Sejal Choksi-Chugh (she/her) is the Executive Director of San Francisco Baykeeper, which defends San Francisco Bay and its watershed by holding polluters and government agencies accountable for the health of our communities and wildlife. For over 35 years, San Francisco Baykeeper’s combination of investigation, advocacy, and litigation has resulted in more than 300 legal and policy victories, 16 new laws to stop fossil fuel pollution, and $15 million in legal fines redirected to grassroots partners.
Sejal first joined San Francisco Baykeeper as a legal fellow after graduating from UC Berkeley Law School in 2002. She subsequently held the roles of Program Director and Senior Attorney before becoming Executive Director in 2015. She has a fierce and personal connection to the mission of the organization: “I grew up brown-skinned in the Deep South, surrounded by immigrant families and industrial facilities, experiencing firsthand how pollution affected the health and daily lives of my family and neighbors.” San Francisco Baykeeper serves as exactly the kind of resource she wishes existed for her community growing up. Sejal is a champion for inclusive, community-powered advocacy, and a mentor to other BIPOC leaders through her work as a co-founder of the Bay Area chapter of Environmental Professionals of Color.
After 23 years at San Francisco Baykeeper, Sejal says her sabbatical will “replenish my energy and help me reflect on how to elevate my creativity and leadership.” She will take time to reconnect with her ‘why’ because she can foresee daunting environmental justice challenges in the near future that will require her to “return refreshed, grounded, inspired, and ready to lead Baykeeper through our next era of bold, justice-driven work.”