Our Team

Micah Parkin, Executive Director and Co-Founder

Micah has 25 years of experience as a climate and clean energy advocate, community organizer, and nonprofit director. She serves on the national 350 Network Council and was a founding board member of 350 Colorado Action, Community Fruit Rescue, as well as Colorado Rising and Safe & Healthy Colorado, which organized ballot initiative efforts to protect communities from fracking in 2018 and 2020. She serves on the City of Boulder’s Clean Energy Technical Team and as a Climate Mobilization Action Plan Finance Group Lead. She is a spokesperson for Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate, with 33 member groups in CO. Micah was recognized as a 2017 “City of Boulder Hometown Hero” and received a 2014 “FearLess Women Leading GREEN” award, Sierra Club’s 2007 Delta Chapter Black Bear Award. She is the mother of two teenage daughters who fuel her passion to build a powerful climate and clean energy movement, create resilient communities and transition to a sustainable future. Micah(at)350colorado.org

Julia Williams, Communications and Development Director

In addition to a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy and a minor in public relations, Julia has over five years of communications, community organizing and fundraising experience. From leading campaigns that removed 62,000 pounds of trash from Orange County’s coastline to helping organize 10,000 climate strikers in Colorado last fall, Julia is an expert in mobilizing thousands of volunteers for social movements. outreach(at)350colorado.org

Deborah McNamara, Campaigns Director

Deb comes to 350 Colorado with over 15 years of non-profit experience with a focus on sustainability education and action, empowering grassroots leadership, climate change, and sustainable food. She studied Environmental Policy at Boston University and received a Master’s degree in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. Campaigns(at)350colorado.org

Amy Gray, Volunteer and JEDI Director

A former organizer at 350.org and current Co-Coordinator at Stop the Money Pipeline, Amy is an expert in organizing mass mobilizations and forming diverse coalitions. Amy has been a long time supporter of 350 campaigns and began her journey into activism fighting the KXL Pipeline and Dakota Access Pipeline. As Volunteer & JEDI Director Amy has helped to start new teams, train and empower our volunteers and engage new members statewide. She also oversees the Justice Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work as a trainer in anti-oppression and intersectional climate justice organizing. Amy also sits on the Board of Directors for 350 Colorado Action and The Chinook Center. She was the recipient of the 2020 Climate Warrior Award from the El Paso County Democratic Party for her work on decommissioning the coal plants in El Paso County. Volunteer(at)350colorado.org

Giselle Herzfeld, Defunding Climate Disaster Coordinator

As a long-time youth advocate for progressive politics, Giselle became increasingly alarmed by the “business as usual” way of thinking and acting in the shadow of the climate crisis. Growing up in Boulder County, she witnessed vibrant communities and ecosystems being drained by the oil and gas industry, and decided she had to step up. Her passion for environmental activism inspired her to work with 350 Colorado to mobilize local activists, engage with Colorado legislators, and take an active role in promoting fossil fuel divestment. Knowing that our health is directly dependent on the health of the ecosystems we inhabit, she intends to continue to stand as a voice of hope for current and future generations in the fight for a just, equitable, and sustainable future. Giselle(at)350colorado.org

Kate Christensen, Oil and Gas Campaign Coordinator

Kate dove headfirst into the fracking fight in 2017 when the land around her house, her kids’ school and nearby open space was optioned for drilling by Extraction. She worked every angle, including helping to found a neighborhood group (Together Against Neighborhood Drilling) which launched a crowd-funded anti-fracking campaign (Don’t Frack With Colorado). They submitted an amicus brief for the Martinez v COGCC case that focused on environmental justice. As a part of TAND, Kate supported 112 by collecting signatures, bannering, setting up yard sign distribution, training people in phone banking and text banking, and even doing Facebook live events. She went down to the state capitol to testify for bills (often with kids in tow) including SB 181. She has also testified at the COGCC and her local city council. She speaks Spanish and helped organize an oil and gas 101 for her kids’ school for Spanish and English speaking families. Kate is very excited to be a part of the 350 Colorado team! Kate(at)350colorado.org

Duncan Gilchrist, Climate Policy Analyst

Duncan grew up in the Hudson River Valley of New York State, studied International Environmental Politics at American University in Washington, DC and more recently obtained his MPA degree from CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs, concentrating in environmental policy, management and law. For the entirety of his adult life, Duncan has worked to advance public policy solutions that will bring our society beyond the climate catastrophe towards a prosperous, human-centered, low-carbon economy. Duncan co-founded American University’s Fossil-Fuel divestment campaign in 2013, led a grassroots campaign to convince his conservative home town government to adopt its first ever climate policy in 2015, and registered 400+ hundreds of Coloradans to vote as a political organizer for New Era Colorado during the 2017 and 2018 election cycles. In his free-time, Duncan plays acoustic guitar at open mics, participates in a men’s emotional health circle and is a father to 20+ house plants. Duncan(at)350colorado.org

