Meet the New Faces Leading the Charge: Introducing the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter's 2025 Executive Committee

We’re excited to introduce the members of the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter’s Executive Committee (Ex Com). As the governing body of our Chapter, the Ex Com holds responsibility for overall activities, helping to shape the Chapter’s priorities, strengthen our advocacy efforts, and engage more people in our environmental work. 

With four members elected by you, our valued members, and three members appointed by the Chapter’s Groups, these dedicated leaders bring a wealth of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise—all united by a shared commitment to environmental protection and the future of our planet. Their passion for preserving Ohio’s natural beauty and ensuring a sustainable future will drive our mission forward in 2025 and beyond.

We’re thrilled to have this dynamic group of leaders steering the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter, and we can’t wait for you to meet them. 

Meet Sierra Club Ohio’s 2025 Executive Committee:

Liz Cope, Chairperson

A seasoned executive and passionate environmental advocate, Liz Cope brings a unique blend of leadership, business acumen, and deep-rooted commitment to conservation as Chairperson of the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club. With a career spanning Fortune 500 companies, private equity, and global NGOs, Liz has dedicated over two decades to driving strategic growth, fostering community engagement, and leading transformative initiatives in sales, marketing, and business development.

Her professional journey includes leadership roles such as Chief Commercial Officer in private equity, Chief Marketing Officer for the Center for Creative Leadership, and Global Director of Sales and Business Development at Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator. She has successfully led large and diverse teams, launched global brands, and championed sustainability-focused initiatives that align businesses with environmental stewardship.

Beyond her corporate experience, Liz is a certified Ohio Volunteer Naturalist, a dedicated supporter of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and the founder of BloomSky Farm, a sustainable flower farm in the Hocking Hills region. The purpose of the farm is rooted in gifting flowers to the vulnerable populations in the community, and her mission-driven business model connects the community and care facilities, fostering a cycle of generosity and compassion while uplifting spirits, and contributing to pollinator habitat, through flowers.

As Chairperson, Liz envisions a thriving Ohio Chapter—one that fosters a passionate volunteer community, builds strong partnerships with businesses and local organizations, and empowers all Ohioans to take an active role in protecting the state's natural wonders. With a commitment to equity, justice, and inclusion, she aims to expand the chapter’s reach, ensuring that environmental advocacy is accessible, compelling, and impactful for all.

Liz believes in the power of bold, clear leadership to drive lasting change. With Ohio’s landscapes at a crossroads, she is dedicated to guiding the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter toward a future where conservation, community, and sustainable progress go hand in hand.
 

Gwen Short, Vice Chair

Gwen is excited to serve on the incoming executive committee as Vice Chairperson, and brings a commitment to social and environmental justice. Born and raised in the Buckeye State, Gwens connection to Ohios landscapes runs deep. Her experiences as an outdoor educator in California further solidified her understanding of the delicate balance between human activity and the natural world. These experiences instilled in her a strong belief in the power of community engagement to drive positive change, and skills she is eager to utilize in her leadership role with the organization.

Now a young attorney practicing at a non-profit law firm in Toledo, Gwen advocates for low- income clients, demonstrating her dedication to addressing systemic inequities. This work has honed her ability to analyze complex issues, build consensus, and champion the voices of those often unheard. Gwen recognizes the intrinsic link between social justice and environmental health, understanding that marginalized communities often bear the brunt of environmental degradation. She is particularly interested in addressing power imbalances that contribute to environmental injustice across Ohio.

Gwen is thrilled to contribute her skills and passion to Sierra Club Ohio. She believes that effective leadership requires both vision and collaboration, and she is committed to advancing impactful environmental policies and initiatives.

Dick Beck

Dick Beck

Richard F “Dick” Beck has been a Sierra Club member 14 or 15 years.   He represents the Portage Trail Group (south of the NE Ohio group), where he’s served as membership chair, treasurer, and, since 2018, as chair.

Dick focuses on the Sierra Club motto, to “enjoy, explore and protect the earth.”   He hosts 7 pm environmental zoom discussions the 2nd Tuesday of each month, and the Portage Trail Group hosts 7 pm environmental programs the 3rd Tuesday of all months except December.  Last year, Dick took Sierra Club outings leader training with the Miami Group.  He swims laps, and enjoys hiking and birding.

A retired, but active Christian pastor, Dick feels we (as individuals AND as a society) must burn fewer fossil fuels, and practice sustainable ways of living.  Dick agrees with scientists who say that changing our lifestyles is urgent -- to allow the earth to be healthy for future human generations.  Dick and his wife Marlene have three grown children, and six grandsons.   He still likes “amber waves of grain,” but is learning that single crop gardening or farming is NOT the best.  He is inspired by the Sierra Club “Beyond Coal,” “Ready for 100”(% renewable energy), and “Past Plastics” campaigns.

