Hervé Jean-Baptiste

I am running for the board to help the Sierra Club navigate the changes it has undertaken to grow and expand its tremendous grassroots power. 

With you, I hope to continue to move Sierra Forward, so that the organization can be even more effective in its mission “...to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment…”, 

and to do so by empowering and supporting our volunteers.  Together we can do even more to defend public lands, fight the climate crisis and protect clean air, water, and people. 

My blended background brings a unique and fresh leadership and experience perspective that will help us move forward together. 

• Many years’ experience and expertise helping a range of organizations lead and navigate through change

• Volunteer/chair of a Board committee since 2017, learning from local, national, volunteer and staff as to what works, what might be improved and next steps.   

Sierra Club is going through a lot of change right now.  Change is hard because it’s about people.  And people experience change as a journey.   One punctuated by peaks of excitement and valleys of fear.  

Everyone’s journey is different.   Which makes it hard to move everyone in and around an organization forward together.  But doing so is possible.  Doing so requires a purposeful,  relentless and unyielding commitment to outreach, engagement, listening, communication, education and support for every single person.  In short, change is a grassroots effort.  

This level of commitment requires a certain way of thinking and working. One which puts people first, is collaborative, is based on trust and mutual respect, is focussed on shared goals, and is informed by cross-disciplinary perspectives and the diversity of lived and life experiences.  

If elected I will ensure that we work in this manner to bridge what has made the organization successful and the changes needed to ensure continued growth and impact.  To “meet people where they are”.  To ”build a bigger we”. To move Sierra forward together.

Endorsements

Ramón Cruz, Board President

Patrick Murphy, Board of Directors

Ross Macfarlane, Board of Directors

Oliver Bernstein, Board of Directors

Rita Harris, Board of Directors

Mike O’Brien, Board of Directors

Meghan Sahli-Wells, Board of Directors

Dave Scott, Past Board President

Loren Blackford, Past Board President

Allison Chin, Past Board President

Robin Mann, Past Board President

Peter Sargent, Past Director and former National Planning and

Evaluation Committee chair

Margrete Strand Ranges, Past Director