Michelle for DNC Environment & Climate Crisis Council Chair
The Leader & Changemaker We Need
Michelle is a union member, a farmer, a battleground state organizer, a labor leader, a nationally recognized environmental advocate, and a recent elected official who flipped a three-term rural red seat to blue.
She is the Chair and Founder of the Democratic National Committee’s first-ever Environment and Climate Crisis Council.
In 2016, Michelle was unanimously elected to the DNC, where she has worked with DNC leadership and members across the country to found and build out the DNC Environmental Council. Since its 2020 launch, the Council has worked to elect Democrats and ensure the Democratic Party is the party of climate solutions: the party of clean air, safe water, green jobs, and a sustainable future.
Michelle has long recognized that climate is a winning issue for Democrats. And as the climate crisis worsens - from extreme heat to wildfires, from flooding to drought - and as Trump guts our federal environmental, agricultural and disaster agencies, the human costs mount - and the electoral importance is and will increase.
The Council’s work is crucial, and with Michelle’s leadership, it has been active and effective in the 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025 election cycles—engaging environmental voters and youth, bringing them into the political process and turning them out to vote—was important to Democratic successes and victories at all levels and is crucial going forward.
As DNC Climate Council Chair, Michelle:
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Founded the DNC Council on the Environment & Climate Crisis
After a year of building support, Michelle was able to pass her resolution establishing the DNC’s first-ever environmental council unanimously and with backing from DNC leadership. She was elected chair, and built a diverse, inclusive leadership structure and team. Under her leadership, this dynamic, rapidly growing Council has grown rapidly and has momentum.
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Works to Build Out a National Network of 50+ National, State, Local and Youth Democratic Party Environmental Organizations.
The Democratic Environmental Network has grown from fewer than 15 organizations to more than 50, with groups from Alaska to Florida, New Mexico to Democrats Abroad. And more are on tap! These organizations elect Democrats, perform crucial voter outreach, and advocate for necessary, bold climate policy.
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Reaches Out to Hundreds of Thousands of Democrats
Since founding the Council, Michelle has led, spoken or presented at over 150 events from livestreams to panels to livestreams and including at the Democratic National Convention. She has organized Council events with 300,000+ attendees, featuring climate, labor, and Democratic Party leaders such as Jane Fonda, Jaime Harrison, Bill McKibben, Peggy Shepard, Governor Inslee, Congressman Ro Khanna, Congressman Andy Levin, then-Congresswoman Deb Haaland, and many more.
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Tirelessly Supports Democratic Candidates Locally, Regionally and Nationally
Volunteered for Democratic candidates from school board to U.S. Senate in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
Serving on the National Advisory Board of Climate Power to elect Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Democratic environmental champions nationally.
Founded, built out and co-chaired Michigan Women for Harris, working with the national and state campaign to build attendance and publicize dozens of campaign events, train hundreds of volunteers, and turn out the vote.
Worked closely with the DNC and Biden team on outreach to environmental voters nationally, focusing on key battleground states, and
Led the Council’s support of key swing seat and battleground states in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and more - most recently in Florida, launching canvasses and phone banks on the ground during the special elections.
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Engages with the Party’s Youth Organizations and Young Voters
Michelle works closely with the Young Democrats of America, the College Democrats and High School Democrats, as well as other youth organizations to make sure that young people get involved and have a voice within the Party. As founder and Chair of the first-ever DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis, Michelle has dedicated a permanent seat for a Youth Director on the Council.
Last November’s election was a clarion call about the importance of youth outreach and organizing. Re-elected, Michelle will build on her work to ensure that Democrats are engaging and collaborating with youth and youth-led groups, and will continue leading the Council’s strategic efforts to talk with and learn from young voters about the issues that matter most to them.
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Stands up for justice, equity and bold climate policy
Founding Sponsor, DNC Poverty Council.
Midwest Representative to the DNC Women’s Caucus, 2017-2020.
Organized and moderated dozens of in-person and virtual roundtables for Democratic environmental voters and organizations across the nation, and organized the first-ever Climate Council session at the 2020 DNC National Convention with Gov. Inslee, Rep. Haaland, Rep. Andy Levin, Tom Steyer and more.
Recently launched the Councils Third National Listening and Organizing Tour 2025 in May, with Climate Conversations in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota - and more states coming up.
Led the Council’s annual Earth Month Mobilizations, with 2025 being the biggest ever, with 70+ Democratic environmental events nationally.
Worked with scientists, researchers and Council leadership to write a Resolution Addressing Noise Pollution and Calling for Funding of the EPA Noise Abatement and Control, which passed unanimously at the Spring 2023 DNC Meeting in Philadelphia.
Building, Changing & Organizing
Forward in 2025 and Beyond
The Council is doubling down on its work because this issue is important to key demographics, including in rural as well as urban and suburban areas. And if we don’t show up, we can’t win. People need to be heard. They deserve to be heard. And more than that, they need their needs to be organized around, amplified, acted on.
Support for Michelle
“With so much at stake for our planet and our party, we need Michelle Deatrick’s creative, energetic leadership of the DNC Council on the Environment and Climate Crisis now more than ever. Michelle brings passion and commitment to protect our one precious planet every day. She knows that leading on climate change is key to helping Democrats win in November. She is the leader we need in this moment.”
- Former Congressman Andy Levin, Michigan
