epa lead joins eelc

Former EPA lead for environmental justice joins EELC Board

On behalf of the Eastern Environmental Law Center Board of Directors, Co-Chairs of the Board  Alexi Assmus and Edward Lloyd are pleased to welcome Lisa Garcia as the newest board member. Ms. Garcia is a powerhouse in the environmental community  and her diverse experience, both state- and nation-wide, will be a great asset to EELC.

Garcia is the Director of Fix, the climate solutions lab from Grist.org, a national nonprofit media organization founded in 1999 that focuses on environmental and social justice challenges. 

Before joining Fix, Garcia was at the nonprofit public-interest law organization Earthjustice, where, as vice president, she led high-impact litigation work designed to protect communities and families from toxic pesticides, refinery and factory pollution, chemical dumping, and unsustainable industrial development. She also spearheaded an effort to build diverse partnerships and coalitions.

Last month, Garcia was appointed to the Biden-Harris Transition’s Environmental Protection Agency Review Team.  

In 2009, Garcia joined the Obama administration to lead the Environmental Protection Agency’s environmental justice work, serving as both an associate administrator and advisor to EPA administrators, Lisa P. Jackson and Gina McCarthy. Garcia helped create and implement Plan EJ 2014, a roadmap for weaving environmental justice into all of the EPA’s work, and was the principal drafter of President Obama’s 2014 proclamation on Environmental Justice. She also led the federal Environmental Justice Interagency Workgroup, collaborating with other agencies across the U.S. government to address some of the country’s most persistent environmental challenges.

Before working at the EPA, Garcia served as the chief advocate for environmental justice and equity at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Prior to that, she was an assistant attorney general in the Environmental Protection Bureau of the NYS Attorney General’s Office.

“We are delighted to welcome Lisa to the Board. She brings decades of experience in advocacy for environmental justice communities and will advance EELC’s continuing commitment to represent those who suffer from the cumulative environmental impacts in their community.”  said Mr. Lloyd.

 “Our Board of Directors is a dedicated team committed to supporting EELC’s legal work on behalf of the environment,” said Dr. Assmus.  “We are excited to channel Lisa’s expertise and energy into furthering our mission.” 

The Eastern Environmental Law Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public interest environmental law firm, located in Newark, New Jersey, working on behalf of environmental and conservation organizations to protect communities, open space, wildlife, and the natural heritage and public health of the eastern United States for generations to come.

EELC advocates on behalf of organizations and community groups to resolve environmental problems that threaten people, natural resources, and communities throughout New Jersey and the surrounding region.  EELC represents national, state, and local citizen groups that generally cannot otherwise afford such assistance.  EELC’s representation includes general client counseling to our 35+ clients and advocacy to promote effective environmental and land use regulations, to restore, maintain, and enhance the quality of water bodies, to protect communities from disparate impacts, and to promote sustainable development and clean energy.

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