Overview

• On August 11, the board unanimously voted to terminate Ben Jealous’s employment after an extensive review of his conduct.
• Jealous had been on leave since July and was succeeded by interim executive director Loren Blackford during the evaluation.
• The board pledged to pursue its probe into misconduct concerns irrespective of who is named in the allegations.
• Employees and the Progressive Workers Union had earlier held a no-confidence vote over layoffs, budget cuts and strained labor relations under Jealous.
• The leadership change follows staffing reductions at the Sierra Club and other major environmental nonprofits facing funding and legal challenges after the Trump administration rolled back key climate regulations.