Meet The Team

Executive Director

  • Executive Director

    As Executive Director of 350 Chicago, Larry develops strategies, resources and organizational capacity to fight the climate crisis in Illinois and Chicago. Larry co-founded 350 Chicago and has been deeply involved with its work ever since. This includes serving as Board President for over 5 years, providing leadership for 350 Chicago’s successful Chicago divestment campaign, nationally-coordinated local climate campaigns, and multiple on-the-ground actions. 

    Larry is a longtime grassroots activist. Prior to 350 Chicago, he advocated against American involvement in the Central American wars of the mid 80’s, and during the 90’s, he worked with the successful coalition of environmental organizations in the Westside Alliance for a Safe and Toxic-Free Environment (WASTE). Larry turned to climate activism years ago after hearing an interview with a climate scientist, hoping to lessen the devastation for his son, his son’s generation, and future generations.

    Larry also spent 15 years in the music business and 23 in the brewing industry. He holds a degree in Audio Engineering and a Masters in Writing from Columbia College.

Board Members

  • Aana is a student at Loyola University Chicago from Cincinnati, Ohio studying Environmental Science and Environmental Policy. Her interest in solving climate change originated from many summers spent working and volunteering at a local farm’s summer camp. Passionate about sustainable agriculture, she enjoyed teaching kids about where food comes from and where it goes when we throw it away.

    In high school, she began working with several environmental activist organizations, often leading initiatives centered around climate education and encouraging others to take action in their communities. She served on Cincinnati’s first Youth Environmental Council and is currently the DEI Campaign Chair for Loyola University Chicago’s Student Environmental Alliance. 

    Aana is also a Researcher for the Sweaty Penguin, a climate comedy podcast. She believes in creating long-term change to build a more sustainable future for all young people. In her perfect world, climate education becomes a subject like math or English in schools. When not in school or working, Aana enjoys reading, cooking, thrifting, and especially traveling.

  • Head of the Communications team

    Abby is a communications professional with a specialty in renewable energy and an instructional assistant in the University of Chicago Psychology Department.

    Abby is originally from Lexington Massachusetts but her Climate Journey truly began 3,000 miles away in St Andrews Scotland. While studying history and psychology she became aware that climate change was both historically unprecedented and difficult for people to think about. In college she helped Climate Action St Andrews stage the largest protest in the town’s history.

    After completing her masters in political psychology Abby moved to Chicago. A few months after that she joined the communications committee for 350 Chicago. She founded our social media team and currently leads our communications committee.

    In her spare time Abby enjoys learning about history, fostering cats, making art and cooking.

  • Evan Foster is a governance and public health professional with executive leadership experience in national nonprofit programs. He is the Founder of Integrated Value Architecture, a system that strengthens organizational governance and structure in complex public and nonprofit environments. He holds a Master of Public Health and is completing a Doctorate in Public Administration, with a focus on organizational leadership and governance. Evan’s career has included advancing environmental health, clean energy, and climate resilience through partnerships and program leadership.

    He grew up in a small rural river town in Northern Illinois, where he spent his youth outdoors enjoying the best this planet has to offer. His dedication to this work stems from his desire to see his son and daughter grow up with similar experiences and understand the importance of stewardship.

  • Board Secretary

    Jeff is a resident of Glenview and has lived in the Chicago area for all but the four years he spent at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. He has an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern, and worked in IT for Kraft, Unilever, and AT&T for over twenty years. His goals are to work to address the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis, the loss of biodiversity, and income inequality. Jeff is a researcher, analyst, and communicator, and has used these skills in his role as Co-leader of the Evanston chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, as the lead of the Divest, Defund, Desponsor team of the Chicago chapter of Climate Reality Project, and as a member of the 350 Chicago Divestment team. He’s given presentations on climate change and carbon pricing to school groups, faith groups, and civic organizations, and is currently working on efforts to persuade Chicago and the state to sue fossil fuel companies.

  • Board Treasurer

    Josh (he/him) is a lawyer with a JD and certificate in Environmental and Energy law from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and has been involved in a variety of environmental and political action groups for over twenty years. By day Josh is the Director of Business Operations for a law firm in Chicago, helping them to run more organized and efficiently. By night (and also often by day) he works with 350 Chicago, where he helps lead the communications team, works to create better structure within the organization, and is the editor-in-chief of the 350 Chicago newsletter.

