Meishka L. Mitchell Takes Helm at New Jersey League of Conservation Voters
Following a comprehensive national search, the boards of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and the New Jersey LCV Education Fund announced that Meishka L. Mitchell, AICP, PP, will step in as the organization’s new Executive Director and CEO.
Throughout her career spanning over twenty years, Mitchell has championed equity, climate action, and environmental protection across the United States and New Jersey. She will officially assume the role on December 1.
From Camden Waterfronts to State-Level Climate Strategy
Before this, Mitchell served as the leader of Emerald Cities Collaborative, which is a nationwide entity focusing on the convergence of economic opportunity, clean energy, and climate action. While in that position, she successfully steered substantial organizational development, broadened the group’s nationwide presence, built stronger alliances, and secured large-scale funding from top philanthropic organizations to further environmental justice, green workforce training, and climate adaptability.
As a certified urban planner born and raised in Camden, Mitchell relies heavily on her perspective regarding the ways public policy, infrastructure, and land use influence community well-being and potential. Previously, she served as Vice President of Camden Community Partnership. Under her direction, projects were launched that secured upwards of $50 million in philanthropic, private, and public funding directed toward Camden for fair community growth, climate adaptability, and environmental wellness.
Open spaces were successfully established and recovered through her guidance, such as turning an old landfill site into the 62-acre Cramer Hill Waterfront Park. That project restored seven acres of tidal freshwater wetlands and returned wildlife habitat to the Delaware River shoreline. Additionally, Mitchell developed and directed celebrated collaborative programs nationwide that integrated ecological restoration, green infrastructure, and local goals to boost neighborhood resistance to weather events, better public areas, lower flood dangers, and advance environmental well-being.
Academic Roots and Public Advocacy
Alongside her executive leadership, Mitchell serves as a lecturer at Rutgers University, teaching Environmental Justice and U.S. Environmental Policy. Black Girl Kinda Green was established by her as a consulting firm and educational initiative that employs advocacy and narratives to turn environmental justice into something practical and easy to understand.
The executive search was led by Donna Cramer and Kennedy Kearney-Fischer, alongside Karson Freeman and Ryan Smillie, in partnership with the New Jersey LCV search committee.
