Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Governing Board

Or visit the Citizens’ Climate Education Governing Board.

Ross Astoria (Chairman)

Professor Ross Astoria teaches law and policy at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, where his colleagues recently recognized him with an outstanding research award for his work on H.R. 763. Ross studies and publishes on the interaction of carbon pricing with utility law, trade law, and the Clean Air Act. Ross has served as a CCL group leader and a CCL liaison and, as chair, is proud to work with CCL volunteers to create the political will for a livable world.

Valerie Bane

Valerie Bane earned her MBA in Marketing Management at Golden Gate University. She currently serves CCL in two capacities; as both a Board Member and as the California State Diversity Coordinator. She is determined to making it as easy and comfortable as possible for CCLers to reach out and engage with people who look different than they do. Her initial goal was to simply focus on increasing the number of volunteers who are persons of color. But, she has expanded her efforts to embrace all of the diversity initiatives included in CCL’s new diversity core value. She works to give volunteers direction about how to begin to broaden their awareness of the different types of people around them and helps them understand the most respectful way to venture into this new amazing space.

Valerie realizes that sometimes lasting change takes time. But, she is delighted to see CCLers beginning to question the status quo and give themselves permission to explore a new way of thinking. She believes that a more diverse CCL is definitely on the horizon. The biggest challenge she sees is also CCL’s greatest opportunity; we simply need to practice patience. Across the country, CCLers have the shared goal of getting our bill passed. Everything we do stems from that; including diversity. Ultimately, all of our good works will only prove fruitful if the country votes in favor of the bill. And, given that the country is made up of voters of different ages, races, genders, abilities and preferences, we need to touch as many of them as possible. And, she is confident that we will succeed.

Piper Christian (Secretary)

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.

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 (Treasurer)

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.