The American College of Environmental Lawyers is proud to announce the election of twenty-seven new Fellows and one Honorary Fellow to membership in the College. These highly accomplished individuals were selected for their many years of substantial contributions to the field of environmental law and their high standards of practice.
ACOEL President, Andrea Field of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, stated, "The twenty-eight lawyers elected as Fellows to the College this year have earned this recognition based on the numerous contributions that – over many years – they have made in diverse areas of environmental law and policy. Drawn from all parts of the country, they represent the very best environmental lawyers in government service, public interest, academia, and private practice. I am delighted to welcome each and every one of them to the College.”
Our newly elected Honorary Fellow – a designation bestowed by the President of the College for sustained leadership - is John Echohawk, Executive Director and founder of the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder, Colorado and a luminary in the development of law at the intersection of environmental and tribal rights.
The newly elected Active Fellows are:
| Susan Amron, General Counsel, New York City Dept. of City Planning (NY) |
| Michael Burger, Executive Director, Columbia University Law School Sabin Center (NY) |
| Lisa Carlson, Deputy Attorney General, Environmental Quality Section Chief, Idaho Office of the Attorney General (ID) |
| Steve Chester, Attorney and Counselor at Law, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone (MI) |
| Nadira Clarke, Partner, Baker Botts (DC) |
| Stacey Geis, Managing Attorney, CA Regional Office, Earthjustice (CA) |
| Vinette Godelia, Shareholder, Hopping, Greens & Sams (FL) |
| Monique Harden, Assistant Director of Law and Public Policy, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (LA) |
| Sean Hecht, Co-Executive Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, UCLA School of Law (CA) |
| Melissa Hoffer, Chief, Energy and Environment Bureau, MA Office of Attorney General (MA) |
| Rachel Jacobson, Special Counsel, WilmerHale (DC) |
| Robin Main, Partner, Hinckley Allen (RI) |
| David Mandelbaum, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig LLP (PA) |
| Deborah Mans, Deputy Commissioner, NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJ) |
| Jessica Merrigan, Partner, Spencer Fane (MO) |
| Jonathan Niermann, Chairman, TX Commission on Environmental Quality (TX) |
| Jennifer Nijman, a Founding Partner, Nijman & Franzetti (IL) |
| Hari Osofsky, Dean, Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, Pennsylvania State University (PA) |
| Peggy Otum, Partner, WilmerHale (CA) |
| Gerald Reid, Commissioner, ME Department of Environmental Protection (ME) |
| David Shorr, Partner, Lathrop GPM (MO) |
| Bob Stokes, Executive Director, Galveston Bay Foundation (TX) |
| Timothy Webster, Partner, Sidley Austin (DC) |
| Dan Whittle, Senior Attorney and Senior Director, Environmental Defense Fund (NC) |
| LaJuana Wilcher, Partner, English, Lucas, Priest, & Owsley LLP (KY) |
| Ezekiel Williams, Director, Lewis Bess Williams & Weese (CO) |
| Sandi Zellmer, Professor and Director of Natural Resources Clinics, University of Montana Law of School (MT) |