Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition launches equity-centered nonprofit, appoints Marnese Jackson as Executive Director
The Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition’s (Midwest BDC) Board of Directors has appointed Marnese Jackson to serve as the inaugural Executive Director for the Coalition.
Midwest BDC, whose mission is to develop and implement equitable strategies to achieve zero emissions from the Midwestern building sector by 2050, launched in 2019 with fiscal sponsorship from Minnesota-based clean energy nonprofit, Fresh Energy. Over the past four years, Midwest BDC has grown exponentially, fostering a successful regranting program that has stewarded over 1.5 million dollars to BIPOC community-based organizations for decarbonization and energy justice projects. The coalition has over 150 members from a breadth of personal and professional backgrounds, facilitates regularly meeting working groups that foster collaboration, advocacy, and action, and offers a slate of trainings and educational events each month. This continued success has laid the groundwork for Midwest BDC to establish an independent 501(c)(3) organization to best serve equitable building decarbonization efforts in its region of Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Marnese Jackson has been an integral part of Midwest BDC since its inception, serving as the Co-Director of Equity and Community Engagement. She has engaged communities and people who have not traditionally seen themselves in the building decarbonization movement, with a focus on Black, brown, and low-income communities.
“I am so ready to move Midwest BDC to the next level. Everyone has a place in advancing clean energy inside the places where we spend most of our time: our homes, our schools, our places of employment, and our places of worship. It’s time to show the world that this is an intersectional movement that impacts us all.”
As Executive Director, Marnese will keep building on the foundation of partnerships and relationships she has established over the last four years. Her vision for this next phase of Midwest BDC is to show that centering marginalized communities and honoring the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing are not just ideals, but practices that will grow the Coalition’s impact, sustainability, and effectiveness. She sees herself as a leader who embraces the revolutionary thinking and radical practices needed to achieve net zero.
“I am confident that Marnese’s visionary leadership, passion for community engagement, and commitment to environmental advocacy make her the ideal candidate for the role of Executive Director. Marnese will continue to drive positive change, ensuring that Midwest BDC remains a cornerstone in supporting and leading advocacy initiatives in the Midwest.”
In addition to her experience as the Co-Director of Midwest BDC, Marnese served as the Frontline Organizing Program Manager of Mothers Out Front, and as the Midwest and Great Plain States Regional Organizer of The NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program. She has a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, and African American Studies from Eastern Michigan University, as well as a Master of Arts in Social Justice from Marygrove College. She is on the board of US Climate Action Network, the Michigan Climate Action Network, and the Building Performance Institute, and is an appointed member of Michigan Governor Whitmer’s Climate Council on Solutions. Marnese is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated where she holds positions on the Pontiac (MI) local, Michigan state, and Great Lakes regional level as the Social Action Chairperson. Marnese is from Pontiac, Michigan where she resides with her children.
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