Lisa Ross is a writer, communications strategist and photographer. Over 30 years, she has helped shape San Diego public policy through advocacy, political campaigning, and grass-roots organizing.

Recognized by the San Diego Press Club and Society for Professional Journalism, her op-ed’s, many focused on environmental planning, have appeared in the country’s most influential newspapers and on public radio.

Lisa has managed field operations, fundraising, communications and press relations for local and national campaigns. She was a strategist for some of San Diego’s most important land-use ballot measures which created habitat preserves while defining appropriate areas for clustered housing and commercial development in north city.

Lisa was a Carmel Valley Planning Board Member, Del Mar Mesa Planning Board Chair and is founding co-chair of POPs Protect Our Preserves San Diego. Along with serving on the Sierra Club San Diego Executive Committee, she is a member of San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action, La Jolla Art Association, and Friends of Del Mar Mesa.

Her fine art photography, shot in 115 countries across seven continents, is represented by Imaging The World Gallery Santa Fe and MK Envision Gallery Liberty Station, among others. “Melting Antarctica” was selected for the 2010 UN Environmental Yearbook (UNEP) on global warming.

I’m passionate about preserving our planet for future generations. I’ve been a Sierra Club member since 1984 and serve as Chair of our chapter’s Conservation and Zero Waste Subcommittee. I’m also a member of our State Conservation Committees. I’m a Coleader of SD-SEQUEL (San Diegans for Sustainable, Equitable, & Quiet Equipment in Landscaping) and a board member of the PQ-NE Action Group and the Rancho Peñasquitos Fire Safe Council.

I coauthor the Zeroing in on Zero Waste and SD-SEQUEL articles in the HiSierran. I love spending time outdoors and recently completed all 50 hikes in the NCG 50 Hike Challenge. During my 35 years of working at Hewlett Packard, I led multiple international R&D teams, including 4 years living in Barcelona. Having a PhD in Chemistry helps me understand the scientific aspects of environmental issues and gives me greater credibility when I provide public testimony at state and local meetings.

Thirty-plus years ago, I learned about the Sierra Club, and knew I wanted to be part of this organization. I’ve been a member for half my life, and I served as the Treasurer of the San Diego Chapter for two years. As a child, I learned to love nature spending summers at our cabin in the Colorado mountains. As an adult, I have come to realize that this special world should not be taken for granted. Our planet needs our appreciation, our respect and most of all, our protection from those who would harm and exploit its incredible resources.

The Sierra Club is a powerful force and voice in the world. It’s size, resources and organizational abilities enable it to address environmental issues on every level, from local to national. I can think of no other organization I would rather be involved in.

My professional background is in finance, specifically banking and research grant administration for the University of California and San Diego State University. I live in Ramona with my husband, two horses, four goats, two dogs, two cats, and a turtle.

Background – Strategic Marketing/Management. Current Chair of North County Coastal Group.

I have been a member of the Sierra club since 1997 but really became active in the North County Coastal Group, when I volunteered for the interim Planning Committee. I feel deeply connected to our beautiful environment and I am passionate about its preservation. In particular, I am concerned with issues relating to climate change, preserving open spaces and conservation. Now more than ever I believe it is critical that the Chapter stays focused on the goal of building a vibrant and active membership dedicated to preserving our beautiful region and connecting people to the outdoors.

I was raised in San Diego when Mission Bay looked more like Morro Bay. After graduating with a degree in philosophy from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo CA. I put my degree to work in connecting the health of the environment to the health of people. My career in medical administration spanned 25 years.

Throughout my life I have volunteered time and commitment to various environmental and health related organizations. Having served on the San Luis Obispo County Health Commission for over a decade I received recognition from the County Board of Supervisors for my environmental and health related efforts. Through my service on the Commission I served on the SLO County Domestic Violence Task Force and the Commission’s Pesticide Use Task Force.

My husband John and I are 30-year members of the Sierra Club. My volunteer energy was directed towards chairing the Santa Lucia Chapter Conservation Committee and as a member of the National Toxics Committee. In addition, I served as treasurer for the San Luis Bay Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, as a commissioner on the Atascadero Planning Commission, a founding partner of the Marine Interest Group out of Morro Bay CA, and as a founding member of the Organization for Regional Coastal Activist (ORCA) among other activities.

The experience has left me wanting to do more to bring environmental awareness and passion for preserving our planet.

My journey with the Sierra Club began in college at SUNY Albany (New York). Someone at my campus union hall had a Sierra Club table. He pitched the political and hiking subsets of the Club and I was sold. I became a member and began participating in events and hikes. Jump forward 40 years to my adult life in San Diego. Climate change in my community became the new motivation for me to again get involved. For too long my city and county have been run by developers and I fought for reform. I knew, once again, in order to deliver healthy, safe, affordable neighborhoods for my community, I had to be involved.

As a public interest attorney and political candidate, I dedicated my professional life to fighting for environmental betterment:

• To address the growing need for affordable housing,

• To reduce traffic on our streets,

• To protect clean air/water and open spaces with an updated Climate Action Plan,

I am a former San Diego Deputy City Attorney, I fought developers to protect preserved open space, to establish new open preserves, and fought for clean air and water for the residents of the city of San Diego.

Most important of all, as an Executive Board Member, I listen to your concerns and I will continue to voice the interests of our Club at public meetings and to ensure our local government addresses the needs of all our neighborhoods.

