New York: On May 18, 2024, Shruti Bhatnagar was elected as the Sierra Club’s new Vice President for Conservation, becoming the first Indian American and the first South Asian American to hold that position in the organization’s 132-year history. The Sierra Club’s National Board of Directors is democratically elected by the organization’s membership and serves our millions of members and supporters.
“I am honored and grateful for this opportunity to serve the Sierra Club community as Vice President for Conservation. I am also excited about the possibilities of what can be accomplished working in collaboration with everyone,” said Bhatnagar. “And to be elected as the first Indian American in this position – and coincidentally in May, which is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month – is personally meaningful and represents commitment to our core values of justice and inclusion. While our entire movement faces considerable challenges, I am energized to help Sierra Club seize opportunities to ensure our movement is an inclusive and welcoming place for the millions and millions of people in this country who care deeply about the environment, clean air and water, and our global climate.”
Bhatnagar is a lifelong environmentalist with more than 30 years of experience serving in leadership positions at private, non-profit, community, philanthropic, and political organizations and as a management professional. She has been a community advocate in Maryland for two decades, working on and leading advocacy campaigns, building coalitions and expanding diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a volunteer teacher and part-time educator in Montgomery County Public Schools and coach for a STEM Robotics team, she has been a mentor to youth and emerging leaders. For years, Shruti has lent her breadth of experience and diverse perspective to the Sierra Club, serving in a variety of volunteer leadership roles in Sierra Club’s Maryland Chapter including as Conservation Committee Chair as well as at the national level, as Co-Lead for National Sierra Club’s Federal Organizing Program and on the National Board of Directors.
