Media Contact: Charlie McAteer, Front and Centered Communications, [email protected], 917-696-1321
Do you want to interview policy experts, researchers, and advocates who can speak to a growing portfolio of issues impacting the climate, environment, health, education, energy, water, transportation, pollution, and more? Are you looking for community and movement leaders who represent frontline communities—communities of color, Indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees, and people with lower incomes—in Washington State?
The Front and Centered coalition has an impressive bench of such experts and leaders who are available for media interviews and various speaking engagements, including panels, briefings, podcasts, videos, and more.
Front and Centered is the largest coalition of communities of color-led groups across Washington State who uses capacity building, leadership support, research and development, policy analysis, and advocacy to advance equity, climate justice, and environmental justice. For over a decade, we have improved well-being for all Washingtonians by passing groundbreaking environmental laws, redirecting millions of dollars and other key resources to frontline communities, and advancing community-directed strategies to limit pollution and correct environmental health disparities.
Policy Research, Analysis & Advocacy
Each legislative session we’re prepared to advocate for frontline community priorities. This last session, we achieved victories against daunting headwinds. Despite the combination of a growing state budget deficit compounded by drastic federal cuts, our coalition successfully:
- Fulfilled our top policy priority this session by passing House Bill 1903, a bill establishing a new low-income energy bill assistance program for households across the state. “As energy costs continue to rise, Washingtonians need reliable, sustained, monthly support to access affordable energy and meet their livelihood needs,” said our Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead Aqsa Mengal in a media release.
- Defended proposed cuts to the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act—Washington State’s landmark environmental justice law that we helped write and pass into law in 2021.
- Played a key role in reestablishing the state’s wildfire resilience fund at $60 million, helping restore forests, train firefighters, and nurture community-led projects that build community climate resilience before fires begin.
Although a data center regulation bill (HB 2515) did not pass, after years of offering handouts to the industry, this was the legislature’s first attempt at requiring data centers to power their facilities with clean energy. Our coalition is deeply involved in the ways that data centers and artificial intelligence are impacting our communities, highlighting the perspectives of Indigenous and frontline leaders, participating in Governor Bob Ferguson’s Data Center Workgroup, and working with allies to plan for a stronger push in 2027.
To mark this fifth year of the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), we’re publishing a series of blog posts exploring the controversial act’s inherent flaws and why we view it as a false solution, yet we recognize and will fight to realize the real opportunities and benefits for frontline communities and environmental justice. Adding a new strategy to our toolbox, we joined a coalition of WA local governments and advocates to file a lawsuit that, in 2025, successfully challenged the constitutionality of an initiative aiming to strike down the CCA. Despite its problems, the language of the law contains enforceable targets, community oversight, and legally-mandated environmental justice investments—funding dedicated to frontline communities.
In another post, Christina Estela Brown, our Environmental Justice & Climate Policy Integration Lead, explores linking Washington’s carbon market to a larger one shared with California and Québec. Linkage exacerbates a key problem with the CCA by expanding a market where Washington polluters can purchase allowances from outside the state to meet their compliance obligation without reducing pollution at their own facility where frontline communities live, work, and play.
Front and Centered Coalition Profiles
Learn more about our team of policy experts, researchers, analysts, and advocates which is bigger, broader, and deeper than ever.
Aqsa Mengal, Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead
A Just Transition requires us to move towards energy systems that center the interests of those on the frontlines for the benefit of all. By holding utilities accountable to their requirements under the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) and advocating for affordable energy and community-controlled renewables, Aqsa leads Front and Centered’s energy justice efforts.
Esther Min, Director of Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning
Policymaking too often leaves out consideration of the cumulative health impacts communities actually face which limits its impact. Esther applies environmental and climate justice principles in environmental public health research and practice including topics of cumulative impacts, pollution burden, and health equity.
Guillermo Rogel Jr., Political Manager
The legislative and political landscape in Olympia and across Washington State moves fast. Guillermo keeps our community coalition informed and engaged so our statewide advocacy is best positioned to shape the present and future of environmental justice in the Evergreen State.
Leah Wood, Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning Lead
Environmental justice must center the priorities and leadership of those most impacted. Leah uses community-driven research skills across issue areas like water and energy justice to connect people and ideas on the ground to policy solutions.
Christina Estela Brown, Environmental Justice & Climate Policy Integration Lead
Environmental justice requires public decision-making that is transparent, accountable, and grounded in lived realities. Christina brings interdisciplinary expertise in environmental systems and ecological economics to support equity-centered environmental policy and collective action.
James Lee, Communications Advocacy Strategist
Dominant narratives tend to characterize communities of color, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and refugees, and people with lower incomes as vulnerable people who need to be “saved” by experts and by the powerful. James works to challenge these narratives by showcasing the power, expertise, critical thought, cultures, policy solutions, and joy that frontline communities possess and demonstrate every day.
Maiko Patschke, Environmental Justice Policy Lead
The budget is a moral document that illustrates the state’s priorities and commitments. Maiko analyzes the state budgets and advocates for funding for environmental justice initiatives that center frontline communities.
Cameron Steinback, Climate Justice Program Manager
Washington has a vital and unique leadership role in confronting our global climate crisis. Cameron envisions and drives change as an educator and systems thinker in his role leading our climate justice program, integrating issues and projects on energy, transportation, and climate resilience.
Jamie Hearn, Climate and Community Planning Lead
Washington has no specific permit requirements that pertain to environmental justice. Jamie brings experience working with frontline communities on developing climate justice advocacy campaigns and policies to our efforts to pass the Cumulative Risk Burden Reduction Act (CURB).
Isabel Carrera Zamanillo, Community Learning and Innovation Strategist
Environmental and climate justice education is often delivered through top-down approaches that overlook local and traditional knowledge, as well as the lived experiences and identities of frontline communities. Isabel addresses this gap by co-creating community learning events using a co-learn, unlearn, and relearn approach, supporting collective action on pollution and climate change.
See our updated Newsroom and Speakers Bureau for media coverage, media releases, and more details about our team’s expertise, experience, and languages spoken, including English, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, Brahui, Urdu, Pashto, and Khmer.
Despite the dire threats of the climate crisis combined with a federal administration who collectively sticks their heads in the oil sands, we can do things differently and better here in Washington State and will continue working for justice even when it feels against all odds. We look forward to being in conversation with you and providing the information and perspectives you may need to support your reporting.
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