RPG Welcomes Wendy!

 By Connie Schmidt

The River Prairie Group of Sierra Club is very happy to welcome Wendy Vernon to its Executive Committee. Not only has Wendy joined the Ex-Com, but she also volunteered to act as secretary, already taking minutes at our January meeting. That’s kinda like “jumping into the deep end of the pool before dipping your toe in to check the temperature”! 

To introduce you to Wendy, let me tell you a recent fun fact.  This fall, Wendy and Roger took their only child, Jenny, to PARIS for her birthday. What a terrific, exciting opportunity they provided for their family to share. Daughter Jenny is still sharing amazing photos of the adventure with friends on Facebook. What memories they created. What a great way to immerse yourself with a passion!

Wendy is no stranger to the interests of the Sierra Club. She and her husband, Roger, have outfitted their home in Carol Stream with solar panels and taken it a step further by adding the battery storage option for blackout days. Moving towards the goal of electrifying their home and transportation, they've switched to an induction stove, an electric dryer, an electric lawn mower, and electric cars, with their next goal focused on installing an electric heat pump. Wendy also serves as a solar ambassador with the Illinois Solar Educational Association (ISEA), where she gives “Powering Your Home with the Sun” presentations and participates in the Illinois Solar Tour each year by opening her home to showcase the solar panels and other sustainable features that have been implemented. Wendy's dedication to promoting the transition to clean energy showcases her as someone actively embracing positive change.

In addition, the natural world is a big priority for Wendy. She has been active in the Greater DuPage Chapter of Wild Ones, the DuPage Organic Garden Club, and Sustain DuPage. Wendy brings a huge amount of background information on native plants and the importance of habitat protection. She is a great example of living her principles as her personal life reflects her advocacy. 

As she joins our board, Wendy has picked up the mantel of leadership for us in reducing the use of plastics here in DuPage. She has already begun to network with statewide efforts of Sierra Club to share resources on this concern. This is an awesome area to focus on, as the RPG has not had a champion in this specific area, and we sincerely appreciate her enthusiasm with this splash into this important area of interest.

In conclusion, we sincerely thank Wendy for stepping forward and sharing her talents with the River Prairie Group. She is bringing a wealth of background knowledge and enthusiasm, helping us swim into the currents of 2024. THANKS WENDY!