Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Governing Board

Or visit the Citizens’ Climate Education Governing Board.

Ross Astoria (Chairman)

Professor Ross Astoria teaches political science and law at the University of Wisconsin, where he has been recognized as an outstanding educator by Phi Delta Kappa. He recently completed a chapter on greenhouse gas mitigation and utility law for a forthcoming Oxford University Press book. Ross is the group leader for the CCL’s Racine-Kenosha chapter and liaison to the office of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

Professor Astoria has recently published on several aspects of international trade and greenhouse gas mitigation policy, including carbon border tax adjustments.

Valerie Bane

Valerie Bane has spent the last 18 years giving people the tools to make smarter decisions. She holds an MBA in Marketing from Golden Gate University and a teaching credential in vocational and adult education. She has a certificate in Educational Technology from Boise State University.

Her work developing marketing communications strategies for both Ziff-Davis Press and Addison-Wessley Longman Publishing fueled their efforts to provide consumers with detailed information about the vision of the authors and the timeliness of the content. She is a former Publicity Director for the American Marketing Association in Northern California. Valerie has served as a Group Leader for CCL’s Sacramento, CA chapter, and is currently the chapter’s Public Affairs Director.

Piper Christian

Piper Christian is a Freshman at the University of Utah. She has volunteered for Citizens Climate Lobby since her sophomore year in high school. In 2018, Piper worked with CCL volunteers and students to pass a resolution through the Utah State Legislature which recognized the impacts of climate change and encouraged emissions reductions.

As an advocate of youth engagement in environmental causes, she has spoken on youth panels at Citizens’ Climate Lobby regional and national conferences, organized Utah’s first youth environmental summit in 2017, and gave a TEDx talk on climate change communication in 2016. When she is not volunteering with CCL, Piper enjoys backpacking and cross country skiing with her friends and family.

George Hetzel (Secretary and Treasurer)

Having earned his his M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, George Hetzel began a 25-year career in real estate in San Diego County; this experience became the basis for the real estate agent training and coaching program he created and oversees.

George lives with his wife Diana, school teacher and author, and two children, Ana and Anthony, plus one dog and two cats. When not serving clients, George is either driving his kids to swim club, cheering at soccer, or checking off projects for his wife.

Jerry Hinkle

Jerry Hinkle, an economist in banking for the last 30 years, holds Master’s degrees in Economics and in Climate Policy. He has been lobbying Congress for climate solutions since 2006, has served as a regional coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby since 2011, and founded Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Speakers Bureau and Proactive Outreach Action Team — both now essential nationwide programs.

Marshall Saunders

Before founding Citizens’ Climate Education, Marshall Saunders,a successful businessman turned philanthropist, personally facilitated millions of microcredit loans in the developing world as a RESULTS volunteer. He is one of only six recipients of the Grameen Humanitarian Award and has served as chairman of the board of Grameen de la Frontera, a microcredit lender in Sonora, Mexico.

With ever-rising energy production and increased use, Saunders believes citizens must create the political will for a sustainable climate, by empowering themselves to exercise their personal and political power.

Mary Selkirk (Chair of Nominating Committee)

Mary Selkirk is a retired collaborative environmental policy specialist who has designed, facilitated and mediated natural resources projects throughout California. Before joining the Center for Collaborative Policy as Managing Senior Mediator in 2000, Mary was special assistant to the Executive Director of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, and served on the Federal-state Bay Delta Advisory Council from 1995-1997. She now chairs the board of Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE).

Prior to her career in environmental policy mediation, Mary had a 25-year career as a psychologist and organizational development consultant. She lives in Kensington, California with her husband.

Since the early 1970’s Mary has kayaked or rafted many of the major whitewater rivers in the western United States. She and Lee have also run rivers in Alaska, West Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and New Zealand.