2010 - 2011 Slate

RUSS ALLEN, Board President
Owner/operator, The Writers Studio
Russ Allen, a Clean Air Council Board member since 1988, has also been a Council activist for more than a decade. He is currently President of the Council’s Board. Mr. Allen owns and operates The Writers Studio, a freelance copy-writing agency and writers group in Jenkintown, Montgomery County. He often writes on science and technical subject matter for promotional and educational projects. Mr. Allen is also a member of the Abington Trails Committee. He has a B.S. from the University of Virginia and a M.S. in science and technical communications from Drexel University.

PATRICK J. FEELEY, MBA, CFRE, Treasurer
Fundraiser
Pat Feeley has recently been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for Clean Air Council.  Mr. Feeley has been fundraising in the non-profit sector since 1993. He is the Director of Institutional and Events Fundraising at the Children's Hospital Foundation at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  Prior to this position, from 2002 to 2007, Mr. Feeley was Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for La Salle University.  He also worked for Junior Achievement from 1993 to 2002.  Mr. Feeley earned a BA from Millersville University, MBA from La Salle University and received a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation from CFRE International.  

RENEE GILINGER
Political Organizer
Renee Gilinger began her career as a Special Event Fundraiser for HIV/AIDS and environmental non-profit organizations, including Clean Air Council and MANNA.  Professionally, Ms. Gilinger has moved on to political organizing for progressive causes and candidates and has led state-wide campaigns for the Young Voter Alliance and Liberty PA.  She takes an active role in field and fundraising for local and statewide elections, as well as fundraising events for non-profit organizations. Ms. Gilinger is a graduate of Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

JESSICA BENDER KROW, Vice President
Owner/Operator, Professional Placement Service
A Clean Air Council Board Member since 1983, Ms. Krow served for two terms as the president of the Council's Board. She owns and operates her own scientific and engineering search firm, Bender Search Associates, Inc., providing job placements for technical and engineering professionals in North America. Co-founder and race director of the Run for Clean Air for 12 years, Jessica is now an avid cyclist who hopes to attract the cycling community to clean air issues. Ms. Krow holds an M.A. in geography and has been an environmental educator at local colleges since 1978. She is also co-founder of the Philadelphia Chapter of Earth Island Institute.

MARSHA LOW, At-Large Member Executive Committee Member
Educator
A Clean Air Council Board member since 2001, Marsha Low brings the skills and experiences of a teacher and an educational administrator to the Council. Ms. Low holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.Ed. from Cabrini College and has worked in the field of education on four continents. In Philadelphia, Ms. Low is a co-founder of the Wissahickon Charter School, which has an environmental focus to its curriculum, and has served on its board. She has performed educational outreach on tree-planting and tree care for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  In the office of former City Councilman Daniel P. McElhatton, Ms. Low provided constituent services and was the lead staff person on environmental issues.

JOSH MEYER
Student
Josh Meyer, a Clean Air Council Board member since 2004 is a student at Temple University where he is majoring in Chemistry and Environmental Studies. Mr. Meyer was awarded the Morris K. Udall Fellowship in 2004. Mr. Meyer serves as chair of the Committee of Environmental Awareness in Temple's Student Government and is co-facilitator of Temple's Students for Environmental Action (SEA). Mr. Meyer works in the Center for Advanced Photonics Research at Temple, where he is using lasers to study air pollution. As a Tree Tender graduate, Mr. Meyer is working to spread trees throughout North Philly, and to introduce the idea of sustainability into Temple's curriculum.

DAVID MINDEL
Consulting Systems Engineer
David is a network systems engineer with 28 years of experience with Cisco Systems and IBM, where he was a member of IBM’s I/T specialist certification board. His current areas of focus include TelePresence, service virtualization/optimization, smart grid, and energy management.  David holds a BA from Temple University in Computer Science and professional certifications in security and networking.  He joined the Council's Board of Directors in 2005.

LAREN PITCAIRN, Board President, Emeritus
Foundation President
Laren Pitcairn, Council Board President Emeritus, a Clean Air Council Board member since 1984, is the president of the Logan Inn in New Hope, PA. He holds an Associate Degree in liberal arts from the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, PA and a B.B.A. degree in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Pitcairn is also active on the boards of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Academy of Vocal Arts, Pathway School, the Kardon Institute of the Arts, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and is the President of the Board of the Beneficia Foundation.

EVAN PAPPAS, ESQ.
Associate Attorney
Evan Pappas is an Associate Attorney for the law firm Shumaker Williams, P.C. in its Litigation Department and Intellectual Property Group. Mr. Pappas received a Bachelors of Arts from Lehigh University and Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, from Widener University School of Law. Mr. Pappas worked for the Council from 1998 to 2002 as a Policy Analyst and Program Coordinator focusing on renewable energy. He joined the Board of the Council in 2009. He also serves on the Board of the Crime Stoppers of Dauphin County.

HERBERT PATRICK, M.D.
Physician
A Clean Air Council Board member since 1993, Herb has worked on establishing the Council’s speaker’s bureau. He is a physician at Thomas Jefferson University dealing with pulmonary diseases and critical care. He holds B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. degrees in electrical and biomedical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College. Herb is a member of the Pennsylvania Society for Respiratory Care.

CARRIE SARGEANT
Assistant Director
Carrie A. Sargeant, holds a Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  She worked as a Teaching Assistant for Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Wangari Maathai, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda.  For three and a half years Ms. Sargeant worked for the New Jersey Tree Foundation as the founding Program Director of the Urban Airshed Reforestation Program, a community-based tree planting program in Camden City with a purpose of air pollution mitigation. After four years as the Environment Director, Ms. Sargeant is now the Assistant Director for the Heart of Camden, a non-profit community development corporation based in the Waterfront South neighborhood of Camden where she works on the sustainable redevelopment of the community.  She is an ISA Certified Arborist and a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert. 

LAURA STEIN
Sustainability Manager
A Clean Air Council board member since 2009, Laura served as the President of Temple University’s Students for Environmental Action Club where she played a role in urging Temple to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment and develop its Office of Sustainability. She graduated with degrees in Environmental Studies and Hospitality Management and is currently working for ARAMARK as a Sustainability Manager in the company’s Business Dining sector.  

JAY TARLER, Secretary
Computer Disaster Recovery Specialist
Jay Tarler first volunteered with the Council in the early 1980's and joined its Board of Directors in 2004. He has been a board member of the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association and has studied photovoltaic system design and installation at Solar Energy International in Colorado. He also worked on the Northeast Solar Energy Association's Tour de Sol and was an activist with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Jay currently works at SunGard Availability Services in Philadelphia as a Diaster Recovery Specialist.