About Us

The Foundation

Since 1990, Generation Green (a 501c3) has sought to inform and encourage environmental action in CCC. The mission of Generation Green is to educate and inspire local residents and stakeholders in Contra Costa County to Reduce Our Impact on the Earth, to Reuse Our Materials, to Respect Our Planet and to empower citizens to implement sustainable actions to reduce our carbon footprint.

In 2007, Generation Green launched the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders Program. 4CL’s first action was a collaboration with ICLEI, to get cities to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection agreement and take up the ICLEI five step process to reduce GHGs.

We are proud to announce that as of September 2012 we have been Green Business Certified by the California Green Business Program. As part of our application we have developed and adopted an Environmental Purchasing Policy.

Acting as executive director, former Moraga Mayor Lynda Deschambault provides project oversight. Funding is provided from corporate donations and grants.

The Project

The mission of the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders Program (4CL) is to help cities take action and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions in Contra Costa County (CCC). To facilitate regional action, we monitor activities, provide free resources and tools and a multimedia communications strategy that ensures best practices are shared and implemented. Joined by elected officials, paid staff, volunteer advocates and grassroots organizations, we are ALL climate leaders in CCC.

The Purpose

The 19 cities in CCC are some of the fastest growing areas in the Bay Area. It is critical that CCC utilize smart growth opportunities and cities share best practices for many reasons:

The County’s emission rate in tons/person is the highest of all the Bay Area counties.

• The population is significant in size (1 million as compared to Alameda’s 1.4 million).
• The growth rate of CCC (8%) is much higher than the other counties and higher than California as a whole (6%).

With the passage of AB32 and SB375 these numbers become significant, and our organization becomes even more important in achieving regional goals.

The Benefits

There are no dues or fees or to use the tools and resources provided. We are all volunteers working for the same cause: to reduce GHG emissions in our cities. We provide the following:

Collaboration opportunities to share best practices

• The monthly newsletter
• Regularly updated website
• Periodic workshops

To sign up, please email info@cccclimateleaders.org.

Board Members

Lynda Deschambault, President & Co-founder

Co-Founder of Generation Green, Lynda holds a dual degree in Chemistry/Soil Science, and an M.B.A. in Management/Marketing. She has more than 17 years in the environmental laboratory business, and 4 years as a private business consultant. Lynda then went to work as an Environmental Scientist performing inspections for five years, and several years as a project manager for cleaning up contaminated sites. Lynda often focused her efforts on working with schools, tribes and environmental justice communities. She participated in two overseas activities in African third world countries with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). Lynda and founded the Contra Costa County Climate Leaders (4CL) Program in 2007, providing outreach tools and assistance to local government decision makers to address climate change. During the past five years, Lynda served as an elected official to the Town of Moraga for four years, and held the position of Mayor in 2008. In her spare time, she likes to garden, study herbology, scuba dive and walk her Siberian huskies!

R.C. Ferris aka The Dumpster Diva, Vice President & Co-Founder

Co-Founder of Generation Green, R.C. (also known as the Dumpster Diva) is a recycled artist and the materials coordinator for our Dumpster Diversion Project! She creates many new and unique craft items, and gathers the materials for educational classes. RC also coordinates the exchange for reuse of materials with various artists, schools and other re-use organizations in the Bay area. The Dumpster Diva, won the 1999 Earth Day award from Region IX’s USEPA for her contributions as an environmental educator. The agency also featured her fabulous “trashy fashion show”: outfits, made from reused materials at a ReUse Extravaganza featuring more than 20 reuse artists with products made from found or discarded objects. RC worked for the Contra Costa Library for 25 years as a Library Assistant and has provided numerous reuse activities for all ages at various library events. R.C. served as the Recycling Assistant for the City of Antioch, responsible for implementing recycling programs in schools and at large public events. She has participated (and won awards) at East Bay’s annual “Trash to Treasures” contest, assisted in the design of an award winning population display for the lobby of Walnut Creek’s Center for the arts, co-organized an environmental leadership weekend retreat for teenagers, and worked on the Contra Costa Earth Day steering committee. R.C. currently works as a recycling coordinator for Allied Waste in Pacheco and also serves on the board of the Martinez Arts Association.

Sheila Hill, Director

Is a Founding Member of Sustainable Contra Costa (SCOCO) and a true Bay Area native, having lived, worked and played here her whole life. She is a Contra Costa County Master Gardener and most recently served as the Development Manager at the Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek, where she enjoyed volunteering and then working for many years to cultivate environmental awareness with children as well as fundraising to support those important programs. Sheila works with students, parents, teachers and administrators countywide to support and promote sustainability on their campuses and in their communities through her Sustainable Schools program. Collaborating with other local nonprofit organizations has always been a priority and current projects include working with Wellness City Challenge to improve the food in schools – while incorporating other facets of sustainability such as waste reduction, green cleaning, and schools gardens.