Melissa Lyons, Secretary

Melissa Lyons' focuses have always been environmental protection, conservation education, and environmental policy. She graduated from the Ohio State University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and from the University of Denver in 2024 with a master's degree in Environmental Policy.

Melissa works and resides in Columbus, Ohio. She is currently a team member of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, with previous work with COSI, and the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. She has served as the secretary for the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter since 2024.

Melissa's goals for the future are centered around leaving a better environment for her son and future generations to come.

Chuck McClaugherty

Chuck was born in the ancestral lands of the Tupelo people along the New River in Southwestern Virginia. He grew up hiking on the Appalachian trail which passed within walking distance of his home. His grandparents inspired a lifelong love of nature that influenced his career.

After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in wildlife biology he worked with Virginia State Parks as a naturalist and in land acquisition for the Appalachian trail on private lands throughout Virginia. Later he was the director of operations at Maymont Park, a city park in Richmond, Virginia that was administered by the Maymont Foundation, a non-profit organization. Maymont featured a nature center, a historic mansion and formal gardens. Chuck chose to pursue further education, obtaining an MS in environmental science from the University of Virginia, a PhD In forest ecology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and spending a year as a Fulbright fellow in Uppsala, Sweden.

For thirty years Chuck was on the faculty at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, teaching ecology and environmental science. At Mount Union I served as the founding director of the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center, a facility that serves the public and students at both regional schools and at Mount Union.

In the non-profit realm Chuck served on the Board of the Environmental Education
Council of Ohio, both as President and as Treasurer. While with EECO, he and others developed a partnership with the Ohio EPA and hired a full-time executive director. He recently served two terms on the board of the Canton Audubon Society and continued as their membership coordinator. He is currently on the board of The Wilderness Center, an environmental education and land preservation organization in Wilmot, Stark County, Ohio. He is a trained mentor with the Climate Reality program and is the group leader of the Akron/Canton chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, working to support environmentally responsible legislation.

In the governmental realm, Chuck worked with others and the mayor of Alliance to develop a city sustainability plan and has continued to serve on the mayor-appointed Green Commission. He co-authored the City sustainability plan and a recent update that Alliance City Council approved. Under the plan, the City has made significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, increasing recycling rates, maintaining healthy forest canopy cover, and expanding and improving parks, recreation, and bicycle routes.

On a personal level Chuck has always been an environmentalist. For example, he was the last member of his family to live on a farm in southwestern Virginia. When the family decided to sell the farm, he kept fifty acres of wooded mountain land which he then placed into a permanent conservation easement. He now spends time managing the land for carbon sequestration and biological diversity and just this fall continued long-term invasive species management there with his 13-year-old grandson.

Michael Melampy

Michael Melampy is a retired professor of biology at Baldwin Wallace University and has been a member of Sierra Club since the mid-eighties. He serves the Northeast group as chair of its Rainforest Committee and also serves on the NEO Executive Committee. At the chapter level, he serves on both the Executive Committee and on the Political Committee. 

He is particularly interested in biodiversity conservation and issues of environmental justice, broadly defined. As Sierra Club reorganizes in Ohio, he is excited about expanding volunteer activism as we work to elect public officials who are more supportive of environmental justice.

Justin Thompson

Justin Thompson is a distinguished environmental advocate and community leader, currently pursuing a dual Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability and a Master of Public Policy focusing on Environmental Policy at the University of Michigan. He graduated summa cum laude with honors from Kent State University in 2022, where he double-majored in Environmental Studies and Political Science, with minors in Geology, Geography, and Urban Studies.

Justin is deeply committed to environmental and social justice, as evident in his extensive involvement across multiple organizations and roles. He is the Vice Chair for the Ashtabula County Democratic Party and the Environmental Climate Justice Chair for the Ashtabula County NAACP. Additionally, he serves as Treasurer for the Ashtabula County Young Democrats and sits on the boards of the nonprofit organizations My Neighborhood Collaborative and Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future (FaCT). At the University of Michigan, he represents fellow graduate students on the Council for Nontraditional Students at the Center for the Education of Women+, and as a member of the Career Services Student Advisory Board through the School for the Environment and Sustainability.

His activism and advocacy extend to groups such as the Ashtabula County Water Watch, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes illustrating his dedication to safeguarding local water resources. This passion was also the focus of his undergraduate honors thesis, where he investigated the Great Lakes basin’s water usage for fracking and how injection wells potentially violate the Great Lakes Compact.

