It has been my honor to serve as the Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter director for the past 5 years. As I transition into a new role, please consider applying to be the next director or sharing this with someone who you’d love to see in the job!
Applications requested by May 1st
Allow me to share some of the reasons why I have loved this job, and why the next director has such an incredible opportunity to continue the work.
Being an executive director, very similar to being a chapter director at the Sierra Club, is a unique role. Being the director of the Angeles Chapter is exceptionally unique:
Our 124 year-old, member run organization does an astonishing variety of things on a shoestring budget. Our chapter annually runs over 1,300 outings (as we call our hikes and other outdoor activities), with over 300 volunteer hike leaders supported by dozens of volunteer outings chairs, safety approvers and trainers. We safeguard the history of mountaineering and natural exploration in our region, with our huts and lodges and rich traditions. The next director gets to learn this incredible history, build relationships with the members committed to the work, and celebrate it!
Campaigning to protect biodiversity and lessen the climate crisis in this time of exceptional need is deeply fulfilling:
The Sierra Club has won important victories to phase out oil drilling, switch to clean energy, steward our water supplies, create national monuments, and more. But there’s an urgent need to drive our campaigns forward. We are working to electrify our buildings and prevent hydrogen from being burned in our power plants. We are pushing back against the Trump attacks on public lands, parks, clean energy and communities. We stand up for hillsides, for public transit, and for environmental justice. If our clean air, clean water and clean air is under attack we are either working on it, or figuring out how to work on it. The next director gets to shape and strengthen these campaigns, while investing in the capacity of the organization to project power across our two counties, 121 cities and multiple special service districts.
When we struggle to pass the laws needed for a clean environment, we don’t hesitate to elect leaders who will vote for a safe and healthy future:
Our political program is revered, setting the environmental agenda for elected leaders up and down the ticket. The Sierra Club’s endorsement is highly sought after, and our political committees work hard to engage in the races that matter. We have long relationships with elected leaders, often endorsing in city council and then county supervisor or state assembly, and even following their careers on to congressional seats or major mayoral roles. Our brand is strong, and we make it stronger when we put muscle behind the endorsements - knocking doors and participating in campaigns is part of this role!
The chapter itself is in a stronger place than ever. Our culture is inclusive, respectful, focused on building trust like never before. Our governance is solid and our chapter staff team is incredible. Our fundraising is strong (but could always be stronger), and our campaigns are more strategic and impactful than ever before. As impressive as our Oour outings programis, it is smaller than it was before the pandemic, but it is coming back as we nurture our leaders and recruit new ones.
With all that, the next Director has an amazing opportunity to build on our success, and chart a course into 2025 and beyond.
Apply now, or forward this to someone who should!
Morgan Goodwin is the outgoing director of the Angeles Chapter. For more on Morgan's journey, and to keep in touch, see his LinkedIn.
