Rev. Mariama White-Hammond is an advocate for ecological justice, youth engagement, and Spirit-filled organizing. Rev. Mariama is the founding pastor of New Roots AME Church in Dorchester. New Roots is a multi-racial, multi-class community that is re-imagining what church can be. Rev. Mariama is active in secular and interfaith justice efforts. In particular, she uses an intersectional lens in her ecological work, challening folks to see the connections between immigration and climate change or the relationship between energy policy and economic justice. She is a fellow with the Green Justice Coalition which brings together 8 social/environmental justice group from around Massachusetts. She speaks throughout the country and was the MC for both the 2017 Boston Women's March and Boston People's Climate Mobilization. As the former director of Project HIP-HOP, she used the arts as a tool to raise awareness for social issues. Rev. Mariama has received numerous awards including the Barr Fellowship, the Celtics Heroes Among Us, The Roxbury Founders Day Award and the Boston NAACP Image award. In 2019 she selected as one of the Grist 50 Fixers and Sojourners 11 Women Shaping the Church. 

A lifelong Waterbury, CT resident, Bilal joined Connecticut Community Foundation's staff in 2017. As a member of the program team, his grantmaking portfolio includes Community Organizing, Older Adults, Cradle to Career, and the Southbury Community Trust Fund. In addition, he assists in the Foundation's community leadership efforts by providing oversight to the Bringing Resources to Action to Serve Seniors (BRASS), a program that supports Waterbury's older adult population, by being a member of the Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnership's community council and equity think tank, and by being on the leadership of Supporting Organizing Work-CT, a statewide community organizing collaborative. 

Prior to the Foundation, Bilal worked in development (grant writing, donor cultivation) for a nonprofit theater and as an assistant antiquarian bookseller, aiding in the cataloguing and processing of books, ephemera, and art in the areas of Americana, poetry and letters. 

In his off hours, Bilal is pursuing a master's degree in English from Central Connecticut State University, primarily focusong on queer, postcolonial, and power theory as well as LGBTQ literature. He is also an active member of CT Equality, a statewide LGBTQ community organizing collective as well as on the board of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, a regional grantmaker that funds at the intersection of racial equity, environmental justice, and community organizing. 

Megan’s adult life is heavily influenced by her upbringing in the fishing community of Gloucester, MA where she developed a deep love for the ocean, commitment to community and respect for the role that natural resources play in the overall well-being of people.  After four years in the cornfields of Ohio, where she attended the College of Wooster, Megan returned to New England and has been in Maine ever since.

Megan has worked in the nonprofit field for over 20 years, primarily focusing on fisheries, land conservation, and organizational capacity building.  Megan joined the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation in 2010 where she currently serves as the Senior Program Officer.  Working at the Foundation brings together her diverse interests, skills, and commitment to contributing to the well-being of people, environment and animals.

Hiking, paddling, gardening, attempting to play fiddle and messing about with two kids and two dogs tends to keep Megan busy when she’s not in the office.  After intermittent attempts over the past thirty years, Megan now enjoys going for regular runs (or at least the feeling after the fact).

Sarah Kelley has over 15 years experience working at the intersection of philanthropy, sustainability, and equity. She is the Principal of Common Threads Consulting, working with philanthropic clients on strategy development for a range of topics. She currently serves as Project Director/Consultant for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) for a Special Project on Sustainable Fibers and Textiles. She is also the author of "Common Threads: U.S. Foundation Opportunities in Sustainable Fiber and Textiles," published by SAFSF. 

Previously, Sarah served for 10 years as Senior Program Officer at Island Foundation, where she directed the Environment portfolio and managed $1.2 million in annual grants. Her work at the foundation spanned sustainable agriculture, food, and fiber systems; climate and clean energy; and land and water conservation. She also developed and implemented a program on equity, inclusion, and environmental justice for the foundation, including an innovative cohort-based model for equity training. Previously, she was the Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and expanding sustainable farming and access to local food. Sarah was also a 2018-19 RSF Integrated Capital Fellow, focusing on integrating investment and grantmaking strategies to drive change. She holds an M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Massachusetts and a B.A. in History from Yale.

As a Grassroots Fund board member, Sarah has helped to build on the Island Foundation's long connection with the Grassroots Fund, going back to its founding. She has seen how the Grassroots Fund's participatory grantmaking model has radically shifted the organization and the work that is funded, and she works to bring these lessons into her consulting projects with other clients and partners. 

In 2019, Sarah moved to Washington D.C. with her family. In her spare time, you can find her running the trails in Rock Creek Park near her home. 

Leah grew up in a suburban community in metrowest Boston. Her childhood experiences afforded her great access to nature and fueled a passion for the outdoors. Her family would also take frequent trips to nearby cities such as Boston, Worcester, Providence, and New York City. The energy and culture of these places was a stark contrast to her childhood neighborhood and she began making cities her home as soon as she was able to leave the nest. 

As she pursued her academic career, first at the College of Charleston where she studied political sciene and environmental studies, and later at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, where she earned a Masters in Regional Planning, Leah explored the symbiotic relationship between nature, people, and cities. She has since dedicated her career to helping cultivate healthy, equitable and more sustainable cities. She believes such places are critical to protecting the planet's most fragile habitats and unique landscapes, while also ensuring all people have access to nature, culture, and the diversity that our society needs to thrive in the 21st century. 

Leah's professional experiences include working for the City of Boston under both the Menino and Walsh administrations as manager of the Greenovate Boston program. She currently serves as the Director of Sustainability for the City of Providence, of which she was appointed in April 2015 by Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. Leah has brought a wealth of experience in municipal sustainability efforts to Providence and has been a catalyst for racial equity and climate justice work at the City. Prior to these positions, Leah served as a consultant to a variety of local and regional governments and nonprofits in the northeast, supporting their climate and sustainability planning work. 

