Our mission
Environment America is an advocacy group that tackles tough environmental problems like global warming, fracking and pollution in our air, water and land.
Through grassroots campaigns, research reports, news conferences, op-ed pieces, letters to the editor, and more, we’re mobilizing public support for the environment, promoting sensible solutions, and winning tangible results.
The changes Environment America has championed and won in Washington, D.C., and more than 25 states are reducing global warming pollution, creating more solar and wind power, sparing our parks and forests from fracking, keeping beaches,
rivers and streams clean, and protecting our wildlife and wild places.
The fellowship
Our fellowship program is a two-year crash course in the nuts and bolts of environmental activism, organizing, advocacy and the kinds of institution-building that can sustain long-term battles.
Each year, we hire college graduates with the passion, commitment and talent to join us. We team experienced environmental advocates and organizers with new staff like you. And after two years, you’ll be ready to graduate and become
a lead advocate, a lead organizer or a state director with Environment America or one of our state affiliates. Here’s the staff who will show you the ropes:
-
Margie Alt, executive director
Margie Alt is the executive director of Environment America. She oversees all aspects of the organization, including policy and strategy development for major campaigns; building the organization’s membership, visibility and field power; and recruiting and training hundreds of staff and activists. Margie has spearheaded the federation’s recent efforts to secure a commitment from President Obama to cut global warming pollution from power plants; renew tax credits critical to the success of the wind power industry; and win designation of protected national monuments in the San Juan Islands in Washington State, Chimney Rock in Colorado, and the Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico.
Email Margie -
Courtney Abrams, federal clean water program director
Courtney Abrams is Environment America’s Federal Clean Water Program Director. In this role, Courtney oversees Environment America’s work to protect waterways across the country, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Puget Sound. Courtney also runs Environment America’s federal program to stop fracking, a dirty form of gas and oil drilling spreading across the country and putting our waterways and health at risk. She has been an advocate in our Washington, D.C., office since 2008, and has worked on campaigns to stop global warming, promote clean air, and expand renewable energy.
Email Courtney -
Julian Boggs, global warming program director
Julian Boggs is the Global Warming Program Director. He got his start through Environment America’s two-year Fellowship Program working as the Great Plains Field Organizer and building political support for comprehensive clean energy and global warming legislation from Davenport, IA to Fargo, ND. In 2010, Julian worked started work as the State Policy Advocate for Environment Ohio and launched the state group’s Hocking Hills program to protect state parks and ran campaigns for a clean energy future, clean air and global warming solutions.
Email Julian -
Shelley Vinyard, clean water advocate
Shelley Vinyard is now Clean Water Advocate for Environment America. As a fellow, Shelley worked to protect Lake Michigan from toxic pollution. During her first summer, she and her staff in Ann Arbor built a groundswell of public support - including hundreds of phone calls and petitions - successfully urging their target to support critical protections, while simultaneously building a bigger base of citizen support for Environment Michigan After she completed her Fellowship, Shelley accepted a position as the Clean Water Advocate for Environment America. She now works to protect all of America’s rivers, lakes, and streams from pollution.
Email Shelley