Judy Bearup, Office Manager & Personal Assistant to the President, contributes significantly to this organization. She serves as telephone system administrator; plans and coordinates internal and external meetings and events; assists President Lana Pollack with scheduling, correspondence and other matters; and provides human resources management support, among other efforts. Judy spent years working for the Michigan State Senate and House of Representatives and brings strong administrative, clerical and organizational skills to her position. An avid gardener, she completed the Master Gardening Program at Michigan State University and also studied at Lansing Community College and Davenport College.

A graduate of Central Michigan University (CMU) and Wayne State University Law School, Policy Director James Clift coordinates our work on clean energy, air quality, water protection, public health, and open government, among other issues. He has taught or lectured at Oakland University, the University of Michigan and CMU; managed a general civil litigation caseload as Staff Attorney for UAW-GM Legal Services; and conducted research in the areas of water law and interstate compacts at Wayne State. Before coming to the council, James served as Policy Director for the Michigan Senate Democratic Office where he supervised a 12-member policy staff and was primarily responsible for environmental protection issues.

Senior Policy Advisor Dave Dempsey has been active in Michigan environmental matters since 1982. He served as the council's executive director in 1982 and 1983 and as environmental advisor to Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard from 1983 to 1989. From 1991 to 1994, Dave was program director and state director of Clean Water Action. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed him to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, where he served until 2001. Dave is the author of Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader - an environmental history of Michigan since its statehood in 1837 - and On the Brink: The Great Lakes in the 21st Century. He also serves on the board of the Buffalo-based Great Lakes United, an environmental group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystem. Dave holds a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University and a master's degree in resource development from Michigan State University.

MEC's Development Director, Andy Draheim, lives in East Lansing with his wife, Shanna, their son, Joe, and twin daughters, Jillian and Abbie. After graduating from Manistee High School and Michigan State University's James Madison College, Andy worked on two local political campaigns in Michigan before earning a master's degree in American history from Indiana University. In 1995, Andy began a nine-year career with Common Cause, a citizens' lobby dedicated to fair, open and accountable government. He served Common Cause in a variety of capacities, including volunteer coordinator, grassroots organizer, policy analyst, lobbyist, foundation relations director and organizational development specialist. In August 2004, Andy and his family returned to Michigan after living in San Francisco for almost four years. He also represents the organization on the Michigan Campaign Finance Network Board of Directors.

As the council's Education Specialist, Keith Etheridge coordinates our teacher education program. The program's overarching goal is to enable teachers to enrich students' learning experiences, deepen their grasp of complicated environmental issues, and help inform their future school, social and even professional lives. A former Michigan Science Teacher of the Year, Keith has more than 30 years of experience in education and has spent a substantial amount of time developing and implementing effective environmental and energy-related curricula.

Elizabeth Fedorchuk, Communications Specialist, joined us in 2004 after a career in publications and information technology communications at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Elizabeth is responsible for information technology services at MEC and provides editorial services for MEC publications. Elizabeth served on the board of the East Lansing Food Cooperative and edited the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council newsletter. Elizabeth loves exploring Michigan's beaches and nature trails with her husband Matt and their two children.

Tim Fischer, Deputy Policy Director, joined MEC at the end of 2007. A Michigan native, he works closely with the legislature and member groups on the land use issues that are his passion. After earning degrees in history and politics from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, Tim spent two years as a rural health educator with the Peace Corps. He returned to North Carolina, where he ran a construction company specializing in historical renovation. Later, Tim studied environmental law at Vermont Law School. He graduated in 2006 and earned a Master’s in Environmental Law a year later. Tim is a member of the Michigan Bar.

David Gard, Energy Program Director, advocates in multiple policy arenas for cleaner, more efficient energy systems, focusing on both stationary and mobile sources. One objective is to highlight the burdens associated with fossil fuel dependence: human illness, damage to natural systems, lost economic opportunity, and geopolitical instability. Prior to joining MEC, David served a four-year tour in the US Navy, worked as a design engineer in Grand Rapids, and earned a joint MBA/MS from the University of Michigan. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Brad Garmon is the Land Programs Director at MEC, where he has worked since moving to Michigan in 2001. Brad holds degrees in Earth Science and Geospatial Analysis, and a master's degree in English. In addition to policy work on land use and Smart Growth issues across Michigan, he is a member of the national Growth Management Leadership Alliance, the Michigan Economic and Environmental Roundtable, the People And Land Advisory Board, the Partnership for
Redevelopment, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council. He has also served on the state’s Sulfide Mining Workgroup in 2004-05 and as a member of the conference planning teams for the Department of Community Health’s “Healthy Livable Communities Conference” and the “Connecting Michigan” conference of the Michigan Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Brad served as staff advisor to Lana Pollack during her tenure on the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council in 2003.

