Here are the candidate statements for the 2021 Sierra Club Thomas Hart BentonGroup Executive Committee election. Those chosen will serve a two year term, during the years 2022 and 2023.
Voting begins on December 1, 2021. Please vote by midnight, December 31, 2021. You can vote for up to three candidates. You can learn the details of voting and then vote at this link.
Celesteal Clark
Celesteal Clark (she/they) is the current Vice chair & Programming committee member of the Thomas Hart Benton Group, residing in Midtown KCMO. She is also Group rep to the MO Chapter, and has gone from being a fellow to staff member with the Sierra Student Coalition over the past 3.5 years. They are passionate about centering frontline youth and people of color in the climate movement through solidarity with allies like KC Tenants and Missouri Jobs with Justice.
Julie Stutterheim
Julie Stutterheim lives in Kansas City with her two daughters, husband and dog Melvin. She has worked as part of the Sierra Club's Thomas Hart Benton Group - Executive Committee for the last year — and previously served on the Legislative Committee and the decision-making team for Sierra Club candidate endorsements (Missouri). She also serves as a community leader in Kansas City for various volunteer groups and council-appointed boards, including the spearheading of an effort to protect an old forest in the Kansas City Northland. Her professional background is in marketing and website development, and she currently works as a marketing consultant for several nonprofits, healthcare and educational institutions in the Kansas City area.
Robert Moore
Robert Moore is a longtime Sierra Club Missouri Chapter and resident in the Kansas City area. When not plugging into community meetings and connecting with friends and neighbors around town, he can be seen actively engaging city government officials encouraging the active involvement of communities in decision-making processes that impact them--most recently at the KCMO Climate Protection Plan listening sessions. He is passionate about making sure governments work for people and puts people's health and well-being first in shaping just climate solutions, and he hopes to bring this energy as a new member of the Thomas Hart Benton Group Executive Committee.
Jacob Steiner
Jacob Steiner (he/him) has held a seat on the Executive Committee for THB since 2019. He started volunteering for Stand up KC with help from the Student Organizing Committee of UMKC back in 2016. Jacob's first introduction to the Sierra Club was the Climate Justice League in 2018, put on by the Sierra Student Coalition. He later went to SSC's summer education program, SPROG.
Under Jacob's leadership as chair, the Program Committee has highlighted topics such as indeginous mindfulness, zero waste and leave no trace principles, as well as gathering public input for the KC Spirit Playbook.
Jacob currently resides in midtown KCMO and does sales and service at Midwest Cyclery. He is grateful to work in an industry that coincides with one of his many outdoor passions. You may find him hiking the local trails or riding a bike in the city. Jacob also enjoys playing/listening to music, live or recorded.