The Board of Directors of The Sierra Club elected Lisa Renstrom from Charlotte, North Carolina to serve as the organization's 51st president, a position first held by John Muir. Renstrom has held local, state and national posts with the Sierra Club for more than a decade.

“The Sierra Club is revered by Americans who enjoy and respect the bounty
and beauty of our nation,” stated Renstrom. “It's an honor to follow in the
footsteps of John Muir and to build on his legacy to address the challenges
of the 21st century.”

Renstrom stated that her priority for the next year would be to reengage
Americans in conservation. “I believe most Americans share the Sierra
Club's goals of clean, safe energy, healthy communities and protecting our
special wild places. We need to work together to invest in America's
future and promote responsibility and fairness. We need to demand that our
government — the people we elect — works for our common interests.”

First elected by Sierra Club members to serve on the organization's
national Board of Directors in 2001, Renstrom was re-elected in 2004,
garnering the most votes in an election that drew the organization's
highest turnout ever. Following her re-election, Renstrom was tapped to
serve as Chairman of the Board.
In her time as a Director, Renstrom has already made her mark on the
organization. She is co-chair of the first-ever Sierra Club National
Environmental Convention and Expo, taking place in San Francisco, September
8-11. She also spearheaded a highly innovative capacity-building project
for Sierra Club Chapters and Groups, teaming up with Marshall Gantz of
Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

“Lisa's strong organizational skills, long history of Sierra Club service
and commitment to finding visionary solutions to critical environmental
problems makes her ideally suited to lead the organization to a future of
great influence and accomplishment,” said outgoing President Larry Fahn.

Though she didn't become an environmental activist until much later,
Renstrom credits her early years growing up on a farm in Nebraska as the
foundation for her bedrock environmental values. “My father had a 'waste
not, want not' mentality that was typical of his Depression Era upbringing.
The cycle of life was also very much a part of our world. You can't help
but marvel in the power and diversity of life when spring green dissolved
winter's grey, when foals, kittens and goslings pop up everywhere.” Today,
family is still a source of inspiration, and she is deeply proud of the
fact that her husband and daughter are similarly involved in developing and
promoting environmental solutions.

In addition to her contributions to the Sierra Club, Renstrom has had a
successful career in international hotel management. She has also served a
number of other community and environmental organizations including WTVI,
Charlotte's public television station; the Museum of Life and the
Environment; and as Executive Director for Voices & Choices, an
organization dedicated to promoting economic and environmental
sustainability in the Central Carolinas region.