Below are the candidate statements for the Executive Committee Election in December 2016. There are five candidates running for the four open positions.
Click the person's name to jump to their candidate statement.
Melanie Oldham
I’m interested in being on the board of the Sierra Club in Houston because of several reasons:
I live in Freeport, Texas which has DOW Chemical’s world’s largest complex, which is expanding with 4 new plants, as well as having BASF, Shintech, the notorious Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Co and many other smaller chemical plants.
In addition, Freeport is home to the Freeport LNG plant that is trying to expand and is close to construction. Southern Brazoria Co has so many public health/environmental problems/issues that I would like to be involved more with the Sierra Club for us to work on common issues/share information.
I’m a physical therapist and an unpaid public health/environmental advocate who started a local group Citizens for Clean Air/Clean Water in Brazoria Co in 2006 and we meet quarterly even though attendance varies. However, our group did assist citizens who spoke out against Gulf Chemical and Metallurgical Co and last year was fined $7.5 M by the Texas AG. I’m presently helping citizens in Freeport and on Quintana island who have been opposing the expansion of Freeport LNG who plans to export a lot of our natural gas and will increase fracking in Texas shale areas.
Since 2004 I have gone to Austin many times and testified in front of the Environmental Regulation Committee at the capitol about bills that will affect Brazoria Co and other areas in Texas and while at the capitol have met advocates with the Sierra Club and many other environmental groups.
I would like to be a part of a board that could brainstorm together and continue to organize and educate and support the public re: public health/environmental issues.
Lisa Robertson
I am a long time member of the Sierra Club (both at the local and national levels).I value being a member of the Houston chapter, and very much enjoy participating in the guided outings, which are wonderful opportunities for tree ID and birding. I also help on service days, most recently lopping persimmons at Marysee Prairie, and picking up trash at the North Jetty.
My other community activities include serving as chair of the Houston League of Women Voters Nominating Committee, volunteering at The Wildlife Center of Texas, the Houston Area Womens Center, and BARC’s animal care/adoption activities.
I think one of the chapter’s priorities is to grow its membership (and financial) base. If elected, I would focus my efforts on helping to develop and execute plans to grow the Houston chapter’s membership to include more millennials and youth. We need to get people, especially young ones, outside and unplugged (from their smart phones)! The more people experience and enjoy their outdoor environment, whether it be walking along the Bayou, admiring the wildflowers in a prairie, exploring the Big Thicket, or on a birding outing, they will understand its value, and work to protect it. Another growth opportunity for the chapter is strategic outreach to other organizations whose shared values intersect with ours (ex, habitat protection, sustainability, education, advocacy etc.) to co-create and host activities such as outings, meals, special events with speakers or musicians, organize movie screenings, and more.
I think my background in fundraising and managing transformational projects would be beneficial to the Houston Sierra Club, and I would be honored to serve on its executive committee.
Anna Russo
First of all, thank you for considering my nomination for membership to the Executive Committee of the Houston Group of the Sierra Club.. It would be an honor to serve. The Sierra Club has provided the most important source of my environmental education for over half my life. I hold the Sierra Club in high esteem.
Being a native Houstonian, I have the greatest interest in the city’s quality of life and share the Chapter’s concern for our local environment. The Executive Committee would offer the opportunity of learning about current issues and, possibly, being a part of solutions.
WORK: For 21 years, I served as Administrative Assistant to Harris County Commissioner’s Court and an additional four years at the Harris County Flood Control District, assisting in establishment of first Environmental Services Depart, under Mr. Art Storey and Mr. John Koros.
Experience includes project development and management, especially as related to open space and recreation, Precinct One SPARK coordinator, director of Challenger Seven Memorial Park Learning Center, trails development, events coordinator and grant writing. At Flood Control, my duties included coordinating permits for construction projects with the Galveston District Corps of Engineers, wildflower plantings on Flood Control properties and other administrative duties.
Currently, I maintain the Monarch Butterfly Garden at HISD Garden Oaks Ellementary School, participate in volunteer gardening at the Houston Zoo with the Native Plant Society and am a Gulf Coast Master Naturalist.
HOBBIES: Travel, gardening, photography.
Travels to wilderness areas in the U.S. (including Sierra Club national outings and work trips) and around the world have deepened my commitment to the Earth. Experiencing the most beautiful and magical places on Earth has motivated me to continue fighting for remaining wilderness areas,at home and abroad.
Commitment: If elected to the Executive Committee, I will do my best to support the goals and future efforts of the Houston Group of the Sierra Club.
Gary Stephenson
I was born in South Dakota, raised in Montana, and I have a lifelong love of experiencing and preserving nature. I have been an active member in the Houston Sierra Club since my move to the Houston area last year, in May of 2015. Before arriving in Houston I was an active outings leader for rural and urban hikes, and nature walks in the Los Angeles area, from 2007 to 2015. Prior to my time in LA I lived in the Seattle area and was active in the Mountaineers, the Cascade Bike Club, and the Tacoma Wheelmen, from 1989 to 2006.
Professionally I am a graduate of Montana State University in physics and philosophy, and hold a graduate degree and professional certification in space systems engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. Over the course of my career I have co-developed a number of Earth remote sensing payloads, including the MODIS and VIIRS instruments, both of which have been helpful in characterizing global climate. I have also been an active advocate for renewable energy sources, including terrestrial wind energy, the development of space solar power, and research into clean fusion.
As a member of the executive committee I would endeavor to ensure we make the best possible use of the precious resources of our membership’s time, treasure, and talents in conserving and enjoying our bountiful natural resources here in the greater Harris County area.
Mary Wood
I have been involved with the business community and non-profit organizations in since coming to Houston in 1976.
Whether animal welfare, plastic pollution or the need to control litter on our roads from becoming floatable debris in our waterways, the need for education of the community is essential. Working for the past 9 years, as a Director with Texans for Clean Water, I have worked tirelessly on legislation to change policy for the benefit of our environment.
Being on the Sierra Club Board for the past year, I look to a future with Sierra for continued involvement with the community to educate on the need to appreciate, restore and protect our natural environment. Thank you.