About Us

Cynthia Kaufman (she/her)
Board President
Cynthia is the Director of the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action De Anza College where she runs, and teaches in, a community organizer training program. She is the author of six books on social change, including The Sea is Rising and So Are We: A Climate Justice Handbook.

Patrick Costello (he/him)
Board Treasurer
Patrick is a Certified Financial Planner™ and founder of Green River Sustainable Financial Planning, an investment firm serving individuals and entities that wish to lower the carbon footprint of their investments. He is also the author of the book  “Low-Carbon Investing: Defending the Climate/Emphasizing Performance,” published in 2018. As a board member, Patrick works to increase the visibility and economic support and assists in articulating the changes that CA Pension Plan Trustees must make to decarbonize their investment portfolios.

Angela Islas (she/her)
Board Secretary
Angela has over 7+ years in community facilitation and engagement, community-level research, project coordination, management, and administration.

Born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley region, in the rural city of Selma, CA – daughter of Mexican immigrant, agricultural parents from Michoacán, México – Angela has had a clear understanding of the environmental inequities that continue to create barriers for underserved communities of color to thrive and be better-equipped to work towards a more sustainable and resilient future for their families and neighbors.

From bringing free asthma prevention services to low-income families in Fresno and Madera counties to advancing sustainable and equitable solutions in water and land-use policy implementation, Angela’s passion to give back to her home region remains a top priority with the outcome for communities to receive and benefit through new state innovations and solutions that will bring the quality of life they deserve. Angela holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Public Health, with a special focus in Community Health, from California State University, Fresno.

Miguel Alatorre Jr (he/him)
Miguel is a third-generation environmental activist who has dedicated his life to advocating for justice and resources in under-served rural communities. Raised in the San Joaquin Valley farm worker town of Kettleman City, California, Miguel has been deeply involved in environmental justice since childhood, leading numerous battles against pollution and injustice. Miguel helped found and mentor two Kettleman City youth groups—KPOP (Kids Protecting Our Planet) and YPOP (Youth Protecting Our Planet)—and has been instrumental in campaigns to bring clean drinking water to Kettleman City, reduce diesel truck emissions, mitigate pesticide drift near homes, and oppose new permits for the infamous Kettleman Hills Waste Management Landfill—the largest such facility in the western United States. Now, as the Executive Director of UNIDOS Network Inc., Miguel continues to focus on bridging the gap between under-served rural communities and the resources they need. He works tirelessly to ensure that unincorporated communities are recognized as environmental justice communities, amplifying their voices and advocating for systemic change.

Miguel’s inspiration comes from his family, his mother, sister, and grandpa, who are the driving forces behind his commitment to this work. Outside of organizing, Miguel enjoys spending time with his lively huskies, Apollo and Kaysee, and playing guitar, bass, drums, and piano—sometimes all for his fuzzy audience.

Alexandra Sadler (she/her)
Alexandria (Ali) lives in Berkeley, California and is an attorney. Ali is from Salt Lake City and grew up learning about her family’s experience in Southern Utah as downwinders of the United States Government’s nuclear testing program in Nevada. Through these stories, Ali developed an early understanding of environmental justice.  

As an attorney, Ali has focused her career on addressing poverty and advancing civil rights through anti-discrimination law, public benefits law, and constitutional law. Ali is active in her union, CASE, which represents attorneys, hearing officers, and administrative law judges that work for the State of California. She organizes as part of the CASE Climate Action Committee and serves as a local representative. 

Quinn Eide (they/them)
Executive Director
Quinn is passionate about the intersection of labor and climate. They also are part of Rich City Rays – a “kayactivism” group combining direct action with kayaking and reconnecting with the water. Quinn won FracTracker Community Sentinel Award and the 350 Climate Justice Award for their organizing to divest California’s state pensions and the Hamrie Community Service award for founding a free menstrual cup program at Macalester College. In their free time they enjoy climbing, biking, swimming, backpacking, and reading – especially fantasy.

Sarah Norr (she/her)
Campaign Director
Sarah is an organizer and educator with two decades of experience in California’s progressive movements. As a labor organizer, she led fights for fair wages and immigrant rights alongside hotel housekeepers, stadium hot-dog vendors, college cafeteria servers, and more. As a co-founder and teaching artist with BoomShake Music, she trained hundreds of youth and adults to drum on the streets and on the picket line. In her spare time, Sarah loves making art, playing music, and hanging out in the forest with her 8-year-old and friends.