Staff
Jennifer Krill, Executive Director
Extracting social and environmental justice from corporate boardrooms since 1995, Jennifer Krill joined Earthworks as the Executive Director in January 2010, where she leads the organization as it works to protect communities and the environment from the negative impacts of mining and fossil fuel extraction.
Jennifer’s personal mission is to end our dependence on destructive extractive industries by building a cleaner future based on sustainable and renewable alternatives. She co-founded and serves on the board of directors of Plug In America, which advocates for petroleum-free, pollution free electric vehicles. She also serves on the board of the Labor Network for Sustainability and the advisory committees of the Business Ethics Network and the Western Mining Action Network.
Jennifer holds a B.A. and a B.L.A. from Ball State University, and previously directed successful campaigns at Rainforest Action Network, where she helped protect old growth forests and prevent banks from financing climate change-causing industries. In 2014, she was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame of Alameda County, California for her work on behalf of the environment.
An avid traveler, Jennifer splits her time between Earthworks’ headquarters in Washington, D.C., and Earthworks’ field office in Berkeley, California, where she lives with her husband. Whenever she can, Jennifer escapes into the Sierra Nevada Mountains for skiing, paddling, and wilderness backpacking.
Contact Jennifer –
Email: jkrill [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×103
Location: Oakland, CA
@jenkrill
Jhon Arbelaez, California Organizer
Jhon joined Earthworks in August 2013 as the California Organizer. Previously, Jhon worked to remediate groundwater and soil contamination caused by the oil and gas industry in South Florida. He worked closely with regulators, ensuring proper implementation of all applicable laws meant to safeguard the health and well-being of humans and the natural environment. In New Mexico, he served as an Americorps VISTA Volunteer, where he worked on legacy mining and water conservation issues with rural communities in the state. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, Jhon developed a plan to protect groundwater sources in central Ecuador, and helped implement plans for communities to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Jhon has a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Florida International University, and a master’s in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Jhon is fluent in Spanish.
Contact Jhon –
Email: jarbelaez [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 970-259-3353 x1
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Bruce Baizel, Energy Program Director
Based in Durango, Colorado, Bruce has worked on oil and gas issues throughout North America, at local, state, national and international levels. He has testified before Congress, drafted federal, state and county legislation and ordinances related to oil and gas and advised numerous local governments on regulation of natural gas. He most recently served on the STRONGER review team, which evaluated the state of Louisiana’s hydraulic fracturing regulations.
Prior to joining Earthworks and the Oil & Gas Accountability Project in 2003, Bruce practiced law in Colorado, was a co-founder of Round River Conservation Studies and was legal counsel for Diné CARE, on the Navajo Nation.
He has authored or co-authored numerous reports and has published works on exporting hazardous waste in Transferring Hazardous Technologies and Substances: the International Legal Challenge, G. Handl and R. Lutz, eds., Martinus Nijhoff, 1990 and in the Denver Journal of Int’l Law & Policy Vol.17(1): 155-206 [selected for inclusion in Vol. 21 of Land Use and Environment Law Review (1990)].
Bruce received his BA in Biology from Earlham College and his M.A. in International Relations and J.D. from the University of Denver.
Contact Bruce –
Email: bruce [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 970-259-3353 x2
Location: Durango, CO
Ann Corbett, Development Director
Ann manages all aspects of Earthworks’ fundraising, from foundation grants to individual giving to the membership program.
Ann joined Earthworks in August 2010, bringing with her prior experience at Women Thrive Worldwide, the Global Fund for Children and Pathfinder International. In addition to her development work, Ann has been a human rights advocate with Amnesty International USA for nearly ten years, currently serving in leadership roles as Kenya Country Specialist and with the mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Group.
Ann earned a master’s degree in African history from the Johns Hopkins University and graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.
An avid world traveler who has visited numerous countries including Kenya, Russia, China, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia, Ann lives in Washington, D.C.
Contact Ann –
Email: acorbett [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×106
Location: Washington, D.C.
Pete Dronkers, Southwest Circuit Rider
Pete joined Earthworks in 2013 from interior and arctic Alaska, where he worked as a campaign organizer on hardrock mining and road development issues for a regional nonprofit organization.
