Nation Virtual Town Hall Speakers

On October 2nd at 12pm PST/3pm EST, CEH will host its nation-focused town hall featuring leaders on the frontlines of climate change and environmental health issues to discuss how voting in the upcoming election is pivotal for the future of these movements. This town hall will feature Barbara Boxer, former U.S. Senator of California, Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, North America Director at 350.org, and Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization at The National Wildlife Federation.

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin

North America Director, 350.org

Tamara Toles O’Laughlin is an environmental advocate focused on people and planet. Her niche in environmental work is developing capacity building programs and creating multimedia campaigns to dismantle privilege and increase opportunities for vulnerable populations to access health air, clean energy, and a toxic free economy at the local, regional and national level.

Tamara is the North American Director at 350.org, where she drives regional strategy in the United States and Canada. As the leader of 350’s programming she leads mission critical work and organizational investments to build a multiracial, multi-generational climate movement that is capable of holding our leaders accountable to science and justice.

Tamara casts a wide net in service to community. Among her activities, she is a co-chair of the Green Leadership Trust, which builds a more powerful environmental movement by expanding the impact and leadership of people of color and indigenous people serving on US environmental nonprofit boards. She recently ended her term of six years as Board Member and most recently chair of DC EcoWomen, serving 6000 professional women in the environment. She is the Chair and state representative on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Air and Climate Public Advisory Committee. Tamara also serves as the chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Women’s Voices for the Earth based in Missoula, Montana. Women’s Voices disrupts industry standards by forcing ingredient disclosure and the elimination of toxic chemicals from personal care products.

Tamara is a seasoned policy analyst working across sectors to support inclusive climate change action. She serves on the Advisory Board of Climate Power 2020, is a member of Politico’s sustainability forum: The Long Game where she provides insight on issues of climate change and social responsibility.

She graduated from the Vermont Law School in 2009, with a Juris Doctor and Masters of Environmental Law and Policy with a concentration in energy generation and carbon constraint. Tamara has worked for over fifteen years to embed the principles of environmental justice into environmental work, with attention to community capacity building, mobilization, equity in enforcement, and environmental health.

Prior to joining 350.org. Tamara was executive director of the Maryland Environmental Health Network in Baltimore, Maryland, where she championed its mission to promote the elimination of environmental threats to human health.

Over the course of her career she has held full time, fellowship and intern positions with distinguished organizations including the District Department of Energy and Environment in Washington DC, the Maryland Energy Administration Advisory Council of Historic Preservation, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Center on Race, Poverty and Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, among others.

Mustafa Santiago Ali

Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization at The National Wildlife Federation

A renowned thought leader, international speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator, Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali serves as the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation. He is also the founder of Revitalization Strategies, a business focused on moving our most vulnerable communities from “surviving to thriving.”

Before joining the National Wildlife Federation, Mustafa was the senior vice president for the Hip Hop Caucus, a national non-profit and non-partisan organization that connects the hip-hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. In his role, he led the strategic direction, expansion, and operation of the Hip Hop Caucus’ portfolio on climate, environmental justice, and community revitalization.

Prior to joining the Hip Hop Caucus, Mustafa worked for 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He began working on social justice issues at the age of 16 and joined the EPA as a student, becoming a founding member of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). He most recently served as senior advisor for environmental justice and community revitalization and assistant associate administrator, working to elevate environmental justice issues and strengthening environmental justice policies, programs, and initiatives. Mustafa worked for EPA administrators beginning with William Riley and ending with Scott Pruitt.

Mustafa uses a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities, and has worked with more than 500 domestic and international communities to secure environmental, health, and economic justice. Throughout his career, Mustafa has conducted more than 1,000 presentations across the country, including speeches, training, and guest lectures at over 100 colleges and universities. He is a former instructor at West Virginia University and Stanford University.

Mustafa currently serves as a board member for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Union of Concerned Scientists, Rodenberry Foundation, TREE, and Climate Hawks Vote. He is frequently seen on television, including appearances on MSNBC, CNN, VICE, BET, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Democracy NOW! Mustafa is also a regular guest on WURD radio, Roland Martin Unfiltered, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and many others, and is the former co-host of the live radio show and podcast Think 100%: The Coolest Show on Climate Change with Grammy-nominated singer and actress Antonique Smith and civil rights icon Rev Lennox Yearwood.

To RSVP for our Audacious Action Virtual Town Hall, please click here.