Rev. Susannah Tuttle, NCIPL Director
Susannah Tuttle joined the staff of NCIPL in August 2011. She received a Masters of Divinity degree from Starr King School for the Ministry at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. In 2004 Susannah was hired as UNC Chapel Hill’s first Sustainability Research Associate and went on to co-initiate Trace Collaborative, LLC a consulting firm specializing in the implementation of sustainability within the design and construction industry. Susannah is a founding member of the Southeast Faith Leaders Network and is an active member of the US Climate Action Network. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Southeast Climate & Energy Network, and the Advisory Board at UNC Law School’s Center for Climate, Energy, Environment, and Economics. Susannah lives on a gravel road in Orange County, NC with her husband who is a builder, gardener, and musician, and their two beloved dogs.
Contact Susannah: susannah@ncipl.org
Sarah Ogletree, NCIPL Program Coordinator
Sarah joined the staff of NCIPL in 2019 after having served as an intern for during her final year in Seminary. She is a graduate of the sustainable development program at Appalachian State University where she minored in Appalachian studies with a focus in environmental justice. She earned her Masters of Divinity at Wake Forest University School of Divinity, where she received a concentration in religious leadership and ecology. Sarah is passionate about the care of both human and natural systems and has worked closely with the Creation Care Alliance, United Methodist Women, UCC Creation Justice Network, and Presbyterians for Earth Care. Sarah was raised in the mountains of western North Carolina and enjoys playing the fiddle and singing with her husband, walking their nine-pound “dog,” writing poetry, and collecting eccentric salt and pepper shakers.
Contact Sarah: programs@ncipl.org
Kathy Whitaker Knight, Faith Energy Champion
Kathy joined the NCIPL team in the summer of 2020 as a Faith Energy Champion program partner with The Roanoke Center and Roanoke Electric Cooperative (REC). She is a REC member-owner and lives in Tillery located in Northeastern North Carolina. Kathy received a BSW from East Carolina University (graduated at age 40). Kathy spent a very rewarding 25 years working with MH/SA/ID populations, DV/SA survivors, Breast Cancer survivors, PLWHA and their families. She is currently in her second year of working as a 2020 Census Field Supervisor. Kathy is married with a big blended family of 6 children and 9 grandchildren and has a couple of lively German Shepherds, running the yard.
Contact Kathy: kknight@roanokecenter.org
Michelle Peedin, NCIPL Youth Leaders Coordinator
Michelle a first-generation Peruvian-American born and raised in North Carolina. She pursued higher education at UNC-Chapel Hill where she graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Global Studies with a concentration in Economics, Trade, and Development. Identifying as half Peruvian, Michelle‘s area of study was Latin America. She credits her time studying in Ireland and volunteering in Costa Rica for how she was shaped both personally and professionally during her undergraduate time. She continued her education as a Fellow at Student Action with Farmworkers, a non-profit organization in Durham, NC. Michelle has been a staff member since February of 2017 and works with the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) and Partners in Health and Wholeness program. She strives to listen and empower all communities of NC through social and environmental justice. She enjoys traveling, singing, dancing, and sushi.
Contact Michelle: michelle@ncchurches.org
Rishi Ranabothu, Intern & Youth Leaders Initiative (YLI) Founder
Rishi is a Cary native, a freshman at Enloe High School and is working towards his Eagle Scout rank. He has been involved with NCIPL for more than a year now. His passion to ensure a green and bright future for everyone led him to found the Youth Leaders Initiative at NCIPL. He works with youth of all faiths to bring energy efficiency and sustainability to their congregations and ultimately protect all of God’s creation. Rishi spreads his love and knowledge of STEM, teaching under-privileged students robotics at the Boys and Girls Club. Camping with his Boy Scout Troop, volunteering for the Cary Teen Council and running Track and Cross Country in his school team are other activities he enjoys. He also likes visiting and exploring new places with his family. Pursuing higher education to be a medical doctor and save people’s lives is his goal.
Contact Rishi: info@ncipl.org
Volunteer Advisory Council Members
Penny J. Hooper
NCIPL Leadership Council Chair
Unitarian Coastal Fellowship
Penny joined NCIPL in 2008 as a Steering Committee Member. A year later, she became the Secretary and in 2014 was elected to Vice-Chair. Her roles beyond NCIPL’s Executive Committee include chairing the Leadership Council, serving on the Worship Working Group, as well as serving as the coastal liaison between NCIPL and the Sierra Club, and being actively involved in her Unitarian Coastal Fellowship Green Sanctuary Committee. She retired from teaching Biology at Carteret Community College in 2010 and has been a full time volunteer environmental activist since that time.
Contact Penny: pjhooper@ec.rr.com
Gary Smith
NCIPL Energy Working Group Chair
Community United Church of Christ
Gary received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Lehigh University in 1978. He retired from a career in pharmaceutical research in 2013. A member of Community UCC in Raleigh since 1993, Gary co-founded Justice in a Changing Climate (JCC) which provides pre-weatherization to the community. In 2014 he became chair of NCIPL’s Energy Working Group. Gary has a passion to reduce fossil fuel use. He enjoys nature, science and the out of doors, the latter especially while on a bicycle.
Contact Gary: smithgk@mindspring.com
Carl W. Sigel
Chair & Environmental Ministry Liaison of NC Episcopal Dioceses
Church of the Nativity Episcopal
Carl spent his professional life in the pharmaceutical industry. Now retired, he is deeply committed to nonprofit organizations that focus on the environment, community service, youth education and development, food security, and social justice. With a lifetime interest in sustaining the Creation, he currently serves as Chair, NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL) Steering Committee, represents NCIPL and the Raleigh Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina on the Diocesan Chartered Committee for Environmental Ministry, and serves on the Board of Directors for both the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and Food Runners Collaborative.
Contact Carl: cwsigel@aol.com
Stephen Jurovics
Author – Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and Climate Change
Yavneh: A Jewish Renewal Community
Stephen has been researching biblical environmental teachings for over 20 years and has spoken on this topic at numerous churches and synagogues in the southeast. He is the author of Hospitable Planet: Faith, Action, and Climate Change. He has been working on energy and environmental issues for the past 25 years and his work has dealt mainly with improving the energy performance of buildings and assessing the impacts on electric utilities of stricter building and appliance standards. Stephen served six years on the North Carolina Energy Policy Council and chaired its Conservation Committee during that time. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Southern California and a B.S. and M.S. from Columbia University.
Contact Stephen: saj18@bellsouth.net
Dan Figgins
NCIPL Historian & Founding Steering Committee Member
Pullen Baptist Church
Dan Figgins’ final assignment with the U.S. State Department was as the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. He teaches political science courses at NCSU including “Global Environmental Treaties and Policies.” In 1998, he helped start a weekly Sunday school class on Earth Care at Pullen Baptist Church in Raleigh. In recent years Linda Rodriquez, wife of NCIPL Leadership Council member Bob Rodriquez, has led the class expanding its format from studying books to inviting outstanding environmental experts and social action leaders. Dan has been a member of NCIPL and its predecessors since 1998 when volunteers organized to support NC Council of Churches’ staff work on environmental stewardship. Because Dan participated the planning of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit at UNEP headquarters in 1989, he has been aware of the reality of climate change and its human-caused weather disruptions for more than a quarter of a century.
Contact Dan: dwfiggins@gmail.com
