Carol Kauffman: ALC ChangeMakers Podcast Interview
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Hi everybody, and welcome to the ALC Changemakers Podcast. I'm your host, Jennifer Sconyers. Today's episode is a powerful one. I'm talking with Carol Kauffman, the Executive Director at the Ohio Environmental Council. Karen's leadership story is one that spans continents from organizing in Ohio to advocating for water access in Cambodia.
She brings a deeply human lens to environmental justice. Today we explore how leadership isn't about fitting a mold. It's about showing up with values, clarity, and courage. We talk about what the OEC is fighting for right now from clean water and energy access to the protection of Ohio's precious public lands.
If you've ever wondered whether there's a place for you and the environmental movement. This [00:01:00] episode is for you. Let's dive in.
Audio Only - All Participants: hi everybody, and welcome to the ALC Changemakers Podcast. I'm your host, Jennifer Sconyers, and I'm here today with Carol Kauffman. Welcome Carol. Hi. So glad to be here. So glad to have you. So for listeners, I've known Carol and I'm trying to think, I think we might have first met in 2012. I think that might have been Yes.
Um, when we were both working with an, an organizing entity here called the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. I think you were maybe doing faith-based work. I had just started brand new as a comms director and we met then, and then we found our way back and. Orbit together, if you will, with the Ohio Environmental Council, and that is where you currently are as their Executive Director.
That's right. Yes. We reconnected when I was on the board of the OEC and you were on the board as well. And [00:02:00] I remember walking into the room and just being delighted to see a familiar face at the table. It's like, oh, there's Jennifer. Everything's gonna be fine. This is gonna be great. Awesome, awesome. Well, you know, Carol's not the ED of the OEC, and so she's here to really talk about her leadership journey and also what this amazing organization does in the world, and it's important today. So, Carol, tell us a bit about yourself and your leadership journey. Yes. Um, alright. And you're gonna have to cut me off because I like to talk about this, so I'll try not to go too, too long-winded.
So, I, I was spending some time reflecting on, you know, my leadership journey and really, it, it was a long time. It was a slow burn because for a long time I kind of believed, oh, um, maybe leadership isn't for me. And I had only had exposure to certain kinds of models of leadership that I didn't find really resonated for who I am.
Um, you know, I, I thought, well, I am, I am introverted. I [00:03:00] can't be a leader or, you know, I don't really enjoy, um, a certain kind of style. But then I, uh, was in my grad program, um, from 2010 to 2012. So just before you and I met, and I, one of the required courses I had to take was a leadership course, and it was taught by a person named Dr. Beth Birmingham. And I showed up just like, I'm not gonna like this. And right away she convinced me. I mean, she just pulled me into a completely different understanding of leadership and really focused that course around servant leadership. And I had to read lots of good source data and, and materials.
Um, that really helped me understand that leadership is a discipline, it's not a personality trait, and that you can lead in a way that aligns to your values and in, in fact, um, that's how you could be most effective. So really since that. Point in my life. I've been pursuing leadership opportunities as they've come up.
And, um, as you said, I'm now [00:04:00] leading the Ohio Environmental Council, um, for the past couple of years. And I've really enjoyed that and applying, you know, thanks Dr. Beth. I apply a lot of the things that I, I learned, um, still today for sure. That's wonderful. And can you name for listeners what brought you to environmental work?
Because I, I knew in a whole different context, and I think we met right before you went to Cambodia, right? Mm-hmm. So Carol's worked internationally as well. Um, so yeah. What, what was kind of a journey that brought you to the OEC? Oh, good. Good question. So, as you noted, I, my entire career really hasn't been spent in the environmental space, but I, when I was working in international development and, um, humanitarian response, a lot of what the work that I did was focused on connecting people to basic resources like safe water.
And I really came into the environmental space from a perspective of, um. Human flourishing, public health, [00:05:00] um, equality of access. You know, water as a human right really was how I entered into this space. And then while I was working and living in Cambodia, um, that country is really ground zero for the effects of a changing climate.
So you've got, um, folks who are seeing a change in, um, the, the traditional seasons that they've relied on to know how to run their family farms. You're seeing flooding that's devastating communities, um, in ways that they just haven't been able to adapt to yet. And a lot of, um, impacts from deforestation that make, um, the heat effect for folks, uh, really intensified and, and has caused widespread, you know, biodiversity loss.
And it's a. It's a justice issue as much as it is a a nature problem. I, you know, I really saw there, like we are not, we are part of nature. We are not separated. And when human beings, um, and nature are suffering, you know, it all, it all comes together. Um, it's one [00:06:00] big challenge. So that was really. What drove me when I came back to living in Ohio in 2017, I just, I knew that I wanted to continue to pursue environmental justice and, um, you know, the environmental challenges of our planet in, in my home state, and that's really what led me to the OEC.
