It is Group Ex Com election time, and we have four fine candidates for the committee. Watch your mailbox for your 2014 Executive Committee Ballots. Below are candidates statements and photos (statements will also be in the ballots).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keresha Durham
I have a strong background of environmental leadership and public education in our community.
As a dedicated, Lifetime Member of the Sierra Club, I serve as Vice-Chair of our local Executive Committee, Chair of Events and on the Conservation Committee.
I have revived monthly events and fundraising dinners; helping to increase membership and our group’s visibility. I have sponsored several student interns, getting young people involved in environmental preservation.
Sierra Magazine honored me as an Eco-hero for my environmental education in our schools. I have been Chair of the City Transportation Commission, Vice Chair of Population Connection and on The Environmental Council board.
Vote for me so I may continue this important work.
Ron Pomerantz
I am a lifelong environmental activist. I am committed to working on issues that support the goals of our local Sierra Club with an emphasis on water, energy, transportation, and land use.
I am a backpacker and explorer. I love the wilderness. I hate waste.
I am working to stop Highway 1 widening, UCSC’s expansion into a Natural Preserve, the Desal project, and global climate change.
I am working to support the Rail Trail, to reduce-reuse-recycle-repurpose, and to promote alternatives to desalination, nuclear power, and fracking.
I will continue to work on issues for a healthy environment for us and for future generations.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Jukka Naukkarinen
It's an honor to be considered a candidate for the Sierra Club Executive committee. My name is Jukka Naukkarinen, from the Ventana chapter of Sierra Club.
For the past 30 years I've been an activist on and off, ranging from confronting French imperialism in South Pacific, New Caledonia's native land right issues, to modern day campaigns against multinational logging and mining companies in Canada's far North.
Locally here in Santa Cruz I stand for the following issues in addition to the obvious ones:
--Reduce smog in San Lorenzo Valley
--No aerial spraying of pesticides (apple moth)
--No fluoridation of water
Erica Stanojevic
My lifelong love of nature has propelled me to volunteer with the Sierra Club in the Loma Prieta chapter. I co-lead the San Jose Cool Cities team, which helped host Healthy Community forums, supported San Jose's effort to ban polystyrene, and played watchdog with city development. I was a teacher for five years, and in that time started a school garden, lead bicycling field trips, and brought local cooking into my fifth grade classroom.
While global warming already affects us, there's still lots of things we can do, and it's best to have fun along the way.