Gene Karpinski, President of the national League of Conservation Voters (LCV), has been selected as the 2024 recipient of Michigan LCV’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an outstanding individual who has dedicated their professional lives to protecting our environment.

A pioneer of the modern environmental movement, Gene has spent his entire career working to protect human health and our natural resources, tackle the climate crisis, and expand voting rights. His vision for and commitment to the Conservation Voter Movement (CVM) has been transformational, ensuring that leagues like Michigan LCV are at the center of political change in states all across the country.

Fiercely intelligent, quick-witted, and politically astute, Gene has a knack for understanding the lay of the land and using it to advance our environmental agenda by influencing and engaging key stakeholders, especially when lobbying on Capitol Hill. Gene, who is a dynamic, personable, and engaging speaker, doesn’t shy away from hard truths. And, he’s not afraid to hold our elected officials accountable – in private and on the public airwaves – criticizing bad decisions and praising the good legislation they put forth and vote on to protect our air, water, land, and democracy. 

Gene has been an instrumental part of CVM for more than 30 years, first as a longtime LCV board member, and then as its president for the last 18 years. Under Gene’s leadership, LCV has played a lead role in the environmental community’s efforts to pass clean energy and climate policies. During his tenure, he also increased LCV’s impact on elections by dramatically increasing LCV’s spending on helping to elect pro-environment candidates. His energy, enthusiasm, and dedication to service has been inspirational to all of us in the Conservation Voter Movement. 

Prior to joining the staff of LCV, Gene spent more than two decades as the Executive Director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), the national lobbying office for state PIRGs across the country, where he led many national environmental issue campaigns. Previously, Gene worked for advocacy groups such the People for the American Way, Colorado Public Interest Research Group and Public Citizen. He has served on a number of national boards and steering committees, including America Votes, Blue Green Alliance, Strategic Victory Fund, the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform, the Beldon Fund, and the National Association for Public Interest Law.

His decades of tireless work culminated recently in the largest, most impactful legislation on climate change, environmental justice, and clean energy in our country’s history: the 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. LCV’s work nationally and in partnership with state leagues helped build the groundswell of support that President Biden lauded as critical to the passage of the legislation.

Gene is a graduate of Brown University and has a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. He is married and has two grown children. Gene lives in Arlington, VA with his wife Elizabeth Collaton.

Michigan LCV thanks Gene for his lifetime of service to the environmental movement and recognizes his exceptional life’s work with this award. We look forward to continuing to work with him to cement his legacy as we strive for a just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

Phil Roos, Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), has been selected as the 2024 recipient of Michigan LCV’s Public Official of the Year Award, which recognizes an elected official or public-sector leader who has demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting Michigan’s natural resources and environment.

Although his tenure at EGLE has been limited, Phil has already brought a whole new sense of hope and possibility to the state agency as well as a deep commitment to the full implementation of the MI Healthy Climate Plan and complete adoption of Justice40 principles. Both are key steps in building a healthier, more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable Michigan for all Michiganders. As a champion of these initiatives, Phil is leading EGLE in not only managing the state’s air, water, land, and energy resources, but protecting them and, most importantly, also fighting for real environmental justice.

A seventh-generation Michigander, Phil cares deeply about protecting the environment of his home state. Growing up in Flint, he saw first-hand the legacy of toxic contamination from our industrial past. He also saw all of Michigan’s beauty – spending a lot of time in and around the Great Lakes and stewarding land adjacent to his family’s post-Civil-War-era homestead and farm. Phil describes his views: “On the environmental protection side, that’s pretty deep in my bones. I take that role pretty seriously – kind of a seventh-generation, ‘do no harm’ perspective.” 

An entrepreneur, business leader, and a consultant with deep expertise in organizational strategy, innovation, and growth, Phil excels at breaking down complex, seemingly impossible problems into solvable little chunks. Phil has held senior leadership positions in large and early-stage companies, as well as two consulting firms that he started. Prior to his 2023 appointment as director of EGLE, he was the founder and CEO of Upland, an innovation and growth strategy consulting firm formerly known as Great Lakes GrowthWorks. 

