When one of the largest environmental crises in New England’s history was exposed in her own community, Laurene Allen stepped up to protect thousands of families affected by contaminated drinking water. Laurene’s campaign pressured the Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics plant—responsible for leaking toxic forever chemicals into community drinking water sources—to announce its closure in August 2023. The plant’s closure in May 2024 marked an end to more than 20 years of rampant air, soil, and water pollution. Website: https://www.cleanwaternh.org/

Andrea Amico is a co-founder of the Testing for Pease community action group. She started advocating for more answers and action for the Pease community impacted by PFAS water contamination at the former Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, NH in 2014 after learning her husband and two small children were impacted by highly contaminated drinking water.

A cancer survivor who grew up on Florida’s Space Coast, Bailey was exposed to high levels of legacy contamination from the region’s three active military installations, often referred to locally as the “Toxic Triangle.” This experience drives her commitment to preventing future generations from facing similar environmental health risks. Bailey serves on advisory boards and national working groups focused on PFAS contamination, water quality, and public health. She has testified before Congress and played a role in advancing PFAS awareness, federal and state policy discussions, and health protections in Washington, D.C. In addition to her advocacy work, Bailey is an investigative journalist and digital strategist who has contributed to the growth of organizations and brands across the world. Her multidisciplinary background includes communications, research, business development, and creative direction, supporting efforts to increase transparency, accountability, and environmental health protections. Email: StelBailey@gmail.com Stel Bailey Studio, LLC | Fight for Zero, Inc | Advocates' Voice

Based in Marinette, Chuck Boyle is a community advocate and leader with S.O.H2O (Save Our H2O), working to address PFAS contamination affecting residents in northeastern Wisconsin. After contamination from firefighting foam polluted local water supplies, he became a vocal advocate for environmental cleanup, safe drinking water, and accountability for impacted communities. For years, he has worked alongside residents, policymakers, and national advocatesm traveling to Washington, D.C. to ensure the voices of affected families are heard in federal PFAS policy discussions. Organization: S.O.H2O (Save Our H2O) Website: https://soh2o.org Location: Marinette, Wisconsin

Cindy and her family have lived in the Town of Peshtigo for over 30 years. In the neighboring City of Marinette, she owns and operates Boyle Design Group, a marketing and communications company and never anticipated that her communication expertise would be applied toward environmental advocacy. That was, until she learned that her family and community had unknowingly been drinking PFAS for decades through their private drinking wells. Alarmed into action, Cindy and a group of local concerned citizens organized and created S.O.H20 (Save Our Water) and initiated aggressive efforts to educate their community about the risk of PFAS and advocate for accountability. Grass roots advocacy, initiated in 2017, has included testimony at State Senate Committees, the Natural Resources Board and advocating for PFAS legislation and Rulemaking in both Madison, WI and Washington DC. While participating in Regional and National PFAS initiatives as a member of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network and the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, Cindy worked most tirelessly during her term as Town of Peshtigo Chairwoman toward engaging the community and working toward a permanent safe water solution. Although Town of Peshtigo residents remain at risk, Cindy continues to advocate for State Ground Water Standards and enthusiastically welcomes collaboration with State and Federal Agencies and elected officials from both sides of the aisle to tackle this looming challenge facing all of Wisconsin.

Cheryl Cail is the Acting Chief of the Waccamaw Indian People and Chairperson of SC Idle No More; a SC Indian Affairs Commission committee which focuses on protection of the environment, cultural preservation, and indigenous sovereignty.