    Josh is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and has lived in Chicago for over 10 years. In his spare time he enjoys reading and writing fiction, traveling, playing board games with friends, and most of all spending time with his wife Eliana, and his cat Apollo.

  • Maddie (she/her) is a student organizer and researcher from Evanston, Illinois and is deeply passionate about environmental accountability and justice. She is currently a student at American University where she is majoring in Environmental Studies and is a leader in Sunrise American University’s campaign for a Green New Deal on campus.

    She has previously been involved in the successful campaign to pass the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) through the Illinois State Legislature and has been involved in organizations including the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club and Clean Power Lake County.

  • Board President

    Kaitlin is a lawyer who has dedicated her career to human rights, sustainable development, and climate action. She is a Partner at Change Collective, where she focuses on climate justice and the climate crisis. She is also the creator of 31 Days of Climate Action, an initiative that supports people in taking simple and effective climate actions. Prior to that, Kaitlin spent 8 years leading the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment’s work on investments in land, agriculture, food systems, and human rights; while there, she increasingly focused on climate change issues from a legal and policy perspective.

    Kaitlin grew up in Illinois, and is proud to be working with 350 Chicago to push for climate solutions in the city and state. She has a BA from Northwestern and a JD from Columbia Law School.

  • Vice President

    Rich is a college professor of English Studies at Lewis University where he teaches themed writing courses on climate change. He has his doctorate form Western Michigan University and has been a climate activist for the past 15 years. He has a wife, Stacey, and three teenaged kids, all of whom inspire him to do more to save our biosphere everyday.

Core Volunteers

  • Whitney (she/her) is an environmental law and policy professional with a background in just transition, international relations, and human rights. Her research has been published in textbooks, journals, and trade magazines and centers on intersectional, just climate action. She is a founding board member of Climate Creativity, an international climate justice arts and storytelling program. She also serves as a donor advisor and youth mentor, supports organizing efforts for various frontline and grassroots justice movements (including her local ej group, Clean Power Lake County), and contributes to innovative democracy-building campaigns. Prior to focusing on climate and environmental policy, she brings over a decade of experience in the food systems transformation field where she helped mobilize market transformations through youth engagement, education and purchasing initiatives in support of local, sustainable food producers.

    Whitney has a BA in International Studies with a concentration in Human Rights from the University of Iowa and an MSc in International Environmental Studies from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

  • Communications Committee and ICJC Clean Buildings Working Group Member

    I’m a long time member who has served on a variety of committees and coalitions and helped arrange many in-person educational events. In the past, I was a regular contributor to the blog; currently I focus on the newsletter, communication among allied organizations, and work with Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.

    Fun Fact! I’m revising my first novel (about an ancient Zoroastrian manuscript).

  • Website Developer and Contributor

    I help make the new 350 Chicago Website.

    Fun Fact! I'm in a local jazz group called Lakeside Pride where I play saxophone!

  • Outreach Committee Member

    I help to handle outreach and communications for 350 Chicago, as well as running our LinkedIn and Meetup accounts.

    Fun Fact! I've raised multiple cats from kittens to getting adopted!

  • Outreach Committee Member

    I scout tabling opportunities in the Chicagoland area to promote 350 Chicago's current campaigns. I've also written a few articles for our newsletter and represent 350 Chicago at our events whenever I can!

    Fun Fact! I live in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood with my partner and our dog Yogi Bear and cat Koala. 

  • Fundraising Committee Member

    Since the beginning of the year, I have been assisting 350 Chicago with securing grants by identifying foundations with funding guidelines that align with 350 Chicago's mission and drafting letters of intent and full proposals.

    Fun Fact! I'm Vice President of Illinois Ultimate, which promotes the sport of ultimate frisbee across Illinois. I started the Chicago Ultimate Tournament in 2021 that will host the 5th Annual Tournament this August (https://tinyurl.com/ChiTourney25)

  • Communications Committee Member

    As a UX professional, I put my skills to use by rebuilding and managing 350 Chicago’s new website. I also design graphics for social media and assist with editing the newsletter.

    Fun Fact! I went on a backpacking trip in the Dolomites last summer. It’s a mountain range in Northern Italy. That’s where my picture was taken!