WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, July 15, the Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy’s Executive Director Colette Pichon Battle will be among ten individuals from across the country who the White House will recognize as “White House Champions of Change for Climate Equity.”
On receiving the award, Colette said “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of so many southern leaders working for equity as we continue to recover from the impacts of climate change. I offer my sincere thanks to the White House for acknowledging the importance of the Gulf South in achieving climate justice.”
The White House is recognizing Colette’s work for the past ten years with local communities, national funders and elected officials around equity issues in her home state of Louisiana in the post-Katrina and post-BP disaster in the Gulf Coast. Colette currently serves as Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy (GCCLP), developing programs focused on Global Migration, Community Economic Development, Climate Justice, and Equitable Disaster Recovery.
Colette has been honored with a variety of awards for her work with Gulf Coast communities, including the 2015 US Human Rights Network Movement Builder Award and the 2015 Echoing Green Climate Fellowship. Most recently, Colette was named a Water Champion by the Greater New Orleans Foundation in recognition of her efforts supporting underrepresented communities and improving the lives of Gulf Coast residents.
Friday’s program will feature remarks by Council on Environmental Quality Managing Director Christy Goldfuss and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Dr. John Holdren.
The Obama Administration is committed to addressing climate change in a way that makes equity a priority and celebrating local leaders who are making a difference in their communities. The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. The event will be live streamed on the White House website atwww.whitehouse.gov/live/ on Friday, July 15, at 2:30 PM ET. Follow the conversation at #ActonClimate and #WHChamps.
The Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy is excited that our friend Esau Sinnok (age 18) of Shishmaref, Alaska will also be recognized as a White House Champion for Change for Climate Equity. He studies Tribal Management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and hopes to run for Governor of Alaska by the year 2030.
We send our love and congratulations to all who will be honored, including Vien Truong of Oakland, Calif.; Gilbert Campbell of Washington, D.C.; Cecilia Martinez of Minneapolis; Michael Durglo of Pablo, Mont.; Susana De Anda of Visalia, Calif.; Kristin Baja of Baltimore; Desiree Williams-Rajee of Portland; Oregon, and Michael Green of Boston.
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