Justin has also advanced his expertise through a variety of specialized training programs. He completed a graduate certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Michigan, graduated from the US EPA’s Environmental Justice Academy, and completed certifications through the NAACP’s Energy Justice Program and the Climate Reality Project’s Leadership Corps. Additionally, has honed his skills in campaign management through LEAD Ohio’s Campaign Staff Academy and by working on issue and candidate-based campaigns at the local, state, and national levels.

Previously, Justin contributed to the Ohio Stop Brine Spreading Taskforce, served as a member of the Ashtabula Local Food Council, and regularly worked as a voting location manager for the Ashtabula County Board of Elections. His interdisciplinary approach, dedication, drive, and passion position him as a pivotal figure in shaping sustainable and equitable policies for the future.

Marilyn Wall, Temporary Treasurer

As an active member of the Sierra Club since the early 80’s, Marilyn has served as a
chapter chair, chapter and group conservation chair, group political chair, and been
involved with numerous other committees. She currently serves on the Miami Group
Excom and Conservation Committees.

She has worked on a number of the Sierra Club’s political campaigns, among them, efforts to improve Ohio’s brownfield (toxic waste) regulations. She was also involved in a petition to USEPA to revoke Ohio’s authority to implement environmental laws due to past failure to enforce these laws. This effort led to numerous agency reforms. Marilyn served on the local metropolitan planning agency, OKI, working for light rail, improved mass transit, and stopping highway expansion. Marilyn succeeded in pressing OKI to establish its first Environmental Justice Advisory Committee in 2002. Marilyn also fought the proposed new highway bridge over the Wild and Scenic Little Miami River. ODOT subsequently dropped this project and began efforts to reconnect streets that were disrupted when the Red Bank Expressway was built and also ODOT began more work on bike trails.
 
Currently, she is working to stop steel mill pollution and transition the industry to clean steel, eliminating the use of fossil fuels and controlling pollution. She works with community residents around the Cleveland-Cliffs facility in Middletown and partners with University of Cincinnati on community outreach on this project, Earthjustice and Sierra Club efforts to strengthen steel mill rules and organized with other organizations and residents to achieve the recent commitment by USEPA to reinstate the Ohio Air Nuisance Rule in February 2025, as part of the Ohio SIP. Prior work on the same facility then owned by AK Steel, resulted in an extensive cleanup of PCBs in Dick’s Creek and tons of reductions in particulate pollution in the community.

Marilyn also initiated efforts to stop sewer overflows in Columbus and Cincinnati. After years of no progress in stopping overflows, Marilyn worked to bring a citizen suit against the sewer district. Cincinnati and Columbus both, now have a consent decrees and Cincinnati’s decree is the first to recognize sewage reaching people’s basements as violations of the Clean Water Act. Marilyn continues to work to see that the Cincinnati consent decree is implemented and for fair, equitable and affordable sewer rates. She also worked to reduce Dayton Power and Light’s Stuart power plant excessive soot and mercury emissions.

Marilyn was honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer as part of their 2023 class of Women of the Year.

Marilyn resides in Cincinnati, OH with her husband Mike Fremont. Mike founded Rivers Unlimited to restore rivers in Ohio and demonstrate the economic values of river protection, as well as founding other river organizations such as American Rivers.

Celebrating Sierra Club Ohio's Outgoing Steering Committee and Our Path Forward

• Lisa will be instrumental in leading our Outdoors for All initiatives, expanding opportunities for everyone to connect with nature and fostering greater accessibility to outdoor experiences.
• Bob will continue supporting our Conservation and Governance efforts, bringing his expertise to guide our conservation strategies and ensure the integrity of our organizational practices.
• Gwen has been elected to the newly seated Executive Committee (Ex Com) for a two-year term, where she will continue to provide valuable leadership and shape the strategic direction of our Chapter.

Join Us in 2025: Volunteer Leader Positions are Open - Your Expertise is Needed!

Finance

1. Chapter Treasurer

2. Chapter Assistant Treasurer

3. Chapter Bookkeeper

Communications Volunteer Committee -

Conservation Committee -

• Sign up here to collaborate with fellow advocates and make a real difference in Ohio’s ecosystems.

Exciting News: Sierra Club Ohio Chapter
Has a New Address!

We’re excited to announce that the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter has a new mailing address! 

Effective immediately, please direct all correspondence, donations, and other mail to:

PO Box 37269
Cincinnati, OH 45222-0269

Please take a moment to update your address book to ensure that we stay connected and that your donations and messages reach us without delay. We’re grateful for your continued support as we join forces to safeguard Ohio’s environment!

Thank you for helping us keep our records up to date. We look forward to hearing from you soon!