ABOUT US

ACE is co-ounded by Ellen Hayes and Steve Kowal, both environmental activists trained in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing at Antioch University New England.  In addition, both Steve and Ellen have had extensive careers in business, sales, marketing, entrepreneurial start-ups and non-profit management.

Bios of Our Staff  

Ellen J. Hayes, M.S. Executive Director and Co-Founder

When Ellen faced a personal health care crisis and could not find help within her own health-care industry she began to ask deeper questions.  Ellen holds a B.A. in Biology from Ithaca College and a M.S. in Environmental Advocacy and Organizing from Antioch University New England (AUNE) Graduate School. She spent 20 years inside the health care industry where her insider’s view made her ask “where was the priority on health or care”? She decided something had to be done about corporate priorities and enrolled at AUNE where she refined her understanding of current issues of democracy by including in her course work studies with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund. She was inspired by their effort to bring local decision-making into the communities where people live. She now works actively as Executive Director of Advocates for Community Empowerment to support local communities in northern New England which choose to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed governing authority through the codifying of community values into local binding law.  

Ellen volunteers at her local community radio station supporting the broadcast of publicly funded public interest and local community affairs programming and looks forward to developing her interest in forest gardening and permaculture as ways to contribute to living within New England’s forests in sustainable ways.  

Steve Kowal, M.S. Co-Founder (On Temporary Leave)

Coming face to face with our world’s “limits to growth” and the time-critical need for increased ecological awareness and action, Steve Kowal, an entrepreneur and marketing professional with over twenty-five years experience decided to take his business-related tools and apply them to help reverse the accelerating and devastating assault on the environment and communities.  A 2006 graduate of the Environmental Advocacy and Organizing program at Antioch University New England, Steve’s work is dedicated to enacting local democratic control that protects and preserves a community’s environmental heritage along with establishing citizens’ rights to a healthy way of life.    Steve graduated from the Wharton Graduate School Executive Management Program, founded and operated a company that invented the first injury-specific first-aid response system, garnered numerous sales performance awards, managed multi-million medical development projects, founded and operated a national public relations firm and has been a business and computer database consultant for many small businesses and non-profit organizations.

Steve serves as a volunteer with the Granite Earth Institute which provides community-based discussion courses in ecological issues throughout New Hampshire. Steve is also an award-winning photographer.