Eddie Ahn has been engaged in policy and legal advocacy since 2009. He is also the writer and artist of “Advocate,” a graphic memoir to be published by Penguin Random House on April 16, 2024.

In addition to his work for Brightline, Eddie serves on three commissions for local and state government agencies related to environmental policymaking. In 2017, Eddie was appointed to the SF Commission on the Environment, which sets policy for the SF Department of Environment and advises the City and County on environmental matters. In 2018, he was appointed to the SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), a state planning and regulatory agency with regional authority over the Bay Area. In June 2020, he was appointed to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which plans and finances transit in the nine Bay Area counties. In 2022, he was elected by his peers to serve as President of the SF Commission on the Environment. He has also served on the boards of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Mission Housing Development Corporation.

Prior to being a nonprofit attorney, he was an AmeriCorps member, teaching public speaking and arts workshops in Oakland’s Chinatown. While working toward his law degree, he continued to teach art and public speaking workshops for youth and worked for the Assembly Judiciary Committee in Sacramento. His workforce development expertise and analysis of federal constitutional law has also assisted multiple municipalities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. In December 2021, Eddie was inducted into the State of California’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame for his work in equity and clean energy.

Eddie has received his J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his B.A. from Brown University. He is also a member of the California State Bar.

Carolina Correa manages Brightline's various air quality programs and studies. In addition to this, Caro is responsible for all of Brightline’s communications and social media presence. Caro is a previous 2020 Summer Policy Fellow and a graduate of Brown University, where she studied Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies. Caro has worked within communities in Los Angeles, where she canvassed community members for their needs pertaining to the pandemic and connected community members to free public health services. She is passionate about environmental equity in low-income communities!

Peter supports Brightline as outside legal counsel. He is a shareholder at Ton Law P.C. where his practice is devoted to environmental counseling and litigation relating to hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, water quality, air quality, endangered species, and environmental health & safety compliance. He represents private and public sector clients in state and federal court, and before administrative bodies. Peter also has an active pro bono practice focused on issues of equity. 

Peter received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law and his B.A. from U.C. Berkeley. He is a member of the Executive Committee for the Environment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and is the former chair of Environmental Law Section of the Alameda County Bar Association. Peter currently serves on the board of GRID Alternatives Bay Area, a nonprofit whose work focuses on ensuring an inclusive and just clean energy transition.

Jennifer Tapken is Brightline's Deputy Director where she is responsible for driving Brightline’s organizational development and management, while overseeing successful implementation of programs and policies.

Jennifer brings extensive experience in human resources, organizational development, DEI, operations, IT and financial management from nonprofit, healthcare, and academic institutions. Her most recent position was as Deputy Director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. She has also held positions with organizations such as Save the Redwoods League, the ACLU of Northern California and the University of California, San Francisco. She previously served on the board of Asian Women's Shelter.

Jennifer is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare with a concentration in psychology. She is passionate about environmental justice and social justice.

Jacob has dedicated the past several years to working alongside underserved communities throughout the Bay Area. Raised in San Francisco, he plans to use his education, expertise, and love for the city to uplift and empower its residents. Jacob graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in Environmental Studies where he served as President of BIPOC Students for the Environment. After two years working in educational nonprofits in the Tenderloin, he is shifting towards community organizing work with Brightline. Jacob is passionate about environmental justice and creating healthier living environments for those disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.

Jessalyn Fong is a rising senior at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Conservation and Resource Studies and minoring in Human Rights. Her concentration in "Environmental Justice Law & Advocacy" reflects her commitment to leverage policy and law as tools for promoting environmental justice. Engaging with initiatives like the Students of Color Environmental Collective, the student-run Decolonizing Environmentalism Course, and the Climate Break podcast, Jessalyn aims to uplift the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. As a policy fellow, Jessalyn is looking forward to working closely with underserved communities to advocate for informed policy decisions that foster environmental justice and equitable health outcomes.

Astrid DuBois serves as Brightline's Policy Advisor and works to build coalitions and relationships to ensure communities engage in shaping policies that impact them. Astrid comes to Brighline after 3 years working to advance federal environmental justice policy with WE ACT for Environmental Justice in Washington D.C. She led the team’s government affairs efforts and Congressional outreach, including securing EJ funding in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and convening grassroot-led tours around the country to realize the potential of the Biden Administration's historic focus on environmental justice. Astrid started their career in social work with homeless youth and families in Washington State, where they grew up, and is passionate about building healthy and sustainable futures. She holds a B.A. in English and Spanish at Williams College.

Merhawit Mehzun, known as Merha, supports Brightline's programmatic work while also contributing to the organization's growing policy capacity. She previously served as a Spring and Summer Policy Fellow in 2022, during which she worked on the 2023 Offshore Wind report. Merha holds both a BA and MA in International Studies, with a concentration in sustainable development and environmental justice, from the University of San Francisco. Her Master’s thesis focused on community-led placemaking in Cape Town, South Africa’s urban development. She is deeply passionate about community engagement, environmental justice, and collaborative action.

As a social worker with a focus on gender studies and a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, she conducted research on feminist activism addressing gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, her hometown. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in planning with a concentration in Housing, Community, and Economic Development at the University of California, Berkeley.

Previously, as the secretary on the Board of Directors at Planned Parenthood in Puerto Rico (Asociación Puertorriqueña ProFamilias), I developed organizational skills and honed strategic note-keeping during important and confidential meetings. Over the past two years, I have worked with nonprofit organizations dedicated to sexual health, reproductive autonomy, and housing programs for survivors of gender-based violence.

For the past five years, I have collaborated with La Colectiva Feminista en Construcción, a Black feminist grassroots political organization based in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Most recently, I began working as an assistant researcher on topics related to decarbonization in affordable housing across California and studies examining affordable housing subsidies within the Rapid Rehousing Program.

I deeply care about community engagement, addressing communities’ needs, and building power and resources from within to foster sustainable change and empowerment.

Alexis Sutterman is Brightline’s senior policy manager, and leads the organization’s policy and regulatory work. Taking a justice- and community-centered approach, her role focuses on advancing Brightline’s climate and clean energy portfolio through active engagement at the California legislature and state agencies. Prior to Brightline, Alexis was an energy equity program manager at the California Environmental Justice Alliance and led the organization’s community solar and clean distributed energy campaigns. She is inspired by the Zapatista mantra that otro mundo es posible (another world is possible), and is extremely grateful to work in service of this vision everyday.

Brandy A. Hyatt is an equitable energy advocate and educator. They currently serve as a Policy Researcher for the Brightline Defense Project. In this role, Brandy supports Brightline's renewable energy policy work. Before their time at Brightline, Brandy worked in solar and energy efficiency policy; expanded STEM-related education programs to historically underrepresented communities; led internal DEIJ initiatives for students and staff; and researched STEM learning, race, and poverty. Brandy grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and Minneapolis, MN, but now resides in Oakland, CA. They have a Master’s in Public Policy from Mills College and are an Americorps Alum.

Jonah provides guidance on environmental law and energy justice as part of Brightline’s Legal Corps. He received his J.D. from UC Law San Francisco, where he served on the executive board of the UC Environmental Law Association and worked with the Center for Biological Diversity and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. Jonah earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Idaho, where he first began advocating for equitable environmental and energy policy as a student journalist.