protecting these core parts of what still makes ATX special. Thank you for your consideration!
Candidate: Aaron Waters
Profile: My family and I recently moved back to Central Texas after spending the past three years in Washington, DC. While in DC I worked on a wide variety of projects, engaging a diverse group of stakeholders, including: residents, environmental non-profits, local and state governmental agencies, and federal facilities. At the Washington Council of Governments, I coordinated the development of the regional Climate and Energy Action plan, the regional Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and the Environmental Justice toolkit. During my time with the District of Columbia, I ran the programmatic implementation of the plastic bag law, the Styrofoam and straw bans, and the coal tar pavement sealant bans, in addition to managing the District’s commitment to reducing pollution heading to the Chesapeake Bay. I was also deeply involved with a local non-profit charged with increasing the canopy of DC to 40%, through planting, pruning, inventorying, and advocacy.
We are at a critical point in this nation in which citizens must put aside our differences to find commonalities to make our community a more inviting and comfortable place to express beliefs. Residents are often weary of apocalyptic scenarios which are difficult to understand and span decades into the future, showcasing impacts to wildlife and habitats they do not interact with. However, if negative environmental impact can be framed as having financial impact, the motivation for action becomes more urgent. Additionally, highlighting the pathways of environmental management can help educate citizens. Recently, a family member living in Florida asked why they should be concerned about deregulation of water quality standards for industrial release into Lake Okeechobee. Once they understood how the federal and state regulatory mechanisms operate, and how the stakeholders involved interacted, they began to understand how their vote played a role in the environmental quality of their state. Education is an important tool, but it needs to be simplified so that many can understand the big picture.
Now that I’ve returned home, I’d like to apply my diverse background in education, public policy, and environmental advocacy to help shape and implement the goals of the Sierra Club’s Austin Regional Group. I’m constantly inspired by the residents of Austin, as well as the local leadership, and know that this is a wonderful time to make a positive impact in the area. The Sierra Club inspired me to remain determined in my pursuit of becoming a leader in the field of environmental conservation and sustainability; it is an organization which demonstrates resiliency to opposition while never giving up on the core mission. This steadfast resolve has inspired my personal and professional growth, and I feel like this is the ideal time in my career to use the experience gained over many years and a varied background to aid the Sierra Club with the attainment of its goals.