Stand.earth welcomes influential staff, board members to its organization

Niki Sharma to lead LNG campaign in British Columbia, Gary Cook to lead global climate campaigns, and Jay Julius of Lummi Nation to join board of directors

International environmental organization Stand.earth is pleased to announce that three new influential staff and board members have joined its ranks to work on global climate and energy campaigns: Niki Sharma of Vancouver, British Columbia; Gary Cook of San Francisco, California; and Jay Julius of Lummi Nation in Washington state.

Jay Julius of Lummi Nation is Stand.earth’s newest board member. He is a fisherman and the former Chairman of the Lummi Indian Business Council. His leadership was influential in Lummi Nation’s decision to oppose the proposed Cherry Point Coal Terminal in Whatcom County due to its impacts on the tribe’s treaty-protected fishing rights. The coal terminal was defeated in May 2016 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined it would adversely impact Lummi Nation’s fishing rights.

Nikki Sharma is a Lawyer and Stand.earth’s Senior Oil and Gas Campaigner, where her work will focus on developing and implementing the organization’s Canadian oil and gas campaign strategy. 

Sharma has worked as a lawyer for the past 15 years representing Indigenous clients on rights and title cases. She is a Director of Vancity Credit Union and is the former Chair of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Her career has focused on Indigenous rights, equity and inclusion, and protecting our environment.

Gary Cook is Stand.earth’s Global Climate Campaigns Director, where his work will focus on supporting the organization’s corporate campaigns against the fashion and shipping sectors. 

Prior to joining Stand, Cook spent more than a decade at Greenpeace International and Greenpeace USA, where he led highly successful campaigns to challenge Facebook, Apple, Samsung and other global IT brands to transition their operations and supply chain to renewable sources of energy. He has more than 25 years of experience working on climate and energy campaigns from the international to the local government level. 

“Leaders like Jay, Niki and Gary bring strength and depth to our internal culture, while sharpening Stand.earth’s campaign strategies and increasing our impacts,” said Todd Paglia, Executive Director of Stand.earth. “We are humbled that each of them has decided to add their great talent to our team.”

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Media contact: Virginia Cleaveland, Communications Manager, Stand.earth, media@stand.earth