Spring 2001
Managing Director Report
We are happy to report that year 2000 will long be remembered in SVTC history. This was the year of the great Erin Brockovich-SVTC collaboration. When Erin, the environmental heroine who single handedly exposed PG & E’s toxic secrets, agreed to headline our 18th anniversary benefit celebration and accept SVTC’s Debbie Cole Memorial Community Service Award, we were delighted. When she spoke from her heart, sang our praises and pointed out the similarities between our efforts and her own, we were elated! Erin stayed until 10:30pm, chatting with event guests, signing autographs and posing for photos--charming the socks off of everyone! A grand time was had by all; and we set a new fundraising record!
Other event highlights: SVTC Communications Director and web-maven Leslie Byster unveiled our snazzy new website (www.svtc.org). If you haven’t had a chance, please have a look. Leslie spent countless hours at her computer perfecting it, with the help of talented web designers Tony Jazvo and Kevin Allen.
2000 was the year that our Advisory Council was born, its charter members including Erin Brockovich; Friends of the Earth President, Brent Blackwelder; and Social Ventures 2 partner, Carolyn Bechtel. Long time Board members Frank Schiavo and Julie Phillips retired. We are sorry to see them go, thankful for their years of support and activism, and glad that they are making an effort to ease the pace of their busy lives. Claire Thorp traded her Development Director position for a seat on the Board of Directors. Chad Raphael, Santa Clara University Communications professor, long time SVTC ally, and recipient of SVTC’s Community Partner Award also joined the Board. Lily Hsueh is our most recent Board of Directors newcomer. Lily is Secretary General of the Taiwanese Environmental Action Network (TEAN). She was one of the organizers of the recent Taiwan trip made by SVTC representatives Ted Smith, Leslie Byster and John Rosenblum.
During the summer of 2000, Ai Kuwabara, a Japanese graduate student from the University of Wyoming joined our ranks to research the websites of Japanese electronics manufacturers. Her work was featured in our 2000 Electronics Manufacturers Report Card, The Right to Know...a Little: Exposing Double Standards in Global High-Tech Production (www.svtc.org/cleancc/), which received global attention. Ai stayed at Linda Abundiz’s home and became a certified family member!
In September, Clean Computer Campaign (CCC) volunteer Olga Meydbray joined the staff as CCC research associate. Olga has a degree in Environmental Science and has worked with a local environmental consulting firm. Olga has been working with SVTC ally, Sheila Davis, to coordinate a series of Electronics Recycling Infrastructure meetings, which are hosted by SVTC and the Materials for the Future Foundation and funded by US EPA and the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Many important working partnerships have been formed among Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), industry partners and government. Due to the work of these partnerships, the Department of Toxic Substances Control issued an important letter of clarification confirming that obsolete Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors are hazardous waste and therefore barred from landfills.
In late November, Jay Mendoza came aboard as the Project Director for our National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) funded project, promptly naming it “the HEJ (Health and Environmental Justice) project.” Jay is the founder of the Pilipino Workers Center, and served as its Executive Director prior to coming to SVTC. As we write, Jay is in the Philippines helping his wife deliver their baby son, Rojo. Jay, Kyle Yamasaki, HEJ researcher and organizer, and organizer Stephanie Sayo, are collaborating to develop two programs-FACES (Family and Community Environmental School) and REACH OUT! (Raising Environmental Awareness for Clinicians and Health Care Professionals about Understanding Toxics)—to educate community members and health care professionals of the hazards in high tech workplace environments. One of this team’s chief long term goals is to work with Santa Clara County to develop an environmental health agenda.
Michael Stanley-Jones of our Sustainable Water Program attended the 1st round negotiations on the future UN Chemical Right-to-Know Protocol in Geneva, Switzerland, February 28-March 2 (see article, page 3) . Michael says the prospects are bright for a future agreement among the 30 plus counties that attended the meeting.
Michael’s next stop took him to Arendal, Norway, the home of United Nations Environment Program/ Global Resource Information Database (UNEP/GRID) Information Factory” UNEP/GRID hosted a Workshop on Electronic Tools in support of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision Making, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (aka, the “Aarhus Convention”). Working with other activists from Europe and Central Asia, Michael challenged governments to address the “digital divide” and ensure the unwired public gain equal access to information and rights to participate in decisions affecting health and the environment.
Virginia Robinson is Michael Stanley Jones’ new office mate. Add Virginia to our list of in-house environmental heroines and activists, as she recently completed a cross country bicycling tour (with her dog!) to promote awareness of the misuse of pesticides and toxins. With extensive experience in ecological research and environmental education, Virginia took on the Clean Streams/Clean Bay program’s Community Projects Coordinator position with ease. When she’s not coordinating with teachers and students at Pioneer High School, Virginia can be spotted at the Delta, harvesting clams at dusk, and knee deep in the Guadalupe, planting the indicator clams that will later be analyzed for PCB (polycholorinated biphenyl content. (see page 7)
We have a wealth of good news to report for the first quarter of 2001. Beginning in January, volunteer Harvard Business School Community Partners consultants Jim Graber and Riley Willcox used their CFO/NGO experience to help SVTC improve its financial management. Riley and Jim have emerged from the barrage of questions and pleas for advice with the same friendly smiles as when they began. We are very thankful for their time and helpful recommendations.
Seasoned local fundraiser, Tish Bayer, is coordinating SVTC’s Major Gifts Committee and has gathered an inspired group of SVTC Board and staff members to help with this important new initiative. We know you’ll respond generously when she contacts you!
SVTC Executive Director Ted Smith has been organizing meetings of the Electronics Take-it Back! Campaign. (see page 3) and speaking at numerous conferences. There are several notable events coming up this Spring that involve Ted:
In April, Ted has been asked to be the NGO coordinator at the Electronics Recycling Summit outside of Washington, D.C. He will also be one of the NGO negotiators involved in a national dialogue on developing a computer recycling take-back and recycling program.
On May 15, at 5:00 pm Ted will address the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on the topic “Obsolete Computers — Not in my landfill!” The program will be moderated by Betsy Rosenberg, host of Trashtalk radio. For more info, contact Leslie Byster, SVTC Communications Director.
On May 16, Ted will be honored as an “Unsung Hero of Compassion” at an event hosted by the Dalai Lama. The “Celebration of Compassion in Action” will be held at the San Jose Fairmont Hotel from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. Peter Coyote will be Master of Ceremonies.
This news is hot off the press: during the last week of March we gained both a new Development Director and Managing Director. Kirby Wright, a talented and accomplished writer will act as joint DD for SVTC and SCCOSH. Kirby was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and has authored two “semi-autobiographical” novels that are set in the islands. Kirby has a nose for a good cause: in the early 80s he worked on Ralph Nader’s campaigns at the Center for Auto Safety.
Jacqueline Chu-Montell leaves SVTC with much regret, but she threatens to return! She is glad to be leaving the position in the hands of Loc Chau. Loc is a long time San Jose resident who comes to the Coalition with an impressive and varied community service background. Born and raised in Vietnam, Loc was a police officer, Director of Programs and Development for the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California, and most recently, a software test engineer for a Silicon Valley start-up company. Loc has a one year old daughter, Brooke, who will be a great play mate for baby Rojo!
On April 7th, SVTC staff and Board members gathered at the beach front home of Board member Kristin Jensen Sullivan to get better acquainted, evaluate our work, and develop a comprehensive plan for saving the world!
Jacqueline Chu-Montell is SVTC Managing Director
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