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 Doctorates from SUNY at Cortland, Haverford College in May 2006, Green Mountain College 2009 and Medaille College in 2010. Received the 1990 Goldman Environmental Prize, the 1998 Heinz Award, and the 1999 John Gardner Leadership Award from Independent Sector.

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.

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.

Nury Márquez
Donor Relations Manager
Nury has dedicated her career to serving the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining CHEJ she served as Executive Director of the Hispanic Committee of Virginia, where she provided leadership and strategic direction. Before that, Nury managed corporate giving for an electric utility where she also managed relationships with leading environmental organizations. Over the years, Nury has held leadership positions with several nonprofits and volunteered in fundraising and grant making capacities. Nury is pleased to join CHEJ and help expand support for grassroots environmental health and justice work.

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,
Markets Campaign Coordinator
Mike Schade is the Markets Campaign Coordinator with the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ), a national environmental health organization. Mike has over a decade of experience working on environmental health and justice issues. For four years, he was the Western New York Director of Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, where he coordinated community, marketplace and policy campaigns, including the Toxic-Free Legacy, Bucket Brigade and Kodak Corporate Accountability campaigns, resulting in substantial victories for environmental and public health. He also worked for the Buffalo Coalition for Economic Justice. At CHEJ, Mike has coordinated the successful national PVC and BPA Marketplace Transformation Campaigns which has convinced some of the world’s biggest companies to phase out PVC, phthalates and BPA. Ethisphere Magazine listed Mike as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics for 2007 and the PVC Campaign received the “Path to Victory” Business Ethics Network award. He is the author or co-author of numerous reports including the Wasting of Rural New York State-Factory Farms and Public Health, Volatile Vinyl-the New Shower Curtain’s Chemical Smell, Baby’s Toxic Bottle-BPA Leaching From Popular Baby Bottles, No Silver Lining-An Investigation Into BPA in Canned Foods, and Toxic Toys R Us. He has a BS in Environmental Studies from the State University of NY at Buffalo.

Crista Peterson,
Dir. of Foundation Relations
Crista has over 9 years experience in the nonprofit sector. This includes significant fundraising roles for a human services nonprofit agency in Northern Virginia since 2007 – as Director of Development and Director of Annual Giving Programs, working with constituents, boards and foundations. She earned a BA and MA in the social and behavioral sciences in California. She has been a long-time health advocate in her personal and professional life. In her spare time, Crista enjoys volunteering, travel, nature walks and sports. Most of all, she has a passion for building relationships and strengthening communities, while making a difference in the world – and believes that the environment is something that needs to be protected. As of November 2012, Crista has been serving as Board of Directors for EarthShare, an organization which manages workplace giving campaigns for its national environmental charities.