Staff
Jesus Holguin – Youth Leadership Director. Jesus has been involved with the EJ League and since he was a sophomore in high school over 6 years ago, and also serves a board member of YPI: Youth Pride Inc. Jesus formerly worked as an Administrative Assistant at Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex After-school Program. Though he was originally born in Manhattan, he now resides in Providence, RI. He identifies as an Afro-Latino Gay Youth. Through community connections, he was introduced to Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE) shortly after his mother was incarcerated and deported on February 11th, 2010. As a result, he quickly became passionate about organizing and changing the community. Formerly, he was a youth organizer for the EJ League, where he created a youth program called ECO Youth, now in its fourth year of running. Because of his passion for justice, he was selected to attend the National Youth Organizer Training Institute with SOUL in California, and is also a member of a coalition called Right to the City. Recently, he was selected to be part of a national group called Beyond the November Movement, also known as Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100). His main areas of activism are around issues of environmental and food justice, LGBT rights, and immigration.
The EJ League recently hired two addition positions: Development & Communications Director, and Organizing Director. Details and bios will be posted soon.
Out-going Co-Directors Amelia Rose (now Executive Director at Groundwork Providence) and Julian Rodriguez-Drix (Asthma Program Manager at RI Department of Health) are continuing to support the organization during our transition process.
Board of Directors
The EJ League is governed by a 15-member Board. Board members are elected to serve two-year terms. These terms are staggered to ensure that the Board reflects the diversity of our communities and allows for the development of new leadership within the organization. The Board is made up of representatives from the community, as well as from the various organizations and groups which partner with the EJ League.
Board of Directors – 2014
Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island
Chair
Sundeep Sood
Advisor, Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The MET School)
Treasurer
Parris Wise
Entrepreneur; Weatherization Instructor at Bristol Community College
Secretary
Yudiglenn Sena-Abreu
Student, Classical High School
Elizabeth Hoover, PhD
Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, Brown University
Greg Gerritt
Administrator, Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI)
Karissa Arias
Youth Leader, Student, Community College of Rhode Island
Rochelle Lee
Long-time Providence resident and activist
Steve Fischbach
Community Lawyer, Rhode Island Legal Services
Dania Flores-Heagney
English for Action; Global Village Co-op
Abismael Vargas
Student, Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts
Allison Roca
Student, Bryant University
Angel Arias
Student, Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center (The MET School)
Kendra Monzon
Student, University of Rhode Island
Seenaleap Chhan
Student, Classical High School
Former Board Members
Dr. Arelis Valerio
Coordinator, Community Asthma Program, Hasbro Children’s Hospital
Ellie Leonardsmith
Grassroots Campaign Organizer, Clean Water Action
Liberty Goodwin
Executive Director, Toxics Information Project
Liz Colón
Director of Education, Childhood Lead Action Project
Molly Clark
Retired Manager of Health Promotion, American Lung Association of Rhode Island
Nicole Pollock
Legislative Liaison, RI Department of Environmental Management
Dawn Euer
Campaign Organizer, Marriage Equality RI
Phil Brown, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Director, Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute
Carina Monge
School-Based Coordinator, Juanita Sanchez Education Complex
Holly Dygert
Professor, Rhode Island College
Ana Quezada
Neighbor of the Gorham Manufacturing Site
Brother Everett Muhammad
Long-time Providence resident and activist
Laura Brion
Community Organizer, Childhood Lead Action Project
Misty Wilson
Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE); ProvPlan: HealthSourceRI
Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island 