Sleepless in SIERRA: A Tale of CLUB Politics and Transparency

Check out my new piece on Substack:  6 Issues with Sierra Club Elections, Per ChatGPT . Thanks. 

In October, Los Angeles Times’ Lila Seidman wrote in her article  The Sierra Club’s California members are torn over its mission. Can a new leader forge consensus? , “California membership in the Sierra Club has dropped by roughly 32,000 members, or 19%, since 2019.” She also highlighted the turnover among Sierra Club California’s top staffers.  Here’s the full story of staff turnover within 12 months. Director Brandon Dawson left in December 2023. Senior Policy Strategist Sakereh Carter left in March 2024. Acting Director Jason John went on parental leave in July 2024, and hinted at no return . Acting Deputy Director Erin Woolley left this week. All senior staff in 2023 have left by now.  Sierra Club is a volunteer-led organization. Chapter staff is managed by the chapter’s Executive Committee (ExCom). In September, I resigned from ExCom and as Co-Chair of the Zero Waste Committee because climate activism was increasingly blocked over the years by the top-level ...