No stranger to Colorado, the Great Basin, or the Mojave Desert, Pete has also rallied in Nevada for federal wilderness protection, energy and climate legislation, and roadless area protection on the National Forests.
The rest of the time, Pete can be found high in the mountains, preferably stuck to the side of some cliff face, or laying down infrastructure on his off-grid homestead in the Beartooth Mountains.
Contact Pete –
Email: pdronkers [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 970-259-3353 x 3
Location: Durango, CO
Bonnie Gestring, Northwest Circuit Rider
Bonnie began work with Earthworks in May 2001. For the previous 5 years, Bonnie worked as a Community Organizer at Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) in Helena, Montana. She was a leader in campaigns to stop gold mining on the Blackfoot River and to pass the citizen’s initiative banning open pit cyanide process mining in Montana. She has also provided critical support to residents in Libby, Montana dealing with illness and death caused by the W.R. Grace operation there. Bonnie is an effective strategist with a demonstrated commitment to local communities.
Prior to working with MEIC, Bonnie has been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize and a park ranger in several national parks across the West. Bonnie received a B.S. in biology from Montana State University in 1987 and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana in 1999.
Contact Bonnie –
Email: bgestring [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 406-549-7361
Location: Missoula, MT
Shreema Mehta, International Program Coordinator
Shreema joined Earthworks in 2013 as the International Program Coordinator.
Prior to this position, she held an IDEX fellowship in social enterprise, working to create incentives to implement sustainable agricultural practices in rubber plantations in the Western Ghats of India. She earned master's degrees in conservation biology and environmental policy from the University of Maryland in 2012.
Shreema started her career as a journalist, often reporting on environmental issues, and was previously an International Campaign intern at Earthworks in 2008.
Contact Shreema –
Email: smehta [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×102
Location: Washington, D.C.
Hilary Lewis, Online Communications Coordinator
Hilary joined Earthworks in July 2011 as the International Mining Campaign Fellow.
Hilary first became interested in the mining industry while researching environmental policy in the United States and Europe for ZAG International, a substitute raw materials provider for the cement industry. Her broader commitment to protecting the environment has led her in a variety of directions, most notably to found her own organization, Composting Toilets International, which seeks to spread the critical, inexpensive technology around the world.
Originally from San Francisco, Hilary moved east to attend Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. She graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and International Relations and a minor in Latin American Studies.
Contact Hilary –
Email: hlewis [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×101
Location: Washington, D.C.
Aaron Mintzes, Policy Advocate
Aaron joined Earthworks in August of 2011 after spending nearly five years as a professional environmentalist.
First with Clean Water Action, and later as the Legislative and Political Manager for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Aaron has researched and lobbied at all levels of government on a variety of environmental issues. After tours with the green groups, Aaron joined the public affairs firm of Robert M. Brandon and Associates where he worked on health care and tax policy reform.
Now pleased to rejoin the ranks of the conservation movement, Aaron assists the policy team with developing and advocating for more responsible hard rock mining as well as oil and gas issues. Aaron was graduated from Vassar College in 2000 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 2003.
Aaron lives in Baltimore with his wife Corinne and son Lazar where he volunteers for local environmental groups and cheers for the Orioles.
Contact Aaron –
Email: amintzes [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×116
Location: Washington, D.C.
Lorraine Osinski, Finance & Admin Manager
Lorraine joined Earthworks in the spring of 2010. She has spent over 10 years in non-profit finance ensuring that theater and advocacy groups pay their bills and balance their budgets.
She moved to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia in 2007 where she was a long-time Business Manager for Arden Theatre Company. Other organizations she has been proud to work for have been Justice at Stake and the Capital Fringe Festival.
Lorraine grew up outside of Pittsburgh and holds a BFA in Theatre, from Point Park University, in her beloved hometown. She follows the Pittsburgh Penguins, and all hockey (but particularly the Penguins), with fierce devotion.
Contact Lorraine –
Email: losinski [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×104
Location: Washington, D.C.
Lauren Pagel, Policy Director
Lauren Pagel joined Earthworks full time in August 2002 after previously assisting with their 2001 campaign to stop the Bush administration from rolling back important rules to protect public lands from mining.
