Utah Sierra Club's Executive Committee (ExCom) is an elected, all-volunteer body responsible for the chapter's day-to-day governance. The Executive Committee, or board, is responsible for seeing the chapter's mission by overseeing various duties such as: managing staff, ensuring that the organization is financially sound, and carrying out policymaking duties as needed.
Ava Curtis
Secretary
Ava is a senior undergraduate at the University of Utah studying environmental and sustainability studies with an emphasis on ecojustice education and minors in ecology and political science. Her work with the Sierra Club began in highschool, when she joined and eventually led a team of students seeking to transition the Granite School District to clean energy solutions. She has since left that role to make way for new highschool organizers. She currently works on the executive committee, legislative committee, conservation committee, and electoral committee.
Through the conservation committee she chairs the indigenous solidarity subteam, leading the team in collaboration with indigenous leaders on environmental issues affecting their ways of life within the state. She currently serves as the electoral team compliance officer, ensuring that legal processes are followed with our endorsements and campaign contributions.
Outside of the club she works for the University of Utah Sustainability Office running and planning sustainability events for students and faculty. She also works with the Utah Radon Lab conducting radon testing, tracking radon legislation and working at the legislature to advocate for effective radon policy in the state.
In her free time, Ava enjoys playing board games with her sister, trying new recipes, and playing with her dog. If she continues her work on ExCom Ava hopes to ensure effective collaboration between ExCom and the committees she serves on, and ensure that environmental justice is centered in every element of our work.
Abbie Nistler
Member
Abbie has been a Sierra Club volunteer for two years and currently serves as one of the co-chairs of the legislative committee. They graduated from the University of Utah in May 2024 with a degree in chemistry and environmental and sustainability studies. Their environmental work began with volunteering at a nature center in high school and has continued to evolve since then.
Abbie’s previous experience with researching the impact climate change has on environmental and sustainability students' mental health has heavily informed their engagement on environmental issues and environmental communication. This work heavily informs how they interact with volunteers. They also have previously interned for HEAL Utah as an outreach intern. As an outreach intern, they gained skills useful for community outreach that would be beneficial for the executive committee. This includes volunteer coordination, event organization, and community outreach.
Abbie has been a volunteer of the Sierra Club for two years. They are currently a member of the indigenous solidarity subteam and co-chair of the legislative committee. They believe that environmental issues are a social justice issue. Social justice must come first in environmental spaces. Abbie would bring this perspective to the executive committee. In their free time, they enjoy hiking, skiing, camping, reading, embroidery, and sewing.
Jeremy Carpenter
Vice-Chair
Jeremy works as a manufacturing engineer, where he solves complex problems and turns ideas into reality. These skills help the Sierra Club generate fresh and unique approaches to address an ever changing atmosphere.
He is a Sierra Club volunteer running for the Executive Committee because he cares deeply
about protecting our public lands which make Utah a special place to live and recreate. Within the Sierra Club, Jeremy supports the Lands subteam, where he focuses on defending public lands and supporting policies that keep them accessible, protected, and responsibly managed. His goal is to help strengthen our advocacy through education and ensure our chapter remains effective, inclusive, and member-driven.
Outside of work, you will often find Jeremy mountain biking and skiing in the mountains or
playing volleyball and pickleball at the local parks with friends. Those experiences are what
drive his involvement with the Sierra Club and his commitment to protecting public lands for
current and future generations.
Jess Oveson
Chair
Jess Oveson’s been involved with the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club since 2017. She initially interned after meeting a Sierra club outdoors group that she'd had the opportunity to meet on a six day river she was guiding.
After 10 years of working on public lands, she’d been looking for something new and that trip changed the trajectory of her life. she fell in love with advocacy work, DEI in the outdoors, and environmental education. She currently works with the volunteer engagement task force of the Sierra club working to create a more inclusive environment within the Utah chapter.
Professionally she is currently the lead naturalist at the Swaner Preserve, where she strives to educate people on the import of wetland ecosystems and watersheds. She enjoys skiing and hiking with my family and dog.
Jim Catlin
Member
Jim is currently on Utah Ex Com, and has spent the last fifty or more years involved in Environmental issues. He joined the Sierra Club in 1977 to help work on off-road issues in our nearby National Forests. He helped the Club work on the campaign to protect candidate BLM wilderness areas in Utah and served on a number of state, regional, and national Sierra Club committees over the decades. He was on the Sierra Club board of directors 2002-2008 and is currently serving on two national Sierra Club grassroots teams, Recreational Issues, and Grazing Teams. He was the past executive director of the Wild Utah Project, a nonprofit group that brings scientific support in promoting landscape network planning.
Kathryn Kair
Member
Kathryn Kair is a psychologist in Private Practice and a mother of 20 year old twins: Ash and
Trinity. She joined the Sierra Club 2 years ago as a community advocate promoting school
districts to apply for electric school bus grants. While on the Utah Needs Clean Energy Team
she debuted as Mr. Monopoly (AKA Warren Buffet) - owner of Pacificorp to lobby the Public
Service Commission to keep RMP’s utility rates to a minimum. She has built personal
relationships with her Utah State senator and representative lobbying on behalf of
environmental causes.
Kathryn is passionate about making a positive difference in the world for the generations to
come. As a liberal from California she finds a kinship with the Sierra Club family advocating for
our planet. She visited FERVO the Enhanced Geothermal energy plant in Milford, Utah, and is
an advocate for Utah developing more Geothermal energy to replace Coal.
In her free time she enjoys Canyoneering, Cycling, World Travel, Sledding, Skiing, Hiking,
Backpacking, and playing with her 3 cats: Lynx, Mittens, and Ivy. She has been a member of the
Salt Lake Buddhist Fellowship for 6 years and a member of the League of Women voters for
one year - assisting in registering Naturalized citizens to Vote.
Tonya Nielson
Treasurer
Tonya is a perpetual student and proactive Administrator with 20+ years of experience in management, consultation, and bookkeeping services. She was a small business owner for 16+ years. She has also contributed to companies as an office manager, executive assistant, consultant, and bookkeeper. These experiences helped her develop a unique perspective of business structure, workflow, and organization. Additionally, her experience has reinforced the exceptional value of working with a diverse team toward a common goal.
She believes learning and education should be a lifelong pursuit. Learning can be structured education with specific progress measures, AND it is experience; learning is a daily habit.
Currently serving as the Treasurer for the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club, she is eager to put her skill set to work for a cause she believes in. Balance in her life comes from spending time with her adult children, and her pets, enjoying the great outdoors, art, reading, and travel.
Kat Hickey
Member
Kat Hickey currently serves as the Chair of the Conservation Committee for the Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club. She played a key role in reviving the committee after a period of dormancy, creating three thriving subteams, and revitalizing the Utah Chapter’s outings program. She collaborates with the Chapter Director to develop and implement annual conservation strategies, recruits and mentors new volunteers, and facilitates monthly meetings attended by an active and growing volunteer base.
Kat holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Air, Water, and Health, and a minor in Geography from the University of Utah. She has lobbied for the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act in Washington, D.C., advocating for the protection of Southern Utah’s wildlands, and has professional experience working in a biomolecular lab as well as with a marine restoration nonprofit.
Kat spends much of her free time paddleboarding on the Jordan River, studying native plant and animal species, and creating activism-inspired art. She also enjoys skiing, rollerblading, and exploring Utah’s diverse landscapes. As a member of the Executive Committee, Kat aims to bring her dedication to conservation, her leadership experience, and her commitment to inclusive, community-centered environmental action to help shape the Utah Chapter’s future.