Western Leaders Network

Defending Our DemocracyWe cannot make progress in tackling the climate crisis without a robust, participatory democracy. Acknowledging this along with the fact that research indicates election administrators are leaving their roles in large numbers due to workplace harassment and intimidation we expanded our democracy program last year, achieving unprecedented participation from our network in the 2024 general election. Additionally, we broadened our network to include local election officials, who are vital to the success of this program. WLN Executive Director Gwen Lachelt attended the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, in February 2024, where she delivered a keynote speech to the Women of NACO on the role that elected officials play in upholding our democracy. Throughout the year, we worked with election officials to publish opinion editorials on a range of democracy-related topics, including how to recognize election misinformation, how communities can support local election officials, and common misconceptions about the voting process. We launched our Showcase of Democracy Champions, featuring written interviews with three dozen election officials who shared success stories, challenges, and concerns about the election process. We also produced four democracy-focused virtual events, partnering with organizations such as the Brennan Center for Justice.

Connecting Leaders To Federal Climate InvestmentsThe Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 represent landmark legislation that has delivered unprecedented federal funding to communities for clean energy development, climate resilience, and advancing environmental justice. WLN has championed programs made possible by these funding packages and amplified through opinion editorials, video storytelling, and written interviews with network leaders success stories that showcase the community-level benefits of these investments. We regularly shared news, resources, and grant deadlines through our websites and sent action alerts about funding opportunities for home electrification, clean energy rebates, climate pollution reduction, and more. WLN staff also attended the New Mexico Infrastructure Finance Conference in Albuquerque in 2024 to acquire knowledge, tools, and resources on federal funding opportunities to share with our entire network. With IRA and BIL grants and programs at risk in 2025, we will work to defend them against rollbacks and ensure that the billions of dollars already appropriated are used effectively to build stronger communities, protect public health, and invest in a clean energy future.

Appalachian Leaders NetworkModeled after the Western Leaders Network, the Appalachian Leaders Network is a program of WLN that organizes local, tribal, and state elected officials in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. After officially launching in November 2023, we developed ALN into a successful program in 2024 under the guidance of ALNs Advisory Council, which consists of current and former elected officials in the Ohio River Valley region. Not only did we grow ALN to include over 300 leaders, but we also strengthened the overall impact of our work. By organizing sign-on letters and publishing op-eds that feature voices from both ALN and WLN, we demonstrate cross-community collaboration and deliver a powerful, unified message to decision-makers. In 2024, ALN concentrated on engaging Pennsylvania leaders in a state effort to reduce climate pollution and joined WLN in advocating for a safe and secure 2024 general election through our democracy program.