Toiyabe Chapter Executive Committee Elections

For Elections in December 2025, the Toiyabe Chapter hereby nominates the following members for positions on their respective Executive Committees:

Chapter

• Patrick Donnelly
  • Patrick Donnelly is a lifelong conservation biologist and advocate based in Shoshone, California. His primary focus is conserving groundwater dependent ecosystems, in addition to protecting narrowly endemic organisms and sustaining rural communities. In his day job he’s Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity, where he leads a team of attorneys and scientists working to save the Great Basin and northern Mojave deserts from destruction. Patrick is a leading voice in conservation for the Great Basin, and is stepping into a mentorship role for young up and coming conservationists in the region. He understands the mechanics of securing conservation victories and the politics of advocating for public lands. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of California – Berkeley.
• Lynn Boulton
  • I've been an environmentalist since high school and love the outdoors and nature. I have a degree in Geology from UC Santa Barbara and years of management experience working in the IT corporate world. In 2015, I got involved in the effort to protect bobcats from being lured into traps at national park boundaries which turned into a statewide bobcat trapping ban which led to volunteering with the Sierra Club to help protect our public lands and wildlife.
  • I've been the chair of the Range of Light Group from 2016-2024 and have been on the Toiyabe Chapter ExCom as part of the duties of being a group chair. I've built relationships with members of the Toiyabe Chapter, other Chapters, and with Sierra Club staff and with other environmental organizations. In my tenure as chair and now as the conservation chair of the Range of Light Group, we have been tracking and responding to many environmental impacts in the Eastern Sierra including LADWP's water usage from Mono Lake to Owens Lake, incomplete LADWP mitigation projects, many gold exploration projects, OHV expansion into sensitive areas, etc.  We've commented on numerous NEPA and CEQA projects and participated in coalitions to permanently protect Conglomerate Mesa, the Bodie Hills, and the Amargosa Basin. The Range of Light Group has also been very active helping the Sierra Club move the state's 30 by 30 campaign forward. 
• Janet Carter
  • I am running for re-election to the Executive Committee of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club because I have truly enjoyed serving this organization and want to continue to support local volunteers so that we can ensure that our combined voices are heard and make a difference.  I am a long-time volunteer with the chapter, and am currently serving as our Political Action Committee (PAC) Treasurer, Chair of the Southern Nevada Group, our chapter’s delegate to the Council of Club Leaders of the Sierra Club, and as Vice-Chair of the chapter. I am passionate about fighting climate change in every way we can as well as protecting our Democracy.  We cannot do the first without the second. These are difficult times for all, and I firmly believe that our organization needs a strong local and regional presence to offset the disturbing degradation we see in our planet’s health as well as to our own personal freedoms. I fully understand and appreciate the crucial role that grassroots volunteers play in the Sierra Club, and am dedicated to supporting our chapter volunteers and helping to amplify their voices. I am an optometrist practicing part-time at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.  I have felt the effects of climate change first hand here in one of the fastest warming cities in the U.S., and I am dedicated to working towards a clean energy economy that uplifts all communities.  I am also passionate about public transportation and creating transit-oriented development in our urban areas.  We have learned in Las Vegas that we cannot afford sprawl and must remain vigilant in protecting our public lands.  I look forward to continuing to fight for these values with all of you.
• Chris Bell
  • I’m an artist (specializing in sculpture and installation art) and came to the US from Australia to do my MFA at Stanford in 2005. Growing up amid ‘big nature’ in Australia ingrained in me a fascination and love for the environment from an early age. Then upon listening to Dr David Suzuki, the Canadian environmentalist, who toured Australia in 1988, I became interested in, and aware of, humanity’s pressures upon a finite planet. Since then I have been conscious of living a life of reduced impact upon its precious resources. Amid what I see as an existential crisis due to resource over-consumption, am I interested in activism to mitigate the damages of climate change, pollution, environmental injustice, biodiversity loss, etc. I am a nerd for environmental news and issues. Through decades of consuming environmental podcasts, movies and articles I have become an autodidact with a broad scope. I feel my knowledge of the complexities embedded in many environmental problems allow me to see strategies and tactics that could affect positive change. I firmly believe the changes necessary require a grass-roots mobilization, as the ‘powers that be’ are usually disinterested in changing the status quo that has served them too well for too long. Being an Excomm member has been a privilege. I enjoy working with others in the Sierra Club because I have such respect for the knowledge and skills that everyone brings to our team effort. and it's so satisfying to see the impacts we make, big and small.

