We have some exciting news to share with you! The Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (SNEEJ) is going through some changes and one of them is a shift in leadership. This shift is a natural evolution of our organization’s strength and will allow us the opportunity to build on our legacy and plant new seeds of change to regenerate the voices of those most impacted by environmental and economic injustices, so that we can continue to bring change to full bloom.

As we continue to seek an Executive Director, a Leadership Team structure has assumed the Executive Director’s responsibilities. As a result of restructuring to meet the economic reality of these times we have put in place a Leadership Team comprised of Bianca Encinias, Lead Campaign Organizer, and Michael Sarmiento, Campaign Organizer.

Richard Moore will be shifting from his role of Executive Director to Senior Advisor, and will work with the Leadership Team assuming the responsibilities of advising and providing political and strategic guidance. “In my new role, I am excited to work with Southwest Network leadership on documenting and compiling materials for a publication that will portray the history of the Southwest Network and its role in the evolution of the environmental and economic justice movement locally, regionally, and bi-nationally. I look forward to working closely with the Leadership Team as I pursue other personal and movement endeavors.”

For the past two years the Coordinating Council (Board of Directors) and staff has been working with the National Community Development Institute (NCDI) to expand the leadership of the Southwest Network through an intentional and collective process. Through a grant from the Ford Foundation, NCDI has been providing technical assistance, working closely with us to lay the foundation for a sound and successful leadership model.

The new Leadership Team structure ensures that we will maintain the solid infrastructure necessary to fully support and nurture our membership as our organization continues in its new path. As always, we seek to bring our legacy of exceptional commitment to “Building a Net that Works” by unifying the many voices of the environmental and economic justice movement in the southwest and western United States and the northern border states of Mexico. We will continue to ensure that grassroots people of color and native/indigenous voices are heard.

There are a lot of exciting activities taking place at the Southwest Network. Environmental injustice continues to impact low-income and people of color and Native/Indigenous communities both urban and rural. It is imperative that environmental justice communities be at the table to bring a race and class analysis to the discussions and solutions and apply movement building frameworks regarding Climate Change, Green Jobs, affordable housing, land use and zoning, and health disparities- all with the goal of creating a sustainable and healthy environment to live, work, play, pray, and go to school.

Thank you for your continued support during this exciting shift in our leadership structure. We hope you will congratulate and lend a hand to our new Leadership Team. We invite you to contact them and give them a shout out! We look forward to speaking with you soon. You can reach us at (505) 242-0416 or info@sneej.org.