Colorado Sierra Club Steering Committee

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The Colorado Sierra Club is governed by a 5 member Steering Committee. The committee is appointed by the National Sierra Club Board of Directors. The Steering Committee meets monthly on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 pm MT, on Zoom, unless otherwise noted. 

Meetings are open to all members. Some portions of meetings may be closed to non-voting members of the Steering Committee at the direction of the Chair. Colorado Sierra Club Steering Committee meetings are conducted using the following procedures and we expect all guests to follow and adhere to our Standards of Conduct.  

For minutes of the Steering Committee meeting please email us at colorado.chapter@sierraclub.org. Minutes are only available to members only and your email must match the membership record we have on file. 

2024 Officers

*Indicates they are a voting member on the Colorado Steering Committee. 

Chair................................................................Chris Applegate*

Vice Chair....................................................Bob Hodges*

Secretary....................................................Ana Bustamante*

Treasurer.....................................................Sheri Bauers

Conservation Chair.............................Ramesh Bhatt*

Council of Club Leaders.................Jane Ard-Smith*

Steering Committee

Chris Applegate (he/him) - I hold a passion for connecting people to nature for the benefit of both. I have received four awards across Sierra Club for the leadership I have brought to the organization over the past 10 plus years. I have trained over 500 grassroot volunteers in Colorado and across the country in that time to be advocates for the world we are working to protect. My main focus over the years has been public lands in Colorado. I love getting outdoors hiking and backpacking, along with spending time with friends and fellow activists to make the world a better place.

Jane Ard-Smith (she/hers) - I joined the Sierra Club when I moved to Colorado Springs because I wanted to meet folks who had a passion for protecting our natural environment. I have not been disappointed. I have served in several capacities at the group and chapter level, including as Chapter Political Compliance Officer. I look forward to working with all of you as we honor the Chapter's past, while preparing for our future.

Ramesh Bhatt (he/him) - I have been a member of the Sierra Club since 1987. I was part of the Kentucky Chapter’s Executive and Conservation Committees for many years, including serving as Vice-Chair of the Chapter from 2015-2017. Since coming to Colorado in 2018, I have been the Chair of the Colorado Chapter’s Conservation Committee, a member of the Chapter’s Legislative Committee. 

Ana Bustamante (she/her) - I have been a member of Sierra Club since 2018.  While living in Florida, I served as a volunteer organizer with the National Sierra Club helping train volunteers in phone banking and letter writing. Since arriving in Colorado in 2021, I joined the Colorado Chapter and have been an active member of the Political Committee in both the Fundraising and Endorsement subcommittee. I am a full time labor organizer and have worked for a wide range progressive and environmental organizations, as well as doing electoral work for progressive candidates during the last several election cycles. 

Bob Hodges (he/him) - I became a member of the Sierra Club in 2012. I joined the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club in 2017 after I retired and moved to Denver to be near our three daughters and four granddaughters who all live in the Denver area.  In 2018, I started volunteering with the Legislative Advocacy for Climate and Environment (LACE) team to help get Sierra Club priority legislation passed.  I joined the Colorado chapter's Legislative Committee in 2022 to continue my work with legislative advocacy.