Elizabeth May steps down as Executive Director of Sierra Club of Canada
Sierra Club of Canada
2006-04-04
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(Ottawa) The Board of Directors of Sierra Club of Canada (SCC) announced today that Elizabeth May, its Executive Director of 17 years, is stepping down from her position effective June 2006. The Board has reluctantly accepted her decision.
“Elizabeth has led the Club at the national level from its infancy to the enormously effective entity it is today,” said SCC Board President, Louise Comeau. “She was also instrumental in supporting development of the Sierra Youth Coalition, the Atlantic Canada Chapter and other Sierra Club chapters and local grassroots groups.”
Elizabeth May became national Executive Director in 1989 at the invitation of the existing board of directors. She has gained a reputation for fearless advocacy on behalf of the environment, a contribution which was acknowledged in late 2005 by her designation as an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Under Elizabeth’s leadership, Sierra Club of Canada played a key role in convincing the government of Canada to sign and ratify the Kyoto Protocol, enact a law to protect species at risk, and ensure a public panel review for the cleanup of the Sydney tar ponds, among numerous other accomplishments.
“The environment has never had a better friend than Elizabeth May,” said Ms. Comeau, “and nor has the Club! We will miss Elizabeth’s leadership greatly, but she has assured us that she will maintain close ties to Sierra Club of Canada. The Board understands her decision to move on to face new challenges, and wishes her the greatest success as she tackles them.”
Sierra Club of Canada’s mission is to develop a diverse, well-trained grassroots network working to protect the integrity of our global ecosystems. SCC focuses on five overriding threats: loss of animal and plant species; deterioration of the planet’s oceans and atmosphere; the ever-growing presence of toxic chemicals in all living things; destruction of our remaining wilderness; and spiraling population growth and over-consumption.
Active in Canada since 1963, Sierra Club of Canada has chapters operating in every region of Canada, with offices in Ottawa, Victoria, Sydney, Corner Brook, Halifax, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto.
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For more information contact:
Louise Comeau, President, Sierra Club of Canada Board of Directors, 819-682-0794
Katie Albright, Communications Coordinator, 613-241-4611, communications@sierraclub.ca
