Cross-posted from Appalachian Voices
New Board Member Nominees (1st Term)
Clara Bingham — Clara Bingham is an award winning journalist and author. She is a former Newsweek White House correspondent, and the author (with Laura Leedy Gansler) of Class Action: The Landmark Case that Changed Sexual Harassment Law (Doubleday 2002). Her book was adapted into the 2005 film North Country (Warner Bros.), staring Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand. Both actresses received Oscar nominations for their roles. Class Action was a Los Angeles Times best book of the year and won the AAUW Speaking Out For Justice Award. Bingham is also the author of Women on the Hill: Challenging the Culture of Congress (Times Books 1997), and she has written for many publications including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Talk, The Washington Monthly, Ms., and United Press International. While reporting a story in West Virginia, Bingham, a Kentucky native, witnessed the destructive effects of Mountaintop Removal coal mining for the first time. Since then she has dedicated her time and energy to producing The Last Mountain, which was in competition at that Sundance Film Festival January 2011.
Annie Brown has had a life-long interest in social and environmental issues and currently spends her (semi-retirement) time between Jefferson, NC (resident 30+ years), Michigan, and Florida. Ashe County volunteer work includes: National Committee for the New River (Board, & employed as Director); Arts Council (President & Board); Humane Society (President, Board, Animal Cruelty Investigator); Native American educational programs. For five years she was part of the inaugural staff which helped to establish the National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC). She has worked on a variety of projects in Indian Country, including several years with Vine Deloria, Jr. (Native scholar, author, and statesman). Her work history, volunteer involvement, and life experiences, confirms a commitment to addressing issues and solutions in a direct manner.
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Landra Lewis — Landra is a native of eastern Kentucky. She has a BA in Political Science and a certificate in mediation from Duke University. She is involved in a variety of professional associations and environmental organizations, and in 2010 she even ran for a seat in the Kentucky state Senate. She is dedicated to ending mountaintop removal coal mining and bringing about positive change in her home state of Kentucky.
Kathy Selvage — Kathy, daughter of a coal miner and Wise County, VA resident, has brought local, regional, and national exposure to the destruction that mountaintop removal coal mining is wreaking on her native land, its people, and their culture. As a strong advocate for herself and others, she was instrumental in the fight against Dominion’s Wise County coal-fired plant and the mile-long petition delivered in Richmond, VA, the recipient of the 2006 St. Francis Ecological Award for innovative work; was named in Blue Ridge Country magazine as one of 14 individuals shaping the region, and appeared in the Evans/Gellar documentary “Coal Country” as a path to bring the devastation of the Appalachian region to the consciousness of every American. In 2010, she emerged in another documentary, “Electricity Fairy”, to be utilized to support work against future coal-fired plants and mountain top removal and instead promote energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energies.
Board Member Reelections (2nd Term)
Matthew Anderson-Stembridge — Matthew’s background includes training with Green Corps and working with Greenpeace. Matthew directed environmental and rural advocacy and education in Washington, DC for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as national campaign efforts on climate and energy for the National Council of Churches in Christ. Matthew has served as executive director of Twin Cities-based coalition Faith in the City and currently directs the Creation Care Fund, which provides financial and technical support to Christian environmental grassroots initiatives. Matthew graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in environmental studies and is completing a Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota – Duluth. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife Kirsten. Matthew enjoys curling and coaching ultimate Frisbee.
Mary Anne Hitt — Mary Anne Hitt is director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, which is working to eliminate coal’s contribution to global warming by preventing the construction of new coal-fired power plants, accelerating the retirement and replacement of existing coal plants, and ensuring the massive coal reserves in the US remain underground and out of export markets. She previously served as executive director of Appalachian Voices, where she was one of the co-creators of iLoveMountains.org. She was also previously the executive director of the Ecology Center and the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project. She grew up in the mountains of east Tennessee and now lives in West Virginia.
Christina Howe — Christina resides in Valle Crucis where the Watauga River forms the western boundary of her property. She came to Boone after living and working in Miami, Fl. She was senior vice-president of a very large development company, which built, managed and sold shopping centers, office buildings and airport hangers. Christina became a commercially rated, single and multi-engine pilot with an instrument rating. She founded and still owns two real estate companies. She went on to assist her late husband in building a 350,000 sq.ft. terminal in Sanford, Fl. now known as the Orlando-Sanford International Airport or OSI. Christina is a sailor, an avid tennis player, and enjoys golf. She was the President of the High Country Conservancy for 4 years. Christina is presently President of the Shull’s Farm POA. She is a passionate environmentalist and Green has always been her favorite color.
Bunk Spann– Bunk Spann is the founder of the National Center for Developmental Education at Appalachian State University, a former member of the Boone, N.C. town council and current chair of the Boone area Planning Commission.
Pat Watkins — Pat is an ordained minister in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Denise Honeycutt, served as missionaries in Nigeria with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Caretakers of God’s Creation, an environmental ministry of the Virginia Conference. He is a member of the United Methodist Women’s Division Green Team for the denomination. Pat tries to live out his passion for God’s creation by living his life in such a way as to make a smaller footprint on God’s earth. He is an avid organic, permaculture gardener. His passion is to raise the awareness, particularly among people of faith, that there is a connection between faith and taking care of God’s creation. He and Denise live in Fairfax VA.
Officer Elections
Christina Howe — Chair (see bio above)
Bunk Spann — Treasurer (see bio above)
Matthew Anderson-Stembridge — Secretary (see bio above)
Heidi Binko — Vice Chair
In October 2008, Heidi Binko joined Rockefeller Family Fund (RFF) as associate director of Special Climate Initiatives. In this position, she works closely with national and regional advocates and foundations working at the nexus of climate and coal. Since joining RFF, Heidi has played a leading role in creating strategic partnerships between funders and advocates interested in helping the nation move beyond a coal-based economy. Prior to joining RFF, Heidi was the executive director of the WestWind Foundation, a family foundation based in Virginia. She currently serves as a board member of the Environmental Grantmakers Association, Appalachian Voices, and as a co-chair of the Climate and Energy Funders Group. She holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Board Members-At-Large
These are current board members not up for reelection this year.
Jim Deming — Rev. Jim Deming is the Minister for Environmental Justice for the United Church of Christ where he is involved in grassroots environmental justice programs, education, and advocacy. For three years, he was the Executive Director of Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light, educating congregations on environmental stewardship, renewable energy, and energy conservation. He also served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky/ Tennessee Water Environment Association. He is excited about working with Appalachian Voices and members of the faith community to draw attention to environmental injustices like mountaintop removal.