Northeast Regional Welcomes 220 Participants

By Iona Lutey

The CCL Northeast Region welcomed about 220 CCL volunteers and newcomers to its 2020 conference in Troy, New York, the weekend of March 6-8.  The conference combined great skill-building, terrific information and the chance to connect with fellow CCLers, with a focus on diversity and inclusion in our chapters. 


The conference kicked off with a brilliant keynote by Dr. Carolyn Finney (pictured), who highlighted the complicated history of African-Americans’ relationship with the environment in the U.S., and how we can benefit from expanding the voices we hear in our chapters. CCL’s Clara Fang circled back to this theme of inclusion at the end of the day. Her workshop focused on recognizing our own blind spots and making our chapters more welcoming and inclusive for individuals with diverse backgrounds and political beliefs.

Other sessions included insights into stories from young conservatives, a roundtable discussion by young climate activists, insights into the British Columbia carbon tax, the many benefits of working with coalitions on the state level, and, of course, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763.

Folks from all over the region renewed connections with fellow volunteers and CCL staff. They felt inspired, invigorated, and armed with new tools to use every day, as well as a better understanding of how to reach out and grow their chapters in new ways.

Iona Lutey is CCL's Northeast Regional Coordinator.