Community Environmental Council Welcomes New Members to Board, President’s Council, Staff, and Intern Program

Established green architect, corporate marketing expert, and passionate environmental advocates work to increase local climate resilience.

Addition 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.

Carolyn Fitzgerald moved to Santa Barbara four years ago from Chicago, where she was born and raised, and has become an active volunteer with several local non-profits. In addition to co-chairing the Community Environmental Council’s Green Gala in 2018 and 2019, she is currently involved with planning the annual fundraising galas for Direct Relief, Lotusland and Montecito Union School. While living in Chicago, Carolyn chaired the annual gala for Holy Trinity High School and was on the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Guild Board. Prior to her work with non-profits, Carolyn was the Director of Marketing for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and worked at Starcom MediaVest, an advertising agency in Chicago. Carolyn graduated from Northwestern University with a major in Communications. She lives in Montecito with her husband Andrew and her two young children, Jay and Nora.

Addition to CEC President’s Council

The President’s Council is a group of past executive directors, Board members, and founders – as well as esteemed CEC friends – who have given significantly of their time, effort and resources to the organization.

They welcomed a new member, Michel Saint-Sulpice. Born in Grenoble, France, Michel followed his family’s path to become an architect, and first worked in Iran in the mid-1970s before coming to California, where most of his work was built. He became an environmental activist immediately after participating in the first Earth Day in 1970 when living in New York City. This led him to be a “Green Architect” using the principles of Sustainable Design. Believing that the sun alone can abundantly provide for all the energy needs of the world, he passionately promotes the concept of “A 100% Solar Powered World.” His other design-related interests include Appropriate Technology (AT), Eco-villages, Eco-cities, Earth/Adobe Architecture, and Permaculture. He also served as a Board Member of the Community Environmental Council for a number of years in the 1980s.

Addition to CEC Staff

Kendall Miller joined CEC in Spring 2019 as an Executive and Development Coordinator. Growing up in New England, Kendall cultivated a deep connection to the ocean and spending time outdoors, inspiring her to work for various organizations as an environmental change-maker. Kendall received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in Environmental Sciences. More recently, Kendall graduated from UCSB’s Bren School with a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management. Fresh off completing a fellowship, Kendall is eager to support CEC in increasing awareness and action around the pressing environmental crisis.

Additions to CEC Intern Program 

CEC’s robust and competitive internship program attracts aspiring environmentalists from top universities. Many of CEC’s outstanding staff members began as interns.

Johanna Fornberg is a Ph.D. candidate in the Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology department at UCSB, with a strong background in data analysis and research. She is supporting CEC’s efforts to complete a community kitchen landscape analysis and scan for our region and also assisting with other aspects of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network.

Adrienne Hewitt attends UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, where she is pursuing a Masters in Environmental Science and Management. Her academic specialization is Corporate Environmental Management with a focus on strategic environmental communication and media. Her career goals include improving human-environment interactions by influencing consumer behavior and helping organizations and businesses become more sustainability-focused. At CEC, Adrienne is assisting with the implementation of a strategic communications plan.

Rebecca Wright is a UCSB student pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science. She advocates for sustainability on campus through the zero waste movement and assists in various research projects, from environmental violence to wind energy. She is highly interested in the intersection of sustainability and policy, as well as environmental justice. At CEC, she hopes to advance energy sustainability in the larger community.

About the Community Environmental Council (CEC)

Since 1970, CEC has incubated and innovated real life solutions that directly impact climate change. Our programs lead to clean vehicles, solar energy, resilient food systems and reduction of single-use plastic. We educate and activate the community by producing events like the annual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival. Find CEC on the web at www.CECSB.org and on Facebook.com/CECSB, Instagram.com/CEC_SB and Twitter.com/CECSB.