Bingham and Bernhard Team Up to Lead CTLCV

Hartford, CT (January 10, 2011)—The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV), the state’s bipartisan environmental advocacy group, welcomes David Bingham, a Democrat, and G. Kenneth Bernhard, a Republican, as co-chairs of the CTLCV board of directors for 2011.

As the political arm of Connecticut’s environmental organizations, CTLCV reaches out to both sides of the political aisle to educate Connecticut legislators and other public officials on matters of environmental significance.  “Clean air and clean water are essential to people of all political persuasions; nothing about the environment should be a partisan issue,” notes Bingham.

Ken Bernhard agrees and adds further, “As a Republican, I also believe that the environment can’t get short shrift at the expense of the economy.  A healthy, sustainable environment is part and parcel of the quality of life that keeps people, businesses and jobs here.  Connecticut’s environment is an asset.  We need to be shrewd about preserving it.”

Bernhard, an attorney, is a principal in the Westport Office of Cohen and Wolf where he practices municipal, business, real estate and family law.  From 1997-2005, he was Westport's State Representative and served as an Assistant Minority Leader. Bernhard previously served as Westport 's Third Selectman from 1987 to 1989 and was elected to the Westport Zoning Board of Appeals in 1989.

Bernhard is also active with animal protection organizations.  In 2010 he traveled to Africa where he teamed up with the Kenyan Wildlife Service in a sting operation against illegal ivory dealers.  Bernhard has traveled to Senegal and Ethiopia to participate in anti-poaching patrols and to protect national parks.

David Bingham, a retired physician from Salem and self-styled “amateur naturalist,” continues as co-chair, a role that he has shared with Goshen resident Martha Phillips since 2009.  An elected member of the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission, Bingham has been active with the Audubon Society, the national League of Conservation Voters and The Nature Conservancy.  He serves on the Boards of Rivers Alliance, the CT Land Conservation Coalition, the Salem Land Trust and the Sierra Club’s CT Chapter.

Bingham ran for Congress in 1994 to emphasize fiscal and social responsibility for a sound environment.  His grandfather, Hiram Bingham, was Governor and US Senator.  Bingham is an enthusiastic proponent of legislation that would let cities and towns set up their own funds for environmental projects within their own borders.

New Year, New Leadership at CTLCV

After more than eight years at the helm, CTLCV Board Chairs Julie Belaga and Russ Brenneman, two of CTLCV’s original founders, are passing their chairmanships on to Martha Phillips and David Bingham.

Martha Phillips, of Goshen, worked in various staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1965. Phillips was deputy minority counsel to the House Ways and Means Committee (1977-1986) and Minority Staff Director to the House Budget Committee (1986-1992). From 1992 to 1999, Phillips was executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded by former Senators Warren Rudman (R-NH) and Paul Tsongas (D-MA) to end federal deficit spending and promote entitlement reform and a balanced federal budget. Phillips is now a member of the Concord Coalition board. She is also Vice President of Redefining Progress, a public policy think tank dedicated to promoting sustainability through sound economics. Additionally, as Action Chair of the Litchfield County League of Women Voters, Phillips focuses on various environmental and energy issues. She is a Vice-Chair of the Garden Club of America National Affairs and Legislation Committee, Vice-President of the Litchfield Garden Club, and has served on the Endangered Lands Coalition.

"During this era of budget deficits and budget cuts, CTLCV's work is more important than ever. We will work with the legislature and the Rell administration to make sure that critical environmental protections are not neglected. Our state's coffers may be temporarily empty, but our natural resources are abundant—and we need to protect them so they stay that way," said Phillips.

Joining Phillips as CTLCV Co-Chair is David Bingham, a retired physician from Salem and self-styled “amateur naturalist.” Bingham has been active with the Sierra Club, NARAL, Audubon Society, and the national League of Conservation Voters. He currently serves on the Boards of Rivers Alliance, the CT Land Conservation Coalition, the Salem Land Trust and the Sierra Club (CT Chapter). An elected member of the Salem Planning and Zoning Commission, Bingham has worked with The Nature Conservancy and the Salem Land Trust to save land. Bingham ran for Congress in 1994 to emphasize fiscal and social responsibility for a sound environment. His grandfather, Hiram Bingham, was Governor and US Senator.

In sync with Phillips, Bingham believes that

"Conserving the beauty of our landscape and our wildlife, and protecting the health of our environment, requires vision, oversight, education and investment. Cutting corners cannot be acceptable, even in these difficult times. Natural resources that are lost are often lost forever. We are responsible for what future generations inherit, and these values are priceless. Martha and I have big shoes to fill, and we are honored to pick up where Russ and Julie left off."

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (www.ctlcv.org) is a bipartisan environmental advocacy group that focuses on getting smart, sustainable environmental policies enacted in Connecticut. Its affiliates include the CTLCV Education Fund (www.conservationeducation.org) and the CTLCV PAC.