Field Advocacy

Hailing from Youngstown, Ohio, with cultural roots traced back to the Taíno people of Puerto Rico and immigrants from the Welsh countryside, Chris has always thrived to connect people and places. For over 17 years, he worked as a social worker, counselor, and business development professional in the healthcare industry of the Mahoning Valley. After seeing the therapeutic healing effects of nature on his clients and in his own life, and a healing trip through several national parks, he devoted himself to environmental advocacy. In addition to his current role as Northeast Ohio Regional Director for the Ohio Environmental Council, Chris is a certified volunteer naturalist and the co-founding director of Thrive Mahoning Valley. He sits on the Boards of Directors of Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, The Gloria & Roger Jones Science Center for Children, and Friends of the Mahoning River. He is also a proud husband and father of two boys. For self-care, he enjoys tinkering with recipes, exploring parks and green spaces, and being a tried and true member of Raider Nation…

As Regional Director, Kylie builds power, presence, and relationships in Southwest Ohio, focusing primarily on the Cincinnati community. She organizes citizens to get involved to make protection of Ohio’s land, air, and water a priority of local and state leaders. Kylie began her career with the national nonprofit Alliance for Climate Education, where she educated students about the science, consequences, and solutions of climate change and guided them in taking local and national action. Most recently, Kylie managed the Green Learning Station – a LEED Platinum certified environmental education center, considered one of the top ten “greenest” buildings in Cincinnati.

Kylie is certified through the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP) and is a Certified Interpretive Guide. She earned her B.S. in Conservation Science from Muskingum University and M.S. in Environmental Studies from Ohio University, where she was funded by the USDA Forest Service and Georgetown University to conduct urban composting research in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Brian D. Siggers serves as the OEC’s Cleveland Metro Advocacy Director. Brian joins the OEC after years of experience in political consulting, with extensive work in working on political campaigns at the local, state and federal levels. His background is in grassroots organizing and advocacy, where he has helped increase voter education, turnout, and participation. Brian is a proud graduate of Ohio University where he earned his degree in Political Science. Brian is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the 100 Black Men of Greater Cleveland, and the NAACP of Cleveland.

As the Southeast Ohio Regional Director, Molly Jo Stanley focuses on the just transition away from a history of extraction that has left scars on our ecosystems and communities. Instead working toward an inclusive, equitable future where deeply connected communities thrive in relationship with the places we depend on.

A lifetime student of place-based teaching and learning, ecology, ethnobotany, and Land stewardship based in the Forests, Meadows, and Wetlands of Appalachia, Jo is a gardener, writer, and musician committed to connecting, strengthening, and uplifting stories and practices that rekindle reverence for our miraculous existence.