I am a long time member of the club and have been an active member of the Conservation Committee since 2020. I have a B.A. in American Studies (1975) from the University of Colorado, Boulder and did graduate work in City Planning at San Diego State University.

I believe my 40 years of professional experience as a city/regional planner (City of Boulder, City of La Mesa, City of San Diego, and the San Diego Association of Governments) and five years of advocacy since my retirement will make me an effective Executive Committee member and provide the Chapter an important perspective on many environmental and planning issues facing the San Diego region.

I have a deep commitment to both environmental and social justice issues as evidenced by my career as a planner and my volunteer activities in support of affordable housing and fighting sprawl development, a few of which are listed below:

– San Diegans for Managed Growth – Boardmember, Board President (2018 to present)

– Measure A / Save Our San Diego Countryside (March 3, 2020 Primary Election)

– Campaign Manager, Volunteer Signature Gathering Coordinator (20182020)

– Parks and Recreation Coalition (PARC), Co-chair, 2020 to present (advocacy related to City of San Diego Parks Master Plan (PMP)

I hope to contribute more deeply to the preservation and protection of the San Diego region’s unique environment, and to the social justice and climate issues it faces.

I am passionate about resolving our climate crisis. I am a President of North County Climate Change Alliance and represent NCCCA at the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance. NCCCA offers monthly climate webinars, holds in-person networking meetings, maintains Alta Vista Gardens in Vista’s Brengle Terrace Park and lobbies for climate action and equity at north county city council meetings.

I am Chair of Excom for North County Group of the Sierra Club. I am also a Climate Reality Leader. In these various roles I make frequent oral and written comments to various government agencies and boards. Professionally I have led seminars in many countries and universities with combined audiences of tens of thousands of adults.

As a long-time Sierra Club member, I have enjoyed trips into the Grand Canyon, the Adirondacks, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the Atchafalaya Swamp and more. As a member of Outward Bound, I have enjoyed mountaineering in the Rockies, hiking and climbing in Joshua Tree, rafting thru Cataract Canyon and sailing in the Florida Keys. I have also trekked to the base camp at Mount Everest, through the Okavango Delta and rafted on the Zambesi near Victoria Falls. I love being out in nature.

Mark West, will take the reins when 16-year Sierra Club veteran Richard Miller retires at the end of June. Mark holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver.

Mark has worked on coastal pollution issues in San Diego and in Mexico and served as the Program Leader for the No Border Sewage Committee for Surfrider San Diego. Mark was selected to be the Chair of the San Diego chapter of Surfrider, leading the largest and most active chapter in the world. Protection of oceans, waves and beaches remains a top priority.

In 2016, Mark was elected to the Imperial Beach City Council emerging from a field of five candidates who ran for the two open seats. Mark’s commitment to the County of San Diego is extensive. He has served or is serving as the Chair of the Governance and Equity Committee, the Business Roundtable, the International Boundary and Water Commission, the Imperial Beach Redevelopment Successor Agency, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee, the Community Action Group for the Imperial Beach Sheriff, the San Diego Regional Airport Authority, South County Economic Development Council, San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG) Bayshore Bikeway Committee, San Diego Community Power, the alternate on the SANDAG Executive Committee and the Imperial Beach Arts Bureau. Currently, Mark is the Executive Director of North Park Main Street where among other accomplishments established an electric shuttle program.

In addition to surfing, he enjoys renovating his historic home, biking, snowboarding, traveling the world, training his dogs, eating good food and reading an occasional book.

Charles began his career organizing in South Florida during his time as a University of Miami student. While living there, he became very passionate about environmental protection, specifically concerned with climate change and its effects on his community. Upon graduation, Charles moved to New York City to obtain his Master’s in Campaign Management. He has worked on close to two dozen political campaigns, in addition to organizing his community for various issue-based campaigns across the city.

One of Charles’ favorite career experiences is when he led NYC’s Department of Sanitation Curbside Composting Education Program in Queens, NY in 2022. This pilot program educated residents on the benefits of composting and led to an expansion of curbside composting program to all five boroughs.

Michael leads the Chapters organizing, educational strategies and outdoor activities focusing on land use, parks and open space preservation primarily in North County San Diego.

Michael is an Air Force BRAT and native Alabamian who started off volunteering for a local campaign for Sheriff at 14. He subsequently worked in senior positions in local and statewide races and has a particular passion for working with volunteers, organizing events and understanding the details of how policies effect our daily lives.

After graduating from Auburn University, Michael served with the Peace Corps in rural Kyrgyzstan (If anyone needs help with Kyrgyz verb conjugation or the proper method for milking a horse feel free to ask) until he was evacuated due to the pandemic. Following lockdown, Michael studied for two years at the Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland where he specialized in understanding how historic and global environmental trends impact local communities.

Michael conducted extensive field work in Central Asia and worked with the United Nations Environment Programme to explore incentives for biodiversity conservation, Nature Based Solutions and old growth forest protection. Michael is currently concluding an internship with the United Nations Environment Management Group and is excited to get out of the office and into the community!

Michael is thrilled to work for the Sierra Club because of their commitment to bringing environmental awareness into the community in a holistic way. Michael is an engaging and open person who loves to collect good stories and engage in meaningful conversations. In his free time Michael enjoys singing in his church choir, reading, hiking and gardening.