Jace Bylenga

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Jace attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo where he received a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Environmental Studies and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He then joined AmeriCorps VISTA in Spokane, WA, where he worked to build programs that focused on the nexus of poverty and environmental degradation in partnership with Gonzaga University.

Then, he relocated within the Inland Northwest to Sandpoint, ID, where he had the opportunity to work to protect Idaho’s largest lake as staff with Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, the Bonner County Water and Soil Conservation District, and the Bonner County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force.

He then returned to Spokane, WA to join the Sierra Club as a staff Organizer. With the Sierra Club, his work focused on educating and mobilizing large numbers of people to take repeated actions in opposition of significant fossil fuel infrastructure proposals. Ultimately, those campaigns defeated what would have been the largest coal and oil export facilities in North America by breaking records for public participation in the environmental review process. Also while with the Sierra Club, he helped lead a campaign to move Avista Utilities beyond coal to clean energy, and participated in the Technical Advisory Committee for Avista’s Integrated Resource Planning process. This was part of a larger, regional effort to retire one of the largest coal plants in the West in Colstrip, MT. While with Sierra Club, he also worked on many local and state elections.

Shortly after those victories, he joined the campaign for Gov. Jay Inslee as Eastern and Central Washington Field Organizer in his successful 2016 re-election. Then for the 2020 election, he returned to Michigan as a lead staff for canvassing operations, managing the Kalamazoo office, and helping to elect Sen. Peters, Pres. Biden, and Democrats down the ticket. Jace is excited to be back in Michigan with his family and partner Sherri. In his free time, he takes care of his three pet goats, enjoys running, hiking, paddling, biking, skiing and sometimes climbing.