James Eggers - Senior Chapter Director
James has been a Sierra Club Life Member since he graduated high school. He early learned of John Muir and other conservation pioneers from stories his father told during the families' regular hikes, camping trips and travels to natural areas, often in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. His personal environmental ethic has additionally been influenced by James Baldwin, Dr. Rev. Greg Bain, Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, and the "nature stewardship" principles found in the sacred texts of nearly every religion and philosophy.
James loves to meet new people and learn from all, so he invites you to contact him via email, Chapter office phone, or join him on weekly hikes with Chapter outing sections.
James has more than thirty years of international and impactful professional experience advancing the enjoyment, understanding and protection of nature. He has graduate degrees in Conservation, Public Services Management and Business Administration, as well as a Doctorate in Science Education, and has worked with non-profits and government environmental agencies in 20 countries on six continents, with clients speaking fifty languages. He has designed, managed and evaluated scores of conservation, education and professional development programs which have supported professionals and activists ranging from classroom teachers to government ministers.
Out of the office, James enjoys exploring the incredible local nature, Mediterranean cooking, succulent gardening, zymurgy, classic cinema and cars, sitting with his sangha, and working with dogs.
james.eggers*sierraclub.org 650.390.9604
Wils Cain - Communications Specialist
Wils has worked in marketing and communications for over 30 years, 28 of those years in the corporate world, while holding global marketing director roles for 18 years. Originally from the suburbs of northeast Philadelphia, PA, he has lived in New Jersey, New York City, and the Catskills, before moving to Bishop, CA, in 2018 where his husband was born and raised. After driving across the continent from New York to California, Wils took the opportunity to pivot his career away from the corporate world to mindfully work with organizations that align with his passions. Since relocating to California he has held communication roles with Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association (which partners with USFS at Visitor and Welcome Centers) and Inyo County's Elections Office (through the 2020 Presidential Election). In 2021, Wils contracted to run communications with his local Sierra Club Range of Light Group, which evolved into managing communications for the Toiyabe Chapter. Wils joined the Loma Prieta team in July 2023.
In his personal life Wils is on the board of directors for Eastern Sierra Pride, a non-profit organization celebrating and supporting the local and visiting 2SLGBTQIAP+ community. His hobbies include running, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, pottery, reading, and petting animals, whenever possible.
wils.cain*sierraclub.org
Justyna Guterman - Development Coordinator
Justyna Guterman joined the Loma Prieta Chapter as a Development Coordinator in 2012 after volunteering for almost two years. She feels blessed to be following her passion while contributing to the oldest environmental organization in the country.
Before coming to the Loma Prieta Chapter she served at the Rebuilding Alliance as a Fair Trade Coordinator and later as an Event Organizer. Originally from Poland, Justyna found her passion for nature when hiking the Carpathian Mountains in Poland where she saw first hand how acid rains destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of forests. Justyna earned M.A. in sociology from the University of Warsaw in 2006. Justyna lives with her husband, two children and a Yorkie in Sunnyvale.
justyna.guterman*sierraclub.org 650.390.8494
Jenna Haut - Bay Alive Campaign Assistant
Jenna joined the Loma Prieta Chapter in February 2024 as the Campaign Assistant for Bay Alive. She is honored to work for an organization that is dedicated to conservation and progressing with equity in the face of the climate crisis.
Jenna grew up just a few hours north of the Bay in Sacramento where quick trips to the Sierras, easy trail access, and her own backyard fed her love for nature–particularly wetlands. This passion led her to UC Santa Barbara where she studied environmental science and journalism. While exploring the nexus of communication and environmentalism, Jenna gained experience in the fields of education, newswriting, and policy. She strongly believes the first step in combating climate change is getting people to talk about it.
When not working, Jenna tries to spend as much time as possible outside, hanging out with her cats and dogs or playing a new song on guitar.
jenna.haut*sierraclub.org
Jennifer Hetterly - Bay Alive Campaign Coordinator
Jennifer is a third-generation Bay Area native who credits years of early education at Hidden Villa Ranch, a local culture of civic engagement, and ready access to area natural resources for instilling and inspiring her public service and conservation values. She has worked in civil rights and environmental law, as a policymaker for the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and as a public policy consultant in strategic planning and communications.
Through service as Chair of Palo Alto’s Parks and Recreation Commission and on multiple city advisory committees, Jennifer spearheaded investment in comprehensive open space conservation plans, long-range planning, city-wide policies for ecosystem and habitat preservation, and expansion of parkland and the urban forest. Jennifer holds a J.D. from Georgetown Law Center and a BA from Brown University.
jennifer.hetterly*sierraclub.org
Dashiell Leeds - Conservation Organizer
Dash is passionate about protecting the environment and fighting against fossil fuel infrastructure. As an advocate, he specializes in local city and county ordinances and planning processes.
Dash began his local environmental advocacy in 2018 in the Santa Cruz Mountains where he lives, protecting 70 acres of mature forest in Sanborn County Park as a volunteer advocate for the Santa Cruz Mountains Environmental Protection Alliance. In 2019 he volunteered for the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society where he advocated for riparian corridor protections, bird-safe design and dark sky policies.
In May 2019, Dash joined the Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter where he continued his ecosystem protection advocacy and expanded into climate change policy. He has advocated for more than a dozen successfully adopted building electrification laws. Among these ordinances are San Jose’s natural gas prohibition, and all-electric reach codes in Cupertino, Mountain View, and San Mateo County. Dash is grateful to have worked alongside a community of dedicated activists on these ordinances which prevent new gas pipelines from being installed. He supports the volunteer-led Climate Action Plan Team, which advocates for aggressive Climate Action Plans in local cities. Dash also assists with the Chapter’s Bay2030 Campaign to protect San Francisco Bay ecosystems.
Dash believes the world needs more environmental advocates, and that ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact in local politics. Dash regularly educates local residents on the basics of advocacy and navigating local government. If you are interested in becoming an advocate, please do not hesitate to reach out to him!
dashiell.leeds*sierraclub.org
Barbara Muir - Chapter Coordinator
Barbara comes to the Loma Prieta Chapter of Sierra Club from the financial services industry as an Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator. She is a long-time member of the Sierra Club starting with the Angeles Chapter and then joining the Loma Prieta Chapter more than 20 years ago. She currently serves as the Web Master, Newsletter editor and Membership Chair for the Loma Prieta Sierra Singles.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the many open space preserves and parks in the San Francisco Bay Area.
barbara.muir*sierraclub.org
Staff in Memoriam
In Loving Memory of Barbara Kelsey
Please enjoy this video celebrating Barbara Kelsey, Loma Prieta Chapter Coordinator for 14 years, and her many contributions to the Chapter. The video was created for Barbara's retirement last December, we are sorry to share that our dear Barbara passed, expectedly and quickly, before the video was completed. We all sorely miss her.
If you've called or visited the Loma Prieta Chapter offices in the past 14 years, you heard the voice of Chapter Coordinator Barbara Kelsey. Hundreds of thousands of residents, locally and across the state, have been blessed by her laughter, kindness and organizational efficiency. Barbara was profoundly committed to the Loma Prieta Chapter and was an immense part of our successes.
This video was created by Barbara's friend and Chapter volunteer, David Simon.