Community Environmental Council Welcomes New Board and Staff Members, including Retired Fire Chief and Green Business Leaders

CEC invites in strong environmental advocates to support green business and transportation efforts

Additions to CEC Board of Directors

CEC’s Board of Directors is a strong group of advocates for CEC’s mission to create local solutions to the challenges of climate change. These two new members bring expertise in land use and green business, as well as strong records of giving back to the community.

Nadra Ehrman is a property management professional with over 15 years of experience in both the non-profit and private sectors. For the past nine years, she’s been with The Towbes Group in Santa Barbara, CA, where she oversees a wide range of business activities and leads efforts to promote sustainable business practices. This has included assisting in several green certifications of residential properties and spearheading many sustainability initiatives throughout the entire portfolio. A Katherine Harvey Fellows alum, she served on the CEC Partnership Council for the past several years,  and is currently on the Santa Barbara Green Business Program Steering Committee and the Sustainable Future Engagement team.

Pat McElroy spent 37 years leading various aspects of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department, including his final three years as Fire Chief before retiring in 2018. He was recognized twice as Firefighter of the Year from the Santa Barbara City Firefighter’s Association. A highly active community member, he belongs to multiple boards and organizations that support firefighting and incident management efforts, as well as philanthropic groups like Doctors Without Walls. He received a BA in Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara, and also spent five years in his early career with the US Forest Service.

Additions to CEC Staff

CEC’s staff works tirelessly to implement programs and advocate for policies that bring about real solutions to climate change.

Jennifer Hernandez-Munoz joined CEC in late 2018 as an Energy and Climate Program Assistant. Her focus is creating an Electric Vehicle Blueprint for Ventura County. Previously, she interned with Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), working on environmental justice issues in Ventura County. This was part of their work with the Clean Energy 805 Coalition, which CEC also belongs to. Jennifer has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

About the Community Environmental Council (CEC)

Since 1970, CEC has led the Santa Barbara region – and at times California and the nation – in creative solutions to some of the toughest environmental problems. CEC pioneers real life solutions in areas with the most impact on climate change. Our programs – including the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival – provide pathways to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems, and reduction of single-use plastic. Our commitment to excellence has made CEC one of only five nonprofits in Santa Barbara County to earn the highest possible ratings from both Guidestar and Charity Navigator. Find CEC on the web at www.CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB and Twitter.com/CECSB.