How Heather McTeer Toney is redefining climate action for the next generation of leaders

Elected at age 27, Heather McTeer Toney knows what it means to be a public servant. She was the first African-American, first female and the youngest to serve as mayor of Greenville, Mississippi from 2004-2012. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed her as regional administrator of the EPA’s Southeast Region, at eight states the largest EPA region in the country. Currently, Heather is vice president of community engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund. She has appeared on numerous news outlets and in publications, including The New York Times and the Washington Post.  She is the author of the forthcoming book, “Before the Street Lights Come On: Black America’s Urgent Call for Climate Solutions”, in stores Earth Day 2023.

 

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Resources

Heather McTeer Toney, EDFHeather McTeer Toney PBS Brief But Spectacular: Centering Black Leadership in Climate Change SolutionsMoving Past Stereotypes: Climate Justice IS the Social Justice Issue of Our Time, Heather McTeer Toney keynote speech, Bioneers, 2019Black Women Are Leaders in the Climate Movement Environmental Inclusivity: Heather McTeer Toney on Social and Climate Justice, Bioneers. “Our voices are required at this moment. It’s not an option. It’s a requirement.”People of color are more concerned than whites about climate change (survey results): Which racial/ethnic groups care most about climate change?Ten years later, BP oil spill continues to harm wildlife — especially dolphins, National Geographic, April 17, 2020Article by Trish Kenlon, founder of Sustainable Career Pathways: 18 sustainability fellowships for students and working professionals
 

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Who makes Degrees?
Yesh Pavlik Slenk is Degrees’ host. Amy Morse is our producer. Podcast Allies is our production company. Tressa Versteeg is senior producer; Rye Taylor is our audio engineer; Elaine Grant is CEO of Podcast Allies and Tina Bassir is project manager. Our music is Shame, Shame, Shame from Yesh’s favorite band, Lake Street Dive. Degrees: Real talk about planet-saving careers is presented by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). 

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