Sustainable Lafayette is an environmentalist organization based in and focused on Lafayette, California, a city located in Contra Costa County east of San Francisco Bay. It often receives funding from and partners with local business and municipal organizations. ¹

Background

Sustainable Lafayette was founded by Steve Richard, a tech executive, and Bart Carr, a former senior program manager with RecycleSmart, in early 2007 after seeing former Vice President Al Gore’s advocacy documentary An Inconvenient Truth about climate change. ^{2 3 4}

Later in July 2010, Sustainable Lafayette was registered as a charitable organization based in Lafayette, California. ⁵

Activities

Sustainable Lafayette maintains a variety of local environmentalist initiatives and projects. For instance, the organization partners with the City of Lafayette, the local Chamber of Commerce, and the Lafayette Library and Learning Center to host an annual Earth Day festival; promotes and awards a Lamorinda Environmental Action Fellowship (LEAF) award of $1,000 to qualifying middle and high school students to fund environmentalist projects; and organizes a weekly Friday environmentalist discussion club at local coffee shops. ^{6 7}

Funding

Sustainable Lafayette has received support from organizations, government entities, and people including C&M Party Props, the City of Lafayette, Devin and Bhargavi Whatley, Diablo Foods, Elizabeth Dietsch, Jackson Family Wineries, Kim Overaa, MCE, Mechanics Bank, Metro Lafayette, Orchard Nursery, Pancoast Pizza, Live Oak, Anonymous Fund of BOSF, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Mervin L. Brenner Foundation, Tom and Karen Mulvaney, and the Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, California. ¹

Leadership

Sejal Choksi-Chugh is the president of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors as well as the executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper, an aligned environmentalist organization focused on reducing pollution in San Francisco Bay. ^{8 9}

Brad Crane is the vice president of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors. Previously, he was a member of the Lafayette Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which advises the Lafayette City Council on bike and pedestrian issues. ^{9 8}

Lynne Jones is the treasurer of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors as well as a member of and liaison to the Lafayette Community Garden. Previously, she was an accountant and chief financial officer with nonprofit independent schools in the area. ^{8 9}

Eric Law is a member of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors and the founder of its Safe Route to Acalanes bike and pedestrian path project. ⁸

Anna Reid is a member of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors. Previously, she worked in K-5 education and as a Lafayette Girl Scout troop co-leader. ⁸

Adrienne Buhmann is a member of Sustainable Lafayette’s board of directors. Previously, she led a Go-To-Market team at Google. ⁸

Pam Palitz is the sole paid employee of Sustainable Lafayette. According to her biography on the organization’s website, she provides the board with support and insight. ⁸

1. “Our Supporters.” Sustainable Lafayette. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.sustainablelafayette.org/our-supporters.
2. “Bart Carr.” Crunchbase. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.crunchbase.com/person/bart-carr-a3a0
3. “About Us.” Sustainable Lafayette. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.sustainablelafayette.org/about_us
4. “ASP2019: Earth to Space: Panelist: Steve Richard.” Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://astrosociety.org/get-involved/events/asp2019-earth-to-space/steve-richard.html.
5. “Sustainable Lafayette.” ProPublica. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/264130302.
6. “Our Programs.” Sustainable Lafayette. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.sustainablelafayette.org/our-programs.
7. “Lamorinda Environmental Action Fellowship (LEAF).” Sustainable Lafayette. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.sustainablelafayette.org/_files/ugd/fb7325_05fd6675c8514a0bac7c4cc511fb23fe.pdf.
8. “Our Board.” Sustainable Lafayette. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.sustainablelafayette.org/our-board.
9. Sustainable Lafayette. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. (Form 990), 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/264130302/202431239349201768/full.