ExCom Elections 2015

Cast your vote for at-large members of the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club are volunteers and it is composed of one representative from each of the 10 groups in Washington State and nine elected at-large members and, making a total of 19 committee members. At-large members serve two-year terms. Four members were elected last year: Kyle Murphy, Alberto Rodriquez, Kellie Stickney, and Heather Trim. This year, five at-large committee positions must be filled.

The Chapter Executive Committee meets monthly and is responsible for financial oversight, fundraising, strategic planning, oversight of committees, staff management and other functions necessary to ensure smooth operations of the chapter.

Voting:  All Washington State Sierra Club members can cast a vote. Joint membership households have two votes. The candidates and their statements are presented below.

The Fall Crest was mailed to our members on October 10th with candidate statements, a ballot and a member ID printed on the mailing label. Please use the Crest ballot. 

If you do not have a Crest ballot, you may download a printable ballot by clicking Here.

Your ballot must be received at the chapter office by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 16, 2015, and must include your membership number or other identifying number of voting member(s).

The Nominating Committee's goal was to have seven candidates for the five positions.  Unfortunately we were not able to convince additional candidates to run for election.  If you would like to see more candidates on the 2016 ballot, please contact any Election Committee member.

Any questions or concerns about the Chapter election should be directed to the Election Committee members Heather Trim at heatrim@gmail.com, Kellie Stickney at kstickn1@hotmail.com, or Tom Crisp at Tomsc@crisp4.com or (425-737-0350).

Candidate Statements

Rebecca CastillejaRebecca Castilleja

My name is Rebecca Castilleja and I am presently an at-large member of the Executive Committee. I learned the enduring value of wilderness by experiencing it with young family members. I believe that our efforts to protect the beautiful wilderness areas of Eastern and Western Washington are enhanced when more young people have opportunities to get to know and enjoy them. The next generation will play a key role in ensuring the survival of fragile ecosystems now threatened by Climate Change. The daunting challenge of stopping the progress of Climate Change requires the Sierra Club to broaden its membership base and reach out to assist and engage with communities now suffering from the effects of our economy’s entrenched dependence on fossil fuels. I believe the Beyond Coal Campaign in Washington has been strengthened through outreach and I have enjoyed working in coalition with a variety of groups and communities to stop the massive coal and oil transport and terminal projects, which threaten environments and communities east and west of the Cascades. I believe that the Sierra Club must continue to play and important role in organizing powerful responses to bad policies and I have learned a lot about activism through supporting and engaging in efforts to focus public attention on the growing number of explosive oil trains, Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling activities, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Sierra Club provides an opportunity to make a difference.

Tim GouldTim Gould

Thank you for the privilege of serving on the state Executive Committee since the beginning of 2014. The Sierra Club has a special blend of organizational longevity, solid moral values, and grassroots power and energy, which sets it apart from other environmental groups. These features inspire me to help fellow volunteer leaders and the greater membership to achieve desired outcomes in our battles to curb climate change and protect the ecosystem functions that sustain our Earth. I run again because the chapter needs to cultivate this member energy, helping members become activists and bringing in new members who share the passion for achieving the sustainable outcomes we seek. Climate change demands bold and present action; I will support chapter endorsement of the carbon tax initiative to move us in a needed policy direction. The Sierra Club has excellent policies to guide our work in various efforts to protect the planet. I encourage you to become familiar with these policies, and will work diligently to advance them among the larger public. (www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation). I have served as Chair of the chapter Transportation & Land Use Committee since 2004, chaired the Legislative Committee in 2011-12, and stepped in to be acting co-chair of Legislative for this past record-breaking lengthy 2015 session. I do my best to lead by example and am eager to receive input from others on how best to make Sierra Club a more effective leader in environmental endeavors. I ask for your vote to retain me on the Executive Committee.

Katelyn KinnKatelyn Kinn

I have long admired Sierra Club’s active, direct approach to environmental protection. This organization truly gets it done and I want to keep it that way. As a fisherman’s daughter, I have a deeply rooted loyalty to protecting healthy ecosystems. As an avid paddler, hiker and snowboarder, I love being swallowed up in nature – quieted by crashing waves, silent in the woods or speechless on a summit. As an advocate, I value the power of speaking up loudly to protect the planet that we love to explore and enjoy. I have worked for organizations and law firms in several countries focused on protecting human rights and the environment. Today I manage legal affairs at Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and thus have experience in using legal tools and citizen advocacy to protect water quality. I have been involved in legal action around industrial stormwater, wastewater, hazardous waste and a new case (in partnership with Sierra Club) challenging the unpermitted discharge of coal from trains. My formal education includes a B.S. in International Relations from Boston University and a juris doctorate from California Western School of Law. I am member of the state bars of California and Washington. I am running for a position on the chapter Executive Committee because I have an ardent respect for Washington’s waterways and wild places. I am passionate, driven and inquisitive. If elected, I will work hard to support the Sierra Club's long tradition of strong environmental advocacy and conservation successes around the state.

Lehman HolderLehman Holder

I joined Sierra Club in 1973 because I wanted to get involved in the Club's outings program. I'm now completing 42 years of outings leadership, and in 2008 I received National Sierra Club's Oliver Kehrlein Award for my service to local and national outings. Prior to moving to the Northwest, I was outings chair for the Oklahoma City Group from 1981-89, and developed a strong outings program from scratch. However, I've also contributed to other aspects of the Club's work as well, in the conservation and political areas. I've worked in the Loo Wit Group since 1992, as conservation chair, vice chair, then as chair in 2013–14. Currently, I serve Loo Wit as an ExCom member at-large and help with the group's political committee. Sierra Club has given me an immense appreciation of America's natural wonders and special places. It has also been extremely fulfilling to introduce others to many of those places. It goes without saying that preserving and protecting our air, water and public lands relies on electing environmentally friendly legislators at every level. Recognizing this, I would like to be of help to Chapter ExCom's political committee, the Chapter outings committee and helping other groups develop strong efforts in these areas.

 

Margie Van CleveMargie Van Cleve

I am running for a position on the Executive Committee (ExCom) to provide a view of the chapter from outside Puget Sound. I’ve been active in the Sierra Club on many levels. I started volunteering in King County where I served as chair of the Rivers and Salmon Committee, and worked with other Club members from Washington, Oregon and Idaho on the Northwest Regional Conservation Committee. I’ve worked on political campaigns in King, Yakima, and Spokane counties as a Sierra Club volunteer. From Yakima, I’ve served four terms on the Washington Chapter ExCom, most recently as Chapter Chair. Some of my interests on the ExCom are to create a more straightforward way for volunteers to participate in Chapter programs, to look for ways the Chapter can be more effective, and to work with others to create a culture that is welcoming and respectful to a more diverse group of volunteers, staff, and partners. Among the issues I have particular interest in are the ongoing projects regarding water storage/dam construction in the Yakima and Columbia basins, the 2015 Yakima City Council elections, and the many issues relating to energy transportation, production and global warming. The straw bale house we built in Selah in 1999 was recently upgraded to include 36 solar panels. I look forward to working on the ExCom to represent the Washington Chapter on these and many other issues.