Great Basin Group

• Holly Coughlin
  • For the last four years, I have served as Chair on the Executive Committee (ExCom) for the Great Basin Group (GBG) and previously served as both Chair for ten years and Outings Chair for fifteen. I am running to continue working toward building a strong framework that supports our local Membership, the Toiyabe Chapter, and the goals of Sierra Club.   During the past four years, I have successfully worked to fill all the ExCom positions, including our Program Chair, Treasurer and Communications Chair, Membership Chair, Outings Chair, and Conservation Chair.  Our Program Meetings have been running smoothly with a new location at the Innevation Center and there have been many great presenters on a variety of environmentally oriented topics.  Our Treasurer has done an outstanding job working with the Chapter and has set up a record keeping process that is less complicated.  He also set up our monthly or bimonthly Newsletter that updates members on upcoming Program Meetings and sometimes includes a “Note from the Chair”.  Membership has been fairly steady, and now new members all receive postcards to personally greet them and provide information on how to access events.  Outings have been increasing with more variety and includes some new Leaders. Our Conservation Chair has worked diligently on issues such as Data Centers, trying to get city planners to implement better building practices and codes that incorporate renewable or sustainable energy sources, along with other local issues such as our Public Lands.  The members on the ExCom have created a great Team that I am proud to work with and together we have made fantastic progress. The duties that I have been responsible for include organizing our monthly ExCom Meetings, writing agendas, helping to set yearly goals or priorities, reaching out to other members as needed, writing a report for the Toiyabe Chapter and attending their monthly Zoom meetings.  I’ve also become much more involved in attending local City Council, Washoe County, and Regional Planning meetings. Taking on the responsibility of Chair has meant that I must possess the skills that enable me to facilitate the accomplishment of goals set by our Group, Chapter, and Sierra Club National. I appreciate your vote as I would like to continue working toward the future of Sierra Club and am dedicated to continuing to forge alliances with other conservation groups, increasing our membership, working on the big environmental concerns we face here in Nevada, and providing informative Program Meetings and Outings that are open to our community.
• Howard Goldbaum
  • Born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1947, I attended public schools and began my life in photography in 1962 when my father built a darkroom for me in the basement. I earned a B.A. degree from the Honors Program at the University of Connecticut. A seminal experience was my 1968 semester abroad at Wroxton College in England, where during a visit to Ireland I first became interested in ancient monuments and their folklore. A decade later this would become my life-long research project, “Voices from the Dawn.” https://voicesfromthedawn.com/  My other passion project features virtual-reality view of significant Nevada landmarks: https://allaroundnevada.com/ After graduation I worked for two years in politics, and then entered graduate school at Syracuse University in 1972, and graduated with a M.A. in Communications Photography in 1977. My studies were interrupted by a three-year stint as Chief Photographer for the daily newspaper El Vocero, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1977 I began a 26-year teaching career at Bradley University, in Peoria Illinois, beginning as an assistant professor and progressing to full professor and director of the Multimedia Program. In 2003 I accepted a position as professor of journalism at the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno. I entered emeritus status (retired) in 2020. I have also worked as a producer and consultant in multimedia in education and industry, and have won numerous awards for my web sites and virtual-reality environments. I enjoy my work with the Great Basin Group ExCom, where I serve as the treasurer and manage the Group’s communications and social media.
• Bernard Vinneau
  • I have been a Sierra club member since 2007 after moving to Reno but I've been an avid hiker since 1989 when I moved to Seattle. Since my teenage years I've been active in volunteering because I believe in giving back to the community. And becoming a hike leader in 2025 was something I could enjoyably do.  When the Outings Chair for the Great Basin Group decided to relocate away from this area and give up the position, I saw the need and stepped in to take on that responsibility.  I believe that hiking in groups is a great way to connected with other folks and organizing Sierra Club hikes provides a way to share information about the Sierra Club and the good work it does.
• Susan Weikel
  • I have lived in Nevada all my life, except for the years at college. As a true Nevadan, the beauty of the Great Basin has long brought me great peace and enjoyment, and I’ve watched as outside influences have brought change. It’s important that these changes are carefully examined for their long reaching effects.I spent 42 years, involved in various ways, educating people about the environment and our job in taking care of it. That path led me to get involved with the Leg.Com of Sierra Club. What a positive and interesting experience that was for me! That led to the Ex. Com for Great Basin Group where I have acted as Program Night director and secretary.

