September 2022 Alumni Update
In this update…
Public Interest Network program updates: Read about campaign work across the country.
Alumni news: Babies, weddings, new jobs and awards!
Public Interest Network program updates
State Sen. Ben Allen alongside CALPIRG, Environment California, and other supportive organizations at the State Capitol in June leading up to the final vote. Credit: Ricky Mackie Photography.
California takes sweeping action to curb single-use plastic
This summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act into law. The new measure will reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our environment by an estimated 23 million tons over 10 years and comes after years of advocacy by CALPIRG, CALPIRG Students, Environment California and dozens of other organizations. It mandates significant reductions in single-use foodware and packaging, requiring that those items actually be recyclable or compostable, and holding producers financially responsible for the plastic they put into our communities. Read more.
Staff and climate activists gather outside the Massachusetts statehouse to pressure Gov. Baker to sign the climate bill on July 26, 2022. Photo credit: Gina Goldenberg
With Gov. Baker’s signature on climate bill, Massachusetts heeds call for action
Governor Charlie Baker signed a climate bill into law on August 11. The bill (H.5060) passed both the Massachusetts House and Senate with broad, bipartisan support in July. The bill, a major priority for MASSPIRG, Environment Massachusetts, and MASSPIRG Students, will reduce energy waste and help transition Massachusetts’ buildings and transportation system from fossil fuels to clean energy. Read more.
PIRG advocates getting the word out on pressing consumer issues such as data privacy, product safety and airline refunds. Photo Credits: (clockwise from top left) U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security; Fox 30 News; CBS News; Brett Hondow via Pixabay
After PIRG advocacy, Department of Transportation cracks down on exploitative airline fees
The Department of Transportation is telling airlines to stop charging parents extra to sit next to their children. This summer, the DOT called on airlines to eliminate fees to seat children under 13 with an accompanying adult. The agency also warned that it will crack down on other consumer-unfriendly fees and published its first “Bill of Rights” to help passengers with disabilities. The DOT also plans to announce additional protections this year concerning two other issues PIRG has raised: refunds for canceled flights and unreasonable fees for baggage, process around changing a flight, and other basic services. Read more.
Photo from Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) website.
Colorado kicked off largest zero-fare transit program in country
On August 1, at CoPIRG’s urging, Colorado kicked off the largest zero-fare transit program in the country with 30 agencies poised to waive fares all day, every day of August. Combined, participating agencies have an average monthly ridership of over 5.8 million trips. Read more.
Alumni News
Michael, Kelly and their daughter Louisa Elizabeth Blair Bosh
Amelia June Sweetwood
Ruby
Margy and Tracy
Babies!
Kelly (Wandtke) Rickman Bosh, her husband Micheal Bosh, and daughter June Rickman, welcomed Louisa Elizabeth Blair Bosh to the world in March.
Claire Lipschultz became a grandmother with the arrival of Amelia June Sweetwood in May.
Shelley Vinyard and her husband, Arvin Ganesan, celebrated the birth of their second child, Ruby, in April 2022. Shelley has been busy on other fronts as well, appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy! in March 2022, and being named one of DC’s “500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy” by Washingtonian magazine – along with fellow alumni Aliya Haq, Lisa Gilbert, Gene Karpinski and Heather Zichal.
Weddings!
Margy Belchak married Tracy Chapman on January 21, 2021, in Kalamazoo, Mich. They quickly got a pandemic puppy to round out their family, which includes Margy’s kids, Frankie and Rosie, three cats and a high efficiency vacuum!
Kyle Larson married Nick Boskovich this summer in southern Massachusetts. They originally met while working as assistant canvass directors in the New York City canvass office in 2010. The couple reports that the wedding was outdoors, they ate BBQ and wore red.
Margy and Tracy’s pandemic puppy Hazel
Kyle and Nick
Movers & Shakers
Zach Corrigan has a new role as an assistant attorney general for the state of Wisconsin in the environmental section of its Public Protection Unit.
Erin Eccleston is the new grassroots director at Freedom Forum.
Will Everitt has been promoted to executive director at Friends of Casco Bay, an organization working to protect the environmental health of Casco Bay in South Portland, ME.
Samantha Gibb starts her new role as the Farm to School Program senior associate this month at The Food Trust in Philadelphia.
Steve Goodman filmed a video special honoring the life of Casey Kasem and his contribution to popular music in Norway.
Dana Hoffman has a new job as climate transportation manager for the City and County of Denver.
Tommy Landers has started a new job as a trial attorney at the Department of Justice’s Environmental Enforcement Section, based in D.C.
Daniel Platt is starting a new role as Instructor of English at Des Moines Area Community College.
Sandy Pooler was named as Arlington, Massachusett’s new town manager by Arlington’s Select Board. Read more here.
Michelle Toering Sanders has started a new position as alternate permanent representative of Canada to the International Maritime Organization at Transport Canada.
Jerry Skomer who founded Alternative Technologies in 1989, recently retired after selling the company to the staff and creating a worker-owned cooperative. Read more here.
Ben Sooy has been keeping busy with his work at Joshua Station, a supportive housing program in Denver for formerly homeless families, and by playing with his band, A Place For Owls.
Ellen Stein after a 25 year career in not-for-profit development, media and communications, was named marketing director at First Southwest Bank, a mission-driven CDFI community development bank serving Southern and rural Colorado last year. Together with the First SouthWest Community Fund, the bank provides creative financing for the under-banked and addresses financial inequities in the communities they serve. Ellen oversees the marketing for the bank's six branches, the Community Fund, and not-for-profit sponsorships. You can reach her at ellen.stein@fswb.com.
Becki Ueno has a new job as the compliance director at the LA Conservation Corps.
Carlen Young has been busy helping run the Cool Cities Challenge, a project that is working to accelerate the decarbonization of the world’s cities which emit 70% of the planet’s carbon dioxide. You can find out more here.
In Memoriam
Cathie Currie and Margie Alt
The Public Interest Network mourns the passing of Cathie Currie, who died on December 5, 2021. Cathie was born in 1963 to Ross Currie, an architect, and Nancy Boone Currie, a landscape designer, and grew up in Wayland, Mass. After graduating from Boston University, Cathy started working with the PIRGs. She was a beloved staffperson and served on the Publications team and the Recruitment department between 1986 and 1992. Later moving to Seattle, her managerial skills took her far, including stints at the mayor’s office of Bainbridge Island, Puget Sound Energy, and at Pilchuck Glass School. A lifelong reader, Cathie remained very engaged in current events, often impressing her friends with her intellect. She spent a lot of time with her parents on Cape Cod; her ashes were scattered at this special place in June 2022. Rest in peace.
Call for submissions for the next alumni update
Made a career move? Got hitched or have a new addition to the family? Send in your updates and related photos for the next alumni update! And if you've moved recently, please send us your new postal mailing address at alumni@publicinterestnetwork.org so we can keep you in the loop.
