Sierra Club To Endorse Barbara McIlvaine Smith

PRESS ADVISORY
July 22, 2006

West Chester—On Tuesday, July 25, at 11 am, the Sierra Club’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Group will endorse Barbara McIlvaine Smith, candidate for Pennsylvania State Representative in District 156. The endorsement, which will take place at the Chester Creek Park on Reservoir Road in East Goshen, is a strong acknowledgment of Barb’s lifetime commitment to preserving the environmental resources that are essential for the health and welfare of our citizens.

In the race for the 156th District legislative seat, Barbara McIlvaine Smith stands out as the candidate who has a clear record of service fighting for critical environmental issues. With the proven and growing threat of climate change upon us, Barb McIlvaine Smith is the only candidate who can bring a lifetime of commitment and environmental knowledge to the table. She is the person responsible for gaining the unanimous, early support of West Chester Borough Council for Governor Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative. Her efforts helped put this overwhelmingly popular and important initiative on the ballot last year. While on the West Chester Borough Council, she voted on a storm water management program "to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the 'maximum extent practicable'; protect water quality; and satisfy the requirements of the Clean Water Act" for the Chester Creek Watershed, in which the borough sits. She has a long record of promoting recycling and, during her Borough Council tenure, she initiated trash, recycling, and composting systems to improve solid waste disposal and cut costs while preserving our local environment. For years, Barb taught children the importance of environmental responsibility as an educator at the Brandywine Valley Association and is a certified master composter. She is a long-time member of numerous environmental groups, including the Sierra Club.

On Tuesday, Barb will be joined by Richard Whiteford, Chair of the Chester County Sierra Club Committee; Robin Mann, Board of Directors of the Sierra Club and Chair of the Wetlands Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club; Bill Brainerd, Political Chair of Sierra Club’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Group; Jane Fava, Watershed Watch Coordinator for the Brandywine Valley Association and member of the Sierra Club and CRC Watersheds Association; State Senator Andy Dinniman; and Chester County Commissioner Pat O'Donnell. Invited are: Walter Wujcik, Chair of the East Goshen Township Conservancy Board, and Ann Murphy, Chair of Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association.

Barbara McIlvaine Smith is already endorsed by several organizations, including the Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculties, the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund, and Planned Parenthood of Chester County.

The press is cordially invited to attend the endorsement on Tuesday. For more information, contact: Lani Frank, Campaign Manager: 610-696-4990