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Get to know the people working to boldly build Maine's climate movement.
MCAN STAFF
AMY ESHOO
Program Manager
Amy Eshoo (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager for MCAN. She is also Program Manager for 350 Maine where she has been an active Core volunteer since 2015. Her climate actions encourage energy sustainability in her community. As a parent at Maine Coast Waldorf School in Freeport she was the project manager for the building of a net zero (Passive House certified) high school. Prior to living in Maine she was a practicing artist and art educator in London and New York. Her favorite things about her home in Maine are the quiet and the dark night sky.
CASSIE CAIN
Youth Engagement Director
Cassie Cain (she/her/hers) is Maine Climate Action Now's and 350 Maine’s Youth Engagement Coordinator, where she has worked in partnership with Maine Youth Action Network and multiple Maine youth-led groups to form Maine Youth for Climate Justice (MYCJ), a coalition of over 300 Maine youth activists fighting for bold climate action, climate justice, and a just transition in Maine. Cassie provides administrative and outreach support to MYCJ, helps youth build their organizing and leadership skills, connects youth to resources and support from intergenerational and adult ally organizations, and was one of the organizers for September 2019 climate strikes in Portland. She also serves as the MYCJ representative to Maine Youth Climate Strikes' Executive Board. Cassie graduated from Brandeis University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. At Brandeis, she was also an organizer for Brandeis Climate Justice’s fossil fuel divestment campaign. Having been raised in Maine, Cassie is grateful for the opportunity to organize with the climate justice movement here.
EXPLORE | FAQs, Primary Topics and Resources
FAQ
EXPLORE THE PORTAL THROUGH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
TOPIC
EXPLORE THE PORTAL THROUGH PRIMARY CLIMATE TOPICS.
RESOURCE
EXPLORE THE PORTAL THROUGH PRIMARY CLIMATE TOPICS.
KARLE WOODS
Communications Coordinator
Karle Woods is a mixed-media artist and freelance graphic designer. Raised in the Western foothills of Maine, and with a degree in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic, she is passionate about working within small grassroots communities and centers her work in relationship building. She has worked for the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy and Maine Climate Action Now as Communications Coordinator, and is a part of statewide initiatives like the Maine Food Convergence Project and the Pine Tree Amendment Coalition, leading communications, campaign management, and creative direction. She own's a statewide Art Consulting company called Lights Out Gallery. Karle’s work and art are both largely inspired by a lifestyle close to Nature.
CLAIRE HOLMAN
Youth Representative & Western Youth Engagement Coordinator
Claire Holman (she/her/hers) is excited to be a Youth Representative to the Climate Justice Crash Course project and the Western Youth Engagement Coordinator for MYCJ. She hails from Mt.Vernon, Maine. Before starting this position she had been involved in the fight for climate justice through work on political campaigns and running her school's gardens/sustainability committee. Currently a student at Maranacook High School, she spends her free time skiing, biking, practicing her Maine accent, and napping on the beach with friends.
ZAK KENDALL
Member Support & Northeast Youth Engagement Coordinator
Zak Kendall (he/him/his) is the Member Support Coordinator and the Northeast Youth Engagement Coordinator for MYCJ, where he creates opportunities for rural Maine youth to get involved in state-wide climate initiatives. He 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, you will most likely find him paddling on one of Maine's beautiful rivers near his home in the western foothills.
ELISE HARTILL
Administrative and Communications Coordinator for MYCJ
Elise Hartill (she/her/hers) is the Administrative and Communications Coordinator for Maine Youth for Climate Justice. She has a M.Sc. in marine biology from the University of Maine where she studied cold-water coral ecosystems. Throughout her studies, she developed a love and understanding not only for the non-human animals in the ocean, but also for our human community and our place in the ecosystem. She strives to help nurture a world where all beings are supported. She is motivated by the need to develop community-driven resilience to climate change by supporting local food systems, involving communities in citizen science, and developing adaptive strategies that meet each individual community's needs. She is also a bead weaving artist and loves making furniture using reclaimed wood. She lives off-grid with her partner in a 20 ft. yurt, and enjoys running the trails around her home, doing yoga, and so many more outdoor activities that Maine has to offer.
EZRA SASSAMAN
Advocacy and Organizing Coordinator for MYCJ
Ezra Sassaman (he/him/his) is the Advocacy and Organizing Coordinator for Maine Youth for Climate Justice. He also works for A Climate to Thrive, a climate solutions nonprofit based on Mount Desert Island, the area of his hometown. Ezra studied German and Philosophy at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, graduating in 2016. Since then, he has been a yoga teacher, legal assistant, and freelance journalist. He has also researched dark money and corporate influence in politics at the Center for Media and Democracy, a watchdog organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. In his free time, Ezra loves playing basketball, Scrabble, and Magic: the Gathering.