Endorsements
This page lists the individual endorsements the Grassroots Choice (Petition) Candidates have received.
Please also see our updated list of Endorsements from Sierra Club Chapters - ranging from the largest to the smallest.
Over 500 Sierra Club Members - most long-time members representing dozens of Club activists - signed the petitions to qualify our slate as candidates for the Sierra Club board of directors.
Over 50 Chapter and Group grassroots leaders have endorsed us (see below, and please add your individual endorsement!)
Please also see our updated list of Endorsements from Sierra Club Chapters - ranging from the largest to the smallest.
Over 500 Sierra Club Members - most long-time members representing dozens of Club activists - signed the petitions to qualify our slate as candidates for the Sierra Club board of directors.
Over 50 Chapter and Group grassroots leaders have endorsed us (see below, and please add your individual endorsement!)
See Chapter Endorsements Here |
Endorsements from Chapter and Group Leaders and Grassroots MembersCurrent Board Member Dr. Chad Hanson endorses the four petition candidates for Sierra Club Board: "There is currently a deeply troubling trend in the Sierra Club that is putting the future of volunteer leadership at risk... As a Sierra Club leader of more than 30 years, and four-term member of the Sierra Club Board (1997-2003, 2018-present), I strongly endorse the four petition candidates running for Board... The "Grassroots Choice Candidates" - Mair, Bartholomew, Dorsey, and Khosla - will steadfastly support and uphold volunteer leaders, both conservation and outings..."
[read more...] Dr. Nick Aumen, National Board of Directors 1998-2004, including two terms as national Vice-President and one term as Treasurer, Sierra Club member since 1988. Sierra Club leadership positions in the Oxford, MS Chapter, the Mississippi Chapter, and several terms as Chair of the Gulf Coast Regional Conservation Committee (GCRCC). Heavily involved through the GCRCC in the Club's foundational efforts on Environmental Justice in the 1990s. Professional career in academia and state and federal agencies doing aquatic ecological research, and now coordinating science conducted in a federal agency in support of ecosystem restoration.
Marcia Hanscom, National Board of Directors, 2002-2005; Executive Committee Steering Committee, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter; Chair, Sierra Club Ballona Wetlands Restoration Committee; Delegate, Sierra Club California Conservation Committee; Political Committee, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter; National Sierra Club Wildlands & Wilderness Committee Member & two-time recipient of the top Conservation Honor at Angeles Chapter ~ the Weldon Heald Award. Marcia states: " I - and many others - are increasingly worried about the “pauses” and “suspensions” that chapters, groups and campaigns are having placed on them, the “transformation coaches” who are coming in to conduct inquisitions of long-time Club leaders that we have learned about in recent months and the outsized efforts to displace chapter leadership with staff in terms of power and decision-making." Rebecca Falkenbery, National Board of Directors, 1990 to 1996, National Board of Directors Executive Committee, VP for Volunteer Development, Walter Starr Award, Outstanding Former Director, 1998, Served on National Membership, International, and Planning and Volunteer Grassroots Development Committees, National Council of Club Leaders, 1984 to 1989, Executive Committee, Founded Alabama Chapter, 1984, Alabama Chapter Chair, Vice Chair, Lobbying and Political Chair Birmingham Group, Chair, Vice Chair, Membership Chair, Florida Chapter Executive Committee 2002 to 2004, Florida Chapter Manatee Award, 2005, Suncoast Group Executive Committee, 2001 to 2005, Suncoast Political Committee, 2017 to present, Political Volunteer of the Year Award 2019, Member since 1973, Life Member since 1984. Mary Ann Nelson, Former Club Director 1992-1998, the first African American to be elected to the Sierra Club's national Board, including a term as Secretary (1997- 1998), and