Jennifer Roberts, 58th Mayor of Charlotte, to lead Path to Positive Communities for ecoAmerica

Jennifer Roberts, 58th Mayor of Charlotte, to lead Path to Positive Communities for ecoAmerica

Four-term County Commissioner, Former Mayor and Climate Leader to Lead National Action, Advocacy in Local Communities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today non-profit ecoAmerica announced that Jennifer W. Roberts will become the director of its Path to Positive Communities program, effective December 17, 2018. Roberts, who served four terms as a Mecklenburg County Commissioner and helped lead the City of Charlotte to adopt a 100% Clean Energy Resolution as its 58th Mayor, will help shape the organization’s growing outreach to other local communities across the nation.

“In my years working on climate change I have seen that local communities have tremendous power to act in the area of sustainability,” said Roberts. “Recent climate disasters that have impacted my home state of North Carolina, as well as communities across the nation, have focused the attention of local leaders on action to mitigate and reduce these threats. ecoAmerica’s Path to Positive Communities program provides guidance and resources for them to engage their communities in this work. This is especially important for our most vulnerable citizens. I look forward to leading this effort.”

Jennifer Watson Roberts has had a career of public service and sustainability advocacy. As Chair of the Mecklenburg County Commission, she championed actions toward more recycling, LEED certified structures, and targets for reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. As Mayor of Charlotte, she was a member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and introduced a resolution to take Charlotte to 100% clean energy in its operations by 2030. She has also been a strong supporter of climate justice, noting that floods, heat waves and extreme weather most severely impact children, the elderly, low-income families, and people of color.

“Mayor Roberts’ passion for creating a stronger, more sustainable future for her family, her community and her country is evident in everything she says and does,” said Bob Perkowitz, ecoAmerica President. “We all need more of the commitment and energy she has to move our communities and nation toward effective climate solutions. She brings strong leadership to the Path to Positive Communities program. We look forward to her guidance as we move our network of over 100 national health, faith and local community partners, and their many millions of members toward action and advocacy for climate solutions in the coming years.”

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About ecoAmerica

Founded in 2006, ecoAmerica is a not for profit organization that builds institutional leadership, public support, and political will for climate solutions in the United States. ecoAmerica helps national mainstream organizations elevate their climate leadership, providing them strategy, tools and resources to demonstrate visible climate leadership, empower climate literacy, engage their constituents, reduce their climate impact, and participate in collective action and advocacy. ecoAmerica.org