As I said, I joined the board not long after I moved back to Ohio. Yeah, and I, I wanna name that I think that there's, there's so many unique perspectives that I think that you bring to the organization. So the organization's over 50 years old. I think the 50th anniversary was 2019. So for listeners, I'm actually on the OE CS board, currently serving as board presidents.
I get to work closely with Carol, and, um, the organization has just gone through many, many twists and changes over. The years. Right. And so can you speak to kind of who and what the [00:07:00] organization is today and really kind of like some of the big fights and some of the issues that you all are working on right now?
Sure, yeah. We're 56 years old. I like to say we were formed before the U-S-E-P-A and the Ohio EPA, and I'm really proud of this legacy that I now get to steward along with you and all of the other folks on our staff and board. And we were started by a group of concerned Ohioans, who, you know, they, it was the late sixties and, and they were seeing environmental degradation happening all around them and decided we're gonna do something about this together.
And so. That's really where we've come from. We've been, you know, along the journey, um, in this state and in this nation. We've been there every step of the way for things like the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, and protection of our, um, public lands, et cetera. So we continue that tradition today. I think some of the things that are, um, maybe new-ish, uh, in our history include a focus [00:08:00] on clean energy.
And not just clean and modern technology, getting that, um, on the grid and, and working in our state, but making sure that. Our state is, um, making this energy transition in a way that is beneficial to all Ohioans and that, you know, regardless of your zip code or your income level, you're able to afford your energy bill and you have the opportunity to access clean energy and, um, the benefits of reducing climate pollution and air pollution.
So. That's a, that's a relatively, I would say, not brand new, but um, certainly a new emphasis for us in the past decade as the energy transition has gotten underway and a lot of renewed focus on climate change, um, has, has happened. We also continued to, uh, work on water issues from source to tap. Um, one thing that we are really, um, engaged in right now is, uh, protecting people from lead exposure in their drinking water.[00:09:00]
I'm sure your listeners have, you know, heard of places like Flint, Michigan that have had really devastating, um, water impacts, um, water quality impacts over the last few years. In Ohio, we had, uh, water quality issue in 2014 in Toledo when, uh, harmful Al Bloom infiltrated the city's water supply. But on an ongoing everyday basis, Ohio has some of the highest levels of lead service lines connected to people's homes and places of business and schools of anywhere in the nation.
And so we're now seeing through years of hard work, a lot of. Support, you know, across party lines, across all kinds of communities to say, we've gotta prioritize getting the lead out of people's drinking water. So that's a, a current fight that I'm really excited about. And, um, also on energy, we've, we've seen some really good.
Common sense energy policy get passed earlier this year. That's gonna be really good for people's pocketbooks. But also, you know, [00:10:00] create more of a level playing field for all kinds of clean energy projects that, um, can get built in the state. Which I think is, of course it's good for the environment, but it's also good for local communities and, you know, getting investment into local communities that need it.
So those are just a couple of the things. We're also continuing to fight for our public lands. Ohio has, uh, the Wayne National Forest. It's, uh, not too far from, you know, where I live. I love to go into that region of the state and just connect with nature and, um, that is constantly under threat from, uh, drilling clear, cutting, all kinds of things that would negatively impact this precious resource in our state.
So we continue to fight very hard to, to protect it. It's wonderful. Thank you for laying that out, Carolyn. And for listeners, there's just, I wanna say, I don't wanna call it a one-stop shop for the environment, but the OAC touches so many issue areas. So I think depending on what people's [00:11:00] interests are, I, I know when I joined the board, so for listeners, I joined the board in 2017 and um, and if you would've talked to me, then I would not have considered myself an environmentalist.
Instead, I saw myself as someone who cared about environmental justice. How it intersects with health and the environment and workers and people like that was, that was how I really saw myself and I remember at the time thinking, well, is there a place for me? Because everybody here at that time, um, they had PhDs and some version of environmental science, or they have their.
Medical degrees and or they worked for the Ohio EPA or the U-S-E-P-A and at the time I were thinking, I'm not that person. How could I be here? Um, but I wanna name that over the years that's really evolved, right? That the board has evolved to people across the state, different backgrounds who, um, have genuine interest in values alignment with some issues you [00:12:00] outlined.
Can you speak a little bit about. What's needed in this moment. There's so much happening politically in the greater space, and there's such an impact to the issues that you've, you've laid out. Hmm. Well I felt the same way when I joined the board that you did. I was smiling as you shared that anecdote because I remember, you know, coming to my first board meeting and having people introduce themselves around the room and just being really amazed at the.
The incredible brain trust that was there and thinking. Do I fit? Like I like you, I sort of came in through maybe a slightly different pathway into the work, but you know, pretty quickly I realized, you know, we were there for a reason and the organization knew that it needed a diversity of thought and backgrounds on the board.
And I give them a lot of credit, you know, my predecessor Heather, a lot of credit for recognizing that and prioritizing getting a more diverse [00:13:00] set of experiences and perspectives into the organization. Um, so similarly, right now, if I could wave a magic wand, it would be no matter who you are, no matter where you live, no matter what you think you bring to the table, you are needed.
