Chief Executive Officer
jackson@midwestdecarb.org

Marnese is an Environmental and Climate Justice activist, advocate, trainer and educator from Pontiac, Michigan where she is a mother of two children London and Dawson. Marnese is now the Chief Executive Officer and was appointed in 2024 as the inaugural and first Black Woman Executive Director of Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition. Prior to her appointment, Marnese was the Co-Director of Equity and Community Engagement at Midwest BDC. Marnese was previously with Mothers Out Front in December 2018 as the Frontline Organizing Program Manager where she focused on building the base of Mothers in Frontline communities. During this time, Marnese was the staff liaison to US Climate Action Network, staff Equity Team and BIPOC Affinity Team member. Marnese also managed the Youth Global Climate Strike (2019) and Earth Day Live (2020). She is the former Midwest and Great Plain States Regional Organizer for the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program.

Marnese holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Public Relations, Communications, Journalism and African American Studies from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Arts Degree from Marygrove College in Social Justice. Marnese is on the board of USCAN, and a chairperson of the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. Marnese is a member of the 2020 Michigan Clean Energy Leaders Cohort and of the 350.org BIPOC Cohort member. Marnese was appointed in 2021 to Governor Whitmer’s Michigan Council on Climate Solutions. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Building Performance Institute and the Michigan Climate Action Network.

Chief of Staff and Board Liaison
gibson@midwestdecarb.org

Dana Gibson is a resident of Pontiac, Michigan where she has been educated in the Pontiac school system. Dana went on to receive her Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Oakland Community College. Dana is currently a Case Manager for Assertive Vocational Services, LLC. Dana has previously worked as a Michigan Organizer for Mothers Out Front. where she led outreach activities in local communities and through digital advocacy to invite and support parent engagement in activities. Dana also provided training and support to increase the number of families engaged in activities and share skills and resources for their leadership to lead local activities in partnership with volunteers. Dana also participated in the Global Service Youth Day national planning calls as appropriate, to share local stories and support parent engagement in the broader Climate Mobilization organizing and the demand to end fossil fuels. Dana also served as the Youth Manager for Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County where she raised $6000.00 to support the Habitat for Humanity mission. Dana served as a Volunteer Liaison for AmeriCorps where she obtained monetary donations for the Summer Reading Theater books program. Dana also assisted with the promotion, hosting, and canvassing of neighborhoods to advertise for the Annual Summer Reading Theater Event held at the Ultimate Soccer Arena annually. Dana mentored Pontiac Middle and High School Students and created strategic goals and objectives for the students to succeed while attending the summer school at Pontiac Central High School. Dana was also liaison for the School District of Pontiac Title One parents of Pontiac, Michigan. Dana enjoys trying new restaurants, being involved in the community and traveling.

Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships
davis@midwestdecarb.org

Edward has always been intrigued by supporting causes that were greater than him. His mother taught him at an early age to help those that were in a position of need, she taught him through his faith that helping your fellow man was something you were always supposed to do if you could. If you could not, then you find something or someone that can. This led Edward to pursue a master’s degree in non-profit management with a focus on fundraising from Eastern Michigan University.

From that point, he worked in the world of fundraising in both the grassroots areas through local and national campaigns, worked in and raised several millions of dollars at 2 different Universities and managed a family foundation while living in Houston, TX, that gave out well over 1 million dollars annually. His background in fundraising helped him when he decided to get into the business sector helping small to mid-size businesses get funding from interested parties to expand their operations. This experience saw him doing business not only across the country but into both West Africa, Eastern Europe and India where he was able to bring together parties who wanted to work together for larger causes. It is in those other countries that he visited that he knew what he was doing was making an impact.

With well over 14 years of fundraising experience in both the nonprofit and the for-profit sector, Edward uses the foundation laid by his mother when he was a young man and continues to help people no matter what state they are in by making an impact that will be felt well beyond himself and will keep going long after he is gone.

Campaigns & Trainings Manager

stephanie@midwestdecarb.org

Stephanie Bowman

Stephanie to Midwest BDC in December 2024 as the Communications Associates where is expanding our Communications and Training Program. Prior to that Stephanie was the Campaigns Manager of Learning & Member Success at Mothers Out Front. After receiving her degree in Political Science from Hampton University, she began organizing from Virginia, Wisconsin, to Kansas. Six states later she decided to continue to graduate school at Cornell in Marketing Strategy. Upon completion, she felt disgusted thinking about the transactional treatment by party politics. Her increased knowledge in marketing blatantly showed the intentional exclusion of using proven methodologies to engage people of color. Her passion is in building relationships, managing teams, and moving towards measurable change.