Meet the Coalition

Rev. Dr. Beth Johnson has served as minister of Palomar UU Fellowship in Vista, CA since 2004. Dr. Johnson is a minster, activist and public theologian. She works on intersectional issues, including immigration, worker and racial justice, as well as environmental justice in San Diego and nationally.

Dr. Johnson has worked with the Interfaith Coalition for Earth Justice since its inception. She currently serves on the board of UURISE – the Unitarian Universalist Refugee and Immigration Services and Education, Alliance San Diego, and the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium.  She is a co-chair of the CA Coordinating Committee of the Poor People’s Campaign.

Dr. Johnson is committed to bringing a moral voice to justice work through sacred activism – linking spirituality and radical social change.

She received her Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Claremont School of Theology. She is from Chicago where her beloved family still resides.

Phil Petrie is an artist and long-time environmental activist.  Phil has always had a deep love for nature and an unease with our technocratic civilization both of which led to his work in the anti-nuclear power movement in the late 70s.  Since moving to San Diego in 2007, he has been especially active in fighting climate change as a founding member of SanDiego350 and of ICEJ.  He sees this crisis as a key opportunity to put our civilization on a truly sustainable footing–to place it not on top of but within nature.

His environmental beliefs are also deeply grounded in his Christianity.  At St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral where he worships, he co-founded Simpler Living, a creation care ministry dedicated to “seeking a Christian response to the environmental crisis and our excessive consumerism by living more simply and sustainably in home, church, community, and the world.”  At the root of our hyperconsumerism is the attempt to fill a God-sized hole with status and goods, and to create these goods we in the developed world are radically degrading the biosphere.  This crisis is both environmental and spiritual.  Phil is excited about what ICEJ has done and will do to empower people of faith to move us to a more spiritual and sustainable world!

Phil lives in Normal Heights with his wife Mary and daughter Sarah.  He enjoys hiking in Mission Trails, obscure (or not-so-obscure) indie bands, and reading novels and history.

Ever since traveling to Belize as a teenager and sleeping under the stars, Julie has felt a deep connection to something bigger in nature and it is through nature that Julie feels closest to a Divine Creator. She is fascinated by and reminded of this Intelligence in the design of the human body, animals, plants and how it is all perfectly woven together.  Julie has always felt compassion for animals which led her adopt a plant based diet as a teenager. She developed a passion for healthy eating, cooking plant-based foods, nutrition, and mind-body wellness.  Exploring the field of cooking and nutrition has recently inspired her to learn how food grows. She is becoming more aware of and learning about the food system, the environment, and our life-sustaining care for it. 

As the media assistant for ICEJ, Julie supports the coalition by helping organize and execute events, creating promotional materials, and providing technical support as the organization continues to grow. What inspires Julie about working with ICEJ is supporting faith-based leaders and volunteers in caring for Mother Nature.  

She received her Bachelors in human development and family studies from the University of Illinois, pursued a Post-baccalaureate in photography and fine art at the Memphis College of Art and received Certification in marketing from San Diego State University. As a student of Life, Julie spends her time taking classes, and practicing mind-body-spirit wellness. She also enjoys volunteering with the nutrition education department at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. Her background in non-profits, the arts, business operations, and working with start-ups in the mind-body-spirit industry provides her with a diverse array of skills and knowledge to support the organization. She looks forward to continuing to learn and support the coalition as they work as devoted caretakers of mother nature and her inhabitants. 

Julie has lived in San Diego for the past 14 years and is a part of Centers for Spiritual Living. When not working with ICEJ you will most likely find her meditating, taking classes at her spiritual center, or watching inspiring documentaries about athletes.

Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Clovis Honoré grew up amidst the social turbulence of the 1960s and the cultural renaissance of the 1970s on the west side of South Central Los Angeles. He graduated from Los Angeles High School and entered San Diego State University in 1978.  Once at SDSU, he became involved in the social, cultural and political life of San Diego’s African American community. He pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and was twice President of the Black Student Council/Afrikan Student Union. Honoré graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Political Science and African American Studies.

After more than 20 years of education, work and family life in San Diego, Honoré sought to rekindle the many dynamic relationships he had developed in his college years. In 1998 he joined the United African American Ministerial Action Council as a volunteer and was brought on staff as a community organizer in 2003. Through his community work Clovis has advocated for social justice and equity serving on boards and organizations including as the Interim Executive Director of United African American Ministerial Action Council (UAAMAC), Executive Director of San Diego Area Congregations for Change, Board Member of the Alliance for African Assistance, Chair of the Alliance Health Clinic, and President of San Diego Black Health Associates. Clovis is currently an Adjunct Minister and Chair of the Social Justice Ministry Board at Christian Fellowship Congregational Church in Emerald Hills, Social Justice Editor of Indian Voices, Immediate Past President of the San Diego Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), sits on the Community Advisory Board of the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper and continues to support many other community groups in San Diego, including the San Diego Green New Deal Alliance; Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Workingroup (JEDI – Co-Chair), Racial Justice Coalition, and A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Healing and Treatment). 

Clovis currently works as an Outreach Coordinator for GRID Alternatives, an environmental justice non-profit that installs free solar systems on the homes of low to moderate income families.

Debbie McDaniel-Lindsey is a member of La Mesa 1st United Methodist Church, the same church she grew up in as a child 50 years ago.  After living many places in North America she spent her last working years in Los Angeles teaching elementary school.  When she and her husband retired they moved back to east county San Diego. The last 4 years she has spent volunteering with gun violence prevention groups and continues to do so. 