Massachusetts Chapter Chair, 2002-2008, Richard Cellarius, Former Sierra Club President 1988-90. Larry Downing, Former Club President 1986-1988. Tom Lum Forest, Chairman, Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, Life Member since October 1994. Ron Eber, Founding ExCom member of Oregon Chapter 1978 - Chapter Chair and Wilderness Coordinator 1980-85 and currently Chapter Historian. Sierra Club Staff Campus Coordinator, 1970-71, member since 1966 and now Life Member. Jake Sigg, in Nature News (8 April 2022) - "This is the most contentious Sierra Club election in Club history, and it is imperative to participate.... I trust all Sierra Club members will vote for the Petition candidates and no Board-nominated candidates." Will Walters, Colorado Chapter Chair 2011-12, 2015, 2016-19, 2020, Interim Chapter Director 2015, Chapter Political Chair, Chapter Secretary, Poudre Canyon Group Chair numerous terms since 1996, Treasurer, Group Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, Outings Leader, Colorado Volunteer of the Year Award. Suspended by National Board for promoting open dialog about contentious issues. Member since 1994. [April 12, 2022 update from Mr. Walters: "Today, the Board suspended one of its most successful chapters without ever disclosing specifically why, only offering vague innuendo, discussing its allegations and reasons in secret. It should trouble everyone in the progressive movement that Sierra Club has become that organization.... I respect, applaud and thank Directors Hanson and Mair for leaning in and demonstrating courage and integrity and love."] Bob Morris, member since 1999: formerly the national VP for the Activist Network. Bob writes: "As the volunteer leader of the Activist Network, I worked together with the staff co-leaders to build the network, and in one year we increased it from 400 participants to 4000 participants, all working on their local priority issues. The staff, particularly the ED and Conservation Director were not pleased. They wanted to control volunteers, while we were focused on enabling them. I resigned when I couldn’t get the BOD to give us the funding under the same protocols as our prior funding, which was so highly successful. They agreed with the ED to put control of a not-even-selected Chief of IT. I tired of their lack of trust in the grassroots and moved on." Mark McClain, Former chair, Lone Star (TX) Chapter; former chair Dallas Group, former chair Roanoke group, former member Virginia Chapter ExCom, co-founder Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, member since 1983. Elaine Grace, National Outdoor Volunteer Leader, Sierra Club member since 2011. Stephen Montgomery, Current Chair, Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter and Life Member, John Rasmussen, Former Tehipite Chapter Chair, Treasurer, Outings Chair, and Newsletter Editor. Member Sierra Club Sequoia Task Force. Former Chair RCC Western Sierra Nevada Committee, Life Member. Stuart Flashman, Environmental attorney (since 1990, represented the Club in multiple lawsuits), Sierra Club member since 1978 life member since 1982, former Executive Committee member for the San Francisco Bay Chapter (1997-1998), member of the S.F. Bay Chapter legal committee (1997-present). Richard Lippes, Niagara Group Executive committee, Atlantic Chapter general counsel, Sierra Club Member since 1971. Lynne Plambeck, Member of Angeles Chapter Ex-Com, SoCal Vice Chair, Sierra Club California, California Conservation Committee. 37 year member. Ron Campbell, Former Safety Chair (2012-2021), Angeles Chapter, and life member. Arian Pregenzer, National Outings Backpack Trip Leader / Long time advocate and volunteer for wilderness, Life Member. Raye Lynn Thomas - 30+ yr. supporter; librarian for environmental studies undergrads. (retired) Wendy-Sue Rosen, 35 year Sierra Club member; Sierra Club California ExCom; Co-chair; Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee; Co-founder and member; Angeles Chapter Wildland Urban Wildfire Committee; received 2020 Sierra Club California Stan Weidert Award for the creation of new Sierra Club California land use (fire) policy; serve on the Angeles