ECOS strives to create a safe space for everyone to participate in our mission to achieve regional and community sustainability and a healthy environment for existing and future residents.
Everyone is welcome to attend ECOS Board meetings!
For more info about the meetings, including dates, times, agendas and minutes, click here.
Executive Committee
President
Ralph Propper
rpropper47 [at] icloud [dot] com
Ralph Propper retired in 2015 from the California Air Resources Board’s Air Quality and Climate Science Research Section. Until becoming ECOS president, he was an adjunct chemistry professor at Sacramento City College. He is also a board member of Breathe California Sacramento Region, and Sacramento’s “Green Incubator”.
Immediate Past President
Brandon Rose
brandondrose [at] hotmail [dot] com
Brandon Rose currently serves on the Sacramento Municipal Utility District Board of Directors and the Sacramento County Treasury Oversight Committee. Brandon works for the California Air Resources Board with a focus on reducing air pollution emissions from the transportation sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from UC Davis.
Treasurer
Earl Withycombe
earlwithycombe [at] gmail [dot] com
Earl Withycombe is a consulting air pollution engineer, community activist and recovering elected official. Earl’s direct participation in ECOS’ work began in 1992 with advocacy and testimony on the 1993 county general plan update. He has been an indispensable leader on the ECOS board of directors ever since.
Secretary
Andy Sawyer
andysawyer [at] aol [dot] com
Andy Sawyer is a past president of ECOS, a former chair of Sierra Club California, and chair of the Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter. An environmental lawyer, Andy has served as chair of the California State Bar Environmental Law Section and the Sacramento County Bar Association Environmental Law Section.
Habitat 2020 Committee
Co-Chair
Robert Burness
rmburness [at] comcast [dot] net
Rob Burness graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Biological Sciences. Rob served as a land use planner for the Sacramento County Planning Department, where he focused on compact, efficient urban growth that minimizes impact on natural habitat. Rob is also involved with the Sierra Club.
Co-Chair
Sean Wirth
wirthsoscranes [at] yahoo [dot] com
After retiring from a career in real estate investing, Sean has dedicated his life to saving habitat in our region. He is currently the conservation chair for the Motherlode Chapter of the Sierra Club, co -chair of Habitat 2020, on the board and ex com of ECOS and a founding member of Save Our Sandhill Cranes.
Transportation, Air Quality and Climate Change Committee
Co-Chair
John Deeter
jdeeter [at] gmail [dot] com
John Deeter has been a board member of ECOS since 2005, and has served as Treasurer (2007-14), and as Chair/Co-Chair of the Transportation, Air Quality & Climate Change Committee since 2015. He is a passionate advocate of non-auto modes of transportation and rides his bicycle frequently. He is retired, after 30 years of astronomical research at the University of Washington.
Co-Chair
Jonathan Ellison
jellison [at] surewest [dot] net
Jon is an attorney in private practice in the Sacramento area with expertise in disabled peoples’ rights, elder law, Social Security, housing law, nonprofit law and a passion for preserving the environment. A father and grandfather, Jon joined the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) board of directors in 2006 and became President of the Board for 2011- 2012. He has also been co-chair of the Organizational Development Committee.
Organizational Development Committee
Chair
Sophie Wenzlau
Sophie [dot] Wenzlau [at] bbklaw [dot] com
Sophie focuses on municipal and environmental law at Best Best & Krieger LLP. She interned for a water development nonprofit in Jodhpur, India. Sophie was an executive editor of Environs, an environmental law and policy journal.
Land Use Committee
Co-Chair
Alex Kelter, MD
akmd [at] mac [dot] com
Alex Kelter, MD is retired from the California Department of Health Services (DHS) where he headed its injury and violence prevention branch. The New Partners for Smart Growth propelled him toward a relationship with ECOS upon his retirement. Since then, Alex has been on the Board of Directors of ECOS, and served as President in 2009 and 2010.
Co-Chair
Robert Meagher
RMeagher [at] SureWest [dot] net
Robert Meagher has tirelessly kept up the project list for ECOS, which includes all new relevant proposed developments in the region. He has also managed to consolidate and organize the countless PDF documents that often make up long CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) documents, and their corresponding attachments, into a single database categorized by region, priority and timing. Making these documents easier to use and refer to cuts down on the time it takes ECOS committees to digest and comment on environmental documents, effectively making it simpler for us to engage in the CEQA process.
At-Large Director Representative
Ron Maertz
ronmaertz [at] surewest [dot] net
Ron Maertz spent his entire career working in environmental public service. Since his retirement, Ron has become actively involved in ECOS, serving as one of ECOS’s representatives to the Smart Growth Leadership Recognition Program Committee and as its Land Use Chair / Co-Chair for over 10 years. Ron was selected as Environmentalist of the Year in 2012.
At-Large Director Representative
Susan Herre
susanherre [at] gmail [dot] com
Susan Herre is an urban planner and architect. At the United States Department of Transportation in Washington, she managed transit and rail capital projects, and previously worked on university and hospital buildings in San Diego and St Louis. Over the years Susan has been an activist for urban transit and preservation of open space.
