Michigan Environmental Council

Serving Michigan since 1980.

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MEC Staff

Judy Bearup Judy Bearup, Office Manager & Personal Assistant to the President, contributes significantly to this organization. She serves as telephone system administrator; plans and coordinates internal and external meetings and events; assists President Chris Kolb with scheduling, correspondence and other matters; and provides human resources management support, among other efforts. Judy spent years working for the Michigan State Senate and House of Representatives and brings strong administrative, clerical and organizational skills to her position. An avid gardener, she completed the Master Gardening Program at Michigan State University and also studied at Lansing Community College and Davenport College

James Clift A graduate of Central Michigan University (CMU) and Wayne State University Law School, Policy Director James Clift coordinates our work on clean energy, air quality, water protection, public health, and open government, among other issues. He has taught or lectured at Oakland University, the University of Michigan and CMU; managed a general civil litigation caseload as Staff Attorney for UAW-GM Legal Services; and conducted research in the areas of water law and interstate compacts at Wayne State. Before coming to the council, James served as Policy Director for the Michigan Senate Democratic Office where he supervised a 12-member policy staff and was primarily responsible for environmental protection issues.

Andy Draheim MEC's Director of Finance and Development, Andy Draheim, lives in East Lansing with his wife, Shanna, their son, Joe, and twin daughters, Jillian and Abbie. After graduating from Manistee High School and Michigan State University's James Madison College, Andy worked on two local political campaigns in Michigan before earning a master's degree in American history from Indiana University. In 1995, Andy began a nine-year career with Common Cause, a citizens' lobby dedicated to fair, open and accountable government. He served Common Cause in a variety of capacities, including volunteer coordinator, grassroots organizer, policy analyst, lobbyist, foundation relations director and organizational development specialist. In August 2004, Andy and his family returned to Michigan after living in San Francisco for almost four years. He also represents the organization on the Michigan Campaign Finance Network Board of Directors.

Elizabeth Fedorchuk Elizabeth Fedorchuk, Communications Specialist, joined us in 2004 after a career in publications and information technology communications at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Elizabeth is responsible for information technology services at MEC and provides editorial services for MEC publications. She loves exploring Michigan's beaches and nature trails with her husband Matt and their two children.

Tim Fischer Tim Fischer, Deputy Policy Director, joined MEC at the end of 2007. A Michigan native, he works closely with the legislature and member groups on the land use issues that are his passion. After earning degrees in history and politics from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, Tim spent two years as a rural health educator with the Peace Corps. He returned to North Carolina, where he ran a construction company specializing in historical renovation. Later, Tim studied environmental law at Vermont Law School. He graduated in 2006 and earned a Master’s in Environmental Law a year later. Tim is a member of the Michigan Bar.

David Gard David Gard, Energy Program Director, advocates in multiple policy arenas for cleaner, more efficient energy systems, focusing on both stationary and mobile sources. One objective is to highlight the burdens associated with fossil fuel dependence: human illness, damage to natural systems, lost economic opportunity, and geopolitical instability. Prior to joining MEC, David served a four-year tour in the US Navy, worked as a design engineer in Grand Rapids, and earned a joint MBA/MS from the University of Michigan. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Brad Garmon Brad Garmon is the Land Programs Director at MEC, where he has worked since moving to Michigan in 2001. Brad holds degrees in Earth Science and Geospatial Analysis, and a master's degree in English. In addition to policy work on land use and Smart Growth issues across Michigan, he is a member of the national Growth Management Leadership Alliance, the Michigan Economic and Environmental Roundtable, the People And Land Advisory Board, the Partnership for Redevelopment, and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council. He has also served on the state’s Sulfide Mining Workgroup in 2004-05 and as a member of the conference planning teams for the Department of Community Health’s “Healthy Livable Communities Conference” and the “Connecting Michigan” conference of the Michigan Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Brad served as staff advisor to Lana Pollack during her tenure on the Michigan Land Use Leadership Council in 2003.

Chris Kolb Chris Kolb assumed the presidency of the Michigan Environmental Council on Jan. 1, 2009. An environmental champion in the legislature and a veteran of the environmental management field, Kolb was one of the legislature’s most consistent and vigorous defenders of clean water, clean air and public health during his six years as State Representative from the 53rd District. He was instrumental in important environmental legislation, including joint planning commissions, land bank authorities, lead poisoning prevention for children, regulation of dangerous polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), establishment of a fund to help clean up leaking underground storage tanks, and numerous land use initiatives.

Kate Madigan Program Associate Kate Madigan assists Finance and Development Director Andy Draheim with grant writing and foundation fundraising. Before transitioning to this role in April 2007, Kate was MEC's Deputy Policy Director, coordinating key campaigns among MEC member groups and working with Michigan's elected officials to strengthen our state's environmental protections. Prior to joining MEC, Kate worked for five years for the state PIRGs, first as its safe foods advocate in Los Angeles and then as PIRGIM's environmental advocate in Lansing. She also worked as a lead organizer for MoveOn's Leave No Voter Behind campaign in 2004. A Michigan native, Kate grew up in Lake Orion and earned a bachelor's degree in resource ecology from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the School for International Training in Vermont. Kate has studied and traveled throughout Central and South America. When not working, she enjoys traveling, photography, and spending time with her husband Ross, son Emerson, and dog Bailey.

Hugh McDiarmid Hugh McDiarmid joined MEC in 2006 as Communications Director after a 22-year career as a journalist in Michigan, where he specialized in reporting environmental issues. Hugh grew up in East Lansing and graduated from Albion College. He has worked as a reporter and editor at the Roscommon Herald-News, the Grand Rapids-area Advance Newspapers and for 10 years at the Detroit Free Press. Since 2003, he covered environmental issues almost exclusively for the Free Press – reporting on a wide range of issues, ranging from sulfide mining in the Upper Peninsula to Dow Chemical Co.’s dioxin pollution in the Tittabawassee River valley. He was part of a team that produced an award-winning series on childhood lead poisoning in 2003. Hugh is married to wife Karen and has two adult children.

Tremaine Phillips Energy Program Associate Tremaine Phillips joined MEC in 2008. A graduate of Michigan State University, Tremaine earned a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy and a specialization in Geographical Information Systems. During his academic career at MSU, Tremaine worked as a student researcher for MSU’s Cost and Returns Environmental Stewardship Team (CREST), student assistant for Director of the Office of Campus Sustainability, and conducted research in Brazil through the Nissan-WWF Environmental Leadership Program. He was also a member of the University Committee for a Sustainable Campus and was heavily involved in issues relating to climate change, clean energy policy, and environmental justice through the student organizations ECO and the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition (MSSC). A native of Ohio, Tremaine moved to Lake Orion, Michigan in 2000 and currently resides in the city of Lansing.

Sandra Turner-Handy Sandra Turner-Handy works primarily from MEC’s Detroit office, helping connect the numerous people and organizations working to improve the quality of life and environmental conditions for citizens in Southeast Michigan. Turner-Handy, a Cass Technical High School graduate with a B.S. in psychology from Wayne State University, is a lifelong Detroiter. Most recently, she was chief of staff for State Sen. Hansen Clarke. A widowed mother of six, Turner-Handy has spent decades involved in civic and charitable causes throughout the city, working to rebuild the city and encourage economic development while improving conditions for residents. As MEC’s Community Outreach Director, she bridges the gap between urban environmental and justice issues and policy initiatives in the state legislature.