On a warm winter afternoon in the agricultural capital of California and some say the world, I met Jake Mogan. I was deeply impressed by the care and attentiveness that he shared in his analysis of the communities and organizations he partners with in his role at 11th Hour Project.

His desire to organize philanthropy to be on the right side of history and community support is something I will always remember. During our time together on the HEFN Steering Committee, I learned a lot about his ability to make connections between the life cycle of petrochemicals and how each piece of this system gravely impacts f human health and the planet.

Jake’s commitment to the Past Petro working group is something I deeply admire. He worked alongside many other HEFN “legends” to increase understanding of the issue and has continued to lead the charge in funding those impacted first and worst by environmental degradation. Jake welcomed a daughter during the pandemic and exemplified the devotion to family and self-care we should all be striving for when he stepped away from the SC for his parental leave, and then stayed true to his commitment to HEFN when came back to finish his term.

I look forward to crossing paths with Jake in the future!