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Title: Nathan Jones p2 of 2 View count: 26 Rating: 5.0 (2 ratings) Description: Nathan got started as a student and youth organizer in 2004, after interning and volunteering for multiple education and environment focused organizations. At Portland Community College in Portland, OR he ran a campaign called Transform Transportation to create more just and sustainable transportation options at Portland Community College. In addition he helped get the District President of PCC to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and created a paid Student Senator for Environmental Sustainability position in the student government of the three major PCC campuses. After transferring to Oregon State University in 2007, Nathan helped develop the Oregon State University Student Sustainability Initiative into a nationally-recognized program that hires students to run sustainability projects on campus. Since he began involvement with the SSI, Nathan has been a part of, and mentored others on, campaigns achieving victories in composting, energy efficiency studies, waste reduction, starting a bicycle co-op, creating a permaculture certificate class and garden in the new SSI facility (they have their own house!), and just this past year, a new campus revolving loan fund project. On top of that Nathan has managed to teach a peer learning class on Community Organizing as an undergraduate, and has also helped get students engaged in the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition's work to make Corvallis more sustainable. Nathan has been intimately involved with the Sierra Student Coalition (ssc.org), a national student grassroots organization. He has served on all levels of leadership, including the Trainings Committee, Conservation Committee, and the Executive Committee. He is a firm advocate of the summer leadership training program the SSC coordinates, called SPROG. He's participated in a total of 7 programs, training at 4 of them and directing at 3. In addition Nathan has been a trainer and presenter at both of the national EAC Power Shifts and multiple regional summits in the northwest. Within the SSC ranks, he is a respected veteran, seen by many as compassionate, skilled, loyal, dependable, and visionary. In addition to his campus and national involvement, Nathan has also been a driving force and one of the founders of the region's student climate network, called the Cascade Climate Network (http://cascadeclimate.org/). Nathan served as the first Network Facilitator for the CCN and has continued to devote himself to this community of young activists. His current focus is in developing and launching the Northwest Institute for Community Energy (thenice.org) as a youth and student based organization that works to facilitate collaboration between local community groups and other green economy organizations/actors. It is Nathans goal to create a space and organization that can serve as a center for ongoing innovation, learning, and community building with affiliated projects. The NICE staff and volunteers will work with surrounding communities to develop ongoing programs that demonstrate the potential of a green economy, expand virally, and attract major community support, business interest, and act as replicable models for the future. Through its direct organizing work, outreach, and its collaboration with other groups, the NICE will work to support and connect many projects in the Pacific Northwest, and through national connections like the Sierra Student Coalition and the Sierra Club, the NICE will serve the nation in a similar way. Tags: nathan jones, psw09, powershift, Author: PowerShiftWest |
