2019 Annual Report

Message from NCEL’s President, Beth Kerttula

I am honored to write to you as the newly elected President of NCEL. Your passion for the environment and commitment to a healthier world inspires me, and together with the NCEL staff and board of directors, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and work with legislators across the country to protect, conserve, and restore our
environment.

As a former Alaska state legislator and minority leader, I joined NCEL 10 years ago and was grateful for how NCEL connected me with other environmental champions. At that time, NCEL was a start-up with one full-time employee. Today, NCEL has grown into a powerhouse organization with a staff of seven that empowers over 1,200 environmental state legislators across the country.

In 2019, state after state advanced policies to combat climate change, stop plastic pollution from our entering our oceans and rivers, preserve wildlife and public lands, and protect communities from toxic chemicals. NCEL supported these accomplishments by connecting legislators as a community and by providing our members with crucial information when we needed it most.

As we head into 2020, my colleagues across the country are not backing away from protecting public health and our environment. I’m excited to build on our members’ victories from this year and to see all the work that we can accomplish together next year. Thank you for your hard work and support!