Environmental Fridays: January 28
Welcome to Season II of Environmental Fridays. This week in Episode 3 we focus on "Community Response to Polluted Drinking Water." Episode 3 is the second of a two-part miniseries featuring nine presenters on "Polluted Drinking Water." This miniseries is motivated by local events and the nationwide reality of aging water pipelines and infrastructure and attendant chemical and biological pollutants.
On Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. EST, join us to listen and discuss "Community Response to Polluted Drinking Water" with Diane Russell (EPA), E. Yvonne Lewis (Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center), Jeffrey Sims (Berrien County Health Department), Regina Strong (Michigan EGLE) and Princella Tobias (Benton Harbor Team Solution, Benton Spirit Community Newspaper).
The Zoom Meeting link is https://andrews.zoom.us/j/93793778291 and the Meeting ID is 937 9377 8291.
Our co-hosts for this week's Environmental Fridays are Paulette Johnson (Andrews University Community Engagement Council) and Lyle Goulbourne (Andrews University Biology Major, Student Movement Reporter).
Environmental Fridays is free to all—students, professionals, community.
Contact Desmond H. Murray, associate professor of chemistry, at murrayd@andrews.edu if you have any questions.
Please note: All Environmental Fridays episodes will be uploaded to YouTube and the links made available to everyone.
Guest Speakers Bio:
Diane Russell is a Community Involvement Coordinator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University in 2004 with majors in geophysics and earth science secondary education. Since graduating, she has worked in communities with high profile cleanup sites and emergency responses throughout Michigan. Projects include dioxin and furan cleanup in and along the Tittabawassee River, PCB cleanup in and along the Kalamazoo River, DDT and PBB cleanup at the Former Velsicol Chemical Plant in St. Louis, Michigan, PFAS and heavy metal waste removal in Rockford, Michigan, from former tannery operations by Wolverine World Wide, and the Flint and Benton Harbor water responses. Diane has presented on technical and community topics at conferences and area stakeholder events and facilitated many meetings with impacted residents, the local tribe, trustees and environmental groups. Finally, Diane was a former middle school science teacher with experience teaching scientific concepts to general audiences.
E. Yvonne Lewis is a 43-year-old resident of Flint, Michigan. Through the National Center, Yvonne consults and facilitates community education and awareness efforts, serving in a leadership role, organizing, and facilitating education and information sessions with a focus on improving the health and wellbeing of community residents. As the outreach director for the Genesee Health Plan, a non-profit health organization, in Genesee County, Michigan, Yvonne identifies and supports efforts to engage the most difficult-to-reach population groups in the community. This includes the development and implementation of the Multi-Cultural System of Care, designed to engage individuals with language and cultural barriers to effectively utilize the healthcare system, in addition to assisting in organizing health fairs, health screening and healthcare enrollment opportunities. She is the co-director of the Healthy Flint Research Coordinating Center, a Community/Academic Partnership with Community, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Flint Campuses, focused on enhancing research efforts that will improve the health of our community. She is the community co-principal investigator for the Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions, a National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) funded Transdisciplinary Collaborative Center (TCC). Yvonne represents a community perspective on several committees and Boards at the local, state and national level including the National Mass Violence & Victimization Resource Center Advisory Council. Yvonne assisted in the development of and moderated the University of Michigan-Flint, Water Crisis Course. The Water Crisis Course focused on issues of the Flint Water Crisis and provided a platform for the voice of community to be heard. Approximately 1,000 individuals attended the winter 2016/spring 2017 sessions. She has a BS in business administration (1977), Ferris State University, BS clinical/community psychology (1996), University of Michigan-Flint and is completing an MS in health education UM-Flint.
Jeffery Sims is currently the Program Support Specialist at the Berrien County Health Department, where he has been in the forefront of the department’s effort to address the issue of lead-water contamination in the city of Benton Harbor. He has been a resident (where he grew up, off and on) for several years. He received a BA (Cum Laude) from Marygrove College in Detroit, with a double-major in political science & history. He is also a self-published author.
Regina Strong is an effective advocate, powerful communicator and skillful negotiator. For more than 30 years, she has been a leader in public affairs, advocacy and the fight for justice and equity. Currently, Regina serves as the state’s first Environmental Justice Public Advocate in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Prior to her current position, she served as the director of the Sierra Club’s Michigan Beyond Coal Campaign. In that role, she led a team focused on transitioning our energy generation from coal dependency to clean, renewable energy. Previously, Regina also served as Manager of Communications for the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, executive director of Community Development Advocates of Detroit, and president of The Stronger Image. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University, as well as a Master of Science degree from Purdue University. Regina earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America and is also a Senior Fellow in the Great Lakes Region for the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP).
Princella Tobias, a native daughter of Buchanan in Southwest Michigan, is founder and Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning, 20-year-old Benton Spirit Community Newspaper located in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Benton Spirit seeks to meet the peoples’ needs through Informing, Enhancing, Showcasing, Promoting and Educating the community. It was recognized by former Governor Granholm's 2003 Benton Harbor Task Force Report as a key communications stakeholder that "proactively assists in the total development of Benton Harbor." Prior to starting the Benton Spirit, Tobias worked for two United States Senators (Alan J. Dixon and Carol Moseley-Braun), former Mayor Harold Washington of Chicago, Illinois, as well as several international corporations and organizations. She was appointed chair of the Benton Harbor Water Community Response Team by Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Oct. 19, 2021. She has also founded the Benton Harbor Team Solutions organization.
Co-Hosts Bio:
Paulette McLean Johnson is the Dean of Libraries at Andrews University. She earned her undergraduate and library science degrees from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She also holds an Educations Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from La Sierra University, Riverside, California, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Education Administration. With over 25 years progressive leadership experiences in school, public and academic libraries, Paulette has always had a heart for making a difference in her community through education and volunteerism. Recently she participated in the water distribution in Benton Harbor and was a member of the 2022 Lake Michigan Planning Committee for the 2022 MLK Week. She also co-chairs the Community Engagement Council at Andrews University.
Lyle Goulbourne is a senior biology major at Andrews University who graduated from Loma Linda Academy in California. He plans to become an interventional cardiologist, and he is currently conducting research on the dental wear of manatees. He enjoys writing and editing for the Student Movement, listening to podcasts, eating good food and playing word games.
PR
pr@andrews.edu