Range of Light Group

• Chris Bubser
• Jora Fogg
  • Jora Fogg (she/her) has nearly two decades of experience working for small conservation non-profits in both the scientific and policy spaces. For the past three years she has been the Conservation Lands Foundation's California Associate Program Director. Prior to that she spent eight years as Policy Director with Friends of the Inyo. She also serves as a Mono County Planning Commissioner and on the Sierra Club California's Desert Committee.
  • Jora is originally from the Pacific Northwest and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Evergreen State College with a focus in Ornithology. Jora lives and works in the Eastern Sierra where she spends her free time outdoors, enjoying birding, skiing, hiking, and cycling.
• Kristine Green
  • Kristine Green has served on the Sierra Club Range of Light Group executive committee for several years, most recently as chairperson. She has been involved in the administrative duties of the group and is a Sierra Club Outings Leader in good standing. She is committed to promoting engagement in the Range of Light Group, building out the Outings program, supporting the conservation committee's work, and working with other environmental groups in the Eastern Sierra, Great Basin, and Inyo and Mono Counties.

Tahoe Area Group

• Kristina Hill
  • I received my BA degree from Chico State University in Geography/Planning and started out as the Shorezone Planner at TRPA in 1980. I've been a private planning consultant since 1984 to present, starting my own planning consulting business, in 1998. Having experienced both sides of the "counter," I feel I can effectively evaluate projects based on their compliance with regional and county codes regarding zoning/land use principals as well as from the developer's property rights perspective. I have been a member of the Tahoe Area Sierra Club Executive Committee for the last 2 years. My previous history of community involvement includes representing Incline Village/Crystal Bay as a board member with the following groups: Truckee North Tahoe/Transportation Management Association (TNT/TMA), TRPA Advisory Planning Commission, Washoe Co. Board of Adjustments, Tahoe Family Solutions, Kids and Horses, and Tyrolian Village Association Board and Architectural Review Committee since 2000. I also regularly attend community meetings at the local library every other Friday morning to keep abreast of local issues and local public service updates. I am a supporter of the North Tahoe Preservation Alliance.
• Lynne Paulson
  • My interest in conservation activities and love of the outdoors began with my childhood in a rural suburb of Syracuse, New York. My awareness increased when our family moved to California and my father took us on numerous hikes and backpacking trips in Southern California and in the Sierras. I have served as secretary of the Tahoe Area Group Executive Committee since 2014. I also led the Tahoe-based Washoe Meadows Community in its fight against an environmentally destructive project that would have included an unprecedented downgrade in state park land in order to allow a golf course expansion in Washoe Meadows State Park. I began this role in 2007. The work continues as state parks begins to propose an alternative project. My conservation activities in Tahoe have included leading numerous park cleanup events, citizen water sampling activities, advocacy at government and agency meetings and participation in the Sierra Club’s committee related to California State Parks. I have also organized numerous hikes and tours in Washoe Meadows State Park to view birds, wildflowers and fens. I was previously active in the Guadalupe Group of the Loma Prieta Chapter, serving as secretary for the Sustainable Land Use Committee. A retired engineer and project manager, I have been involved in several conservation and community improvement campaigns in the San Francisco Bay Area including creek and park cleanups, planting events and advocating for protection of environmentally sensitive lands.
• Tobi Tyler
  • As much as I sometimes wish I could fade into the background, I remain committed to fighting tirelessly to protect Tahoe from the powerful moneyed interests that have historically sought to exploit it. We are living in a critical time and facing unprecedented challenges, while our natural environment is under siege. In these moments, it’s more important than ever to focus on what we can do locally—what we hold dear—and continue the fight to preserve Tahoe. I request your vote once again to serve on the Executive Committee of the Tahoe Area Group. With my background as an Environmental Engineer from UC Berkeley and my experience as a retired member of two California Regional Water Quality Control Boards, I am dedicated to defending Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin. I have previously taken on powerful interests—successfully winning a lawsuit against the Lahontan Water Board for unlawful herbicide dumping in the Tahoe Keys—and I will continue to stand for appropriate and genuine restoration efforts and restorative/educational recreation. At the same time, I’ll continue to fight against overdevelopment, overzealous forest clearings, impactful recreation, threats to nearshore and deep water clarity, and other issues as they arise. Together, we can keep Tahoe a national and natural treasure for future generations. Thank you for your continued support.

