At its June meeting, the volunteer Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter unanimously voted to elect former Santa Fe mayor David Coss to succeed John Buchser as chapter chair.
Buchser is stepping down as chair to focus on water issues for the chapter.
“I am very pleased to have an environmental hero take the helm of the Rio Grande Chapter,” Buchser said. "As a member of the River Commission under Mayor Coss's leadership, I worked with him to attain water for the Santa Fe River, a unique accomplishment anywhere in the West.”
During his 25-year career in natural-resources management and environmental protection, including at the Environment Department and state Land Office, Coss worked in water quality, watershed restoration and air quality. As a Santa Fe city councilor and mayor, he led successful efforts to adopt the city’s green building code, to implement solar projects that have increased the city’s use of solar electricity to 25 percent, and to restore the Santa Fe River. He is currently co-chair of the Mayor’s Climate Action Task Force with Councilor Peter Ives.
“I am honored and excited to become the chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club. I have always been enchanted by our New Mexico environment, and I look forward to this opportunity to work for its protection through the Sierra Club,” Coss said. “Sierra Club is guided by a commitment to environmental justice for all people and the right of all people to clean air and water and the ability of all community members to enjoy our fabulous New Mexico and West Texas landscape. Now, working with allies, our efforts are more important than ever. ”
The Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter is a volunteer-led organization with more than 7,000 members in New Mexico and West Texas. Our priorities are climate and energy, wild lands, wildlife and preserving our precious water resources.