SSJ 2025 ExCom Elections 

Dear Suwannee St. Johns Group Member, we need your vote!

Every year the Sierra Club SSJ Group conducts an election to fill expiring seats on its Executive Committee.

• Polls are open November 14 to December 12 at 5pm EST.
• You will be receiving an email, or for those who opt-out of email, a post card in the mail, with your membership number.
• We have five seats that need to be filled.
• You must use your membership number on the ballot.
• Joint members can each use the same ballot link and membership number.
• Click HERE to VOTE between Nov 14 to Dec 12 at 5 pm EST

Candidates biographies:

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DAVID HASTINGS: Our Suwannee-St. Johns Group (SSJ) covers a vast fourteen-county area which includes extraordinary natural environments including spring runs, longleaf flatwoods, sandhill communities, and coastal areas on the Gulf. Each has its share of critical environmental issues; we need to protect these precious wild spaces. More than anything else, I want to paddle down our spring runs, hike the Florida Trail, and canoe down the Suwannee River.
One of the main reasons I joined the Sierra Club is to join with other like-minded folks to develop and implement policy solutions to the climate crisis. There are viable solutions to this emergency that are available now, and must be implemented quickly. We need to ensure that the transition is just and equitable, and we need to listen to all voices, especially those from historically disadvantaged communities.

I have been volunteering with Sierra Club SSJ for the last five years, and as an ExCom member for the last two years. I am a founding member of the SSJ Energy and Climate Action Team, helped organize several community conversations, started the SSJ Climate and Energy Book Club, and was chair of the SSJ Political Committee. I am inspired by the depth of our grassroots actions combined with smart, hardworking staff.

Our strength and ability to address the wide range of challenges depends on our effectiveness in recruiting and supporting volunteers. We need to rebuild and strengthen the volunteer base within SSJ. I want to join others in the struggle for a greener, more just future.  

SARAH YOUNGER: I’ve been honored to serve on the Sierra Club Suwannee-St. Johns Group Executive Committee since 2019, and I’m excited to continue the work of protecting the springs, forests, and wildlife that make North Florida so special. As chair of our Conservation Committee and a member of the Florida Chapter Conservation Committee, I’ve focused on strengthening grassroots advocacy for clean water, responsible growth, and wildlife protection.

Over the past year, our local and state teams worked hard to press for passage of the State Parks bill, securing long-overdue protection and funding for Florida’s natural treasures. This session, we’re building on that success by pushing to reform the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) so that its leadership reflects science, accountability, and true conservation values—not politics. I also lead the Stop the Bear Hunt campaign, uniting organizations and citizens across Florida to speak up for black bears and the wild corridors they need to survive. That effort has reminded me just how powerful our collective voice can be when we work together for wildlife.

My goals moving forward are simple but vital: grow our membership and engagement, strengthen our advocacy for clean water and less sprawl, and defend Florida’s wild places and wildlife. I believe the Sierra Club’s greatest strength lies in its people—volunteers who care deeply about our home waters, forests, and communities. Together, we can continue to make a real difference for the Suwannee-St. Johns region—protecting what we love, growing our movement, and ensuring that Florida’s future is wilder, greener, and more just.

JOANNE TREMBLAY: Hi, my name is Joanne Tremblay and I am a member of the Sierra St. Johns Group of the Sierra Club. I am also on the board of Our Santa Fe River, Inc. where I served as President from November 2022 to May 2025. I also served on SSJ Executive Committee briefly in until my service with OSFR became too demanding. I am also on the High Springs Parks and Recreation board serving on behalf of the Tree Board.
My professional background is as a librarian, my personal background includes permaculture, energy and water efficiency.  I have created a home energy, water, and food security system though nothing is complete without community.

Before becoming a librarian I dabbled in web design and as a librarian, I studied online security and information systems. Online security is still a top concern for me. During my service with SSJ, I focused on communications through website and social media content management. I hope to help the board transition to more secure communication tools.; we need to work smarter and strategically to protect our members while our personal and nature's rights are under attack.

What motivates me is protection of our Earth, Water, Air, and our Energy systems, all of which nourish our lives and the lives of others. Finally, I want to encourage our active members to adopt secure forms of communication to ensure that we stay safe through these challenging times. I will be available to help members individually with these upgrades.

CHARLES "CHUCK" ROSS: My wife and I moved from Miami to Gainesville, FL in late 2020. The decision to relocate was influenced by changes in living conditions in South Florida, environmental factors such as sea level rise, the presence of seasonal variation, and the abundance of natural areas in Gainesville. I spend much of my time exploring North Florida’s springs and nature trails and participate in wildlife photography. I regularly visit various locations around Alachua County for this purpose and share photographs to raise awareness about wildlife.

I currently sit on the Gainesville Nature Center Commission, a board that recommends and provides advice to develop programs, ordinances, use regulations and resource management policies as required to protect the park system in Gainesville. I am working on the GRU Authority (GRUA) issue, partnering with the Sierra Club and local groups to support restoring GRU to Home Rule. There’s a referendum on November 4 th ; we are advocating to vote yes to abolish the authority, one of our concerns is GRUA's lack of renewable energy plans.

My objectives are to promote resource preservation and conservation, support environmental protection initiatives, and encourage the transition to renewable, clean energy sources.