Jerome ringo bio
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Jerome Ringo
Jerome Ringo became national president of the Apollo Alliance in 2005, working diligently as a dedicated champion of environmental justice and a vocal advocate of clean energy. His firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced came from working for more than 20 years in Louisianaâs petrochemical industry. His career include years in drilling and offshore production in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as process operations in the refining industry. Over ten years was spent as an active union member working with fellow members to secure a safe work environment and quality jobs for employees.
Louisianaâs petrochemical industry focuses on the production of gasoline, jet fuel, and plasticsâmany of which contain cancer causing chemicals. As Ringo began observing the negative impacts of the industryâs pollution on local communities; primarily poor, minority communities, he began organizing community environmental justice groups. His experience in organizing environmental
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Jerome Ringo is used to treading on new ground. As a child, he was the first and only African-American ranger at the world’s largest Boy Scout camp. In 1998, he was the sole African-American delegate at the Global Warming Treaty negotiations in Kyoto. And earlier this April, he was sworn in as the Chairman of the National Wildlife Federation – the first African-American in history to chair a major conservation organization.
Ringo’s commitment to the environment dates back to his early childhood in the Bayous of Southern Louisiana, and was strengthened by his experience working in Louisiana’s petrochemical industry for over two decades. He saw firsthand the harmful effects of that industry on local communities, which included many of his own family members. When his company offered him an “early retirement” in 1994 at the age of 39, he took his 22 years of experience and expanded his pursuit of environmental activism into a full-time affair.
Ring
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Ringo, Jerome
As he began observing the negative impacts of the petrochemical industry’s pollution on local communities – primarily poor, minority communities – Ringo began organizing community environmental groups. His work with community groups did not please the kemikalie industry. Consequently, he officially retired from the petrochemical industry in 1997 to begin a career in environmental advocacy. While much of Ringo’s early environmental work was as a volunteer, he was able to have a positiv impact on local communities as well as open doors to future employment. Ringo began volunteering with the Calcasieu League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN), an affiliate of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, in 1991. As the first black member of the organization, he assisted black communities bygd finding individuals to företräda their interests at hearings. He also assisted with lobbying efforts as he worked to influence the government to change the laws that allowed comp