Please join us in welcoming our ecoAdvocates from Lake County and the South Shore Neighborhood of Chicago!
Participants in our EcoAdvocates 18-month program educate their fellow community members about energy efficiency and encourage participation in energy-saving programs. They will coordinate events to engage individuals and small businesses in their outreach.
Completion of the program will lead to workforce placement. We are proud to partner with ComEd, CLEAResult, and Slipstream on this program.
Get to know the EcoAdvocates by reading their bios below!
Name: Bruthahood Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: basketball, videos, music
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Cookouts
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Growing food
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Educating/informing people
Name: Abbey Castro Region: Lake County Hobbies: painting, baking, DIY crafts, volunteering, gardening, drawing, and playing guitar
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Spending time with friends and going on adventures, volunteering with my friends, and enjoying nature's beauty.
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Recycling and making sure I don't use any plastic materials, informing my friends and family about ways to be more sustainable, and I try to make art out of materials that are going to waste.
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? I’m excited to better the communities and help save energy! With the incredible team we have, I am sure we will achieve our goals. I’m looking forward to interacting with Waukegan’s community members and helping them gain more knowledge about all the interesting topics. Hopefully I will get to make an impact in the community members life and energy!
Name: Robin Boyd-Clark Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: swimming, water aerobics, sailing, playing with my g-babies!
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Swim outdoors, sailing, sun/moongazing, drinking fruit smoothies
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Reducing carbon footprint, using plants to heal people, inspiring people to heal the earth
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Community engagement to spur independent, critical thinking and common unity linked to healing
Name: Holly Henry-Emanuel Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: working outside, swimming, and building & creating wealth
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Traveling, attending concerts, swimming, and being happy :)
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Not littering, recycling, and educating others about global warming
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Helping educate my community about saving energy and getting my community involved in using resources that are eco-friendly. Also, meeting the needs of my position and growing in the organization.
Name: Teri Hicks Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: Reading, crafting with grandkids, walking, and cooking/feeding people
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Read – I love to read almost anything. I also like to walk around bodies of water.
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? I used to use paper plates, cups etc with my catering business. I made the change to recyclable/reusable products both in my business and even at home.
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Learning more about ways to be environmentally conscious. To teach and share ways to save and protect our environment. To make a difference in my community. To teach my grandchildren to have a sense of commitment to the planet working with a team and finding out what works in delivering our goals.
Name: Peggy Jones Region: Lake County Hobbies: cooking, bike riding, walking in the forest preserves, and reading and listening to smooth jazz
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Cookouts, hearing concerts at Ravinia, free concerts in the park, and eating seeded watermelon.
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Recycling, conserving water and electricity, using re-usable bags when shopping, and avoiding foam containers and plastic straws.
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Educating people on lowering their electricity and water bills, thereby helping to protect our environment. Making a difference in the lives of others and making our world a better place for generations to come.
Name: Hope Kyle Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: reading, writing, shopping, traveling, and spending time with family
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? I love to go to Chicago festivals and outdoor activities. My favorite Chicago site to go EVERY summer is the Buckingham Fountain.
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Reuse materials that people want to throw away. me.
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Educating young people and their families about being more environmentally responsible – saving energy.
Name: Sharon C. Louis Region: South Shore neighborhood of Chicago Hobbies: traveling, cooking, community activism
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Free outdoor activities: concerts, festivals, movies etc.
What is your favorite way to be environmentally sustainable? Promoting awareness, taking classes with USGBC and Centers for Green Technology, and attending information/awareness events.
What are you looking forward to about being an ecoadvocate? Spreading awareness among my neighbors, introducing eco opportunities to youth as a viable career path, and introducing eco opportunities to contractors of color to foster greening of their work.