The following five candidates are running for three available three-year terms on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club in the 2026 election.
Laura Lynch
I have been an active member of the New Jersey Sierra Club since 1996, at various times as conservation chair at the group and Chapter level, as a group chair, and as an Executive Committee member. In 2021, I stepped back to serve on Chapter committees instead. I am currently the chair of the Legislative Committee and a member of the Data Center and Warehouse Committee. In these roles, I don’t pull punches. I believe that the New Jersey Chapter should be a watchdog, not a lapdog, when it comes to state environmental policy.
Renée Pollard
A Gloucester County resident, I have been an environmental advocate for over 20 years. I have much expertise from working with environmental, social justice, climate, and health organizations. In our NJ Chapter, I am an Executive Committee member and chaired the Environmental, Social Justice Committee. Also, I co-chair the Tri-County Sustainability Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, and I serve on the boards of the Camden County Air Quality Committee and the Salem County Interagency Council of Human Services. I believe if you are put in positions that can effect change, it is your responsibility to help produce that change.
Gary Frederick
A Sierra Club member for over 35 years, I have been active in the New Jersey Chapter since 2016 when I became Raritan Valley Group chair. Today, I serve as RVG’s conservation chair, a co-chair of the Data Center and Warehouse Committee, and a member of the Transportation and Environmental and Social Justice Committees.
I have helped lead the NESE pipeline opposition since 2020. I have also helped lead the Chapter’s opposition to harmful data center growth. An outdoor enthusiast, I often hike in northern New Jersey. Most recently, I visited the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons.
Nidhi Rajesh
As a high school student driven by a vision that humankind can someday live regeneratively, alongside nature, I joined the Sierra Student Action Committee. There, I met with and led like-minded NJ students. Recently, I expanded my connections with similarly driven young people through the National Sierra Student Coalition. As an ExCom member of the SSC, I helped plan and attended Sierra Club summer training (SPROG), a major leadership/training experience that changed my world view. If elected to the NJ ExCom, I will represent the youth of New Jersey, ensuring we sustain the generational fight for our planet’s future.
Pat Miller
I am a member of Sierra Club Jersey Shore Group and co-chair of the Building Electrification Committee. I was a systems engineer and manager in network operations at Bell Labs/Telcordia for 30 years and a certified project management professional. Post-retirement volunteer positions included Monmouth Civic Chorus treasurer and AAUW Northern Monmouth Branch treasurer and president. As a Climate Reality Leader, I (with husband Steve) founded Middletown for Clean Energy and NJ Electrification Coaching Network. We have run five years of monthly BE webinars and lead Electrification Committees in CRP and CCL. We (including Steve) were 2025 Volunteers of the Year.