Skip to main content

EJ Summit Home 

Program

Northern California Environmental Justice Strategy Summit (2026)

September 14, 2026, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Santa Clara University

 

Iris Stewart-Frey and Christopher Bacon, summit organizing committee 

Jim Glaser, Provost welcome

Isabelle Gomez, Ohlone welcome and land acknowledgment

 

Introduce  organizing committee and EJ&CGI, Iris Stewart-Frey and Christopher Bacon

Connecting to personal history, Sibyl Diver 

Mapping EJ research, Katherine Cushing 

Iris Stewart-Frey and Christopher Bacon, moderators

Marie Choi, Strategy Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network 

Marisol Aguilar, Deputy Director, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc

Gustavo Aguirre, Associate Director, Center on Race Poverty and Environment 

Geneva E. B. Thompson, Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs, California Natural        Resources Agency

Yvonne Chi, Deputy Secretary for Equity and Environmental Justice, California              Environmental Protection Agency

Follow-up discussion on CA environmental justice policy opportunities, challenges, and emerging priorities in the context of state transitions and federal shifts

Beth Rose Middleton and Ayodele Thomas, moderators

Reflections and Q&A

Beth Rose Middleton, Ayodele Thomas  and Johnathan London, discussants

Topical Breakout/Working Groups, Chad Raphael (SCU), facilitator

How can diverse participants collaborate to overcome existing challenges and advance California environmental justice priorities over the next five years?  

Report Back - identify the most important themes emerging from the topical discussions,  Ned LeBlond,  facilitator

What are strategic priorities at this moment? How can different participants, such as academics, students, CBOs, agencies, and communities/residents, get involved? Chris Bacon, Iris Stewart-Frey and organizing committee, co-facilitators

Synthetic Commentaries

Taylor Valmores, Senior Legislative Manager, Community Water Center, commenter

Cacey Hill, County of Santa Clara, Director, Office of Sustainability and Resilience, commenter

Iris Stewart-Frey - Santa Clara University

Chris Bacon - Santa Clara University