DEFEND OUR HEALTH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Campaign Manager - Maine Farmland Contamination
Adam worked for eleven years as an organic vegetable and grain farmer as the co-owner/manager of Songbird Farm in Unity, Maine. The farm focused on local markets, heritage grains and community involvement as pathways to strengthen a sense of place and history. Nordell feels that the local food movement gives people a direct, tangible stake in the health of their local ecosystems. In late 2021, Adam and his wife Johanna discovered severe PFAS chemical contamination of their land, drinking & irrigation water and their bodies. The discovery led to an immediate, voluntary closure of farm operations and launched Adam into an advocacy role, fighting for impacted communities and against continued contamination. He is excited to continue this work as part of the Defend Our Health team, where he will be organizing with people impacted by PFAS and advocating for a responsible, impactful allocation of state resources to support those communities. Adam has a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic. When he is not thinking about industrial chemical contamination, Adam can be found singing lonesome ballads with Johanna, exploring the Maine coast and hill country or looking for salamanders with his son Lulu.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer of the Board of Directors
Bruce Cort is a principle in the accounting firm of Cort & Small, CPA located in Windham ME and has been in public practice for over 40 years. He is a member and active volunteer of the Friends of the Presumpscot River. Bruce has provided financial council for various Maine nonprofits.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice - President for Research & Policy Development at Coastal Enterprises, Inc
Carla Dickstein is Senior Vice-President for Research & Policy Development at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI). Since 1992 she has worked on a diverse topics including employment and financing opportunities in green industries, rural development and entrepreneurship, worker ownership and control, assessment of CDFIs' impact, and predatory mortgage lending and foreclosures. She is currently working on investment opportunities in the health care sector and opportunities arising from Maine's changing demographics and growing senior population. She also lobbies for CEI at the state legislature. Prior to coming to CEI she was on the faculty at West Virginia University's Regional Research Institute and the West Virginia University Extension Service. She currently serves on the board of Opportunity Maine and on the advisory boards of the Margaret Chase Smith Center at University of Maine and the Frances Perkins Center. She holds a B.A. from Smith College, a Masters in Planning from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Carla grew up in Portland and now lives in Wiscasset with her springer spaniel, Steeler.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Programs and Policy
As the Vice President of Programs and Policy, Chris oversees the programmatic and policy work at Defend Our Health. He is a lifelong advocate for addressing the systemic barriers faced by rural and historically marginalized communities and a sought-after expert in social justice matters. He graduated from Dartmouth College with a double major in Native American Studies and Social Policy. He also has a Juris Doctor from Michigan State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His writing appears in multiple publications, and he frequently speaks on social justice matters. Chris is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe and grew up in his Tribe's homelands in southeastern North Carolina. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife Leonor and their two cats. In his free time, he can often be found rooting for his beloved Boston Red Sox and writing about baseball history.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager in Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College
Eileen Sylvan Johnson is a lecturer and program manager in Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Director
- Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
- Director of the Buck Lab for Climate
Gail Carlson is director of the Buck Lab for Climate and Environment and assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Job Titles:
- Director of Data, Operations, and People
As the Director of Data, Operations, and People, Janelle works to ensure that the Defend Our Health team has the support resources they need to effectively address environmental injustice. She brings 10 years of experience in nonprofit operations and data analysis to the team and has a passion for strengthening DEIA in the community and the workplace. Janelle earned a B.S. in Economics, an M.P.A. in Nonprofit Management, and a M.A. in Philanthropic Studies. When she's not reading or volunteering, you can find her playing an open world or rogue-lite video game.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Kate Manahan, LCSW came to her environmental activism through her clinical social work practice which recognized thematic public health concerns impacting behavior and health. With her experience in broadcasting and podcasting audio, Kate started a radio show/podcast on issues related to toxics (not affiliated with DOH), to inform wider audiences and inspire community action. She's the founder of an oral history business and is located in Kennebunk, ME.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus of Work Environment
Ken Geiser is professor emeritus of Work Environment and distinguished university professor at University of Massachusetts Lowell. Dr. Geiser served as a founding co-director of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and director of Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (1990 to 2003).
