Sep

Founding director appointed for the Center for Environmental Justice

Innovative professional chosen to lead the Smithsonian’s new initiative.

Lisa McClure (Marco Kay Photography)

The Smithsonian’s Center for Environmental Justice at the Anacostia Community Museum has announced the appointment of Lisa McClure as its founding director. McClure began her appointment Aug. 10, following more than a decade spent working in the environmental non-profit space.

“Environmental justice is critical to creating equitable environmental solutions,” said Ellen Stofan, the Smithsonian’s Under Secretary for Science and Research. “I look forward to Lisa’s leadership as the Center for Environmental Justice continues the incredible work the Anacostia Community Museum does best: highlighting stories and creating impact as we work to create a more sustainable life for everyone.”

McClure comes to the Anacostia Community Museum from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where she served as the compliance manager. She previously held positions in program development, events management and education at the National Park Foundation, the Society for Science and the Public, and the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.

“Lisa is a creative, knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader,” said Melanie Adams, the Roger Ferguson and Annette Nazareth Director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. “She has a proven record of success in her previous community-minded roles, and we know she will be an asset for the Center for Environmental Justice.”

“I’m incredibly excited and lucky to be joining the Center for Environmental Justice and the Anacostia Community Museum,” McClure said. “This community—and the history of the people—is centered around a resiliency. I hope to be able to highlight this resilience through the eyes of the environmental justice movement and the connection of this land to its people.”

McClure holds a master’s degree in secondary science education from Western Carolina University; she earned bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and biology from Florida State University.

About the Center for Environmental Justice

The Smithsonian’s Center for Environmental Justice at the Anacostia Community Museum seeks to create a future in which environmentalism is a cornerstone of civic engagement through which residents contribute to the development of healthy, equitable communities. The center encourages a humanities-led framework that places traditional scientific research and data in the context of daily life. Center staff will organize symposiums, panels, fellowships, an Environmental Justice Academy that will engage young people living in the region, as well as continue the work of well-known programs like “Growing Community,” the long-standing community gardening program.