WASHINGTON, DC—Rachel’s Network announced the awardees and finalists of its 2024 Catalyst Award. The award honors women leaders of color for their commitment to a healthy planet, and provides them with financial support, wraparound leadership services, and public recognition.
“At the heart of this award is the conviction that caring for movement leaders, particularly those who’ve been marginalized, is vital environmental work.” said Rachel’s Network President Fern Shepard. “We are thrilled to recognize this years’ awardees and finalists who are organizing around transportation equity, sustainable fisheries, water management, local agriculture, and so much more.”
The five awardees (in alphabetical order, pictured above) are:
Joy Gary, Boston Farms Community Land Trust, Boston, MA
As the executive director of Boston Farms Community Land Trust, Joy is working to reclaim land and build and protect community farms across Boston for the benefit of Black and Brown neighborhood farmers. Joy connects her work to the regional lifestyle systems design by serving on the steering committees of Food Solutions New England, the Southern New England Farmers of Color Collaborative, and the Greater Boston Community Land Trust Network.
Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud, Bayou City Waterkeeper, Houston, TX
Ayanna is the executive director of Bayou City Waterkeeper (BCWK), where she collaboratively advocates for urban water management, flood mitigation, wetland protection, and water quality centering environmental justice and climate resilience. Ayanna has centered cultural strategies and narrative change in her leadership at BCWK by prioritizing language justice, de-jargonizing water policy, and the launch of the organization’s first-ever artist-in-residence program. Find Ayanna on LinkedIn.
Marissa Merculieff, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, St. Paul, AK
Marissa is an enrolled tribal member of the federally recognized tribe the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. As the director of the Office of Justice and Governance Administration for the Tribal Government of St. Paul, she represents the tribal government on a national level in the effort to build and enhance self-governance, economic strength and stability, and secure health and welfare resources for the Aleut people. She focuses primarily on fisheries, negotiation and administration of self-governance programs, and federal and state policies that may affect the tribe.
Renae Reynolds, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, North Bergen, NJ
Renae is the executive director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC), an organization that has championed equity in our transportation system for the past 30 years. Her work addresses the environmental justice disparities around transportation from air pollution to public transit access and affordability. Prior to leading TSTC, she served as transportation planner for the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance where she helped the Metropolitan Transportation Authority commit to a 100% zero emissions fleet by 2040. Fine Renae on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Jhana Young, Conservation International Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Jhana is the sustainable seafood senior manager at Conservation International’s Hawaiʻi Program, leading efforts that support and strengthen local & responsible seafood initiatives. Born and raised in Honolulu, Jhana has always been inspired by the ocean, from surfing to canoe paddling to fishing. Fine Jhana on Instagram and LinkedIn.
The 14 finalists are:
Sylvia Chi, Just Solutions Collective, Oakland, CA
Sylvia is a policy advocate, attorney, and climate and environmental justice expert. As senior policy analyst with Just Solutions she furthers policy innovation, fosters peer-learning, and helps build policy capacity for BIPOC frontline groups. Find Sylvia on LinkedIn.
Patricia Garcia-Nelson, GreenLatinos, Greeley, CO
Patricia is Colorado fossil fuel just transaction advocate with GreenLatinos. She has worked with various organizations to raise awareness about the adverse health impacts of fracking in residential areas and as a party to rulemaking to increase oil and gas operations setbacks from schools, hospitals, and other high occupancy buildings in Colorado.
Marsha Jackson, Southern Sector Rising, Dallas, TX
Marsha is the founder and executive director of Southern Sector Rising (SSR), an organization that fights environmental, economic, and racial inequalities in Dallas through education, coalition and power-building, policy advocacy, and mutual aid.
Adriann Killsnight (He’heenóhká’e), Northern Cheyenne Tribe and Charging Buffalo, LLC, Hot Springs, MT
Adriann is a wildlife biologist for the Northern Cheyenne. Along with partners World Wildlife Fund, LittleDog Wildlife, Wilder Institute of the Calgary Zoo, she co-leads the development of a black-footed ferret conservation and restoration plan. Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in North America.
