Sierra Club organizer leaving LV post

Friday, Dec. 17, 1999 | 11:32 a.m.

The Sierra Club's conservation organizer for Southern Nevada will soon be looking after the state's environmental issues in Washington, D.C.

Deanna White has served as the environmental group's regional organizer for a little over two years. She is taking the position of deputy political director in Washington.

Although her responsibilities will be global, White said she will keep a close watch on issues affecting Nevada.

"Nevada is definitely one of the states near and dear to my heart," she said.

During her two-year tenure here, White helped bring water quality and air pollution issues to the forefront of regional attention. While also working on issues such as the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear dump, White helped make urban sprawl the organization's top issue for Southern Nevada.

Members of the local Sierra Club group said White had an important impact on the community. Peggy Pierce, the group's conservation committee co-chairwoman, said White's successful series of "town hall" meetings to discuss urban sprawl got people involved in land-use discussions who ordinarily might not have.

The series of five meetings were held at different places around the Las Vegas Valley in September and October.

"The town hall meetings were a chance for the community to have their say in the way the community is developing," Pierce said. "I don't think that happens very often. I think the way the community develops usually gets down to the developers and the local officials."

The Sierra Club plans later this month to release the results of the meetings along with suggestions from those that attended.

Pierce said White will be an asset for Southern Nevada's environmental community in Washington.

"We expect her to return our calls," Pierce joked. "She will be a great resource for us."

White said the national organization is seeking her replacement now and hopes to have a new regional organizer on board by the end of January or early February.