At-Large Directors
Lynne Goldsmith
lausmith2again [at] gmail [dot] com
Lynne Goldsmith has been passionate about environmental issues her whole life. Her career included Bicycle Program Manager for Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority; public outreach and education for the City of Los Angeles Wastewater Program and City of Burbank Recycling launch. Since moving to Sacramento, she volunteers with ECOS, 350 Sacramento and STAR.
Nailah Pope-Harden
nailahph [at] gmail [dot] com
Nailah Pope- Harden is a community organizer from south Sacramento working on environmental justice, community development and civic engagement. She is passionate about equitable resources for all. She got involved in ECOS transportation work in 2016 and joined the ECOS board in 2018.
Ron Maertz
ronmaertz [at] surewest [dot] net
Bio above
Spencer Marshall
srmarshall23 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Spencer Marshall joined ECOS as an at-large board member in 2013 while attending CSU Sacramento. Spencer was a scientific aid in the 401 Wetlands Protection Unit for the State Water Resources Control Board and upon completing his degree in environmental studies he transferred to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. He serves on the Habitat 2020 committee and is involved with the water group. Spencer is passionate about environmental conservation and is particularly focused on the challenges California is facing in addressing long-term water supply.
Beilul Naizghi
beilul [dot] naizghi [at] gmail [dot] com
Beilul Naizghi came to Sacramento as an Americorp VISTA at NeighborWorks Sacramento in August 2017. She currently works as a Project Assistant at Mercy Housing and is most interested in encouraging infill, transit oriented affordable housing in Sacramento. Beilul has a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University in Public Policy.
Chris Brown
info [at] sacclimate [dot] org
Chris Brown is a nationally recognized expert in water conservation and drought. He left his position as Executive Director of the California Urban Water Conservation Council in 2014 to work on climate issues as well as his ongoing water-related work. He also serves as the coordinator of the Sacramento Climate Coalition.
Michael O’Sullivan
mosullivan [at] sac [dot] coop
Michael has been active in the community through involvement in the Lower Sacramento River Task Force, the Sacramento Northern Railroad Parkway, and the Sacramento Tree Foundation. He is a an employee of the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and has represented the Co-op on the ECOS Board for a number of years. He has also helped put on Sacramento Earth Day and the Environmentalist of the Year awards.
Susan Herre
susanherre [at] gmail [dot] com
Bio above.
Tinn Lee
lee [dot] tinn [at] gmail [dot] com
Tinn found sustainability in college when studying interior design and leads a minimalist lifestyle. She currently works as an event coordinator for American Institute of Architects (AIA) and bike valet lead for Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA). You can find her biking around town from event to event, making muffins every Tuesday, or rock climbing at Pipeworks.
Gabriel Balensiefer
gabriel [at] hyperionndt [dot] com
Gabriel Balensiefer is an industrial x-ray inspector serving aerospace and other manufacturing industries. He is a student of business management, and the founder of a non-destructive inspection services and consultation start-up.
Member Organization Representatives
350 Sacramento
Laurie Litman
llitman [at] pacbell [dot] net
Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails
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Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) Sacramento Chapter
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Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
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International Dark-Sky Association
Jack E. Sales
jesales [at] surewest [dot] net
Los Rios College Federation of Teachers
Amy Brinkley
amyebrinkley [at] gmail [dot] com
Mutual Housing California
Bryan Dove
Bryan [at] mutualhousing [dot] com
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sacramento Chapter
Bill Durston
billdurston [at] gmail [dot] com
Resources for Independent Living, Inc. (RIL)
Monica Gracechild
rilofficemanager [at] ril-sacramento [dot] org
Sacramento Audubon Society
Larry Hickey
larryhickey1 [at] gmail [dot] com
Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association
Guy Hall
guy [dot] t [dot] hall [at] gmail [dot] com
Sacramento Environmental Democrats
Chase Kelly-Reif
ckellyreif [at] gmail [dot] com
Sacramento Housing Alliance (SHA)
Veronica Beaty
veronica [at] sachousingalliance [dot] org
Sacramento Natural Foods Coop
Jeff Bessmer
jbessmer [at] sac [dot] coop
Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (Sac CNPS)
Linda Sanford
linda2855 [at] comcast [dot] net
Sacramento Vegetarian Society
Glenn Destatte
sacveggie [at] gmail [dot] com
Save Our Sandhill Cranes (SOS Cranes)
Tina Suarez-Murias
csuarezm [at] arb [dot] ca [dot] gov
Save the American River Association (SARA)
Betsy Weiland
flweiland [at] yahoo [dot] com
SEIU Local 1000 Environmental Committee
Mike Roskey
Mike [dot] Roskey [at] wildlife [dot] ca [dot] gov
Sierra Club Sacramento Group
Marko Pavlovic
vatropav [at] gmail [dot] com