Based in Maine, Dana Colihan (she/her) is Co-Executive Director of Slingshot, where she supports community campaigns addressing environmental contamination and helps co-facilitate the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. Previously Maine State Director at Community Action Works, she organized successful efforts to close a loophole allowing out-of-state waste dumping, push stronger PFAS action in Fairfield, and help communities pass local protections against pesticide spraying and metallic mining. Her work focuses on equipping communities with the tools to win stronger environmental protections. Organization: Slingshot Email: dana@slingshot.org

Based in Vermont, Victor Davila serves as Community Organizer and Clean Water Director at Slingshot, working with communities across the state to confront environmental contamination and advance clean water protections. For more than seventeen years, their work has centered on environmental justice and grassroots campaign building. Using strategies such as power mapping, facilitation, and base building, they have supported efforts to preserve native habitats, advance climate policy, and strengthen community-led environmental advocacy. Organization: Slingshot Email: victor@slingshot.org

Clean Cape Fear is a grassroots community group based in Wilmington, NC. We formed in 2017 after learning DuPont & Chemours dumped extreme levels of GenX and other PFAS for decades into the Cape Fear River--our region's primary source of drinking water. Our co-founders have testified before Congress, reshaped local water utilities through board level positions, and successfully held public office. Our contamination crisis helped shape the national conversation around regulating PFAS as a class. Clean Cape Fear's accomplishments include encouraging the US EPA to establish first-ever federal drinking water standards for GenX and other PFAS. Internationally, we engaged the United Nations Human Rights Council to publicly call out DuPont and Chemours for business-related human rights abuses. We are recognized by the UN as human rights defenders. We helped secure reverse osmosis filling stations for 49 public schools impacted by PFAS contamination in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. We successfully got Brunswick County residents included in the GenX Exposure Study and played a pivotal role in helping the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine organize community liaisons to inform the first ever national clinical guidance for PFAS.

Hope is the co-founder of Buxmont Coalition for safer water and serves on the National PFAS Contamination Coalition Leadership team for over 10 years, working to establish enforceable federal and state drinking water standards for this chemical class. She acts as the community liaison for outreach and leads social media efforts, updating residents about PFAS water contamination and related issues. Ms. Grosse has been featured on WHYY's Redio Times, Live with Marty Moss-Coane, discussing PFAS chemicals health and regulations. She also serves as a community representative on the Warminster Naval Airbase Technical Review Committee, which is charge with oversight of the environmental cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act. Ms. Grosse grew up directly across the street from Warminster Naval Base and worked on the base after high school graduation. Her father died of cancer at age 52 and she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 25, which quickly spread to her lymph system. After learning that the Warminster Naval Base was named a superfund National Priority site, she began to get involved in environmental advocacy and is committed to bring awareness of PFAS and other contaminants to others in her community, Hope is the co-founder of Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water and serves on the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, working to establish enforceable federal and state drinking water standards for this chemical class. Ms. Grosse served as a community liaison for the National Academies Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-up Study, and on the Warminster Naval Airbase TRC, which is charge with oversight of the environmental cleanup under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, Liability Act. Ms. Grosse grew up directly across the street from Warminster Naval Base and worked on the base after high school graduation. Her father died of cancer at age 52 and she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 25, which quickly spread to her lymph system.

Based in Lawrence County, Brenda Hampton is a grassroots leader and founder of Concerned Citizens of WMEL Water Authority, advocating for safe drinking water and accountability for PFAS contamination. After industrial pollution contaminated her community’s water supply, she organized residents, raised statewide awareness, and helped secure a reverse osmosis treatment plant to protect local drinking water. Her advocacy continues to push for stronger protections for rural communities facing environmental contamination. Organization: Concerned Citizens of WMEL Water Authority Location: Lawrence County, Alabama

Based in Nantucket, Jaime Honkawa is co-founder of the Nantucket PFAS Action Group, working to inform residents and mobilize community response to PFAS contamination on the island.

