The National Caucus of Environmental Legislators Announces New President, Vice President, and Board Members

On August 3, NCEL elected former Alaska House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula to the role of NCEL President, and Hawaii Rep. Chris Lee to the role of Vice President. Also, the board expanded its membership by electing Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Rabb, Florida Rep. Holly Raschein, and former Oregon Sen. Jackie Dingfelder to join the board as directors.

Beth Kerttula is the former Director of the National Ocean Council, where she led the implementation of the United States National Ocean Policy, including the creation of the first two U.S. regional marine plans. She is a dedicated public servant who was elected eight times and is a 15-year veteran of the Alaska House of Representatives, where she served as Minority Leader from 2006 to 2013. 

Representative Chris Lee was first elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2008. He represents District 51 in the House of Representatives, serves as House Majority Whip, and is the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. 

NCEL’s Board of Directors for 2019:

• The Honorable Beth Kerttula, President: Former Alaska State Representative
• The Honorable Chris Lee, Vice President: Hawaii State Representative
• The Honorable Brian Kavanagh, Secretary: New York State Senator
• J.R. Tolbert, Treasurer: VP State Policy, Advanced Energy Economy 
• The Honorable Jackie Dingfelder: Former Oregon State Senator
• The Honorable Pricey Harrison: North Carolina State Representative
• The Honorable Melissa Hortman: Minnesota Speaker of the House
• The Honorable Chuck McGrady: North Carolina State Representative
• The Honorable Nan Orrock: Georgia State Senator
• The Honorable Chris Rabb: Pennsylvania State Representative
• The Honorable Holly Raschein: Florida State Representative
• The Honorable Henry Stern: California State Senator
• Brooke Smith: Director of Public Engagement, The Kavli Foundation
• The Honorable James Hubbard, President Emeritus: Former Maryland Delegate

Created by and for state legislators, the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes over 1,000 environmentally committed state legislators from all 50 states and both parties. NCEL provides venues and opportunities for lawmakers to share ideas and collaborate on environmental issues.