Ian McDonald was an active member of No More Dirty Power in Killingly, a community led organization which fought hard to make sure his town of Killingly wasn't saddled with a second large power plant. He is also a member of the Windham/Willimantic NAACP Environmental Justice Committee and the steering committee of C3M (CT Climate Crisis Mobilization). Also, as an engaged member the CT Zero waste Coalition he has worked with others in opposing two large waste facilities in neighboring towns, the new proposed Plainfield RDF Incinerator and the the Putnam incinerator ash landfill expansion, and advocates for a better and more climate friendly solutions to waste management. Lastly, he is a founding member of the Fix the Grid technical committee (a committee of Fix the Grid group)  which digs into and hosts a monthly webinar/discussion on the obstacles to and opportunities for a more decarbonized and equitable regional grid. As a member of the Executive Committee, Ian will work to strengthen the connections between these efforts and the Sierra Club. He is also passionate about making decarbonization and waste reduction really work for all individuals and communities, whatever their financial means. He works as a stonemason and lives in his hometown of Killingly with his wife Kiku and sons Rupert and Ambrose. He enjoys getting out into nature with his family and is a longtime gardener.

Ayesha is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, majoring in Biological Sciences with a minor in Environmental Studies. Her passion for environmental justice and sustainability began during her freshman year of high school, when she conducted a project exploring the effects of pollution and acid rain on the world’s oceans. That early experience sparked a deep interest in how environmental issues intersect with public health and community well-being. Building on this interest, Ayesha partnered with the Yale Urban Resources Initiative for her senior capstone project, where she analyzed trends related to pollution, urban heat islands, and
asthma rates among students at her school. She also created a mapping plan to identify areas around the school suitable for new tree plantings, combining research with actionable solutions to improve her community’s environment.

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In college, Ayesha has continued to expand her commitment to environmental stewardship. As a regional campus intern with the UConn Office of Sustainability, she is currently designing and implementing a survey for campus commuters to measure transportation patterns and calculate emissions produced, a project aimed at informing data-driven sustainability initiatives. Through this work, she discovered the Sierra Club, whose mission to advocate for environmental justice and protect natural resources aligns closely with her own values. Ayesha hopes to use her experiences and education to advance equity-focused solutions to today’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Tenaya Taylor is a Capital Community College graduate, rapper, artist, business owner, writer, executive director, and founder at Nonprofit Accountability Group (NAG). NAG is an inclusive arts and social justice organization dedicated to grassroots movement building. Tenaya's work in Greater Hartford includes housing families facing eviction, creating 3 community gardens, 100 paid internships for young people in Hartford ages 13-30, two little free food pantries, and a statewide mutual aid network for frontline communities impacted by climate change, the housing crisis, and environmental racism. Tenaya has been an advocate for intersectional solutions on housing reform, clean energy, and access to reproductive healthcare at the Connecticut State Capitol and Hartford City Hall. Tenaya has served on the Sierra Club Connecticut Executive Committee since 2024 and chairs Sierra Club’s Environmental and Racial Justice Committee.

Mike Ungaro has practiced law in Connecticut since 1998, first for a private law firm and then for the next 23 years, until his retirement in April 2025, as in-house counsel at Travelers managing litigation arising from environmental, asbestos and other toxic tort claims. But for a year studying in London, England and a year teaching English in Osaka, Japan, Mike has lived in Connecticut most of his life. He grew up in Southington, started a family in Wethersfield, and has been living in Hartford for the past 20 years or so. He enjoys camping with his kids, Lucy and Dominic, and hiking with his dogs, Maisie and Sylvester.

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Having been a long-time advocate for environmental conservation, restoration and justice, Mike plans to devote the rest of his career to working for a cleaner and healthier environment and fighting climate change. To that end, he completed an immersion program of the nonprofit sector through UConn’s Department of Public Policy, developing a working knowledge of nonprofit related funding strategies, governance, finance, grant writing and program outcome measurements. Mike also completed an Encore Fellowship at Save the Sound as Strategic Plan Support Coordinator, working with Save the Sound team leaders and staff to create work plans for water protection and Soundkeeper projects. As a volunteer for Sierra Club, Mike is a member of the Legislative and Environmental Justice Committees and is working on the Capitol Area Systems Campaign.