Before joining Earthworks (then Mineral Policy Center), Lauren helped the Union of Concerned Scientists organize their campaign to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock. Before her time at UCS, Lauren was a part of the legislative team at Friends of the Earth, working on a variety of issues ranging from the Farm Bill to trade issues. Before FoE, she worked on the field team at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
During her time at Earthworks, Lauren has testified numerous times in front of Congressional committees, represented Earthworks on the steering committee for the Western Mining Action Network, and been quoted in numerous publications, including the New York Times and Time Magazine. She currently serves on the Stop the Frack Attack Network steering committee.
Lauren graduated from Vassar College in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
Contact Lauren –
Email: lpagel [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×107
Location: Washington, D.C.
Payal Sampat, International Campaigns Director
Payal Sampat currently leads our award-winning No Dirty Gold corporate/markets campaign. She heads up our global efforts to monitor and reform the mining industry, working with communities affected by mining and local organizations from around the world.
She joined Earthworks in 2002 from the Worldwatch Institute where she remains a Senior Fellow. At Worldwatch, Payal researched and wrote about mining, materials, freshwater, and natural resources issues. Payal is the author or co-author of several books, article and reports, including ‘Mind Over Matter: Recasting the Role of Materials in Our Lives,’ ‘Forging a Sustainable Materials Economy,’ ‘Deep Trouble: The Hidden Threat of Groundwater Pollution,’ and ‘Scrapping Mining Dependence.’
Payal began her environmental career as an organizer for the Bombay Environmental Action Group, in Bombay, India, where she worked on campaigns to protect coastal areas and public lands. She holds degrees from Tufts University, MA, and St. Xavier¹s College, Bombay.
Contact Payal –
Email: psampat [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×110
Location: Berkeley, CA
Alan Septoff, Strategic Communications Director
Alan joined Earthworks in July 1997 as Program Coordinator. He came to Earthworks from the National Academy of Sciences.
Alan became Legislative Director of Earthworks in January of 1998. As Legislative Director, he played a key role in orchestrating the millsite agreement which prevents future mines from using unlimited public land for toxic waste dumping, and led the legislative and regulatory effort to enact stronger mining regulations. Alan became Research and Info Systems Director in June of 2001 and Strategic Communications Director in Fall of 2012. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and other publications.
Alan is committed to clean energy, and has installed photovoltaic solar panels on his roof which provide half his household's electricity (on average).
He earned masters degrees in Environmental Science and Public Affairs in 1996 from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Contact Alan –
Email: aseptoff [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×105
Location: Cumberland, MD
Nadia Steinzor, Eastern Program Coordinator
Nadia joined Earthworks in 2010. She has worked for over 15 years in communications, writing and editing, and research on environmental and social issues for progressive non-profit organizations and has held positions at Zero Population Growth, the International Center for Research on Women, and most recently as Director of Communications at the Mohonk Preserve.
Nadia has worked to promote action and policies on land and natural resource protection, endangered species policy and recovery, the impacts of population growth, and international human rights. As a volunteer, she has served on the executive committee of the Washington, DC chapter of the Sierra Club and is currently a board member of the Woodstock Land Conservancy.
Nadia holds an M.S. in Environmental Policy from Bard College and an M.A. in Peace and Development Studies and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She lives in Willow, New York, in the eastern Catskills.
Contact Nadia –
Email: nsteinzor [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 202-887-1872 ×109
Location: Willow, NY
Sharon Wilson, Gulf Regional Organizer
Sharon Wilson is considered the leading citizen expert in the Barnett Shale and the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., major national news networks and national environmental organizations wanting an educational tour, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards. Her drilling focused blog, Bluedaze, has been regularly rated #1 of the aggregated Texas blogs.
Sharon spent years educating others about environmental damage caused from weak regulation and lax enforcement before joining forces with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project. She worked with the Texas OGAP steering committee for several months to write Drill-Right Texas: Best Oil and Gas Accountability Practices for Texas. In January 2010, Sharon became the organizer for Texas OGAP. Twelve years spent working in industry gives Sharon the unique perspective of knowing the industry from both sides.
In addition to her knowledge of oil and gas issues, Sharon is certified to serve as a court appointed mediator and has a vast and diversified business background.
Contact Sharon –
Email: swilson [at] earthworksaction.org [dot] org
Phone: 940-389-1622
Location: Allen, TX
Blog: texassharon.com
@txsharon
Follow Earthworks