Mikkela Blanton, Regenerative Ag & Local Food Campaign Coordinator

Mikkela Blanton is an experienced world-traveler, an exceptional hand-balancer, and a regenerative agriculture enthusiast. While she isn’t able to spend enough time digging in the dirt as she’d like, she is certified as a sustainable urban farmer and loves helping others start home food gardens. Drawn to learning, Mikkela finished her master’s degree at the University of Colorado – Boulder, where she specialized in sustainable food systems. During the course of her graduate studies, Mikkela’s capstone project focused on impact investing to reduce deforestation within the Amazon rainforest in the region of San Martin, Peru. Today, her interests lie in developing consensus and identifying shared values on divisive issues, engaging people on the importance of regenerative ag and local food systems, and spending as much time as possible outdoors with her husband and dog. Mikkela(at)350colorado.org

Will Hodges, 350 Roaring Fork Coordinator

Born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley, Will was an instructor for Outward Bound in Utah and then taught high school history in Arizona and Mexico City. Recently, he has also taught English as a Second Language at CMC and several other organizations. He is active with Sanctuary Unidos, advocating for immigrant rights, and Mountain Voices Project, a broad-based community organization working for economic justice and civic engagement. Besides social justice and environmental activism, he loves biking, running, skiing and strumming a guitar. Will(at)350colorado.org

Micaela Iron Shell-Dominguez, 350 Metro Denver Team Coordinator

Micaela Iron Shell-Dominguez is a Sicangu Lakota and Xicana that was born and raised in the Mile High City aka Denver, Colorado, and Vice-chair and board member for the International Indigenous Youth Council an all youth-based organization that started as a grassroots organization in Standing Rock fighting the Dakota Access pipeline. She is also the co-founder of Womxn from the Mountain raising awareness on our Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit relatives. This summer she helped found Peoples Action Collective and this fall became the new Denver team coordinator for 350 Colorado. She is a womxn of many traits and loves to live life to the fullest. She was raised by a strong line of matriarchs. From her great-grandmother to her grandmother, to her mother, and herself. She was shown the power when strong womxn work together and empower one another. Micaela works to bring womxn of all backgrounds together in a way that allows them to empower each other, and create strong matriarchal bonds for future generations. Her continued pursuit is to help spread awareness and stop the violence of our womxn and our two-spirit people have endured for centuries. Micaela(at)350colorado.org

Eliot Hawkes, 350 Northern Colorado Team Coordinator

Eliot is a long-time environmentalist who has landed at this realization in recent years: climate change is a social justice issue at its core and must be treated as such. She recognizes that carbon emissions in the US are impossibly entangled with the white supremacy and genocide our nation was built on. She not only fights climate change for future generations, but for those who are suffering now unjustly. Eliot pulls upon her education in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability as well as Spanish in this new position as NoCo team coordinator. Her experiences volunteering and organizing against this wicked problem started in high school in Boise, ID, hometown, and continue here in Fort Collins, CO. Eliot thrives on connections to people, especially those also working for something bigger than themselves. Eliot(at)350colorado.org

Moriah Mozingo, Administrative Assistant

Having volunteered for 350 Colorado since September 2011, Moriah brought all the passion and support with her to serve on staff as administrative point person/budgetary support in December 2019. Moriah brings to this position 10 years of financial advising, fiscal preparations and trades for foreign and domestic entities, portfolio and fund of funds management as well as small business start-up experience. She has worked in event planning/organizing and administrative roles throughout her career and is delighted to support as such in what she considers a far more noble and global cause in her position with 350 Colorado. Info(at)350colorado.org

350 Colorado Board of Directors

Sunni Benoit, Board of Directors, President, Denver, CO

Sunshine S. Benoit, better known as Sunni, was born and raised in the Denver area and is a graduate of the University of Denver. As an attorney, her practice focused on complex toxic tort litigation, employment law, and green energy.

After the 2016 elections and an amazing trip to Indonesia, Sunni decided it was time to take a break from her legal work and move back to Denver, from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an advocate for the environment. Since that time, she has been involved with 350 Colorado, focusing on legislation, renewable energy, and climate justice issues. She has organized many events and worked on many issues, including lobby days, petitions, rallies, ballot initiatives, and marches. Sunni’s love of the mountains, the beach, and everything in between keeps her motivated to continue to fight for environmental justice, a transition to a sustainable future, and for the preservation of our beautiful planet.

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Barbara Donachy, Board of Directors, Vice-President, Denver, Co

email, 720.989.4185, 350 Colorado Board of Directors; Semi-Retired Studio Artist and Arts Activist; Climate Activist

Barbara has been a resident of Colorado for 44 years. She lives in Denver as do her three children and one grandchild. Like her, they all love our beautiful rivers, mountains, forests, plains, and climate. Barbara spent 25 years as a studio artist and arts activist, another seven as a nonprofit coordinator, and five as a residential counselor with the Coalition for the Homeless while studying for a master’s degree in public health. She is a Quaker and practicing Buddhist, and is semi-retired. About four years ago she was awakened to climate change as an extreme crisis after watching Chasing Ice. Since then she has devoted her time to trying to put the brakes on climate change through working on ballot initiatives, lobbying, doing research, distributing flyers, and showing up.

