Madison, WI – The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition (WLGCC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Ellen Tyler as its new Executive Director. WLGCC (www.wlgcc.org) provides a coordinated voice for local governments that are pursuing clean energy and climate solutions, and its 32 member communities represent over 40 percent of the state’s population. The negative impacts of climate change directly affect local governments and their constituents; those impacts include extreme storm damage, flooding, dangerous heat, and poor air quality. WLGCC helps member communities take action to prepare for the negative effects of climate change, reduce fossil fuel carbon pollution, and improve local health and economies. Member communities collaborate to identify and overcome barriers to action and replicate effective clean energy programs and policies. The Coalition develops effective partnerships and climate policies with State of Wisconsin agencies, Focus on Energy, and Wisconsin’s electric utilities, ensuring that the unique perspective of local
governments is part of the discussion.

Tyler comes to WLGCC from the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SWWRPC) where she served as a Senior Community Resilience Planner. In this role she founded and led a cross-sector coalition to advance locally-driven climate resilience, facilitated stakeholder meetings across the region to identify and take action on shared opportunities, and represented SWWRPC in statewide climate and resilience forums. Tyler also has experience in technology and climate planning from the private sector at Mercedes-Benz R&D.

“Ellen’s experience working with local governments and facilitating collaboration across stakeholders will serve her well in the role of Executive Director. We are excited to bring her onboard and to continue to bring value to our member communities,” noted Kathy Kuntz, WLGCC’s Board President and Director of the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change.

Tyler remarked, “I am passionate about Wisconsin’s climate future and inspired by WLGCC’s growth and impact since its founding in 2020. I am honored to serve as the organization’s next Executive Director, strengthening member collaboration, expanding the coalition’s influence, and building the long-term capacity needed to sustain this critical work.”

Tyler began her role on April 20th.