Julie Hoefnagels, president of the Snake River Alliance board, announced today that Holly Harris will become executive director of the Alliance on May 1, 2019. The Alliance has served as Idaho’s grassroots nuclear watchdog and clean energy advocate for 40 years.

Holly Harris comes to the Alliance after more than nine years as a staff attorney for Earthjustice in Alaska.  Before that she worked for the firm K&L Gates (formerly Preston, Gates & Ellis) in Seattle, focusing on environmental matters and renewable energy and supervising teams dedicated to Superfund cleanup design and implementation. 

Harris has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska, an M.S. in Public Administration with a concentration on Natural Resources Policy from the University of Oregon, and a law degree from the University of Oregon. 

Hoefnagels said, “Holly brings experience not only in litigation, but also in community relations with indigenous peoples who have been harmed by irresponsible environmental policies. She has deep expertise in energy issues. In addition, her enthusiasm, skills, and vision will be invaluable to the Alliance as we meet current and future challenges.”

In Harris’s own words, “I am humbled to accept this extraordinary opportunity. Contributing to the Alliance’s legacy of nuclear activism and clean energy advocacy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I embrace this opportunity with enthusiasm, passion, creativity and a tireless commitment to protecting our natural environment and advancing clean energy options in Idaho.”   

In 2018, the Alliance led a successful grassroots campaign to raise public awareness about proposed plutonium shipments to Idaho. The Department of Energy abandoned the plan for those shipments. Hoefnagels said, “We’re now trying to stop construction of 12 nuclear power reactors at the Idaho National Laboratory. Holly will be an excellent leader for this effort. And she joins us just in time for our 40th anniversary gala. This is a good way to face the future.”