Lois Marie Gibbs,
Executive Director
In 1978, Lois founded the Love Canal Homeowners’ Association, and CHEJ in 1981. Her vision has guided our efforts to provide critical organizing and technical assistance to communities engaged in their own environmental struggles. Lois sits on numerous Boards and Advisory Committees. She is the recipient of an honorary Doctorate from SUNY at Cortland, New York, the 1990 Goldman Environmental Prize, the 1998 Heinz Award, and the 1999 John Gardner Leadership Award from Independent Sector.

Makia Burns,
Child Proofing Our Communities (CPOC) Campaign Coordinator
Makia Burns joined CHEJ in 2010. She started her career doing research on real estate and franchising but found her zeal in activism.  With over 10 years of labor organizing experience, her specialty is campaign coordination and strategy. She is credited with organizing thousands of new union members. Makia grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Miami University with a BS in Business Economics.

Maggie Dressel,
Donor Relations Manager
Maggie joined CHEJ in September 2010. A Northern Virginia native, she has worn all types of hats in the environmental non-profit sector: NYC park ranger, New Haven afterschool environmental educator, and individual donations manager. She is excited to put her passions for relationship building and community engagement to good use at CHEJ. She served on the board for Elm City Cycling in New Haven, CT and is Vice Chair of the Board for Big Blue Marble, Inc. She earned a BA in Urban Studies, Education and Environmental Science from Barnard College.

Sharon Franklin,
Finance/Administration Director
Sharon has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Her experience includes being the Director of Corporate Relations with an international children’s organization, Executive Director of the Links Foundation, an international African American women’s organization, and Chief Operating Officer of the Montessori Accrediting Commission for Teachers Education. Sharon’s civic service includes being the President of the Historic Battery Heights Condominium Association and Board Member for the City of Manassas Housing Trust Fund. She is also a member of Women in Philanthropy and the Cultural Alliance of Washington, DC.

Hae-Young Kang,
Bookkeeper
Hae-Young has been working for CHEJ since 1993. She is in charge of all accounting work – A/R, A/P, G/L, P/R and bank reconciliation. She produces monthly reports for financial planning meetings and prepares financial information requested by the CPA firm that conducts CHEJ’s yearly audit.

Gregory Kolen II,
Graphic Designer
Gregory Kolen II was born and raised in Virginia for most of his life. Being intrigued by communication through visuals he would spend a lot of his time drawing and working with computers then found a niche. He graduated from the The Art Institute of Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts focused in digital media. He went on to do graphic design work for CHEJ, illustrating the book “Imagining the Impossible” by Lois Gibbs, among other projects.

Joanne Kramb,
Development Associate
Joanne, a native of Texas who has lived in Virginia for over 10 years, joined the CHEJ staff in 2011.  She previously served as Director of Member Relations, Marketing and Communications at an educational nonprofit in Washington, DC. With a personal interest in sustainable forestry, she developed university exchanges in forestry studies between U.S. and Finnish students at her last job. Joanne has a Master’s degree in International Education, and she founded and manages an international travel program called ArtsAbroad. In her free time, Joanne enjoys photography, playing the saxophone, travel, and baking.

Stephen Lester,
Science Director
Stephen received his first Master’s of Science, in Toxicology, from Harvard University, and his second Master’s of Science, in Environmental Health, from New York University. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from American University. Stephen has served on numerous scientific advisory and peer review committees including at the Natural Resource Council of the National Academy of Sciences, the National institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment.

Teresa Mills,
Ohio Children’s Health Organizer
For over 20 years Teresa worked as a grassroots leader to assist communities to find their voice, analysis data and develop a strategic plan. She began by shutting down the Columbus Incinerator, that was polluting her neighborhood. This incinerator was later defined as the largest emitter of dioxin in the country. Teresa also founded Buckeye Environmental Network a statewide grassroots focused groups. Today she works with CHEJ to stop schools from being built near toxic land or facilities and other environmental health threats to children.

Anne Rabe,
Be Safe Campaign Coordinator
Anne has over 30 years of organizing experience on environmental issues. From 1990 to 2003, she was Director of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, a statewide grassroots organization in New York State helping communities harmed by toxic pollution and organizing campaigns on State Superfund, radioactive waste disposal, Kodak’s dioxin pollution, and other issues. She co-founded the NYS Labor & Environment Network, a coalition of over 30 labor and environmental groups working on corporate accountability, and Don’t Waste New York, a statewide organization that successfully stopped a proposed nuclear waste dump. In the 1980′s, she was Director of the NY Environmental Institute and Senior Legislative Assistant to Assemblyman R. Gottfried. From 1980 to today, she has organized a community/labor campaign on the NL Industries uranium waste dump in Colonie, NY. She has a BA in Political Science/Journalism from the State University at Albany, and has received eleven regional and national awards for her environmental work.  Anne works in a satellite CHEJ office near Albany, NY.

Michael Schade,
PVC Campaign Coordinator
Mike, who joined CHEJ’s staff in July 2005, was previously the Western New York Director of the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition. During his four years there, he coordinated numerous community, marketplace, and policy campaigns resulting in substantial victories for environmental health and justice in Western New York and across the state. He coordinated CEC’s Toxic-Free Legacy, Bucket Brigade Community Organizing, and Kodak Corporate Accountability campaigns in Western New York. He has a BS in Environmental Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a minor in Physical Geography. Mike previously worked for the Buffalo Coalition for Economic Justice/Jobs With Justice on local labor struggles and campaigns. In November 2007, he was named by Ethisphere Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics for 2007 and the PVC Campaign was awarded the “Path to Victory” Business Ethics Network award. In 2008, BEN awarded the PVC Campaign its BENNY award.

Douglas Stewart,
Dir. of Foundation Relations
Douglas has been raising money from foundations and individuals for progressive nonprofit organizations since 1999. His experience includes being a program officer at the Turner Foundation, director of development and communications with 1000 Friends of Maryland and director of program communications with the Atlanta pedestrian advocacy organization PEDS. An avid bicyclist, Douglas also served as president of the board of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.