Jolly good: MI Healthy Climate Fellows wrap up a high-achieving year

In March 2024, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) launched 30 chosen professionals on an eight-month service mission to help communities, agencies, and institutions throughout the state to drive future-focused sustainability. They focused on expanding public transit, reducing food waste, lowering home energy costs, supporting green workforce development, building more-resilient landscapes, securing federal and state resources, and much more.

Since then, the MI Healthy Climate (MHC) Fellows program – originally the MI Healthy Climate Corps – successfully completed its first and second cohorts and is preparing to launch its third and final round under the current budget.

Applications are being accepted through Nov. 17 for the 2026 cohort of 15 fellows who will serve from Jan. 21-Dec. 18. An informational webinar recording is available, and host communities and agencies are listed below. With opportunities serving communities across the state on projects across all areas of Michigan’s climate action efforts, applicants will apply directly to the project and host community that fit their skills and interests.

“Hosts gain the energy and know-how to carry out programs and initiatives that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” said Jordan Power, senior climate action officer in EGLE’s Office of Climate and Energy. “Fellows gain invaluable experience and connections that will shape their futures, joining a network of climate leaders already making great impact across the state.”

“Our climate fellows are like gardeners cultivating fertile ground,” said Angel Squalls, who manages the program through the nonprofit Community Economic Development Association of Michigan. “Together we’ve learned we can plant the seeds, enjoy the journey, and see our efforts grow.”

The second Fellows’ cohort of 27 members has just wrapped up its yearlong term of service. Here’s a snapshot of a few of their efforts:

• Mason Christerfield, Detroit 2030 District – Serving as a building data analyst for the public-private partnership, Christerfield helped reduce energy and water consumption at more than 100 properties while advancing sustainability and helping nonprofits and houses of worship access funding. He called the MHC Fellows a great opportunity to tackle complex challenges alongside like-minded peers.

  “It allows me to learn from others, contribute my skills, and make a meaningful impact in my community while working toward a sustainable future,” Christerfield said. “I want to help build a strong foundation for Detroit’s sustainability efforts by creating tangible impacts such as improved air quality and reduced energy costs for marginalized and often forgotten communities.”

• Mary-Elizabeth Estrada, Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute – Adding to her four years of experience as a climate professional, Estrada served the institute as its climate and energy jobs fellow. She teamed up with the BlueGreen Alliance Foundation to conduct a water workforce analysis survey, sponsored a scholarship art competition for high schoolers to design graphics for a traveling Trades of Today and Tomorrow exhibit trailer, and helped put on a two-day youth STEAM camp in partnership with Avalon Village for skilled trade career awareness. She hopes to one day bring green workforce programs to middle and high school students to spotlight meaningful opportunities that are good-paying and address climate change.

  “I am honored to serve Michiganders and contribute to one of the strongest climate plans in the country,” Estrada said. “I hope to advance a just transition in Michigan for workers by supporting clean energy apprenticeship readiness programs and engaging communities that have been directly impacted by emerging industries."

• Paola Rivera Gonzalez, Michigan Environmental Council – Originally from Utuado, Puerto Rico, Rivera Gonzalez served her fellowship in Marquette as the council’s Upper Peninsula clean energy organizer, planning events and hosting quarterly meetings that brought together academics, tribal representatives, regional planners, and county officials to network and share resources related to Marquette County’s climate action plan.

  “Michigan has become my home in the contiguous U.S. and has sparked my passion for all the outdoor activities and natural communities that I now know,” Rivera Gonzalez said. “Michigan taught me to snowshoe, camp, snowboard, paddleboard, and admire the northern lights. It also taught me the resiliency of Michiganders advocating to keep their land and water clean.”

• Lucas Roff, Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan – Roff’s diverse resume includes working in veterinary clinics, manufacturing plants, and repairing log cabins. As an environmental technician for the council, he provided technical assistance to member tribes along with greenhouse gas (GHG) benchmarking to help set reduction goals. At powwows, farmers markets, and health fairs, he collected feedback on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program and GHG reduction strategies. He also hosted educational programs on wetlands and the Great Lakes with Ojibwe Charter School, including field trips for water and sediment sampling and wildlife identification.

  “I strive to make a change in this community and over the entire U.P.,” Roff said. “MHC Fellows is an excellent program that allows me to network with individuals who have the same goals as I do: caring for your community and protecting this Earth.”

The service program is dedicated to developing an enduring, capable network of climate professionals committed to serving communities, building a more sustainable future for Michigan, and advancing the MI Healthy Climate Plan and its goal of a prosperous, equitable, carbon-neutral future for all Michiganders. MHC Fellows are paired with hosts in state agencies, local governments, universities, and nonprofit organizations all over Michigan.

“The MI Healthy Climate Fellows are weaving climate leadership into the fabric of Michigan communities and organizations,” said Phil Roos, Director of EGLE. “Their service leaves behind stronger partnerships, innovative solutions, and a model for how emerging leaders can make a difference.”

Fellows earn a living stipend and benefit from career-focused networking, training, and professional experience. Their ranks have included recent college graduates, graduate students, and people making mid- or post-career transitions to climate-related work. Some have served or will serve in more than one cohort. Others have been hired by their hosts or begun other careers in the sustainability sector.

The program supports Michigan’s leadership in clean energy jobs. In a 2024 report, Michigan led the Midwest and was sixth in the nation for clean energy job growth. At the time, Michigan boasted 127,690 clean energy jobs, with the sector growing nearly twice as fast as economy-wide employment.

Prospective MHC Fellows and anyone interested in supporting the program can find more information on the MHC Fellows webpage.

First-cohort hosts

Hosting the initial cohort’s eight-month term of service were the cities, villages, and townships of Detroit, East Bay, East Lansing, Elk Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and River Rouge; Marquette, Oakland, and Washtenaw counties; with the following support and advocacy organizations:

• Antrim Conservation District, Bellaire
• Calvin University, Grand Rapids
• Clean Fuels Michigan, Lansing
• Detroit 2030 District
• Detroit Future City
• The Everly Collective, Flint
• Lansing Board of Water & Light
• League of Michigan Bicyclists, Lansing
• Let's Grow Michigan, Lansing
• EGLE and the Michigan departments of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and Natural Resources
• Michigan Saves, Lansing
• Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan, Detroit
• SEEDS Ecology and Education Center, Traverse City
• Spartan Housing Cooperative, East Lansing
• Superior Watershed Partnership, Marquette
• Transportation Riders United, Detroit
• West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Grand Rapids