Today, Evergreen Action announced Lena Moffitt as its new executive director.
Since its founding during the 2020 presidential primary, Evergreen has been committed to driving tangible impact to address the climate crisis and create a thriving, just, and inclusive clean energy economy. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, that has meant working to help effectively implement the bill Evergreen worked so hard to secure while continuing to raise the bar for climate action. This is why Evergreen is expanding our work in states, beefing up our work on implementation, and redoubling our focus on executive action to ensure the Biden administration delivers on its critical climate and environmental justice commitments.
For this next stage of growth, Evergreen is excited to welcome a new leader with the vision and experience to oversee a larger operation and build coalitions across the movement to work towards our goals. It was clear that Evergreen already had someone with those skills in our ranks, which is why Evergreen Co-Founders Jamal Raad and Sam Ricketts recommended Chief of Staff Lena Moffitt step up as the new executive director, and the Governing Board unanimously selected her for this role. Former Executive Director Jamal Raad will remain at Evergreen in a new role as co-founder and senior advisor, and will continue to serve as a spokesperson for the organization.
“Lena is the perfect person to empower the Evergreen team to take their work to the next level,” said Evergreen Action Governing Board President Molly Keenan. “Over the last three years, Jamal has built a formidable force in the climate movement, and I have no doubt that Lena will build on that impressive legacy. Lena has earned the respect and admiration of the entire team, and her years of experience in the climate movement will serve her well as she charts the path ahead. With her ability to marry strong advocacy and smart policy, Lena will help deliver on the critical work ahead in implementing the Inflation Reduction Act and moving further and faster on bold climate action. The Governing Board has full confidence that Lena will lead Evergreen to new heights that will substantially influence the national climate policy landscape.”
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to lead a team full of bright and talented climate champions, and we’re ready to deliver what this moment demands of us,” said Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt. “For my entire adult life, I’ve fought for a safer, more equitable world—and that’s what I intend to continue doing. The next phase of climate action is a critical one, and Evergreen is well-positioned to maximize this moment. The nimbleness, grit, and tenacity built into the Evergreen DNA is thanks, in large part, to the leadership of my colleague, and friend, Jamal Raad. I look forward to continuing to work with Jamal as an integral part of our leadership. We hope that this new chapter at Evergreen will serve to benefit the broader climate movement as we continue to try and be a resource and ally to our partners across the country. Our team has achieved so much, but we know that there is so much more to do—and I look forward to getting to work.”
“Fighting the climate crisis can feel daunting, but Lena brings empathy, understanding, and hope to our work—in many ways, she’s the heartbeat of Evergreen,” said Evergreen Co-Founder and Senior Advisor Jamal Raad. “It has been one of the great honors of my life to lead Evergreen to accomplishments and milestones I could only dream of when we launched three years ago. We have already taken major strides—passing the largest investment in climate and clean energy in American history—and our movement must build on that success by ensuring effective implementation and creating the path forward to achieve a thriving and equitable clean energy future for all. In order to get the job done, we need someone leading us who can bring decision-makers at all levels of government and advocacy to the table, and I have full confidence Lena is that person. Lena is exactly who we need to help to usher in a new era of bold climate action. I look forward to being on her team as she does it.”
“Lena Moffitt has been down in the trenches of the climate fight for years; working side by side with the most affected people to block pipelines and slow down the fossil fuel juggernaut,” said Bill McKibben, author, educator, environmentalist, and co-founder of 350.org. “She's also been uniquely able to make the case where it matters, in the D.C. halls of power. Her diverse abilities will make her a crucial player as we enter a new era where rapid progress in decarbonizing our economies will depend on our ability to reach thousands of communities, and millions of homes, with billions of dollars. She's a big-time player, and that's just what we need now.”
More about Lena:
Lena Moffitt has dedicated her life to advancing climate justice and is a proven advocacy campaigner. Lena joined Evergreen two years ago and quickly moved from the role of campaigns director, to chief of staff, before the Governing Board selected her for her new role as executive director. Before joining Evergreen, Lena spent nearly a decade with the Sierra Club, where she oversaw large, national teams executing effective grassroots campaigns to protect our climate. She also led the National Wildlife Federation’s climate and energy program and worked for years to pass the Waxman-Markey climate legislation while at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
A mother, stepmother, and dog mom, Lena is a fierce advocate for making the world a safer, more equitable place for us all. Hailing originally from New Mexico, Lena's love for the outdoors and engaging broad groups into action sparked a passionate calling in the climate movement.