Job Titles:
- Community Leader from Cumberland
A community leader from Cumberland, Lalla is inspired by young people, whether coaching middle school sports, leading sexuality education programs, or joining a march for the environment. She loves exploring Maine's woods, fields, and coast with her husband Jonathan Labaree, 2 kids, 1 dog, and 2 goats.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Retired Director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste
Mark Hyland is the retired Director of the Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. During his time there, he championed toxics reduction including mercury in products, brominated flame retardants, and chlorinated solvents. He also negotiated numerous hazardous waste site cleanups.
Mike Belliveau has advanced public health, environmental justice, and clean production for forty years. He's led chemical policy reform campaigns that set national precedents. He's helped major corporations to phase out toxic chemicals and plastics. He launched a trade association to create good jobs and slow climate change through renewable materials. Mike founded Defend Our Health (formerly Environmental Health Strategy Center) and previously served as executive director of Communities for a Better Environment.
Executive Director Mike Belliveau leads campaign negotiations that convince the world's largest home-improvement retail chain, The Home Depot, to stop selling vinyl flooring made with phthalates. Within days of Home Depot's announcement, Lowe's, Menards, and Lumber Liquidators announced that they, too, would replace phthalates in vinyl flooring with safer alternatives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Muhannad Malas, MPH is a Senior Climate Campaigner for Stand.earth, working to eliminate fossil fuels from the supply chains of global corporations. Muhannad teaches global health courses at McMaster University and lives in Hamilton, Ontario in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health
Richard Clapp is a professor emeritus of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health and an adjunct professor at University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Job Titles:
- Founding Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture
Rev. Richard L. Killmer is the founding executive director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the former director of environmental justice at the National Council of Churches.
Roopa brings over 10 years of experience in social, ecological, and conservation research to Defend Our Health. She is currently completing her PhD in Geography at Clark University where she studies human-wildlife interactions, collective farming practices, and agricultural change in the Indian Himalayas. Prior to her PhD she worked as a social scientist at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington DC, a climate change intern at the National Parks Service, and a lemur behavior research assistant in Madagascar. Roopa has an M.Sc. in Environmental Science from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University and a B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago. In her free time, she likes exploring the desert near her home in southern Nevada with her family, boondocking, and reading speculative fiction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Ruth Hennig was a board member of The John Merck Fund, a charitable foundation that recently completed a spend out of its assets. Prior to joining its board, Ruth was JMF's longtime executive director, overseeing its programs in environmental health and clean energy.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences at Bentley University
Ryan Bouldin is an Associate Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences at Bentley University, and holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering with an emphasis in Green Chemistry. He served on the Board of Directors for Environmental Health Strategy Center, now Defend our Health, for 9 years, chairing from 2017-2020. His work emphasizes the importance of creating new materials that are safe and effective for workers, consumers, and communities. Dr. Bouldin focuses on growing supply chain demand for materials and processes that are ethical, economically viable, and beneficial for people and the planet.
As the Director of Advocacy, Sarah spearheads Defend Our Health's advocacy and coalition work. She works closely with legislators, coalition partners, and supporters to advance Defend's mission of fighting for safe products, food and drinking water, and sustainable, green jobs. Sarah brings with her over 10 years of experience in the advocacy and communications realms. Prior to joining Defend Our Health, Sarah spent eight years with the Anti-Defamation League as part of their Government Relations, Advocacy and Community Engagement team. She advocated on behalf of the League with Members of Congress, government agencies, and national coalitions, focusing on immigration and reproductive justice issues. She also worked at Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) as part of the media team, helping to advance PPFA's mission of care, no matter what. Sarah has an M.A. in Applied Politics from American University and a B.S. in Political Science from Portland State University. She also holds a certificate from American University's Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute as well as their Women and Public Policy Institute. In her spare time, you can find Sarah either in the movie theater or planning her next travel adventure with friends.