Chapter Ballona Wetlands Restoration Committee, Climate Action Committee, Environmental and Social Justice Committee, Political Committee, Santa Monica Mountains Task Force; and delegate to the California Conservation Committee. Don Bremner, Co-Chair, Forest Committee, Sierra Club Angeles Chapter; Former chair, Pasadena Group; Outings Co-Chair Pasadena Group; Member Angeles Chapter Outings Management Committee; Angeles Chapter awards: 2003 Conservation Service Award, 2007 Special Service Award, 2008 Weldon Heald Conservation Plaque, 2016 Extraordinary Achievement Award, 2019 Lifelong Service Plaque. Sierra Club member since 1984, Life Member. David Eisenberg, Chair, Angeles Chapter Verdugo Hills Group, Recipient of Angeles Chapter Awards: Lori & Robin Ives Media Award, Lifelong Service Award, Outings Service Award, Special Service Award. Hundred Peaks Section Awards, John Backus Leadership Award, R.S. Fink Service Award, Special Award – Leadership as Angeles Chapter Schedule Editor, Special Award - Lead the List Twice. Sierra Club Life Member since 1985. Lehman Holder, Loo Wit Group (SW Washington) ExCom Member as outings liaison (Group Chair, 2012-2014), Sierra Club since March 1973. Recipient of 2008 Oliver Kehrlein Award from national Sierra Club for outings leadership. Stephanie Wilson, National Outings leader since 1997; Current chair, National Outings Rocky Mountain Subcommittee; former Chair, Tahoe Area Group (Mother Lode and Toiyabe Chapters). Member since 1982; Life Member. Jennifer Normoyle, Volunteer, Forest Protection Committee and Stop Clearcutting Campaign, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter. Long-time Sierra Club member. Jim Hagar, Chair, Angeles Chapter Hundred Peaks Management Committee, Life Member. David Neumann, National Outings Volunteer Leader, Member of Sierra Club since 1968. Brad Edmondfson, Atlantic Chapter, Club member since 1978. Lynne Man, Forest Protection Team, Team Leader, Massachusetts Chapter, Sierra Club Member since 2021. Anne Woiwode, Michigan Chapter: current Executive Committee Secretary, former Michigan Chapter Chair, former Michigan Chapter Director and staff member (31 years), 2012 Michigan Green Leaders Award from the Detroit Free Press. National: former Conservation Policy Committee chair, former Chapter Chairs Representatives chair, 2014 Virginia Ferguson Award winner. Member since 1980, Life Member. Jeff Levitt - Member in Atlantic Chapter; Longtime Sierra Club member since the 1960s. Janet Craig, Sierra Club member since 1977, ex-trip assistant leader, Life Member. Catherine O'Kelly, Northern California, 30+ year member, most of those years in Santa Cruz/Monterey Ventana Chapter, very active in environmental issues, member since 1990. Catherine writes: "This year I was shocked to received a postcard telling me who to vote for! That was unethical, seriously!!! I study the statements and vote for whom I please, not who is being promoted by the existing board." Bob Stinton, Outings Chair, San Diego Chapter, member of the Club since 1979. Valerie Thatcher, Austin, TX, Sierra Club ExComm board member, 2011-2012. PhD focus on environmental communication, Member since 2010. Ara Marderosian, Current Conservation Chair, Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Council of Club Leaders Delegate and Sequoia ForestKeeper® Executive Director. George Christiansen, Outings Leader and elected management committee member, 2016 thru present of the Hundred Peaks Section of Angeles Chapter (Southern California), Volunteer leader since 2010. Received Section New Leader Award 2012. Sierra Club Member since 2008. Pat Marida, Sierra Club Ohio Chapter Executive Committee member for 15 years; Chair of the Central Ohio Group of Sierra Club for 9 years; Chair of Ohio Sierra Club Nuclear Free Committee for 12 years; Core Team member of the Nuclear Free Campaign of the Sierra Club Grassroots Network for past 8 years; and board member of the Ohio Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign in 1980s. Sierra Club member since 1981. Jenny Blaker, Life member since at least 1997. "As a lifetime member of the Sierra Club, I wholeheartedly support the Grassroots