Announcement: CSV Board transition, and our 3 new board members!

Transition Announcement: Lawrence Wollersheim

ClimateSafe Villages expresses deep gratitude to Lawrence Wollersheim for his invaluable contributions and dedicated service as he steps down from our board of directors, due to personal and professional commitments. Lawrence has played a pivotal role in the foundational stages of CSV, bringing his extensive experience and passion for climate resilience to the forefront of our initiatives. His efforts have been instrumental in establishing CSV as a beacon for sustainable community development and climate change solutions. While we will miss his direct involvement on the board, we look forward to his continued support and guidance in an advisory capacity. Lawrence's commitment to the climate change cause, through both CSV and his ongoing work with Job One For Humanity, leaves a lasting impact on our organization and the broader community. We are profoundly thankful for his dedication and look forward to his future contributions to our shared mission.

Welcome new CSV Board Members!

CSV is excited to announce three new members to our board!

Jeff Rice
Jeff Rice lives in Seattle and has served with many Seattle organizations focusing on the Asian American community for many years. He served on the Board of Directors for the Filipino Community of Seattle and helped establish the youth program FilSTAR as well as contributed to the early planning of the Filipino Community Village, a mixed development providing affordable housing to seniors. He then was Treasurer on the Board of Directors for API Chaya Seattle which serves survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking, and domestic violence within the Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and South Asian communities. He has pivoted his time and efforts towards understanding how climate change may impact global supply chains and connecting with groups to implement resilience within local communities. As part of Climate Safe Villages, he is actively involved with planning towards launching a site in Bellingham, WA. His hobbies include backyard farming, guerrilla-gardening, learning appliance repair, reading, learning DIY skills, and taking his kids to various sports activities.
He currently works at Amazon as a Sr Manager and previously worked at Starbucks.

Benjamin Ofodum
Benjamin is a lifelong learner with background in Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering focused on emerging technologies including renewables, decarbonization, energy efficiency and storage. With experience from working for a utility company, solar PV construction and as an independent contractor to a non-profit organization helping oil and gas workers looking to transition into renewables space, he is committed to initiatives that promote sustainability, drive innovation, and advocate for the collective well-being of our planet and humanity. By reimagining the integration of clean energy solutions within our built environment, he envisions a future defined by energy efficiency, sufficiency, and environmental harmony.

Tim Ely
Tim Ely is a volunteer Community Lead with Climate Safe Villages. He is also co-leader of the St. Louis area chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan group which champions legislation to fight climate change. Tim received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University, and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. When he’s not taking part in climate activism, Tim works as a cybersecurity engineer at a medical device company.