Leah currently lives in Providence (RI) and enjoys hiking, backpacking, climbing, gardening, playing soccer, traveling, biking, and spending time with her family, friends and equally adventurous dog, Lucy. 

Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT. Graduated from Lauralton Hall (academy of Our Lady of Mercy) in 1981, received a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College in 1985, and earned her Doctor of Medicine from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in 1991. She completed two residencies in Obstetrics/Gynecology and Anesthesiology. In 2015, she earned a Master's in Public Health (MPH) from Southern CT State University, and is currently an Assistant Professor. At Southern, she teaches undergraduate and graduate public health courses (Women's Health and Environmental Health), and serves as the graduate coordinator of the MPH program and chapter advisor to the Golden Key International Honour Society. 

In 1999, she served as a Physician Scientist at the Yale Griffin Prevention Research Center. In 2004, she was appointed the Director of Health and Social Services for the City of Bridgeport, where she served in that capacity until 2010. She is a class of 2007, Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellow, and a 2016 Community Leadership Program fellow of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. 

In 2007, she was one of People to People's 20 national delegates to travel to India as an ambassador for public health. In 2009, she traveled to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Soweto, South Africa on an international field study in public health. In 2017, she traveled to Cuba on a People to People Educational Exchange with the Academy of Women's Health exploring the maternal child public health infrastructure. In 2019, she completed her first faculty study abroad service, arts and culture trip to Bermuda with New Haven Promise, Summer Equal Opportunity Program, and University Access Program students. She is currently preparing to go to Puerto Rico in 2020 with students. 

Served in the past as a member of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (COTHS), in Bridgeport, CT for 40 years, where she served as the Founder and Co-Director of the COTHS Health Ministry, being awarded numerous grants and other funding over those years.

She has received numerous awards: 2018-Elm City National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women (NANBPW), and Outstanding Faculty Member of the SCSU Multicultural Center, 2015-Outstanding Master in Public Health Student, 2014-Eta, Sigma Gamma Honor Society, 2013-Golden Key International Honour Society, 2011-2018-J. Philip Outstanding Teaching Award nominations, 2010-"Behind the Scenes" by COTHS Board of Trustees, 2009-"Women You Should Know" Bridgeport Black Pride; 2008-Woman of Distinction Housatonic Girl Scouts, and Fairfield County Environmental Justice Award, 2007-power to End Stroke Award and Fred Harris Turning Point Award American Heart Association, and 2005-Sojourner Truth Award Greater Bridgeport NANBPW.

Presently sits on the Board of Director's as the Vice-Chair for Community Health Network of CT Foundation, a board member of the Greater New Haven Green Fund, and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund. She is passionate about ministry to people in untraditional, and unconventional forms. (Tenacious, educated, professional, physician, researcher, scientist, professor, woman of faith, award winner, sister, caregiver, community activist, leader, mentor, and wife)

Shane Lloyd is a diversity and inclusion practioner with extensive experience in higher education, public health, and non-profit organizations. As a highly sought-after facilitator and trainer Shane specializes in conducting workshops on various dimensions of social identity, with special expertise in the areas of race and socioeconomic class, while integrating research in behavioral economics, psychology, organizational behavior, sociology, and public health. Shane is know for facilitating dynamic and interactive workshops that equip participants with vocabulary, frameworks, and concrete action steps to advance inclusion. Over the course of his career, he has partnered with academic departments, HR units, and senior leadership teams to develop impactful short-term and long-term strategies aimed at ensuring that all members of an organizational environment can thrive and contribute in meaningful ways. 

Prior to joining Cook Ross, Shane held positions at two of the nations' leading academic institutions - Brown University and Yale University - coordinating programs for students of color to have a positive impact on theor matriculation, transition to college, retention, and academic and co-curricular success. 

Shane currently sits on the boards of Class Action, a national non-profit that promotes reflection and dialogue about social class, and the New England Grassroots Environment Fund. Shane is a former board member of the Center for Mediation and Collaboration-Rhode Island. Shane earned a Master of Public Health degree from Brown University and a Bachelor's in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University. 

Jon began working with Clean Water in 1983, assuming responsibility for Corporate Relations and Legacy Giving in 2010. His experience with Clean Water includes canvassing door-to-door and on the phones, organizing, electoral and issue campaigning, and various development, communications and publications roles. He has visited Clean Water Action staff, members, partners, allies and supporters in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia,Maine, New York, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Jon represents Clean Water Fund on the national Board of Earth Share.

Fun Fact: Jon is the only Clean Water staff person to have climbed Denali (North America's highest peak) and is also one of the only people in the world to have tossed -- and retrieved -- a Frisbee from its summit.

In the role of Vice-President of the Board of Directors, Susan Schroeter brings 20 years of non-profit fundraising and management experience to the Grassroots Fund.  Currently the New England gift advisor for Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization focused on bringing about a time when animals are no longer killed in U.S. shelters, Susan became interested in the mission and vision of NEGEF as a way to personally contribute to grassroots advocacy. 

Susan previously worked for NH-based Clean Air-Cool Planet, CASA, AmeriCares, and UNICEF.  She has also served on non-profit boards and local associations in the past including the International Board of PQMD (partnership for quality medical donations), and the Smith Farm Water Association.  Originally from Ireland, Susan moved to the U.S. in the 90’s, lived  & worked for 17 years in the NYC area and has lived in Stratham, NH since 2010 with her husband, pets, and two very eco-conscious children.