Hemantha Withanage

Hemantha Withanage (he/him), a Sri Lankan national, has been advocating for environmental issues over three decades. He holds a science degree from the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka and joined the Environmental Foundation in 1990. In 2004, he co-founded the Centre for Environmental Justice, which is now the most prominent environmental organization in Sri Lanka, working from both the law and science fronts. From 2005-2008, Hemantha served as the Executive Director of the Philippines-based NGO Forum on ADB, a network of civil society organizations monitoring the Asian Development Bank. He has also been elected as the International Convenor for the same organization multiple times. Currently, he serves as the Chair of Friends of the Earth International.

Michael Green

Michael Green is Founder and former CEO of the US-based Center for Environmental Health (CEH). Today, he advises corporate, philanthropic and civil society leaders on strategy and social entrepreneurship. He has worked in Washington, DC for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Department of Energy (DOE), in The Hague for the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO.). Michael has been a volunteer for Mother Teresa at Kalighat in Kolkata and received the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama Foundation for his work protecting children from lead.  He serves on the Boards of  Camp For All Kids (CFAK), and the AYA Research Institute. Michael reports to his direct supervisors, Dylan Green (born 2007) and Juliette Green (2008).  

Peter Pierrou

ChemSec, Sweden

Peter Pierrou is a Swedish national who has worked with NGO communications for over 12 years. Today, he is the Director of Communications at ChemSec, a Swedish-based NGO working on chemical issues, and a long-time member of the IPEN network. Besides leading ChemSec's communications, Peter has been involved in the organization's change and the formation of the management team. He has also been deeply involved in ChemSec's fundraising, especially by putting together project ideas and selling ChemSec to new funders. He holds a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Gothenburg.

Sofía Chávez Arce

Casa Cem, México

Sofía Chavez Arce is the founder and General Manager of the IPEN PO Casa Cem in Mexico. She holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.
In 2007, she founded Casa Cem, an environmental organization that initially worked on waste issues with a special emphasis on e-waste. At present, the organization holds a full program involving research, advocacy, public policy, education, communication, and cultural activities related to chemicals and waste topics. Casa Cem is rooted in community, and links local research to national policy/laws (www.casacem.com). Sofía oversees the organization’s financial/legal/decision-making responsibilities and works in Casa Cem’s research and policy programs. In addition to her long experience in managing an NGO, Sofía has several years of board experience, serving on the board of a family business.
Casa Cem has been an IPEN PO since 2016 and has participated in several of IPEN’s programs during this time. Sofía has several times participated in the IPEN delegation at global policy meetings.

Charlotte Brody

BlueGreen Alliance, U.S.

Charlotte Brody is the Vice President for Occupational and Environmental Health for the BlueGreen Alliance, a U.S. coalition of labor unions and environmental organizations working together to solve today’s environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and build a clean, thriving, and equitable economy. A registered nurse, Charlotte also serves as the National Director of Healthy Babies Bright Futures, a project to measurably reduce the largest sources of babies’ exposures to toxic chemicals that harm brain development. Charlotte has worked with cotton textile workers and coal mining families, lobbied for and directed a Planned Parenthood, and helped to found Health Care Without Harm, Coming Clean, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Green for All, and Safer Chemicals Healthy Families.