MYCJ STAFF

  • Elise Hartill

    INTERIM CO-DIRECTOR

    Elise (she/they) has a M.Sc. in marine biology from the University of Maine where she studied cold-water coral ecosystems. She received a National Geographic Society Early Career Grant in 2019 to support a science education and communications project in Southeast Alaska, where her graduate research was based. She is motivated by the need to develop community-driven resilience to climate change by supporting robust public education, local food systems, involving communities in citizen science, and developing adaptive strategies that meet each unique community's needs.

  • Zak Kendall

    INTERIM CO-DIRECTOR

    Zak (he/him) approaches climate activism mostly through music as the co-leader of the Maine-based, indie/folk band, GoldenOak. The band travels throughout the United States and Canada, sharing songs about the emotional and physical impacts of the climate crisis. When he’s not on the road touring with his band or encouraging Maine youth to fight for their future, he loves paddling Maine's beautiful rivers near his home in the western foothills.

  • Cassie Cain

    ADVISOR

    Cassie (she/her) is a co-founder of MYCJ and was the Program Director of MYCJ from 2020 - 2023. Cassie has a BA in Environmental Studies and has been organizing within the youth climate justice movement since college. She has been involved in multiple fossil fuel divestment campaigns, previously worked for 350 Maine and Maine Climate Action Now, and is passionate about intersectional climate activism. Cassie enjoys hiking, gardening, and kayaking in her free time.

  • Phoebe Little

    COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

    With a background in communications, and environmental policy, Phoebe (she/her) is excited to use storytelling methods as a way towards a more livable future in Maine. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and a graduate certificate in audio storytelling from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Phoebe’s greatest joys are quilting, finding seaglass on the beach, and jumping from high things into deep water. She lives in Portland with her girlfriend and their two silly cats.

MYCJ's Core coalition group includes 1-2 representatives from active organizations, school clubs, and local groups, in addition to a representative from each of MYCJ's cohorts and working groups. Organizations, clubs, and groups involved as general members in MYCJ can choose if they want representatives in Core or not. Read more about our youth representatives below.

Core Members

Ania Wright - Sierra Club Maine

Ania (she/her) joined Sierra Club in 2020 as a Grassroots Organizer, and now works as the Legislative and Political Specialist. She works to engage and support youth in climate justice initiatives, and to further the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals of the chapter. She has been extensively involved in climate justice activism in Maine as a founding member of the youth-led coalition MYCJ. She also sits on the board of Maine Climate Action Now.

Claire McGlinchey - Center for an Ecology Based Economy 

Claire (she/her) is CEBE’s Climate Resiliency Program Manager. Claire spent her time as a Temple University undergraduate immersed in the academic and professional world of climate communication in Philadelphia. She then moved to the University of New Hampshire for a master’s in Natural Resources, before moving to Norway, Maine to take this job with CEBE!

Edge Venuti - Sunrise County Climate Coalition

Edge (she/her) is from Robbinston, Maine & attends Washington Academy in East Machias. She’s worked with Healthy Acadia, Maine Youth Action Network & recently co-founded a local climate group called Sunrise County Climate Coalition. This group is for youth in Downeast Maine to have a safe space to come together to work on making change in their rural communities. 

Laura Bither - JustME for JustUS

Laura (she/her) is the Director at JMJU, where she supports youth in rural Maine so they can be climate leaders and a political force. She sits on the Governing Circle of the Tri-Town Equity and Inclusion Committee and works with several local equity groups where she lives in Freeport. She graduated from Wesleyan University with High Honors in Biology and Environmental Studies and a minor in African Studies.

Nyalat Biliew - Sierra Club Maine

Nyalat (she/her) joined Sierra Club as the Grassroots Climate Action Organizer in July 2022. She is one of the founders of Black Power, A black-led liberation movement in Maine. She serves as an at-large member of the Portland Board of Education. Nyalat also led a community effort to open the City of Portland Charter commission to reevaluate the city’s charter.

Lucy Hochschartner - Pine Tree Power Deputy Campaign Manager

Lucy (she/her) grew up in a rural area and saw firsthand how extractive industries could decimate local communities. This led to a passion for bringing people together to build powerful, grassroots movements. She knows community-owned power is the most important step we can take toward economic and climate justice. When she’s not out knocking doors, you can find her skiing or running around Portland.

Interested in being part of our core team? email us here: outreach@mycj.org

Anna Siegel - Maine Youth Action & LGBTQ+ Cohort Co-Lead

Anna (she/her) works primarily on municipal policy, state legislation, and press relations. Anna currently serves on the Committee for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability for the Town of Yarmouth, and the Political and Legislative Teams for Sierra Club of Maine. She was also a youth representative to the Emergency Management Working Group of the Maine Climate Council. She is a founding member of MYCJ and a co-founder of Maine Youth Action.

Cole Cochrane - Maine Youth Action

Cole (he/him) has a deep passion for the environment, focusing on electoral and legislative aspects of climate action. He was campaign manager to Representative O’Neil of Saco. In addition to being avidly involved in elections, he pursued his interests in the legislature by proposing bills that invest in climate action projects on the municipal level, on public transportation issues, and even lowering the voting age. He is a volunteer legislative team member for MYCJ and co-founder of Maine Youth Action. 

Idey Abdi - Color of Climate

Idey (she/her) is currently an undergraduate student at Cornell University. Her advocacy lies at the intersection of racial and climate justice. She is a member of the Color of Climate, a newly created BIPOC youth-led environmental advocacy group out of Lewiston. Her goal is to help educate people who aren’t aware of how climate change will drastically affect disadvantaged communities.

Josh Caldwell - Natural Resources Council of Maine

Josh (he/him) co-leads MYCJ’s Food Sovereignty Cohort and works for the Natural Resources Council of Maine as the Climate & Clean Energy Outreach Coordinator. At NRCM, he works to build coalitions that can effectively implement policy by pushing our state and federal legislators to act on climate and clean energy initiatives.

Kaethe Rice - MYCJ’s High SChool Support Cohort Co-Lead

Kaethe (she/her) attends Waterville High School and has experience organizing in multiple youth-led spaces.

Luke Sekera-Flanders - Community Water Justice

Luke (he/him) has been a strong advocate for water justice from a young age, he is co-founder and Youth Lead for Community Water Justice, a statewide network of frontline communities resisting water privatization and working toward sustainable access to clean water for all people. Luke was also a MEEA Changemakers Fellow, working on education and mobilizing support for environmental justice efforts in Maine.

Negina Lowe - Maine Environmental Education Association

Negina (they/them) is a Black and Native Hawaiian person who is currently based in Bangor. In the wake of the climate change, they felt moved to pursue a role with MEEA Changemakers because of their focus on equity and elevation of BIPOC youth voices. Negina has worked in the fields of mental health, racial justice, and policy work and is most excited to find points of intersection between these issues and environmental justice.

Saga Hart - Maine Youth Power

Saga (she/they) is a Core member representing Maine Youth Power! Saga helped found the organization Youth Oriented Queer Club Maine (YOQC), which is a statewide organization that aims to connect youth online by creating a safe space and helping students create change in their schools/towns for the LGBTQ+ community. 

Maya Faulstich - High School Support Cohort Co-Lead

Maya (she/they) is from Yarmouth Maine, and advocates for climate justice through policy and culture change. She co-leads her high school's Environmental Action Club and is an active member of the Yarmouth Climate Action Task Force. Her passion mainly lies in addressing our "throw-away culture" by creating systems of reuse that eliminate our need for disposability. When she's not writing testimony or washing dishes for her reusable dishware program Dishes on Demand, you can find her skiing or writing songs.