Sergio Cahueque joined the team after graduating from College of the Atlantic in the spring of 2017, where he focused his studies on Environmental Sciences and Social Studies. At college Sergio had the opportunity to engage with Earth in Brackets, a student-led organization that explores the overlaps between environmental justice and social justice. During this time Sergio attended meetings under the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, where he collaborated with grassroots and policy-led organizations working under the climate justice movement. After his experience with international environmental policy and inspired by the grassroots and popular movements in Latin America, Sergio decided to go back to Guatemala (his home country) and conduct ethnographic research for his undergraduate thesis. Sergio spent three months conducting research in La Puya, a peaceful resistance movement made by communities in San Jose del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc. These communities are in resistance against a U.S.-sponsored gold mine that poses a threat to their health by poisoning with arsenic the already scarce water. As an organizer Sergio is committed to creating spaces and providing tools for people to speak up and take action against social and environmental injustices. Sergio believes that to foster a healthy environment and a healthy and honest democracy we need to work from the bottom-up.
Sharon Rosen led three Maine philanthropies primarily focused on health and community development - the Bingham Program, Pentagoet, and the Sadie and Harry Davis Foundation - between 1988 and her retirement in 2015.
As the Office Manager, Stephanie facilitates organizational efficiency and provides support to the Defend team and works to take care of the details so the important work of Defend can move forward. She brings a passion for the intersection of environmental toxins and their impact on climate and human health, and is excited to be stepping into the non-profit sector. Previously, Stephanie was both an environmental bench chemist and high school science teacher. She holds an MA in Education and BS in Biology. When she is not working, she can be found wrangling her three kids out in nature, playing in the garden, or wandering in the woods.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Teacher, Planner and Public Policy Consultant
Sue Inches is a teacher, planner and public policy consultant with special expertise in environmental and democracy issues.
Sydney Sewall has worked as a pediatrician in Maine since 1982, and currently also serves as a faculty instructor for the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency (MDFMR) Program. He is a past president of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Communications
As the Communications Director, Taylor leads both state and national level strategic communications efforts for Defend Our Health. She focuses on the advancement of strategic issue campaigns and lifts up grassroots voices to address the root causes of environmental injustice and harm to human health and the planet from toxic chemicals and plastic pollution. Prior to joining Defend Our Health, Taylor held various positions working at the intersection of strategic communications, outreach and media for presidential and senatorial campaigns, fundraising and event firms, and media and production companies, primarily focusing on sociopolitical issues and strategic storytelling. Most recently, Taylor served as the Corporate Communications Manager for a PR and crisis communications agency where she developed a strategic communications and marketing plan to amplify the brand and handled media relations, digital media, and outreach. An accomplished communications leader and storyteller, Taylor has been dedicated to bringing attention to grassroots movements, organizations and individuals that are creating progressive change in the fight towards equity and justice across various coalition movements. Taylor earned a B.A. in Sociology with a specialization in Justice, Public Policy and Youth Advocacy and an M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. In her free time, Taylor can be found playing a little too much Call of Duty or planning her next international adventure.
As the Digital Organizer, Yasmeen manages our digital program and coordinates all online engagement to amplify our narrative, deepen our base, inspire action, and support fundraising for our programs. Starting in her sophomore year of high school, Yasmeen has continuously strived to be a voice for the people and has done so for the past 10 years as an organizer. She has a passion for utilizing digital spaces and tools to mobilize her community and those beyond, which is what she focused on in college. Yasmeen has earned a B.A in Political Science with concentrations in Communication and Social Justice from Saint Peter's University. Before this, she worked as a digital organizer for New Jersey Working Families Party. When she isn't writing or tending to her cat, Yasmeen enjoys listening to live music and spending time with her loved ones.