By Laurie Casey
The Green Community Connections/One Earth Board welcomed three new members at its November board meeting. They will join the other 4 sitting directors. We are grateful and excited to have them join the board. Their unique talents, expertise and perspectives will help us further our mission to support the growth of environmental awareness and inspire the adoption of solution-oriented actions through inclusive educational events and programs.
Below are biographies and brief Q&As for each of our new directors so you can learn a little about their background and what they will bring to our organization.
Annie Speicher
Annie Speicher is a food activist, filmmaker, yogi and home cook. She began her career as an editor for chef Rick Bayless’ television show in 2009. When she met her husband Matt Wechsler in 2013, their combined love of food and flavor led them to produce a feature-length documentary, Sustainable, which originally aired on Netflix. In 2019, Annie and Matt released their second documentary, Right to Harm.
Currently, Annie uses her skills as a director, editor, producer and cinematographer in her role as Digital Media Specialist at Northwestern University, where she creates video content for various groups on campus. She is also pursuing an MFA in Documentary at DePaul.
Q. How do you see yourself helping the Festival and other GCC programs this year?
Speicher: As a filmmaker of two films that have traveled the US film circuit over recent years (even online during COVID!), I bring a unique perspective to the GCC board. One Earth has been one of my favorite festivals to attend, and I want to continue to attract the best environmental filmmakers as we pivot to an online festival in 2021. I also believe in the importance of teaching filmmaking to the next generation of filmmakers, of giving women and other marginalized communities a voice. One of my goals as a board member of GCC is to continue to expand the Young Filmmakers Contest (YFC) through awareness and education.
Q. What do you admire most about the GCC/One Earth’s mission? In other words, why did you join our board?
Speicher: I have become increasingly involved with One Earth for the past three years -- as a filmmaker in the Festival, as a judge for YFC and as an instructor for the Young Filmmakers workshops. I continue to be impressed with the quality and impact of One Earth. It is clear that those involved with GCC are able to generate a lot of support for environmentalism without many resources. There is a lot of passion and grit at GCC, and I believe my history as a food activist and environmental filmmaker fit in perfectly with the goals of the organization.
Wendy Walker Williams
As Executive Director, Community Partnerships, at the University of Chicago, Wendy Walker Williams ensures community stakeholders are informing and engaging in the University’s core areas of civic engagement work, including but not limited to support for local entrepreneurship, community safety, and neighborhood development. She also helps to advance community engagement strategies that build strong partnerships and connect community stakeholders across the mid-South Side to the breadth of University resources.
Q: How do you see yourself helping the Festival and other GCC programs this year?
Williams: I plan to help promote the Festival to non-traditional audiences, especially senior citizens and young people. Most people at heart care about the environment, but they may not be aware of how to learn more or how to take action. The Festival, by presenting its films and discussions virtually in 2021, will provide excellent, convenient ways to do both during this challenging time of COVID.
Q: What do you admire most about the GCC's/One Earth mission? In other words, why did you join the board?
Williams: I’ll be honest: I really joined the board because of Dick Alton. His passion for the Festival is infectious. We met about 5-6 years ago, when the Festival wanted to move into the City of Chicago and especially the South Side. I have helped him find host venues at prominent churches and community centers, and when he has called me for other advice, I have always picked up the phone. Over the years, Dick’s enthusiasm about the Festival has rubbed off on me, and I’m so excited for what this year will bring.
Carolyn McCormick
Carolyn McCormick spent the past four seasons at One Earth Film Festival helping grow individual, sponsor, and grant support for the organization. Prior to joining the Fest, she spent more than 10 years in higher education, working first in public relations and later in institutional advancement. This year, she pivoted to real estate, where she currently serves as the Business Operations Manager for Swati Saxena, Baird & Warner, a key sponsor/partner of the Fest. As a member of the board, she'll continue working to build a culture of philanthropy, to identify new sources of revenue, and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Festival.
Q. How do you see yourself helping the Festival and other GCC programs this year?
McCormick: This will be such a different season for One Earth in 2021. While it feels sad to know that we will be fully virtual with no in-person events, it's also an opportunity for One Earth to continue to expand our reach far beyond the Chicagoland area to other parts of the country and the world, and that is very exciting.
This year I plan to help One Earth persist in our mission, to maximize the opportunities that come with our expanded virtual presence, and to explore what this unique season could mean for our future. I can’t wait to get back to in-person screenings, but I also want to carry the learnings of 2020 forward with us so that we maintain and grow these inroads we’re making at the national and international levels.
Q. What do you admire most about the GCC/One Earth mission? In other words, why did you join our board?
McCormick: When I first joined One Earth a few years ago, I was impressed with our ability to engage and move people to action in a way that builds community and includes and uplifts the work that so many other organizations are doing. We use film to bring in individuals and to give them a chance to interact with these organizations that we handpicked because they’re already doing the work, and that’s what transforms these films into catalysts for action. If you watch one of our films on your own, you may be inspired and feel ready to take action, but it will be left to you to find and take those next steps. With One Earth, the action steps are already built-in, along with a community where you can find support, belonging, and a sense of hope. We don’t just highlight the issues, we don’t just bring you the problems, we show you how you can take actions right now that will put us all on a path to a healthier and more just future.