Executive Committee
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 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.
I am an attorney who has been in a civil practice, which includes business litigation, estate planning, bankruptcy and business set ups.
I am a member of the California State Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, California La Raza Lawyers Association (CLRLA), San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA), American Bar Association, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law Alumni Association (TJSLAA).
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
Staff
Mr. Miller’s previous volunteer experience includes service on the Executive Committee’s for Sierra Club San Diego and Sierra Club California where he served as Chair for both organizations. Mr. Miller has also served on National Sierra Club committees, including as Chair of the National Nominating Committee for the Sierra Club Board of Directors.
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.
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 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.
In the past 3 years, she began hiking well known trails in San Diego, followed by the Grand Canyon and Yosemite for the first time, it was love at first sight. This past President weekend 2018, she visited Sedona for the first time and did a couple of hikes with friends. Her only regret is that hiking was never introduced to her as a kid.
She has traveled to Machu Piccho in 2015, France 2001, South Africa 2001 for pleasure, and to Guadalajara, Mexico for family. Pacific Beach has been her home for the past 11 years and it is where the bay, beach, community, and outdoor activities thrive in this beautiful vacation destination. Her travels and home inspire her to do more to protect the beauty, people, and animals from any threat harmful to our wellbeing. With the current White House administration, destiny was calling when she heard and applied for the position, leading her on the path of activism.
Chapter Chairs Over the Years
