It’s time to vote for the next group of people who will be joining the Great Waters Group Executive Committee. They will help shape the work of the Group over the next two years. We have five open spots and five candidates, so when you vote please be sure to vote to fill in all five slots.
This year once again you have the option of filling out and mailing the paper ballot included with the printed newsletter or you can vote electronically with a link emailed to members. You’ll need to have your member number handy. You can find that by going to https://myaccount.sierraclub.org. Before voting, please read through these statements from our candidates.
The deadline to return your ballot is Dec. 16.
Jenny Abel
I have been a member of the Great Waters Group (GWG) Executive Committee for two years and joined the Volunteer Leadership Council a year before that. I began my involvement as Programs Chair and then became Chair in 2021. Prior to volunteering with GWG I served on the Mount Vernon Group Executive Committee in northern Virginia for 12 years.
I feel that climate change is the most critical issue facing humanity and acknowledge that if we fail to take drastic actions now, we will reach a point beyond which we will not be able to prevent the severe weather events, droughts and wildfires that have already been the hallmark of a warming world. I also recognize that certain demographic groups, i.e., African Americans, Latinx and tribal communities, are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. Organizations like ours need to commit to working in solidarity with these groups to mitigate climate change’s threats to wellbeing. I commit to continuing to take action on climate justice if re-elected to the GWG Executive Committee.
Scott Coulthurst
From childhood on, appreciation of nature has been important to me. I learned to hunt and fish from my dad, and he instilled in me the concept of a humane harvest and only taking what you can use. I currently serve as chair of Germantown Park & Rec Commission. I am proud of some of the subtle ways, I have helped improve our parks. For example, convincing the Public Works Department that trees with leaves are not the only ones with value, leaving dead trees to help wildlife. To explore and enjoy the planet, we must save the planet by including and cooperating with diverse groups. We must embrace diversity and different thinking to find mutually beneficial solutions for climate change, biodiversity and sustainability. I believe working with groups not always thought to be aligned with environmentalists like hunters, skiers and loggers is the best way to implement change. Conservation and climate change are where my passion is focused because I believe they are the most pressing issues of our time.
Victoria Gillet
I have been a volunteer with the Sierra Club Beyond Coal team for about 3 years, and it was the first time I felt like I was a part of something that was effective in making the world a better place. I am a recent transplant to Milwaukee and being on the GWG ExCom is the best way I can think of to help the Sierra Club be a part of improving my new local community. Clean air, clean water, and access to green spaces should be available to every inhabitant of the GWG counties. Climate change should be a priority until Wisconsin hits carbon neutrality goals. I’m passionate about conservation and climate change and about improving the built environment in neighborhoods with concentrated poverty. I am a physician and want to protect Wisconsinite’s health for decades to come and I see these as key.
Marco Marquez
My name is Marco Marquez and I would love to join the Great Waters Group to focus attention on issues of climate justice that hinder many families in these counties from enjoying all that our bodies of water and natural spaces have to offer. I believe that the GWG could focus efforts on protecting the parts of our planet that are most vulnerable (public lands being taken away, no matter how big or small), and expanding access to enjoyment of the planet and its exploration (hosting events in underserved areas, making them easier to get to and from, reducing economic barriers, etc.) This region of Wisconsin has much to offer, and the GWG has the ability and opportunity to advocate for actions that will forward its mission and to make sure the benefits are enjoyed by underserved communities. If accepted to the Great Waters Group I would enjoy thinking of these opportunities with all of you and turning them into amazing experiences for so many Wisconsin families.
Jasmine Viges
I am committed to clean water and climate justice and contribute to these movements through my work with various environmental organizations. I worked for the MMSD as a Fresh Coast Guardian Intern and currently with Bay Ridge Consulting as a Community Environmental Consultant promoting small-scale green infrastructure. I have assisted with social media for the Milwaukee Climate Reality Project and the Wisconsin Sierra Club, and I am a point person for the GWG on the Plastic Free MKE coalition. I went with the Engineers Without Borders at UWM to Guatemala to help with community engagement and building water cisterns. I attended the three-part workshop series with Nearby Nature and GWG, Building an Anti-Racist Environmental Movement. I was trained to be a Climate Reality Leader under former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. I believe everyone should have access to nature and safe drinking water, and we all need to work together to do so.