REDWOOD NEEDLES
REDWOOD NEEDLESPresented by the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Newsletter, The REDWOOD NEEDLES
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Margaret Pennington
Activities: Redwood Chapter ExCom member 1998-2001. Sonoma Group ExCom member 1998-2001. Redwood Chapter Chair, 2000, 2001. Redwood Chapter Political Chair 1999-2001. Sonoma Group Political Co-Chair 1998-2001. Sonoma Group Environmental Forum (aka General Meeting) planner 2000, 2001. Redwood Chapter and National Activist Outings Leader 1999-2001. RCC Delegate, Council of Club Leaders Delegate.
Statement: I have served on the Redwood Chapter and Sonoma Group Executive Committees since 1998. With your support I hope to continue.
I am deeply concerned about the adverse impacts so many of our human activities have on the natural world. My hope is that working together with other environmental advocates and allies, both within and outside the Sierra Club, we will find ways to bring about changes needed to transform the patterns of behavior that are so harmful to the natural systems upon which we depend.
I think we have done some good work at both the Chapter and Group level, but the unfortunate truth is that the environmental crisis is expanding - locally, nationally and globally. In order to meet the huge challenges we face we need to work more effectively. I think we can do that by prioritizing goals and planning strategically to achieve them. In most cases that strategic planning will call for involving more of our members, taking advantage of the extensive expertise and resources available within the Sierra Club network, and collaborating with other activists and allied organizations.
The Chapter ExCom has identified organizational priorities. We need to flesh them out with strategic and tactical plans in order to carry out our declared purpose of facilitating and supporting the work of the local groups.
Sonoma Group ExCom has developed criteria for prioritizing issues and chosen three focus areas: land use, water, and political action. We need to complete and implement the strategic plans for each of these.
I'm passionate about environmental protection and forging a path toward a more sustainable future. After years of being hammered from every direction with one environmental assault after another, I'm fast becoming just as passionate about establishing well-informed priorities and planning strategically. With your support, I look forward to working with active, committed Redwood Chapter and Sonoma Group ExCom members to pursue the Club's mission to "educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment."
Keith Kaulum
As you consider your vote for members of the Chapter ExCom it is important to know how the Chapter functions with the six Groups under its jurisdiction. First the Chapter must approve nearly all actions taken by each Group, and acts as the organizational interface with state and national Sierra Club. Secondly it receives all funds from the Club and the Annual Appeal for member donations, and then distributes a portion of these funds to the Groups. The remainder is used for specific grants to the Groups for legal actions or special programs, for direct grants to other organizations, and partial support of the Environmental Center in Santa Rosa.
During the past two years I have served as the Sonoma Group representative on the Chapter Excom. This last year I have been the Chapter Legal Chair. I'm now seeking an at-large seat because I am convinced that a strong and vital Chapter organization is needed to effectively serve the Groups and interface with the Sierra Club California and National offices. Our Chapter covers a large geographic area with diverse environmental issues from logging in the north to agriculture and urban growth in the south. The common issue for nearly all the Groups in the Chapter is water quality and availability, and the activities that impact it such as logging, gravel mining or vineyard conversions. Because of the diversity of issues, it is important that the Chapter ExCom provide a fair and thoughtful forum for their consideration, both for funding requests and in cases when Groups may have conflicting policies. As the result of my experience over the past two years, I think that I am well qualified to serve on the Chapter ExCom. I would appreciate your vote.
Chris Malan
I am committed to protecting the natural environment of Napa County that has been under tremendous clear-cutting pressure from agricultural interests. This landscape stripping has been occurring at a rapid pace in the hillsides of Napa County depleting water resources, polluting streams and fragmenting habitat. Most people value trees and want to see them remain in our landscape history and understand the importance of the forest in a functional watershed. We have only a few spotted owl nests remaining and Salmon are hanging on by a thread in our River. These wonderful creatures that share our landscape with us need a place to survive. I have been actively working in the Sierra Club to protect our wildlands, prevent sprawl and bring justice to environmental polluters. I look forward to working in the Sierra Club to help bring a sustainable future to us all.
Hugo Steensma
The environmental community needs to combine the strengths and increase the leverage of its many diverse groups in order to become more effective in the political and governmental arenas. This can be accomplished through improved coordination of political action on shared objectives among these and other activist groups.
Environmentalists are also consumers and investors. Using the leverage of a coordinated approach to business issues, we can engage in a more meaningful dialogue with business leaders.
Accordingly, I believe that the Sierra Club can increase its effectiveness by:
Broadening the base: enhance public knowledge through education and information; attract new members and activate the membership.Building coalitions: cooperate with environmental and other non-profit groups to structure issue-specific political campaigns; the combined vote-count and the efficiencies of a joint approach will benefit all.
Increasing interaction with the business community: capitalize on the emerging trend of corporations to include environmental and social initiatives into their strategic plans; engage business leaders in a dialogue about the need for and opportunities resulting from sustainable business practices.
I have over 25 years experience in banking, corporate finance, venture capital and general management, including serving on a variety of for-profit and not-for-profit Boards. Currently, I work with a sustainable investment management group focusing exclusively on companies which meet strong and forward-thinking environmental, social and return on investment criteria. With this background and experience I believe I can be helpful in implementing the above initiatives.
I have been a member and supporter of the Sierra Club since 1973.
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