Phil has served on the boards of numerous wildlife, conservation, and health organizations, including Michigan’s Council on Climate Solutions, National Wildlife Federation, and Michigan LCV, where he served as Board Chair and was instrumental in growing our organization and increasing our impact.

“Phil’s leadership on our board of directors over the past 12 years has been transformational, guiding our organization to be one of the most effective non-partisan political environmental organizations in the country,” said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of Michigan LCV. 

“Phil is a masterful strategist and intentional bridge-builder who has helped Michigan LCV, and a myriad of businesses and other organizations, clearly define their vision for growth, innovation, and impact. His experience, compassion, and level-headed leadership are invaluable.”

And while Phil is committed to environmental protection and understands the magnitude of the challenges we face, such as climate change, his experience in business strategy and consulting has given him the tools necessary to tackle these big problems. Working with large and small companies, his focus was on helping them map out the future. “What will the next five, ten, 20 years look like? What are the big changes and disruptions awaiting us? And how do we thrive? And how do we make a difference in the world as a result of that?”

Friendly and unflappable, even in the face of huge challenges, he can work with just about anybody. Phil believes that the two perspectives – economic development and environmental protection – don’t need to be in opposition; there’s opportunities for both.

Phil received a BBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is married and has three wonderful adult children, each married to a wonderful spouse. His hobbies include playing hockey, cycling, and studying music history. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife Kate and their two energetic dogs. 

Michigan LCV thanks Phil for his ongoing leadership in environmental protection and justice and is overjoyed to recognize his outstanding efforts with this award. We look forward to continuing to work with him to reach EGLE’s vision: a Michigan that respects people, treasures natural resources, and fosters thriving communities throughout our two peninsulas.

All Voting is Local Action (AVL Action) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) organization established in 2018 to champion voting rights and advocate for policies that protect access to the ballot. Originally launched as part of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, All Voting became an independent organization in 2022, continuing our mission to ensure that every eligible voter, particularly in marginalized communities, can participate in our democracy. Through AVL Action, we hold election officials and lawmakers accountable when they attempt to suppress votes or undermine the electoral process while working year-round to pass pro-voter legislation that makes elections more accessible for all voters. 

A cornerstone of our advocacy has been our role in advancing Proposition 2, a historic constitutional amendment that expanded early voting and secured critical election protections in Michigan. AVL Action played a pivotal role in mobilizing communities and ensuring the passage of Prop 2, and we continue to work closely with local election clerks to implement these changes, such as equitable access to drop boxes and early voting sites. Additionally, we successfully supported the Michigan Secretary of State’s $177 million election budget proposal, which will provide local clerks the resources to carry out these protections effectively. 

A major focus of AVL Action is demanding accountability for election deniers and fake electors. We led calls for the resignation of Michigan officials involved in the 2020 fake electors’ scheme, mobilizing voters to call for bad actors to be removed from positions of power. Our efforts have helped safeguard Michigan’s election processes and prevent future attempts to undermine the will of the people. The latest example of this work was seen when Delta County’s Board of Canvassers initially refused to certify a local election, during which AVL Action quickly took action, working with local partners to ensure the election was certified in compliance with the law. 

In addition to our C4 work, All Voting is Local (C3) also plays a crucial role in voter education and engagement. The MIVoted Campaign is a key initiative that helps Michigan voters navigate their new voting options, empowering them to choose the method that best fits their needs while providing Michigan clerks with resources that aid in implementing the new Prop 2 requirements. 

Through both our C3 and C4 efforts, we remain deeply committed to expanding voting rights and ensuring fair access to the ballot for all Michiganders. 

Our Michigan team includes Ashiya Brown, State Director; Kelsey Christian, Senior Campaign Manager; Daniel Rivera, Democracy Defense Senior Manager; Ben Gardner, Senior Campaign Manager; Vince Thurman, Senior Communications Manager; and Matt Swan, Senior Data Manager. We are honored to receive the Advocate of the Year award, recognizing our tireless efforts to protect voting rights, hold election deniers accountable, and ensure a secure and accessible democratic process for all voters.