After 11 years of leading this remarkable organization, I am resigning as Executive Director of the Sierra Club. My last day will be December 31, 2021.
I knew I wanted to be an environmental activist as early as age 13, when my family took a classic American road trip to see the great national parks in the West. I’d never been west of the Mississippi, or seen the desert or a mountain taller than a few thousand feet. That adventure changed my life, and it sparked my desire to love and protect our planet. My work and activism since then has taught me that it takes more than just loving the outdoors to create change—it takes commitment to the cause, community organizing, and winning meaningful policy change as well.
Back home on the Jersey Shore, I began seeing what people power could do. My family and neighbors were furious when our beaches closed because toxic chemicals and hospital waste were polluting the water and endangering our health. I remember when my cousin Peter told me about the protest he just joined to stop ocean pollution. This one fight in New Jersey, with nearly a dozen different organizations, reflected the best of grassroots organizing: Neighbors organizing neighbors, working together to advocate for policy solutions, and winning. I didn’t know it at the time, but a seed was planted. Seeing up close how people can work together to make a difference was empowering and exciting.
It has been an honor and privilege to lead the Sierra Club—one of the most enduring and influential grassroots organizations in the United States—over the past decade. This organization has been around for 129 years; we have millions of members, donors and active supporters in every state, every congressional district, every city, and just about every county in the country. Our work—and the connections we have built far and wide with each other—has the lives of millions.
We’re in a fight for the health of our communities and the future of our planet, and we need bold leadership, courage, and a new vision for this next chapter of our work. I’m so glad to be able to say that I’m leaving the organization in good hands. Dan Chu will be the Sierra Club’s Acting Executive Director and Eva Hernandez-Simmons will take on a new role as Sierra Club Managing Director. Both Eva and Dan are longtime Sierra Club leaders with a vision to integrate the principles of equity and justice in all of our work. They will be instrumental in building the next chapter of the Sierra Club.
Many know Dan as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club Foundation. He has been a steadfast partner and he brings decades of experience as an environmental organizer, Peace Corps volunteer, and the first head of the Sierra Club’s Our Wild America campaign, which secured the protection of millions of acres of undeveloped land.
Eva is a longtime Sierra Club leader and organizer who cut her teeth working to stop the Texas coal rush. She is an invaluable mentor to all who work with her, and she will make sure our staff, chapters, and programs have the resources they need to continue our transformational journey.
You’ll hear more from Dan and Eva soon about what’s next, and how the Sierra Club will continue to confront immense environmental challenges of this century, especially the climate crisis. This organization has never been about one person or even just a couple of leaders. It is made up of millions of people like you—members, staff, volunteers, donors, and activists—who will collectively continue to fight for a livable and healthy world for all.
The time for change is now, so let’s welcome our new leaders and redouble our commitment to make change happen in our communities for the long haul. Thanks for everything.