New York Interfaith Power and Light was founded March 29, 2004.
Board of Directors
President: Edward Bennett is a retiree from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation where he served for 32+ years in the field of Air Pollution. Ed has extensive experience with New York’s Acid Rain, Global Warming, and Energy Programs. Ed is the Environmental Justice Coordinator for Troy Conference of the United Methodist Church and serves on the Outreach Commission of Jonesville United Methodist Church.
Vice-President: Frank Morris is a Portfolio Manager specializing in environmental investing and founder of the digital publication www.ecologicinvestor.com. Frank Morris graduated in 1990 from Binghamton University with a degree in Rhetoric. Frank is currently membership chairperson of NYC Sierra Club. Frank is married and lives with his wife Florence and daughter Faith in Staten Island New York.
Treasurer: John Allen is an attorney working as a Support Magistrate in Family Court, Onondaga County. He is a graduate of Williams College and Syracuse University. John serves on the Green Sanctuary Committee of May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society. He is active in the Global Warming Action Network of Syracuse; Syracuse Onondaga Cycling Coalition, advocating cycling as an alternative to fossil-fuel transportation; and Canopy, a parks and green spaces advocacy group.
Secretary: Susan Bues has been the Chief Financial Officer for the Sisters of the Holy Names in Albany, NY. She has an MBA from Baruch College, CUNY and a B.A. from SUNY New Paltz. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Karuna Tendai Dharma Center, a Buddhist temple, and is a member of the Investment Committee for the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility. She is also a long-time member of the organic and biodynamic Roxbury Farm and of the Sierra Club. Her interests are socially responsible investing, organic farming, and interfaith activities.
Vice-President for Education: Janet Allen, Ph.D., a graduate of Syracuse University, serves on the Green Sanctuary Committee at May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society, is a former Environmental Justice Coordinator for the North Central New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is active in the Global Warming Action Network of Syracuse; is a Habitat Steward for the National Wildlife Federation; and is President of Habitat Gardening in Central New York, a chapter of the Wild Ones, a national native plant, natural landscaping education and advocacy organization. She received the Environmentalist of the Year Award from Environmental Advocates of New York.
Rhea Jezer, Ph.D., is on the faculty at Cazenovia College, serves as environmental advisor to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, is a member of the Board of Directors of the NYS League of Conservation Voters, and serves on the Executive Council of the Interreligious Council of Central New York. She helped Gov. Pataki coordinate efforts to pass the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, and served on the Governor’s Superfund Reauthorization Working Group.
Steve MacAusland is the Environmental Coordinator for the Episcopal Churches of Province One (New England). He attended Williams College for two years (Class of 1971) before leaving to pursue a life with the Cree of James Bay, Province of Quebec. He is a photographer and Emmy-winning video producer.
Christian Nielsen-Palacios, AIA is a graduate of Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela. He is a LEED® architect in Ithaca, where he has lived 20 years, having attended Cornell’s graduate school. He leads the sustainable design efforts at The Thomas Group, is a member of the NY Upstate Chapter of USGBC, and the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ithaca, which will become a certified Green Sanctuary.
