Van Jones, President & Founder
Van Jones is a CNN political commentator, regularly appearing across the network’s programming and special political coverage.
Jones is a Yale-educated attorney. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books, The Green Collar Economy (2008) andRebuild the Dream (2012). The second book chronicles his journey as an environmental and human rights activist to becoming a White House policy advisor. He was the main advocate for the Green Jobs Act. Signed into law by George W. Bush in 2007, the Green Jobs Act was the first piece of federal legislation to codify the term “green jobs.” During the Obama Administration, the legislation has resulted in $500 million in national funding for green jobs training.
In 2009, Jones worked as the green jobs advisor to President Barack Obama. In this role, Jones helped to lead the inter-agency process that oversaw the multi-billion dollar investment in skills training and jobs development within the environmental and green energy sectors.
Jones has been honored with numerous awards and spotlighted on several lists of high achievers, including: the World Economic Forum’s “Young Global Leader” designation; Rolling Stone’s 2012 “12 Leaders Who Get Things Done”; TIME’s 2009 “100 Most Influential People in The World”; and the Root's 2014 "The Root 100." He is presently a fellow at the MIT Media Lab.
Van is founder of Dream Corps, Rebuild The Dream, Green For All, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Color of Change.
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Vien Truong, Director
Vien Truong leads Green For All, a national initiative to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty.
Vien previously led the Greenlining Institute's Environmental Equity team in creating solutions for poverty and pollution at the state legislature, California Public Utilities Commission, and in localities around the state. Under her leadership, her team created state programs and policies around the country to direct billions of dollars in funding and resources to the communities most vulnerable to climate change. Vien helped pass SB 535 (de Leon, 2012) which directs a quarter of CA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to disadvantaged communities. In 2014, she co-led the Charge Ahead Initiative (SB 1275, de Leon) California’s nationally recognized program to accelerate the transformation to electric vehicles and create clean transportation choices for low income and working families. She also led the team's strategy and efforts to create the California Climate Credit, develop strong workforce standards for the energy efficiency sector, and create sustainable communities throughout California.
She has received congressional, state, regional and local awards for her work on behalf of low-income communities and communities of color. Vien was featured in the SF Chronicle as one of San Francisco’s “Top Women Leaders.” She received Urban Habitat’s “Movement Builder” award and Oxfam America’s “Act Local, Think Global” award. She is a recipient of the Transform 2015 Leadership, Innovation, Vision and Equity (LIVE) Award.
Prior to joining Greenlining, she led Green For All’s state policy and workforce development efforts.Vien was an Associate Attorney for the New Business Practicum at UC Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law, has worked with California Senator Joe Simitian in researching and developing state law, clerked with Chief Magistrate James Larson at the San Francisco Federal District Court and was the Community Economic Justice Law Fellow at UC Berkeley’s East Bay Community Law Center, helping to develop innovative, long-term economic development solutions to address the systemic problems confronting low-income communities.
Vien is a Board Member for the U.S. Climate Action Network. She holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Vien has served on the City of Oakland’s Planning Commission, helping guide the growth and development of her hometown.
Jeremy Hays, Senior Strategist
Jeremy was a founding staff member at Green For All. As Field Director, he helped propel Green For All from a start-up nonprofit into a national force for change. Later, as Chief Strategist for State and Local Initiatives, Jeremy led the organization’s focus on the development, implementation, and replication of green economic and workforce development models. Jeremy has broad experience bringing together diverse stakeholders to address poverty, environmental issues, and economic development. He holds master’s degrees in City Planning and in International Development from the University of California, Berkeley.
Julian McQueen, Director of Education and Outreach
Julian serves as Director of Education and Outreach for Green For All. His career is fueled by a strong belief in authentic movements that are powered by people. To this end, he’s engaged thousands of young people in the climate movement, by going on tour with Drake and Wiz Khalifa, and by organizing Green For All’s College Ambassador program, which cultivates environmental leaders at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He launched Green For All's Fellowship program, working with seasoned organizers from all over the country and the innovative Green The Block campaign, aimed at bringing sustainability to urban neighborhoods through culture and service.
In 2014 he started the Green The Church campaign, bringing hundreds of African American churches into the climate movement. He’s passionate about training leaders and activists, especially helping them use their personal stories in service of this work. In 2011 he co-founded The Million Person Project to further this work and support leaders within the Green For All network and beyond.
In 2015, Julian was recognized by Huffington Post as one of "10 Leaders reshaping the Environmental Movement.” His work has been featured in BET.com, The Source Magazine, Wiretap Magazine, and many others.
Kim Noble, Director of National Partnerships
Kim builds and manages relationships with the Administration, Congress, and with national environmental and progressive organizations and coalitions. She also helps shape the organization's national policy agenda. Prior to this role, she served as an executive aide and program associate for the organization. Kim attended Fort Valley State University and received her B.A. in Mass Communications. She has spent the majority of her career assisting children and families as a parent educator and later as a program manager and training director for resource centers in the Maryland Child Care Resource Network. She is passionate about making sure children are in a safe environment and families have access to available local, state and federal resources. Kim also enjoys photography and reading and is an avid walker.
Ambrose Carroll, Green for All Fellow, Green the Church Founder
Rev. Dr. Ambrose F. Carroll is one of the nation’s premiere Practical Theologians. Through the Green the Church campaign, he combines theology with ecology, and challenges churches around the country to embrace their mantle of creation care. In 2009 Ambrose founded the Renewal Worship Center Christian Church of Denver, CO—one of the first environmentally-friendly churches in the country. The church has been recognized by Fast Company and CNN for its innovative approach. A 1987 graduate of Oakland High School, Ambrose holds a Doctor of Divinity degree and a Masters of Business Administration. He is now the Senior Pastor of the Church by The Side of The Road in Berkeley.