December 19, 2011
Contact: Rebecca Silver, Sierra Club, 212-791-3600, rebecca.silver@sierraclub.org
THE SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION APPOINTS YOUNGEST MEMBER TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sierra Club Foundation is pleased to announce that Juan Martinez, 2011 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, is the newest member of the Board of Directors. Martinez first became involved with the Sierra Club as a participant in Building Bridges to the Outdoors while in high school in South Central LA. He worked his way up to the position of youth volunteer coordinator, and went on to join the Sierra Student Coalition's executive committee and helped construct the organization's policy.
“We’re overjoyed to have Juan join the Foundation Board,” said Foundation Executive Director Peter Martin. “His perspective, experience and passion show a tremendous commitment to environmental activism and youth education.”
A graduate of California State University Los Angeles, Martinez is dedicated to introducing low-income families to the outdoors and fighting urban pollution. In his new role on the Sierra Club Foundation Board of Directors, at age 27, Martinez will continue to contribute to campaign planning for Mission Outdoors, act as an ambassador for Building Bridges to the Outdoors, and foster connections with the entertainment community to help build the organization’s brand with the next generation.
“The Sierra Club is a significant part of my life,” said Juan Martinez. ““It is an honor to take on a leadership role at an organization that has had such a profound impact on who I am.”
Juan is a national spokesman for the importance of getting youth into the outdoors, an Ambassador for The North Face, Director of Leadership Development and Natural Leaders Network for the Children & Nature Network, a recipient of Congresswoman Hilda Solis’ Environmental Youth Leadership Award and a recipient of the Breaking the Color Barriers “Looking to the Future” Award. Juan has been a member of the Sierra Club since 2008.
About The Sierra Club Foundation
The Sierra Club Foundation is a public charity whose mission is to provide financial support to the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations for charitable projects. The Foundation relies on the generosity of thousands of donors across the country who care about preserving and protecting the planet for future generations. The Foundation funds small, local projects and multi-year, multi-million dollar campaigns that help educate, inspire and empower humanity to preserve the natural and human environment. To learn more, visit www.sierraclub.org/foundation.
###