Dr. Katherine Shea, a physician with expertise in the link between climate change and human health, is the new director of North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light, a project of the North Carolina Council of Churches and a state affiliate of the national Interfaith Power & Light campaign.
Shea is a board-certified pediatrician with specialty training in environmental health who has taught on the staffs of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Public Health and at the Duke University Medical Center. Her undergraduate degree is from Brown University, her medical degree is from the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center, and she holds a Master’s of Public Health from UNC-CH. Shea served three terms on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Environmental Health and currently works part-time at a staff physician at North Carolina State University’s Student Health Service.
“The Council is indeed fortunate to have someone of Kathy’s experience and abilities wanting to take us to the next stage in our work on global warming,” said Council Executive Director George Reed. “With the recognition of her expertise at the national and international level, I feel certain that she will extend the work of NC IPL in new ways.”
Shea said she was excited to join NC IPL.
“I am truly honored to be selected as the newest director of NC IPL. I look forward to working with a terrific staff and steering committee to advance the creative and courageous work of developing positive responses to climate change through faith communities,” Shea said. “It is at the community level that individuals can come together, support each other and make a real difference, and faith communities have the power of faith and hope to bring to this work. We all want to bequeath a vibrant, beautiful and living creation to our children; for me, working with NC IPL is the most direct avenue to this work.”
In May 2000, the North Carolina Council of Churches joined with the Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches and partnering organizations representing other faiths to establish Climate Connection: Interfaith Eco-Justice Network. In 2005, Climate Connection became the 16th state affiliate of the national Interfaith Power & Light campaign. The name was changed in January 2007 to North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light.
Leave a Reply