Choice (Petition) candidates for the Sierra Club - Aaron Mair, Maya Khosla, Dr Michael Dorsey, and Kate Bartholomew. There seems to be a battle over the leadership and future direction of the Sierra Club and I endorse these candidates who I believe will support transparency, accountability, democratic values and a volunteer-driven organization, and most importantly the protection of wildlands from abuse and exploitation." Kim Crane, Wilderness Travel Course Instructor, I Rated Leader and trail maintenance member for Sierra Sage Group of Angeles Chapter. Sierra Club member since 2016. Mat Kelliher, Sierra Club Member of the Angeles Chapter since 1995. Hundred Peaks Section (HPS) Outings & Safety Chair, Desert Peaks Section (DPS) Outings & Safety Chair, Group Leader for the Wilderness Travel Course (WTC), M-Rock rated Outings Leader. DPS Service Award (2019), Angeles Chapter Outings Service Award (2016), HPS R.S. Fink Service Award (2018), HPS John Backus Leadership Award (2017), HPS Bill T Russell New Leader Award (2011). Jeannette Sivertsen, National Outings volunteer leader, member of Loma Prieta Chapter, Sierra Club Member since 1999. B. Jo Brewer (she/her), Current Legislative Chair, Loo Wit Group, Washington Chapter, Sierra Club. Carla Cloer, 2001 Sierra Club John Muir Award Winner, Chair, Sierra Club Sequoia Task Force, one of four modern environmentalists profiled in the 2000 National Geographic Society book, John Muir: Nature's Visionary by Gretel Ehrlich. Recipient of Kern-Kaweah Chapter "Sierra Cup Award," its "Long Trail Award," and "Chairman Award," and Sierra Club California's Sally and Les Reid Award, and most recently, its 2017 Stan Weidert Award for Public Lands Activism. She has worked many years to preserve Giant Sequoias through partnerships among Sierra Club and the Tule River Conservancy. Sierra Club Member since 1980. Katherine Howard, ASLA, Member of San Francisco Group Executive Committee and Conservation Committee, 2017 to present; Northern California Secretary to the California Conservation Committee (formerly CNRCC), 2018 to 2020; SF Group Representative to the Chapter Executive Committee, 2022. I am committed to the Jemez Principles of grassroots organizing and believe that the strength of the Sierra Club lies in its volunteers and their commitment to the environment. Doug Harnsberger, AIA, Volunteer Sierra Club Architectural Historian for the John Muir Memorial Shelter’s designation to the National Register of Historic Places, July 2016, Sierra Club Member since 1970, Historic Preservation Officer of the Architect of the Capitol, Washington DC., Advisory Council Member of the John Muir Trail Conservancy. Kim Stanley Robinson is a noted eco-science fiction author of over 20 books, and has been a Sierra Club member for many decades. Robinson helped gather signatures to get the petition candidates on the ballot. His writings have appeared in the Sierra Club magazine several times, including the 2018 essay, "There is No Planet B." He is an author of eco-fiction novels Green Earth, New York 2140, Aurora, and most recently, The Ministry for the Future, His next book from Little, Brown, called The High Sierra: a Love Story, involved deep research into John Muir, and it will include chapters on the Sierra Club as early feminist organization, on John Muir as "not-a-racist and environmental hero still" and by contrast on how actually deplorable geographic names used in the Sierra Nevada mountains ought to be removed— Spencer, Agassiz, Haeckel, LeConte Senior (a Sierra Club founder), David Starr Jordan, etc. Notably the book addresses how wilderness remains crucial for our future survival, He writes, "The current Sierra Club board of directors should be removed for egregious and unnecessary damage to the reputation of John Muir and of the Sierra Club as a rational group of people. Vote for the petition candidates and start a needed reform." On April 3, 2022, Robinson was quoted in the HuffPost: "“I was amazed that the Sierra Club Board of Directors had been so foolish as to try to censor their own people who sought to make a statement in defense of their founder. It challenged my sense of what