A Powerful Pair for the Environment

Together, Lorraine Paskett and Dario Frommer are a powerful pair working to protect California's environment. Their respective careers spent championing conservation, clean energy and climate change solutions have earned them CLCV's Environmental Leadership Awards, which they'll accept in Santa Monica tonight.

Lorraine Paskett worked as a senior staffer in the California State Assembly, where she helped create the California Marine Life Management Act. She has sponsored reforms including creation of the California Climate registry, AB 32 (the Global Warming Solutions Act), and renewable energy policies. Paskett supported solar development and numerous environmental initiatives as a senior executive for First Solar and LADWP.

As appointments secretary to Governor Gray Davis, Dario Frommer was instrumental in the appointment of environmentalists to key boards and commissions. In the state Assembly, he authored California’s Urban Park Act. As Majority Leader, he steered passage of environmental initiatives including AB 32, greenhouse emissions limits, and solar energy growth. He also led the fight to stop development of 500 acres of the Verdugo Mountains and secured funding to preserve the area as parkland. Mr. Frommer serves on the California Transportation Commission, and he is a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld LLP.

The couple graciously accept the award with this statement: “When it comes to the environment, there is little dispute that California has long been America’s leader.  From air quality, to water conservation, to coastal resources, to energy, to parks, and greenhouse gas emission reduction, we’ve been America’s conscience, even when it was hard and unpopular. And when it comes to environmental advocacy, CLCV is California’s most effective and forward looking organization.   They have been at ground zero on many of our brightest advances to protect our environment and our health.  They appreciate the critical synergies between policy and politics.  In this era of rapid social, political, and technological change in America, they understand the importance of building new constituencies and alliances to sustain our environment and protect our health.”