Lone Star Chapter Staff Update

Raul Alvarez

Lone Star Chapter Environmental Justice Director Raul Alvarez won his race for City Council Place 2 in Austin in June by a whopping 50.49% of the vote (10,252 votes to 10,051 votes for his run-off opponent Rafael Quintanilla, an attorney who is a member of the Board of Austin Community College). Each Austin city council seat is determined by a citywide vote, since the City does not have single-member city council districts. Unfortunately the City of Austin's gain has been the Lone Star Chapter staff's loss _ Raul committed during the campaign that he would be a full-time council member. Thus, he resigned his position as the Chapter's Environmental Justice Director this past summer. As of this writing the Chapter is recruiting to fill his position.

Raul worked as the Chapter's Environmental Justice Director for about a year and a half and made a significant contribution to the conservation activities of the Sierra Club in Texas as well as was a source of assistance and inspiration to many communities of color struggling for environmental equity. He helped to organize a joint meeting among Hispanic leaders, environmental justice organizations, and traditional environmental groups early this fall to discuss issues of mutual interest and ways of working together to achieve common goals.

The Chapter has lost Raul as an employee, but he will continue to advise and assist the Club in its environmental justice work. On the Austin City Council he will be working on a number of issues including affordable housing and transportation that are important in combating sprawl and promoting a better quality of life for all. Look for great things from Councilmember Alvarez in the future!

Aileen Truax

The Lone Star Chapter is one of a select group that recently received Capacity Building grants from Sierra Club. With that grant, the Chapter has hired a Development Director to expand its fundraising efforts. Aileen Truax began work at the state office June 1^st. Her job will focus on building a major donor campaign for the Chapter and expanding membership. A native Houstonian, Aileen majored in political science as an undergraduate first at Rice University and then University of St. Thomas. She has worked in events planning and marketing, and most recently served as Development Director for the environmental bi-weekly High Country News in Colorado. But she and husband Eric decided to give up the mountains for the Hill Country. Aileen says "I'm thrilled to be back in Texas working to protect the environment in my home state."

Elizabeth Dankof

The Lone Star Chapter was lucky enough to have Elizabeth Dankof as an intern this summer. She is a second year law student at The University of Texas. She plans to study environmental law. The Texas Law Fellowships Program made her internship possible. Elizabeth moved to Texas one year ago from Madison, Wisconsin, where she got a BA in Biological Aspects of Conservation.

Elizabeth has been working with the law firm of Henry, Lowerre, & Frederick doing legal research for the Chapter. Most of her research has focused on the Sunset Review of TNRCC. She did a report on the lack of public participation in the environmental permitting process. She also put together a comprehensive notebook of hazardous waste sites in Texas to facilitate research and analyze TNRCC's success or failure in cleaning these sites up.

After graduation Elizabeth hopes to receive a judicial clerkship and continue on into public interest/environmental law.