Phyllis Meadows, Ph.D., senior fellow with Kresge’s Health Program, has been named by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as one of 14 members of the state’s new Council on Climate Solutions.

The governor created the council in 2020 through an executive order as an advisory body in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

The Council on Climate Solutions will act in an advisory capacity to the governor and the department in formulating and overseeing the implementation of the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which will serve as the action plan for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition toward economywide carbon neutrality.

“Since taking office, I have been focused on addressing the issues that are facing Michiganders. In the case of climate change, the science is clear. Climate change is directly impacting our public health, our environment, our economy, and our families,” Whitmer said in a press release.

“Back in September, I announced the MI Healthy Climate Plan, a comprehensive plan that will protect Michiganders’ public health and the environment and help develop new clean energy jobs by putting Michigan on a path towards becoming fully carbon-neutral by 2050. I fully believe that these appointees will help us fully implement the MI Healthy Climate Plan and will be laser-focused when it comes to combating the direct threat of climate change.”

• Frank Beaver, director of the natural resources department for the Littler River Band of Ottawa Indians
• Mary F. Draves, chief sustainability officer and vice president of environmental health and safety and sustainability for the Dow Chemical Company
• Kerry Duggan, founder and principal of SustainabiliD
• James C. Harrison, II: director of renewable energy for Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
• Brandon J. Hofmeister, senior vice president of governmental, regulatory, and public affairs for Consumers Energy
• Marnese K. Jackson, co-director of Fresh Energy – Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Jonathan T. Overpeck, Ph.D., the Samuel A. Graham Dean and Williams B. Stapp Collegiate Professor of Environmental Education at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
• Tanya Paslawski, director of strategic initiatives at the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council and a senior consultant with 5 Lakes Energy
• Cynthia Render-Williams, global director of sustainability, homologation, and compliance for Ford Motor Company
• Phillip D. Roos, CEO of Great Lakes GrowthWorks, LLC.
• Derrell E. Slaughter, Michigan clean energy advocate for the Natural Resource Defense Council and an Ingham County Commissioner
• Samuel Stolper, Ph.D., assistant professor for the University of Michigan School for Environmental and Sustainability

For more information on the council and how to get involved in the development of the MI Healthy Climate Plan, click here.