Project Manager and Development Associate Brianna Gerard, who joined MEC in January of 2005, works with President Lana Pollack and Development Director Andy Draheim on non-foundation fundraising and helps track and manage a number of MEC's projects and events. She grew up in northern Michigan, earned a bachelor's degree in business marketing from Western Michigan University, and also studied at Richmond College in London, England. She was an account manager for InterAct Public Safety Systems in North Carolina and sales and marketing director at Radio North in Traverse City before coming to MEC. When not helping ensure MEC's financial success, she enjoys cycling, reading, boating, playing golf, and spending time with her husband Craig, son Carter, and dog Bogey.

Program Associate Kate Madigan assists Development Director Andy Draheim with grant-writing and foundation fundraising. Before transitioning to this role in April 2007, Kate was MEC's Deputy Policy Director, coordinating key campaigns among MEC member groups and working with Michigan's elected officials to strengthen our state's environmental protections. Prior to joining MEC, Kate worked for five years for the state PIRGs, first as its safe foods advocate in Los Angeles and then as PIRGIM's environmental advocate in Lansing. She also worked as a lead organizer for MoveOn's Leave No Voter Behind campaign in 2004. A Michigan native, Kate grew up in Lake Orion and earned a bachelor's degree in resource ecology from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the School for International Training in Vermont. Kate has studied and traveled throughout Central and South America. When not working, she enjoys traveling, photography, and spending time with her husband Ross, son Emerson, and dog Bailey.

Hugh McDiarmid joined MEC in 2006 as Communications Director after a 22-year career as a journalist in Michigan, where he specialized in reporting environmental issues. Hugh grew up in East Lansing and graduated from Albion College. He has worked as a reporter and editor at the Roscommon Herald-News, the Grand Rapids-area Advance Newspapers and for 10 years at the Detroit Free Press. Since 2003, he covered environmental issues almost exclusively for the Free Press – reporting on a wide range of issues, ranging from sulfide mining in the Upper Peninsula to Dow Chemical Co.’s dioxin pollution in the Tittabawassee River valley. He was part of a team that produced an award-winning series on childhood lead poisoning in 2003. Hugh is married to wife Karen and has two adult children.

A native of Haslett and proud Michigander, Rory Neuner joined MEC in 2008. As Urban Policy Specialist, Rory works on promoting sustainable urbanism and strategic economic development investments. She holds a political science degree from Yale University, spent a year studying city planning at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, and has a Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Prior to joining MEC, Rory worked as a graduate fellow at the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office, interned with Chicago Metropolis 2020, and worked at the online environmental magazine Grist.

Energy Program Associate Tremaine Phillips joined MEC in 2008. A graduate of Michigan State University, Tremaine earned a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy and a specialization in Geographical Information Systems. During his academic career at MSU, Tremaine worked as a student researcher for MSU’s Cost and Returns Environmental Stewardship Team (CREST), student assistant for Director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, and conducted research in Brazil through the Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Program.  He was also a member of the University Committee for a Sustainable Campus and was heavily involved in issues relating to climate change, clean energy policy, and environmental justice through the student organizations ECO and the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition (MSSC). A native of Ohio, Tremaine moved to Lake Orion, Michigan in 2000 and currently resides in the city of Lansing.

Lana Pollack has served as the council's President since 1996. Lana represented Washtenaw County residents in the State Senate for 12 years. As a legislator, Lana sponsored Michigan's landmark polluter pay statute which, before it was repealed in 1995, saved taxpayers $100 million by forcing polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic waste. She was a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 1997, and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the national League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. Inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2002, Lana was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council in 2003. She currently serves on the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board and as a trustee for NextEnergy, an organization supporting economic development with alternative energy sources.

Health Program Director Molly Polverento joined MEC in August 2007. Molly has worked in public health for the past eight years, including work related to violence prevention, cancer screening, and chronic diseases. Most recently, Molly worked for the Michigan Public Health Institute as Program Coordinator for Osteoporosis and Other Chronic Diseases. Molly also spent two years organizing a statewide network of recovery advocates for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Michigan. A native of Illinois, Molly earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois and her master’s degree in Education Administration from Illinois State University. Outside of work, Molly spends her time reading, playing golf, and spending time with her husband Gerry and son Sam.

Sandra Turner-Handy works primarily from MEC’s Detroit office, helping connect the numerous people and organizations working to improve the quality of life and environmental conditions for citizens in Southeast Michigan. Turner-Handy, a Cass Technical High School graduate with a B.S. in psychology from Wayne State University, is a lifelong Detroiter. Most recently, she was chief of staff for State Sen. Hansen Clarke. A widowed mother of six, Turner-Handy has spent decades involved in civic and charitable causes throughout the city, working to rebuild the city and encourage economic development while improving conditions for residents. As MEC’s Community Outreach Director, she bridges the gap between urban environmental and justice issues and policy initiatives in the state legislature.