this group’s intelligence and motivations actually were.” He went on to say, “Really, I think the whole board of directors ought to resign after what they did in response to the essay by Mair, Hanson and Nelson,” He added. “They ought to say, ‘Oops, collective moment of insanity. We ruined the reputation of the club, and we are going to resign now and let a new group take over.’” Sharon LeDuc, NOAA, EPA employee 36 years. Raymond Barnett, Ph.D., Professor emeritus of Biological Sciences and author of the several articles and a book on John Muir, Sierra Club Life Member, Member of Sierra Club since 1969. Marjorie Bell, Editor, Roadrunner newsletter, Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter. Joan Seeman, Colorado Chapter Toxics Issue Specialist, Sierra Club members since 1993. Mark Mitchell, Angeles Chapter Wilderness Adventures Section Outings Chair and Management Committee Member; Outings Leader for Wilderness Adventures Section and Orange County Sierra Section for 20 years. Former instructor with Basic Mountaineering Training Course and first season of Wilderness Travel Course. Sierra Club member since 1980. Janet Stuhr Wood, former Kern-Kaweah Chapter/Mineral King Group Chair and Treasurer; Member Sierra Club Giant Sequoia Task Force; founding member of Executive Committee of Cascade Chapter (now Washington State) and Interim Conservation Chair; Former ExCom Member and Treasurer of Tatoosh Group of Cascade Chapter. Sierra Club Member since 1978; Life Member. Janet says: "Most of the current Sierra Club Board of Directors (and several candidates) seem to have developed a bloated sense of self-importance with their patronizing and condescending attitude toward grassroots volunteers. They have led themselves to believe that they are somehow charged with the benevolent task of “empowering” the grassroots. NO—YOU DO NOT EMPOWER THE GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS! WE ARE SELF-EMPOWERED THROUGH OUR PASSION, COMMITMENT, AND "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" EXPERIENCE! Without US there is no Sierra Club. YOU are merely administrators and need to start behaving in such a way." Richard Fleck, Literature professor, author of numerous articles and books about Club's co-founder John Muir. Muir inspired Fleck also to help on the Save the Walden Woods project and he serves on the Advisory Committee of Restore Hetch Hetchy. Edward Steinman, MI Chapter webmaster and IT support, Sierra Club members since about 1980. John De Graaf - Environmental filmmaker, author, and activist. See his comment on Facebook about this election. Note also his 2014 essay in Earth Island Journal, "In Celebration of John Muir: The American legend’s legacy is especially relevant to today’s environmental movement," and his 2020 article in Sierra Magazine, Stewart Udall: A Remembrance. Sierra Club member since 1987. Peter and Donna Thomas, authors of The Muir Ramble Route, and Sierra Club Members since 1986. Lisa Barboza, Currently Loma Prieta Chapter Outings Chair, Chapter ExCom member, mountaineer, climbed and finished SPS list of Sierra peaks, environmental activist, wildlife biologist, docent at Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, Sierra Club member since 1998, Life Member. William Armstrong, Outings Leader, Webmaster, national Sierra Club Military Outdoors, from Florida Chapter, Northeast Florida Group Sierra Club Member since 2006. Mark Threlkeld, Past exec comm member Wesern North Carolina Group; member since 1995. William Yragui, San Francisco Bay Chapter Southern Alameda Group ExCom member, SF Bay Chapter Activities Committee (Outings) Chair, Member - Transportation and Compact Growth Committee, East Bay Public Lands Committee, Political Committee, Outreach Committee. Club member since 1971. Bob Solotar, San Francisco Bay Chapter Hiking Section Chair, Vice-Chair, SF Bay Chapter Activities (Outings) Committee, Member SF Bay Chapter Executive Committee 2002 - 2009, Life member and Club member since 1971. Read Bob's statement, "Why I Endorse this Slate." Steve Bakaley, Current Outings Chair for the Santa Cruz Group of the Ventana Chapter and vice chair of their executive