DNC Council on the Environment & Climate Crisis
Officers & Executive Board
Michelle Regalado Deatrick, Founder and Chair, an environmental justice and workers’ rights activist, farmer and poet, is the recent former Vice Chair of the Washtenaw County Commission where, she beat a three-term Republican to win her seat. Michelle founded her county’s first Environmental Council, serves on the National Advisory Board of Climate Power, and is a proud UAW and NWU member. Michelle serves as Chair of the Ann Arbor Women’s March and on the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy’s Board of Directors. She holds degrees from Wesleyan, Harvard and the University of Michigan. Michelle lives with her family on an 80-acre farm in Michigan.
David Green, Vice Chair, is a certified public accountant and is a DNC member due to his role as vice chair of the Washington State Democratic Party. He resides in Spokane, the home of the first environmentally themed world’s fair (1974.) He is a member of The Lands Council in Spokane. As a member of the Association of State Democratic Committees, David focuses on integrating the work of the ECCC with the various state party organizations.
Allison Stephens, Secretary and Director of Black Engagement , is an expert in education policy, workforce development, health policy, health & education inequities, and climate change & human health. Allison joined the DNC in 2016 and became Secretary of the Black Caucus in 2017. She brings her experience on the Nevada Board of Regents, State Board of Education, and other bodies and commissions to the DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis. Additionally, she holds two degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; a certificate in Climate Change and Health from Yale; and a certificate in Spanish from Universidad Andres Bello. Allison recently completed her Ph.D. at Rutgers.
Ruth Anna Buffalo, Director of Native American Engagement, is Hidatsa, Mandan, and Apache. She is an enrolled citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. She is originally from Mandaree. Ruth has served in various capacities focused on building healthy and safe communities. She has 25+ years of community advocacy work. Ruth is a former Fargo Native American Commissioner and former North Dakota State House Rep. She has introduced new laws focused on public safety; prevention and awareness of MMIP and Human Trafficking, and a Missing Persons Database. She serves as First Vice President for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition’s board. She is a co-founder of the local FM MMITP Taskforce. She is an appointed commissioner to the Not Invisible Act Commission.
Paul Presendieu, Youth Director, is an environmentalist in New Rochelle, NY, and is the son of Colombian and Haitian Immigrants. He is the Director of Community Engagement for Soulful Synergy, a millennial-minority-owned sustainability social enterprise focused on creating green-collar workers in environmental justice communities. Paul is the current National Environmental Caucus Chair for the Young Democrats of America, Environmental Caucus Chair Emeritus for the College Democrats of America, is in his second term as the United Nations Foundation’s Global Ambassador for the 13th Sustainable Development Goal: Climate Action, and is the Environmental Advisory Committee Chair for the City of New Rochelle’s municipal government.
Howard Chou, Director of AAPI Engagement, is the current 1st Vice Chair for the Colorado Democratic Party and Co-founder/Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Initiative for the Colorado Democrats. He is the Treasurer of both the Association of State Democratic Committees and DNC Western Region and is on the DNC AAPI Caucus. He is a Colorado Co-Chair of Climate Power and a proud member of Colorado Black Women for Political Action and a State Committee member for Colorado Working Families Party. Howard has been working professionally in market research for over 14 years including political ad and message testing with online polling, which includes 5 Democratic Presidential campaigns. A dedicated organizer, activist and volunteer, Howard works strategically with Democratic candidates and progressive campaigns all over Colorado.