Allison Jumper lives and teaches math on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. She has enjoyed living with her husband in beautiful New Hampshire for nearly two decades, and her children have never known another home. In the fall of 2020, Allison discovered that she and her family had been exposed to very high levels of PFAS from eating beef that had been raised on PFAS contaminated fields. The beef had come from her family’s organic dairy farm, where her family had never allowed sewage sludge to be applied to their land, but rather they inherited the contamination when they purchased land that had been previously spread with PFAS-laden sewage sludge. The discovery of her family’s PFAS exposure has led Allison into advocacy work to both identify and prevent PFAS contamination, as well as to bring public awareness about the continuing practice of land-applying PFAS-laden wastewater sewage sludge across the United States. Allison presented at the 2024 National PFAS Conference, and has been involved in bringing PFAS contamination to light at the local town and statewide levels. In addition to working with the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, she is also a part of the Coalition for Sludge Free Land, which brings together many environmental advocacy organizations in their work to cease the land application of PFAS-laden sewage sludge in America.

Based in Nantucket, Ayesha Khan is a community advocate and leader with the Nantucket PFAS Action Group, working to address PFAS contamination affecting the island’s drinking water and environment. Through community outreach and public advocacy, she helps raise awareness about the risks of “forever chemicals,” pushing for stronger testing, transparency, and protections for local residents. Her work focuses on ensuring Nantucket communities stay informed and engaged in decisions that impact their water, health, and environment. Organization: Nantucket PFAS Action Group Website: https://nantucketpfas.org Location: Nantucket, Massachusetts

Based in Oscoda, Arnie Leriche is a community advocate and member of the Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board, working with residents and agencies to address PFAS contamination tied to the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Through the advisory board and community engagement, he works to ensure transparency in the cleanup process and advocates for stronger protections for local drinking water, wildlife, and natural resources. His efforts help connect impacted residents with federal and state decision-makers responsible for environmental remediation. Advisory Board: Wurtsmith Restoration Advisory Board EPA Information: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/wurtsmith-air-force-base Location: Oscoda, Michigan

Serves as Organizing Director at Slingshot, where he coaches and supports community leaders building campaigns for environmental and economic justice. Over more than 25 years in grassroots organizing, he has helped communities turn lived experience into powerful advocacy and policy change. His work has supported seniors and people with disabilities fighting for affordable prescription drugs, formerly incarcerated people reforming laws around criminal records, and coalitions of labor and environmental groups advancing responsible offshore wind development. He focuses on strengthening grassroots leadership and building durable movements capable of winning lasting change. Organization: Slingshot Email: steve@slingshot.org

Based in Newburgh, Jennifer Rawlson is a community advocate and leader with the Newburgh Clean Water Project, working to address PFAS contamination impacting the city’s drinking water. Through grassroots organizing and public advocacy, she works alongside residents to demand environmental cleanup, transparency, and stronger protections for public health. Her efforts focus on ensuring that communities affected by PFAS contamination have the resources, information, and representation needed to secure safe drinking water and long-term accountability. Organization: Newburgh Clean Water Project Website: https://www.newburghcleanwaterproject.org Location: Newburgh, New York

The Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force was formed in 2014 by PFAS affected residents to protect their families from PFAS water poisoning on Tucson Southside. We strongly believe that all people deserve to have a human right to live, work , learn, play and pray in a clean, healthy and sustainable community, and where there is justice for the victims of PFAS pollution. https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona-science/2023/01/14/environmental-justice-task-force-executive-director-linda-shosie/10192774002/

Based in Fountain, Liz Rosenbaum is a community advocate and leader with the Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition, working to address PFAS contamination affecting residents in the Fountain Valley region. After PFAS pollution linked to nearby military activities contaminated local drinking water supplies, she helped organize community members to demand clean water, environmental cleanup, and stronger public health protections. Through grassroots advocacy and public engagement, she works to ensure impacted families have a voice in decisions affecting their water and long-term health. Organization: Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition Website: https://www.fvcwc.org Location: Fountain, Colorado

Tony Spaniola is an attorney and leading national advocate for people and communities impacted by toxic PFAS chemicals. His advocacy began when his family was warned not to drink the water at their Oscoda, Michigan cottage due to PFAS contamination from the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, the first identified U.S. military PFAS site in the world.