Southern Nevada Group

• David Armour
  • My name is David Armour and I’ve been in the Sierra Club for about a year and a half. I care deeply about our planet and growing sustainably. I lived in Japan for 9 years and I wanted to bring my family back to Las Vegas with the express purpose of getting involved. Seeing as climate change creates more dramatic droughts and heat, I felt that if Las Vegas could become a sustainable city (energy independence, near 100% water reclamation, net 0 carbon emissions), then any city could. I want to help make that a reality.
• Janet Carter
  • I am running for re-election to the Executive Committee of the Southern Nevada group of the Sierra Club because I have truly enjoyed serving this organization and want to continue to support local volunteers so that we can ensure that our combined voices are heard and make a difference.  I am a long-time volunteer with the chapter, and am currently serving as our Political Action Committee (PAC) Treasurer, Chair of the Southern Nevada Group, our chapter’s delegate to the Council of Club Leaders of the Sierra Club, and as Vice-Chair of the chapter. I am passionate about fighting climate change in every way we can as well as protecting our Democracy.  We cannot do the first without the second. These are difficult times for all, and I firmly believe that our organization needs a strong local and regional presence to offset the disturbing degradation we see in our planet’s health as well as to our own personal freedoms. I fully understand and appreciate the crucial role that grassroots volunteers play in the Sierra Club, and am dedicated to supporting our chapter volunteers and helping to amplify their voices. I am an optometrist practicing part-time at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.  I have felt the effects of climate change first hand here in one of the fastest warming cities in the U.S., and I am dedicated to working towards a clean energy economy that uplifts all communities.  I am also passionate about public transportation and creating transit-oriented development in our urban areas.  We have learned in Las Vegas that we cannot afford sprawl and must remain vigilant in protecting our public lands.  I look forward to continuing to fight for these values with all of you.
• Aaron Harris
  • Hello, my name is Aaron Harris, and I’m running for the Executive Committee of the Southern Nevada Group of the Toiyabe Chapter. For the past few years I have served on the SNV Transit team, where I have made public comments both locally and at the state level to fight for a Las Vegas Valley that is less car-dependent and more accessible, sustainable, and connected. Currently I sit on boards for my HOA, Henderson's Citizen Transportation Advisory Board, and the Henderson Libraries. As an Eagle Scout and outdoor enthusiast, I’m committed to the Sierra Club’s mission to protect and restore the planet. In my free time I enjoy mountain biking and DIY projects.
• Chris Halpin
  • Since 1985, Chris has worked for several premiere energy consulting firms and ESCOs in engineering, management, and sales, and is a former Global Energy Manager for NCR. He founded and ran Celtic Energy, Inc. until 2018, when it was acquired by NV5. He is a nationally known expert in, and acts as an Owner’s Rep for ESPC, PPA, and P3 projects. Since 2000, he has managed over $3 billion in clean energy projects for the Federal, MUSH, higher ed, and commercial markets. He started Celtic Energy, PLLC in Las Vegas in 2022, to focus on teaching and training to act as a force multiplier in the fight against Climate Change. Chris has a BSME and is a registered P.E. in the states of NV and CT. He is certified by the Association of Energy Engineers as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Certified Measurement & Verification Professional (CMVP). He is one of only a few dozen US Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) certified energy Project Facilitators, and a 2014 graduate of the NREL Energy Executive Leadership Program. He is serving on the Sierra Club’s Toiyabe Chapter Transportation Committee and is on the Board of the Nevada Solar Association. For 8 years he was on the Board of Directors of the Energy Services Coalition, and was a technical reviewer for the USDOE Solar Technology Office’s Small Business Innovation and Technology Transfer grant program. He recently volunteered to be on the AEG RE+25 Steering Committee for Extreme Heat Mitigation in Southern Nevada, and to be a clean energy market consultant to the Nevada State Assembly campaigns of Vinny Spotleson and Howard Watts III