Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice

Staff

Dr. Mark Mitchell is the founding president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ) and has served on both local networks’ steering committees since their inception. Dr. Mitchell received his Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University where he was trained in environmental health and health policy. Dr. Mitchell has spent nearly twenty years working in the public health sector; he has spent the past five years educating the community on the effects of the environment on health. Working primarily with communities of color and low-income, he teaches people what can be done to prevent and reduce the disproportionately higher rates of disease in their communities. Dr. Mitchell serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Lung Association of Connecticut and the Hispanic Health Council.

Dawn Simonsen started volunteering at CCEJ in July of 2004. Coming from a background of customer oriented jobs she fell right in step with doing mass mailings, answering phones, calling members, and learning office computer skills. That fall she accepted a part-time position which grew in hours and responsibilities, including our First Annual Environmental Justice Conference October 29, 2005. She was a full-time employee by then. Assistant organizer, cook, do anything that needs to be done, Dawn is very environmentally friendly by using mass transit or walking. She loves the challenge to do whatever was done before better each time.

Katherine Woodhead is our first full-time organizer at our new Fairfield County Environmental Justice Network, CCEJ's affiliate in Bridgeport. She also works with the Farnam Courts Environmental Justice Network in New Haven. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University where she studied Environmental Sociology. Currently, she is pursuing a Masters degree from Sacred Heart University. Katherine comes to CCEJ with a broad range of organizing experience in upstate New York, Virginia, Washington DC, and in Boston.

Ed Grant, a New Haven resident, was hired in 2001 to be the part-time organizer of the newly formed New Haven Environmental Justice Network. Mr. Grant is a World War II veteran and owner of Freddie Fixer Recycling. He is a member of the Governor’s Footguard in New Haven. Mr. Grant has been involved in community organizing around recycling and other environmental issues since the very first Earth Day in 1970.

Ben Murguia is the assistant community organizer for the Fairfield County Environmental Justice Network. He originally hails from San Antonio, Texas and holds degrees in Political Science and Social Work from the University of North Texas. Ben has case management and consulting experience with Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. He uses the word "y'all" frequently and his last name rhymes with tortilla. Ben comes to FCEJN through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

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