Who is Napa Climate NOW?
Napa Climate NOW! is a grassroots, non-partisan group of concerned Napa residents, part of 350 Bay Area.
We are working to move the needle toward climate stabilization, and ultimately climate restoration, focusing on near-term as well as long-term solutions. That means reducing carbon dioxide, as well as cutting emissions of highly potent “short-lived” climate pollutants.
We must also protect and restore natural climate systems through efforts such as reforestation, protecting polar sea ice, carbon sequestration and installing reflective roofing and paving materials.
“If we act now, we can still securer a liveable sustainable future for all.” — IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee, 2023
Steering Committee
The Napa Climate NOW! Steering Committee currently consists of five people who have been volunteering with the organization for three or more years. We hold monthly meetings to discuss the vision and direction of the organization, and frequently weigh in on local, regional, and state issues on behalf of Napa Climate NOW! Our meetings are open to all members.
Lynne Baker
Co-Chair
Lynne serves as co-chair for the NCN! Steering Committee and has been an active member of Napa Climate Now! since its earliest days. Lynne notes, “When I heard Stan Rhodes speak in 2014 about the scientific inevitability of climate change and its impact of the whole of our planetary home I knew I had to do something!” As a nurse, Lynne is particularly concerned with the health effects of climate change.
Lynne retired as Director of Nursing Practice for Kaiser Permanente/The Permanente Medical Group in 2012 then served as a site evaluator for Partnership Health Plan for a number of years. She continues to serve as a community member of the KP Napa-Solano Ethics Committee. Lynne also serves on the Napa-Solano Area Agency on Aging Advisory Committee.
Lynne received her nursing diploma from St. Patrick School of Nursing, Missoula, MT and her MS from St. Mary’s College, Moraga, where she then taught Leadership and Ethics as an adjunct faculty member for 30 years.
Marilyn Knight-Mendelson
Co-Chair
Marilyn Knight-Mendelson is the Co-Chair of Napa Climate Now! As a parent, grandparent, retired educator, avid traveler, and lover of the earth and its people, she advocates for the well-being of our planet. She grew up in Australia, moved to California in the late 70s, and was employed as an administrator in the Napa Valley Unified School District for 35 years. Her work and life experiences have motivated her to strive to create a more just, sustainable and positive future for us all.
Chris Benz
Co-Founder, Treasurer
Chris fell in love with the outdoors as a teenager on backpacking trips with her dad. Working as a winemaker and winery production manager in Napa, she became concerned about the impact of winery groundwater use and vineyard expansion on the watershed. She got involved in community efforts for a more sustainable wine industry. She’s even busier in her retirement, working on local climate actions and education with Napa Climate NOW!’s many community partners.
Linda Brown
Co-Founder
Linda Brown is a long-time Napa resident, co-founder of Napa Climate NOW!, and outdoor enthusiast. Professionally, Linda is Senior Vice President and co-founder of SCS Global Services, an international pioneer and leader in third-party certification and standards development for environmental and sustainability claims for four decades. She has played a key role helping the company in its mission to drive global sustainable development and improve people’s lives through the application of sound science in diverse industries including forestry, fisheries, agriculture, mining, product manufacturing, green building, retail supply chains, and more.
A major area of focus has been climate change. Linda worked closely with CEO Dr. Stan Rhodes and leading climate researchers and experts to develop groundbreaking climate accounting protocols designed to empower corporations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to make effective climate mitigation decisions. Linda earned her Bachelor’s degrees in English and Political Science from Emory University, and her Master’s degree in Journalism from Stanford University.
Jim Wilson
Jim’s commitment to environmental sustainability and current climate science drives him to be a community activist and educator. As a climate literacy advocate, he teaches the latest concepts in climate responsibility to citizens, leaders, and youth of Napa County. He is also a community advisor to Napa Schools for Climate Action.
Jim Wilson’s unique combination of experiences prepared him well for leadership in conservation. His degree in Food Science led to his career in quality assurance for Anheuser-Busch, and extensive practice in root cause analysis and problem elimination. He works with the ethos that nature exists for reasons greater than providing resources for human exploitation.
Growing up in Sierra foothills, Jim would hike the trails raising his awareness of the importance of leaving nature as he found it. Jim’s family moved to Napa when he was in high school where he met his future wife, poet and writer, Leonore. They raised three sons who share their reverence of nature and concern for its protection.