Joanne Stanton is a public health advocate and co‑founder of the Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water. A founding member of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition, she has served on its Leadership Team for nearly a decade, helping shape national strategy on PFAS reform and community protection. Joanne has led multiple community‑based research initiatives in partnership with Temple University and served as the community liaison for ATSDR’s PFAS Multisite Study in Pennsylvania. Her advocacy was instrumental in establishing Pennsylvania’s first state drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS. Motivated by her own decades of PFAS exposure growing up near two Department of Defense Superfund sites in Warminster, Pennsylvania—and later by her son’s cancer diagnosis—Joanne became a prominent community and political activist for PFAS and children’s environmental health. She co‑authored Behind Closed Doors: The Practices Harming Our Children’s Health and What We CAN Do About It, a current‑events book exposing systemic threats to children’s health. Joanne speaks nationally on environmental health, chemical policy reform, and PFAS contamination. She has presented her research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and provided congressional testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on the community impacts of PFAS.

Greater Lakes PFAS Action Network co-founder advancing PFAS cleanup and protections in Michigan.Based in Belmont, Sandy Wynn-Stelt is a community advocate and co-founder of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN), working to address PFAS contamination across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. After PFAS pollution linked to dumping by Wolverine Worldwide was discovered near her home, she became a leading voice for impacted communities. Through organizing, public testimony, and national advocacy, she pushes for stronger regulations, environmental cleanup, and long-term protections from “forever chemicals.” Organization: Greater Lakes PFAS Action Network Website: https://greatlakespfasaction.org Location: Belmont, Michigan

Dana Strande is a national advocate for PFAS prevention and remediation, driven by the conviction that no family should lose a child to toxic chemical exposure. Her daughter, Amara, believed her rare cancer was caused by PFAS—commonly known as “forever chemicals”—in drinking water and testified before the Minnesota Legislature to protect her community. Dana continues this work through the National PFAS Prevention Coalition, advancing strong, science-based policies that prioritize public health over corporate profit. She advocates for comprehensive PFAS bans, enforceable cleanup requirements, and corporate responsibility for remediation costs. Dana is committed to carrying forward Amara’s legacy by helping secure lasting protections and clean water solutions for communities nationwide. The Rev. Dana Fath Strande Rector, Nativity Episcopal Church

Based in Woodbury, Nora Strande is a young advocate speaking out about PFAS contamination and its impact on families. After losing her sister Amara to a rare cancer associated with contamination from the 3M PFAS groundwater plume, she joined her parents in raising awareness about the dangers of “forever chemicals.” She has helped share her family’s story in public forums and advocacy efforts supporting Amara’s Law, helping bring attention to the human impact of PFAS contamination. Her voice represents the next generation of advocates working to ensure safer communities and stronger environmental protections. Learn more: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/pfas-in-minnesota Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Based in Woodbury, Michael Strande is a PFAS advocate working to protect families from toxic chemical exposure. After his daughter Amara died from a rare cancer linked to contamination from the 3M PFAS groundwater plume in Minnesota’s east metro, he became a leading voice calling for stronger protections and accountability. He helped lead the effort behind Amara’s Law, landmark legislation aimed at strengthening PFAS regulation, expanding environmental monitoring, and supporting long-term health research. His advocacy focuses on ensuring families impacted by contamination are heard and that meaningful safeguards are put in place to prevent future harm. Learn more: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/pfas-in-minnesota Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Based in Oscoda, Cathy Wusterbarth is a community advocate working to address PFAS contamination affecting local drinking water and the surrounding environment. She is active with Need Our Water (NOW), a grassroots group formed by residents impacted by pollution linked to historic firefighting foam use at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. Through community organizing, public outreach, and advocacy, she helps raise awareness about PFAS contamination and supports efforts to secure accountability, cleanup, and long-term protections for affected residents. Her work focuses on ensuring the voices of impacted communities are heard in decisions about environmental health and clean water. Organization: Need Our Water (NOW) Website: https://needourwater.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/needourwater/ Location: Oscoda, Michigan