Since 1994, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) has engaged businesses and communities with sustainable solutions on environmental issues.
A frequent partner with state, county, and city governments on programs addressing stormwater pollution prevention and waste reduction, ECOSS works throughout the region with diverse communities, cultures, and businesses to overcome technical, language, and cultural obstacles that stand between people and a healthy environment. It also helps integrate newly arrived refugees by introducing them to, and educating them about, their new environment.
Last October, ECOSS helped organize a trip sponsored by Seattle Public Utility to the Cedar River Watershed for a group of 36 Bhutanese community members, comprised mainly of seniors, friends, and family from the Tukwila area, who have been living in Washington for no more than five years. The trip was the latest in an ongoing effort to teach the community about our water supply.
ECOSS recently announced West Seattle resident Cluny McCaffrey as its new executive director. McCaffrey has a nonprofit career spanning more than 20 years specializing in environment, communications, program management, and operations.
McCaffrey said she believes that access, concern, and care for the environment belong to everyone—transcending political, social, cultural and economic barriers.
“The work ECOSS has been quietly doing for the last two decades couldn’t be more needed or more relevant than it is today,” McCaffrey said in a statement. “With 21 languages spoken by the staff, ECOSS is positioned to play a significant role in Puget Sound’s changing business, cultural and environmental landscape.”
Prior to joining the staff at ECOSS, McCaffrey worked at The Nature Conservancy in Washington and Florida for more than 20 years, and at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding center in Redmond, WA. She succeeds Kevin Burrell who left the executive director position in April 2015. Fund Development Manager Stephen Reilly served the organization as Interim Executive Director.