“I admire the on-the-ground methods and philosophy of 350 and feel nourished by working alongside committed and like-minded people to bring about change. That’s why I serve on the 350 Colorado board.” – Barbara Donachy

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Devon Reynolds, Board of Directors, Secretary, Boulder, CO

Devon is a graduate student in the CU Boulder environmental studies program. She focuses on environmental justice and fossil fuel divestment, putting her research skills to work for climate activism. She’s committed to societal transformation to create justice, equity, and sustainability. Climate change already affects people of color, low-income communities, and women, especially in the global south. Devon considers it her responsibility to do everything in her power to reduce these harms.

Devon’s past work has included environmental education, nonprofit management, fundraising, and social-emotional training.

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Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Board of Directors, Co-Treasurer, Greeley, CO

Patricia Garcia-Nelson was born and raised in Northern Colorado. Her family has lived in Greeley since her parents immigrated from Mexico in the late 1970s. Her son Diego is a student at Bella Romero Academy, where the construction of a 24 oil well pad site has been approved, less than 700 feet from the playground. She was the sole parent plaintiff in a case against the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) and Extraction Oil & Gas, for the approval of the permits. For years, she has worked with 350 Colorado, Colorado Rising, Safe and Healthy Colorado, Weld Air and Water and other organizations to raise awareness about Bella Romero and residential drilling.

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Irina Sedova, Board of Directors, Co-Treasurer, Longmont, CO

Email;Irina serves as Director at Principium Investments, an asset management firm specializing in environmentally and socially responsible investing. Prior to moving to Colorado, Irina managed poverty alleviation, economic development, and human rights programs in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. In 2013, she experienced first-hand the devastating effects of intensifying storms as her residence, along with many others, was ravaged by floods in Lyons, CO. As a Colorado Master Gardener with a keen interest in permaculture, Irina is working with our Boulder chapter to promote local organic food and regenerative agriculture practices as climate change solutions.

“I am active in the 350 Colorado campaign to encourage individuals and institutions to divest from fossil fuels and reinvest in climate change solutions. I focus my efforts on climate change because it is one of the most pressing and cross-cutting issues of our time.” – Irina Sedova

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Dr. Maria D Michael, Board of Directors, Longmont, Colorado

With five advanced degrees including a PhD in psychology*, and recognition as an esteemed Indigenous Spiritual leader and Healer for over 40 years, Dr. Maria is unique. Distance is not a barrier to her work, thus, her clientele are from all over the globe. She is now located in the Boulder area. As a Medical and Psychological Intuitive, she is able to ‘see’ patterning which then offers her clients a deeper understanding of their physical illnesses, and obstacles on emotional, mental and spiritual levels. True healing flows when all levels are in sync. Dr. Maria frequently collaborates with her client’s other team members, such as physicians, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and massage therapists. She has been a consultant at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Harvard’s Mass General, MD Anderson and the Keith Block Center in Chicago. In this age of the COVID19 pandemic, her powerful Medicine Energies and healing abilities and willingness to cross collaborate, are a precious resource. We welcome you to look at our website:www.drmariamichael.com

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Gina Hardin, Board of Directors, Denver, Colorado

Gina is a long-time activist; a non-practicing attorney; new grandmother of Ayla; and an Airbnb host. She loves alpine and nordic skiing, backpacking, biking, water, and mountains. She is inspired by her never-ending awe of nature. As a founder of and lawyer for Ratepayers United of Colorado, she represented Xcel ratepayers’ interest in clean renewable energy at the lowest possible long term cost. As Chair of Colorado Common Cause, she was a leader in the effort to limit big money in politics through the passage of Amendment 65 and for open and accountable government, so critical to her current effort to limit the severity of climate change.

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Emmett Hobley, Board of Directors, Montbello, Colorado

Emmett is the president and founder of the Montbello Neighborhood Improvement Association. His focus is on Community Stabilization, Generational Wealth Building and Increasing the Affordable Housing Stock, and he is committed to keeping all communities Safe and Inhabitable. He is passionate about the community and how the oil industry and Gentrification affect our communities.

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Amy Allen, Board of Directors, Boulder, Colorado

“Amy works as an engineer in the energy efficiency field, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in architectural engineering. As part of 350 Colorado, Amy has focused her efforts on fighting fracking, and she is also interested in regulatory policy, and advancing renewable energy. She lives in Boulder.”

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Jacob Foreman, email, Colorado Springs, CO

Board Member, 350 Colorado; 350 Colorado Springs Team Member

Being a lifelong resident of Colorado Springs, a city with one of the largest urban-wildland interfaces in the nation, Jacob has had an immense love and appreciation for Colorado’s majestic, irreplaceable natural beauty for as long as he can remember, although 6th grade was when he initially became aware of and concerned about the issue of climate change. In the Summer of 2014, he worked as a petitioner for fracking setbacks and again in 2018 for Colorado Rising. He serves on the fundraising, moving beyond coal and fracking on public lands committee.

At 24 years old, Jacob is more passionate about the issue of climate change than any other single issue as it is his generation and those that come after him who will live to face the worst aspects of the crisis unless drastic action is taken. He is extremely honored to be working with 350 Colorado in the fight to keep fossil fuels in the ground and for a swift, just transition to 100% renewables.