This is not an exclusive club. I do not want people to think I can only, uh, get involved with an organization like the OEC. If I drive a Prius or compost or, you know, live in a certain place, or like the color green, you can get involved. We need people to step up. And also the way that you can take action is gonna look different for each person, and it doesn't mean it's invalid.
So. I've been really heartened to hear, you know, stories of people getting civically engaged, um, and anywhere from someone who's in a, a retirement facility. You know, writing postcards to [00:14:00] young children, you know, creating a lemonade stand and raising money for an organization that supports immigrants in their community.
There's so many ways to get involved and to make a difference, and it really does help us to kind of overcome this feeling of maybe. Hopelessness or overwhelm, which is one of the, the reasons I, it's really important to overcome that because when we're talking about the environment or climate, it just feels so big.
But it, it is not something that is immovable. We just need to get involved and, and like then we'll start to see a lot more moment momentum. Absolutely. And I wonder, Carol, for people. Again, they wouldn't call themselves an environmentalist. Like what would be, I don't know, what would be an easy, an easy, approachable place to start?
Like what would you recommend people like, I'm curious. I wanna learn more, but I don't know if I have time or whatever the reasons. What [00:15:00] would be a place to start? Yeah. Well, I'll tell you what I tell my friends who ask me that. Um. I have some friends that are really, you know, diehard greenies and others that are not.
Um, first of all, vote. Make sure you're registered to vote and educate yourself. Vote in every election. I know it doesn't always seem as exciting to vote, you know, in a, it may primary. But, um, making sure that you're exercising your voice in your community, whether it's voting on a ballot initiative that will do things like expand public transportation or reform zoning laws to allow for, um, more dense, um, you know, environmentally friendly cities, you know, or voting for the right city council member who you believe will share your values.
I mean, it, it's really important to, to be active civically. And then secondly. This is pretty low, low bar. Like, look up organizations that you're interested in [00:16:00] and start following them on social media. You could, um, sign up for their newsletter if you like to read occasional newsletters, and I think that also is a great way to make sure that you're feeling confident that you're getting the facts.
I know that's something that we talk a lot about in my family. Um, I have, you know, older children and they're trying to figure out, well, is this true? And who do I believe and what do these stats mean? If you can find an organization or two to learn more about that are trustworthy and just start to follow them.
Absorb, especially the long form content that they create. You're gonna find that you're really getting more educated and then you can decide on your next steps, whether it's showing up to a local meeting, officially becoming a member, et cetera. I love that. And I know, um, for you and for the OEC, one of the things we've often talked about is the OEC is data-driven, right?
So, so like to name that, that, you know, when looking up organizations mm-hmm. Of [00:17:00] course I'm gonna put a plugin for OEC because, um, the organization just has a history of, um. Being, like making choices rooted in data, in data analysis. And I think that we live in a time where science and data are in dispute.
So this is an organization that has a history of being data-driven. So I just, I just wanna name that, um, I. I know we could probably just keep talking all day. Just the two of us. And just for listeners, um, you know, I've just had the privilege and honor to sit on the board to watch its evolution, um, as just a person in my own leadership, which has been great.
And then ALC we provided trainings and supports for the organization, um, but really committed to what the org is doing. So for listeners, do you have like a request or a call to action or a thing you'd like listeners to know or, or due I. Well, um, the first thing I, I wanted to say is I love this Jewish quote from [00:18:00] the Mishna, which is, you are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.
So, what I hope people take from this is I'm not asking you to solve all of the world's problems. Um. What I am calling you to do is join me in, in continuing the work, and we do have a website that is chockfull of resources. As you said, one of our core values is being science-based and we have a strategic plan goal that is just making sure that people have access to credible.
Resources, uh, and education on environmental topics that matter to them. So I guess my call to action would be consider going to our website, um, becoming a member, you know, for $5 a year you can be an OEC member, you will get access to. Membership events and briefings, you can customize based on your interest if you're interested in a particular part of the state or a particular policy area, whether [00:19:00] that's energy, land, democracy, or water.
And you can start to get more involved. So that would be my call to action is, is take one step in the right direction. Join us, visit our website theoec.org and um, we would just love to have you join us in the movement. That's awesome. So for listeners, we'll, we'll add the OEC's credentials in our show notes, um, with their website and their materials.
That would be important for you to know. And as always, if you have questions about social movement spaces or wanna get more involved, you can always go to jennifersconyers.com. Well, thank you so much, Carol. This has been great. I'm so glad you joined us. Thank you. This was wonderful. Thank you for having me.
Awesome. Thank you so much. All right.
Thank you so much for joining us today on the ALC ChangeMakers Podcast. If you found today's conversation inspiring or helpful, we'd love it if you'd subscribe, rate, and leave a review. [00:20:00] It helps other changemakers like you find our show at Abundance Leadership Consulting, we believe in building sustainable leadership and connected communities through justice, courage, and care.
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