Among the women recently honored at the Women and Girls Foundation annual fundraising gala for their environmental work were the following friends of the Allegheny Group, and we send our congratulations: Beverly Braverman (Mountain Watershed Association), Patricia DeMarco (Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University), Rachel Filippini (Group Against Smog and Pollution), Ann Jones Gerace (Conservation Consultants ), and Brenda Smith (Nine Mile Run Watershed Association).

As readers know, the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club is an all-volunteer organization. However, we do benefit greatly from having members of the national Sierra Club staff based in an Oakland office. One of the staff members, Rachel Martin, was recently appointed director of the Club’s national Clean Air Defense Campaign, and former Sierra Student Coalition staffer Kim Teplitzky is now Associate Press Secretary for the national Beyond Coal campaign, working closely with Randy Francisco.

Finally, now covering conservation issues for Allegheny Group in a volunteer capacity are Krissy Kasserman (mining) and Peri Unligil (clean air). Welcome Krissy and Peri!