The appointed membership for Valparaiso’s new Environmental Advisory Board was announced this month and introduced at the Jan 13 city council meeting. “The Environmental Advisory Board is essential to guiding our city’s efforts toward a sustainable future,” said Ellen Kapitan, D-At-large, Valparaiso City Council president and also a designated member of the newly created board. “By bringing together experts, community leaders, and passionate advocates, we ensure that the decisions we make today will benefit not just our residents, but the generations that follow. The board’s insight will help us strike the right balance between development and conservation, empowering us to take meaningful action on sustainability, conservation, climate action and environmental education efforts for the community.” In addition to Kapitan, who has a bachelor of science degree from Purdue University in forestry and natural resources, the other board members include established career names and two accomplished high school students: Sara McKelvey has diverse experience in environmental policy and education, having served in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot where she was trained in ocean conservation initiatives, including waste management, marine life protection, and sonar mitigation for marine mammals. Certified in Regenerative Agriculture, she has assisted community education efforts on sustainable practices such as rainwater preservation, native species protection, composting, and soil health preservation, collaborating with local schools to promote environmental stewardship. Her background in policy development, public education, and collaborative program implementation makes her well-suited to contribute to Valparaiso’s mission of sustainability and long-term environmental responsibility. Greg Quartucci is a 27-year Valparaiso resident with 30 years of environmental experience working on projects throughout Northwest Indiana including Coffee Creek, Vale Park Road, NICTD Doubletrack and Gary Airport. Malorie Medellin is an attorney who has been counseling on environmental matters for more than 13 years. In her current position with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, she serves as a Senior Environmental Manager in the Compliance and Technical Assistance Program and coordinates IDEM’s clean air partnership program. Before her position with IDEM, she worked in private practice as an environmental attorney litigating environmental matters, advising on environmental regulatory issues, and performing environmental due diligence for complex financial transactions. Maureen Turman is an accomplished environmental, health, and regulatory affairs executive with more than 35 years of experience skilled in counseling organizational leaders. She has served on a number of environmental boards in the past and recently retired as the director of environmental policy and sustainability from NiSource, NIPSCO’s parent company. Naia Nikitaras is from Valparaiso High School and is a member of the cross country and track teams. She was previously part of the InVest Valpo environmental group and worked with a Culver environmental group. Austin Sabec is also a Valparaiso High School student interested in science and plans to go into the medical field after college. His interest in environmental science inspired him to conduct his own labs and research to address concerns about today’s key environmental topics. “I’m excited and honored to have been elected for this position and I can’t wait to start encouraging and working with the city of Valparaiso to become more environmentally friendly,” Nikitaras said. The new environmental board was established in October by an ordinance introduced by Kapitan. According to the ordinance, members serving on the board will “provide guidance and recommendations to the City, staff, boards, commissions and community members on environmental sustainability policies and practices, and also charged with promoting sustainability, enhancing environmental quality and ensuring the responsible stewardship of natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations.” Council members Peter Anderson, R-5th, and Jack Pupillo, R-4th, voted against creating the board, explaining they believe the city already has boards and departments tasked with the same responsibilities. Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.