It was reconnecting with La Mesa UMC, and the Methodist Women’s group focused on Just Energy 4 All that helped educate herself about the climate crisis, start the Earth Care Ministry at church and work on building conversations with others in faith communities like ICEJ to see that climate change is not just a moral issue but a spiritual one.  Her late recognition of what she can do and must do also helps her connect with others who are just now trying to learn and change their behaviors.  She and her husband love spending time with their 3 grandchildren on the rural Oregon coast where awe-inspiring nature convinces her of how being in nature helps one grow spiritually.

Yusef Miller was born into a Muslim Family in Chester, Pennsylvania; he joined the US Navy after High School and retired after 24 years of Active Duty service as a Chief Hospital Corpsman at Camp Pendleton California, spending those years as an EMT(I.V insertion, Medication Despenser), Laboratory Technician(Phlebotomy, Immunizations), Clinic Manager (Administration, Discipline, Education, and Medical Research). Yusef Miller is currently a member of the Board of Islamic Society North County(Escodido Musullah). Upon retirement from the Armed Service, Yusef filled his time with Social Justice activities, first through Interfaith teams, fighting disparities on all fronts, Race, Religion, Gender, Immigration Status to name a few.

Yusef’s volunteer work as a Social Justice Advocate includes:

Police Reform – As Member of the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego(RJCSD), I was involved in the “l Have Can’t Breathe Campaign” to ban all Neck Restraints in San Diego since 2017, finally being  accepted after the loss of George Floyd.  Subsequently, have been meeting with Several Cities “Chief of Police” and “Sheriff’s Dept” to discuss de-escalation policy and other critical reforms. Has been an active Mental Health Reform advocate.

Founder of “Pink Crescent”, a Breast Health Awareness organization, cooperation with Komen Foundation and the Quarterly Regional Breast Health forum.  Aim to increase the survival rate of women of color and more inclusion in clinical trials, by visiting and education women’s groups on seriousness of testing and prevention

Founder of Mosques Against Trafficking (M.A.T) in Oct 2016; Fighting Human Trafficking in San Diego County is a must for us all; as San Diego is on the top 13 worst cities in the US in term of Human Trafficking.  Increasing informational and taking active steps to end human exploitation.

Environmental Equity promoter, educating the community on Clean Air, Clean Water, and Clean Soil in a manner that does not neglect environmental injustices particular to communities of concern.  Advocating from such platforms as; Environmental Climate Justice Committee Chair of NSDC NAACP, Clean Earth For Kids Equity Advisor, Clergy for the Coastline, and as a proud member of Interfaith for Climate and Earth Justice.

Diane Lopez Hughes is a member of St Paul’s Cathedral in San Diego and the convener of its Simpler Living ministry and a member of the Sacred Ground in Action (anti-racism) task force.  She is co-leader of the Episcopal Diocese in San Diego Creation Care Task Force and a member of SanDiego350.  

Diane has cared for Creation since forays during graduate school into the Grand Tetons and continues in her love of Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave Preserve, our beautiful Pacific Ocean, and anywhere we can walk and be present with nature.  Born and raised in Chicago, her husband Pat and she moved to Springfield, IL and raised their two sons, Devin (a symphony conductor living with his wife Molly in Boulder, CO) and Brendan (an attorney, living in Point Loma with his wife Lesley and children Kieran and Nolina).  She moved to Joshua Tree to help with her newborn grandson, then to San Diego with her son’s family as Brendan attended California Western School of Law.  Diane lives happily near her grandchildren in Point Loma.

In intersectional work is our hope for the future, paraphrasing the words of John Muir that “everything is hitched to everything else.” As we listen increasingly to the wisdom of our Indigenous neighbors, we can learn and promote a healthier way to be with Earth.  We do this work for all creation, and somewhat selfishly, for our grandchildren and those who will come after them.

Dan Tomsky’s participation in the ICEJ is consistent with his personal life values and commitment to a world of greater peace, justice, equity, wellbeing, and spiritual balance. He deems the critical need to address climate change a collective “call to action” that fits within these values.

Having recently retired after 25 years with the non-profit San Diego-based Institute for Public Strategies (IPS), Dan has chosen to add grassroots climate action efforts to his mix of volunteer activities. At IPS, Dan managed transformative community-driven projects advancing health, safety, and neighborhood revitalization within San Diego County. Experience in numerous collaborative initiatives increasing equity and “quality of life” within diverse urban communities is leading Dan to becoming part of strategic climate action work — especially given its intersect with social justice issues.

Following Dan’s 2019 entry into SanDiego350 participation, he was drawn to ICEJ given the quest to address climate and larger environmental concerns through faith-based lenses. Dan’s grounding in Judaism stems from his father being a rabbi. Seeing the moral and spiritual imperative to care for our planet’s health and protect life, Dan is in the early stages of contributing to climate action becoming a greater priority at Tifereth Israel, a San Diego synagogue where he’s a member. He envisions ICEJ and Tifereth mutually benefiting in time.

Dan holds a Master’s degree from San Diego State University in Social Work with a community practice emphasis. He and his wife, Anne, have two adult children.

Father Emmet has been ordained for over 50 years for a diocese in Iowa. He served 16 years as a missionary in Peru. Upon returning, He served mostly Hispanic communities in Houston, Texas, Maryknoll, New York, Chicago, Illinois, and for the past 20 years in the Diocese of San Diego in 3 bilingual parishes.

Fr. Emmet has always had a strong interest in Social Justice and serving the poor. In his writings Pope Francis emphasizes the poor and global inequality, perhaps even more than global warming in his encyclical “Laudato Si”. He sees both issues as interconnected, at crisis level and eminently moral and spiritual issues.

So, when the USCCB and the Catholic Climate Covenant sent a team to San Diego to train them on how to establish Creation Care Teams in parishes, Fr. Emmet picked up that challenge. He has developed a library of materials had have undertaken the task of giving free workshops in English and Spanish in all of our parishes.