committee, a Group day hike leader since January 1985 and past Outings Chair for the San Francisco Bay Chapter for over twenty years. Life Member since 1981. Marjie Fields: Former: Sierra Club Washington State Executive Committee, Washington State newsletter editor, Sno-Isle Group Executive Committee member and Chair, Currently: Sno-Isle Group newsletter editor. Ron Frankiewicz, Angeles Chapter member and past outings leader; Sierra Club member since 1984. Diane Johansen, Sierra Club Life Member. Robert Whitney, from Pennsylvania, member since 1995. Andrew Johnson, National Outings leader since 1980, Former Chair of Knapsack Subcommittee, member of Outings Administrative Committee, Sierra Club member since 1974. Richard Marston, Retired professor of environmental geography, from Newport Beach, CA, Sierra Club Life Member. Barbara Grover, Pennylvania Chapter Political Chair, active in Sierra Club and other environmental organizations in Pittsburgh PA since 2004; Sierra Club member since 1980; Life Member. Ken Peabody, from South Brunswick, New Jersey; Sierra Club Member since 1976. Blake Crow, Sierra Club member from Colorado. Karen Preuss, long-time Sierra Club member. Catherine Jaramillo, Sierra Club Member since 1989. Lisa Wright from Washington State, Sierra Club member since 2011. Alejandro Chu, from Alabama Chapter, Club member from since 1997. Dave Keller, Outings Chair & ExCom Member, Mineral King Group of Kern-Kaweah Chapter. Sharon Briel, Member, Executive Committee, Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter & Buena Vista Group. Member since 1989; Life Member. Carl Trost, from New York; past Group vice chair/ 3-time work trip leader, Sierra Club member since 1985. James Bland, Illinois, Sierra Club member since 2010. Eva Nipp, Kern Kaweah Chapter recipient of chapter's Sierra Club Cup Award and Long Trails Award; Sierra Club Member since 1969. Eddy Laine, ExCom Member, Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Sierra Club member since 2014. Harry Love, Political Chair, Sierra Club Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Sierra Club member since 1972. Solveig Thompson, Sierra Club member since 1988. Sophia Johnson, volunteer hike leader; member since 2016.. Sherida Bush, Sierra Club member since 1983 Mark Thomson, Sierra Club member since 1999, President, John Muir Association. Tim Platt, Sierra Club member since 1983. Klaus Mager, Core leadership member Food&AG Grassroots Network Team, from Bend, Oregon; member since 2018. Ron Good, Sierra Club Member since 1977. Pati An, Volunteer on Sierra Club restoration trips / donor / "civilian" eco-restoration practitioner, Club member from Seattle area of Washington State. April Hill, Sierra Club member since 2003. Lisa Vaughn, Sierra Club Member since 1977. Jenny Bartas, from Cupertino, California; Sierra Club Member for about 8 years. Kathleen Sullivan, Lead, Freeport Climate Action Now, Sierra Club Life Member. Carol Etheridge, John Muir Society Member (Donor), Life Member. Christopher Keating, Member from Mason, TX, Club member since 2021. Eric Lewis, from Nashville, Tennessee; Member for decades. Natasha Dyer, Sierra Club member from Georgia. Lora M Christoffel, Sierra Club Member from California; member since 1986. Terry Stimpfel , Sierra Club member and volunteer since 1996. Thomas Krumreich, Member since 1999. Kate Riley, Member since 1993. Joe Walicki has held many different positions in the Oregon Chapter such as Conservation Chair, Outings Leader, and ExComm member of the chapter. He is currently a Wilderness Guardian for the national Sierra Club. He was the Northwest Representative for The Wilderness Society from 1972 to 1982. Harold Wood, Sierra Club John Muir Exhibit Webmaster, Former Chapter Chair and Conservation Chair, Cascade Chapter, Former Chair, Sierra Club Environmental Education Committee, Former Chair, Sierra Club LeConte Memorial Lodge Committee, Former member Executive Committee of Sierra Club California, Former Chair, Secretary, Conservation Chair and Ex-Com member of Mineral King Group of Kern-Kaweah Chapter, Life Member and member since 1968. |
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