Community Environmental Council Welcomes New Members to Key Leadership and Staff Positions
Focused on the Urgent Climate Crisis, Community Environmental Council Continues to Grow to Meet the Needs of the Region
Individual photos for this release can be found here https://cec.pub/new-key-leaders
April 11, 2022 SANTA BARBARA, CA – Since January, Community Environmental Council (CEC) has welcomed new members to its advisory bodies and staff as the organization continues to grow. This strategic growth is aimed at accelerating CEC’s capacity and momentum to tackle pressing climate impacts across the central coast region.
“With less than a decade to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, collectively we need to be scaling up solutions and doing twice as much, twice as fast," said CEC CEO & Executive Director Sigrid Wright. "This is why the Community Environmental Council nearly doubled its staff in the past year and has been building out our Board and advisory councils. CEC is going all-in on unrelenting, focused, and inclusive climate action on the California Central Coast.”
CEC’s Board of Directors is composed of 16 community leaders with a diverse breadth of experience in business management, non-profit governance and financial oversight, providing strong direction and leadership to help CEC fulfill its mission. Two individuals joined the Board in January: Geoff Green, CEO for the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College, and local strategic business leader and venture capitalist, Chandler Buie. See bios below.
In addition to the Board of Directors, CEC has two other key groups that bring energy, insight and advocacy to the work: the Partnership Council and the President’s Council. One new individual joined the Partnership Council (comprised of influential and successful business and community leaders who actively champion CEC’s mission by guiding, networking, advocating and fundraising in our community) earlier this year: Jessica McLernon, partner at Randy Solakian Estates Group. See bio below.
Community Environmental Council also welcomed four new staff members since the beginning of 2022. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to their positions and share a passion for the urgent climate action needed on the Central California Coast and beyond:
Vania Fong, Energy & Transportation Associate
Olivia Hernández Harnish, Climate Education & Leadership Program Associate
Trace Sykes, Climate Resilience Program Associate
Kristen Weiss, Communications Associate
About New Leadership Group Members:
Geoff Green: Green is CEO for the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College. He is also the former long-time Executive Director of the Fund for Santa Barbara, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of the Santa Barbara Region and co-leader of the three-way merger with the Goleta and Carpinteria chambers in 2020. He served on the Leadership Council that drafted Santa Barbara County’s 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in 2006-2007, and continues to serve on the newly merged Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Chandler Buie: Buie has spent the last 20 years as a strategic investor in early-stage companies and funds in the growth and venture space, specializing in food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, direct to consumer and media. His primary roles have been in the areas of strategic planning, financial oversight and capital structure, while serving in capacities ranging from informal advisor to formal board member. Buie is a passionate believer in taking a positive and inclusionary approach to the climate threats we face, and an advocate for market-based solutions to climate change.
Jessica McLernon: McLernon is a partner at Randy Solakian Estates Group where she specializes in residential real estate. McLernon brings experience working in the public and private sectors in Washington, DC, New York City, and Santa Barbara County, focusing on bringing economic opportunity to underserved populations.
See full list membership lists and bios for Board of Directors, Partnership Council, President’s Council, and CEC staff.
About the Community Environmental Council (CEC)
Recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and 2020 City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, CEC has worked since 1970 to incubate and innovate real life environmental solutions that directly affect the California Central Coast. Our current work advances rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis – including ambitious zero carbon goals, drawdown of excess carbon, and protection against the impacts of climate change. Our programs lead to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems and reduction of single-use plastic. Learn more about why CEC is one of only five nonprofits in Santa Barbara County to have the highest possible ratings on Charity Navigator and Guidestar at CECSB.org/impact. Find CEC on the web at CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB, Twitter.com/CECSB, and LinkedIn.com/CECSB.