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The following are the candidate statements for election to the NEO
Group Executive Committee. The Executive Committee (Ex-Com) is responsible
for the management of the affairs and activities of the Sierra Club
NEO Group. Members elected by the local membership serve for a two-year
term.
The following candidates were asked to elaborate on the following: 1) Background,
2) Greatest environmental challenge before the Club, and 3) The focus
of their contribution to the Executive Committee.
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Linda Sekura
With world attention focused on climate change, Sierra Club has seen
more and more folks drawn in to activism, and has seen light shed on
many other global concerns. You can’t offset climate change without
helping to resolve many other environmental issues, so this is a great
opportunity.
This growing movement feels similar to the grassroots groundswell in
the 1960s, but this time with even more previously polarized factions
working arm-in-arm: nonprofits, labor groups, businesses, government
agencies. And this time, we have more advanced technology and a mainstream
that is more accepting of conservation concepts. Whether or not that
mindset actually changes our behavior is the challenge.
A key election is coming, events are being planned for 2008’s
Year of the Frog, the EPA is formulating rules to protect our streams,
and Mountain Justice Summer will roll around again. I love being a part
of these actions for positive change, and hope I can continue serving
on the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club’s executive committee.
Tom Pirko
I am lucky to have been able to explore the outdoors through cycling, backpacking
and cross-country skiing. Viewing our countryside and reading those earnest
messages in the placards of the various park museums have given me a real appreciation
for how special our planet is. Like all of our activists, I have a desire to
protect this planet.
The new political situation in Ohio government gives the environmental
movement the opportunity to change energy policy. Thanks to the efforts
of Sierra Club staff and volunteers, we have access to members of the
executive branch and legislature. There is an immediate opportunity to
introduce an efficiency standard into Ohio electricity regulations. It
is also likely that we can introduce a renewable energy portfolio standard.
So, I plan to continue with lobbying work on energy policy that the Ohio
Chapter has been sponsoring for the last year. I would also like to mentor
to any members of the Northeast Ohio Group who would like to lobby our
representatives.
I have had training and experience in club functions, and plan to continue
as a resource for operating the Northeast Ohio Group. Thank you for considering
my candidacy.
Richard Clark
Sierra Club Member since 1983 – Served on group various excoms, the
chapter excom, the Club’s nominating committee to select candidates
for the Board of Directors and currently on the Club’s national political
committee. Currently an Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at
John Carroll University. Was awarded the Curtis C. Miles Award for community
service by John Carroll University in 2006.
As my term on the national political committee winds down I would like to
turn my attention back to what got me involved in environmental activism,
working with the local group. My primary interest is in working to elect
political candidates whose focus in office will include the environmental/conservation
implications of their decisions. With terms limits in the Ohio legislature
it is important that the Club identify potential allies early in their careers
and develop nurturing relationships with these future candidates. My secondary
interest is in working to developing a stronger link between the Club’s
work and human rights concerns. Whether we are talking about the rain forest
of Central America, mountain top removal in the Appalachians, or urban environmental
justice issues, there is a strong link between environmental abuses and human
rights. Although the Club’s interest has waned, at one time the Sierra
Club noted that the protection of both the planet and those who worked to
protect it were linked. I would like to strengthen that link.
Thank you.
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The City of Cleveland's 
Do you know of a local environmental issue in need
of attention? Do you have inside information on what's
going on in your city or township? With over 5,000
members in Northeast Ohio we count on you to be the
Club's eyes and ears of the region. While the Federal
government and large corporations continue to wreak
havoc on our environment, it is more important than
ever before to act as watchdogs in our own backyards.
For those new to
calling state or federal representatives, it's easier and
less confrontational than it sounds. You will never
speak directly with your rep or senator - an aide
will answer the phone, take brief notes plus your name and city (sometimes), and that's it.