Natalie Mebane, Rise to Thrive, Washington, DC
Natalie is the vice president of government affairs for Rise to Thrive and works to build an environmental movement that truly fights for the people most harmed by fossil fuels and impacted by climate change. Find Natalie on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Tessine Murji, Sierra Club, Chicago, IL
Tessine is an organizer with the Illinois Sierra Club based in Chicago. She leads the chapter’s Federal Action Team (FACT) to make sure the Illinois Congressional delegation is consistently hearing from constituents on environmental priorities. Find Tessine on LinkedIn.
Shimekia Nichols, Soulardarity, Detroit, MI
Shimekia is the executive director of Soulardarity, a beacon of hope for energy democracy and community-owned solar. Under her guidance, Souladarity empowers divested communities and fosters self-determination.
Jacquelyn Omosunbo Omotalade, Dream.Org, Pittsburgh, PA
Jacquelyn is climate investments national director at Dream.Org where she plays a pivotal role in driving the organization’s Justice40 agenda. Find Jacquelyn on LinkedIn.
Portia Shepherd, Blackbelt Women Rising, Uniontown, AL
Portia is the founder & executive director of Blackbelt Women Rising where she works with citizens of the Blackbelt region to fight for health and environmental improvements and gender equality.
Gwen Smith, CHARRS (Community Health Aligning Revitalization Resilience & Sustainability), Atlanta, Georgia
Gwen is the executive director and founder of CHARRS which focuses on environmental justice, citizen science, the social determinants of health, and implementing solutions. Find Gwen on LinkedIn.
Isabel Solorio, Community United, Vallejo, CA
Isabel is the president and co-founder of the grassroots group Community United whose mission is to improve the quality of life and conditions in Lanare. Isabel is dedicated to advancing the human right to water in California.
Diamond Spratling, Girl Plus Environment, Atlanta, Georgia
Founder of Girl Plus Environment in 2019, Diamond focuses on educating, engaging, and empowering Black and Brown women and non-binary individuals to advocate for climate and environmental justice in their communities. Find Diamond on LinkedIn.
Amy Stelly, Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio, New Orleans, LA
Amy is the founder and executive director of the Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio, a community-based architectural and urban design firm committed to providing access to the languages of design and land use for all. Find Amy on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Candice Youngblood, Youth on Root, Los Angeles, CA
Candice founded Youth on Root to empower frontline youth in California to advocate for their communities through an innovative environmental justice leadership program. Find Candice on LinkedIn.
Women of color are leading the environmental movement, advocating for clean air and water, building a green economy, fighting polluters, expanding access to healthy food, and much more.
Despite this critical work, they do not receive adequate funding, support, or recognition for their leadership. Less than 1 percent of foundation giving goes to women and girls of color, and according to Green 2.0, organizations led by people of color receive less than one percent of multiyear operational budget grants.
Rachel’s Network, a nationwide community of women environmental funders, is working to address this disparity. They launched the Catalyst Award in 2019 to shine a light on women of color carrying Rachel Carson’s legacy.
Each year, the award provides women environmental leaders of color with a personal prize ($10,000); a well-being stipend ($5,000); and an organizational grant ($10,000, if applicable). The program had granted more than $1.7 million to 120 women leaders of color and their organizations. Awardees are selected by a committee of former awardees.
Help us spread the word about these women by sharing our posts on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Threads. If you’d like to contribute to the Catalyst Award to support women environmental leaders of color, click here. And stay tuned for the opening of the next application cycle in early 2024!
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Rachel’s Network, a 501c3 nonprofit named in honor of Rachel Carson, is a community of women at the intersection of environment, philanthropy, and women’s leadership who exchange ideas and act on our planet’s urgent challenges. Since 2000, the network has collectively granted over $2.8 million to organizations and programs that secure a thriving planet for future generations and women leaders at the frontlines of our movement.