After a search process spanning several months and hundreds of candidates, the governing boards of Citizens’ Climate Education and Citizens’ Climate Lobby are excited to announce Rachel Kerestes as the organizations’ new incoming Executive Director.

A trained biologist and public policy analyst, Rachel Kerestes’s career spans the worlds of public affairs, advocacy, marketing and communications. She has held senior executive positions in national nonprofits and industry associations and leadership roles in consultancies specializing in public affairs, brand development and state and local government affairs. Her former clients include Fortune 50 companies, national nonprofits, foreign embassies, leading consumer brands, innovative start-ups and some of Washington’s most influential advocacy groups.

We are thrilled about the expertise Rachel brings to the Citizens’ Climate team. Rachel has impressed us as an enthusiastic and compassionate leader committed to bipartisan action on climate change.

Most recently, Rachel served as founding Executive Director of Science is US, uniting the scientific, engineering, higher education and labor communities in pursuit of building bipartisan support for science, technology, engineering, math and medicine.

She will succeed acting Executive Director Mark Reynolds this summer. The boards are grateful to Mark for his outstanding leadership and commitment to CCL, including his support of Rachel through this transition.

We know volunteers will be eager to get to know Rachel, so we invite you to tell her your stories and ask her your questions here. Then, plan to join CCL staff for a meet and greet call with Rachel on the evening of July 2.

Here at Citizens’ Climate, we have a track record of meaningful impact in our communities and on Capitol Hill alike. We’ve already made incredible strides toward the livable world we want. We’re poised to do so much more, and the climate demands that we do. As your board chairs, we are confident and energized about the future of Citizens’ Climate with Rachel at the helm.

Warm regards,

Zaurie Zimmerman, Board Chair, Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Sandra Kirtland Turner, Board Chair, Citizens’ Climate Education