Eddie Ahn has been engaged in policy and legal advocacy since 2009. He is also the writer and artist of “Advocate,” a graphic memoir to be published by Penguin Random House on April 16, 2024.

In addition to his work for Brightline, Eddie serves on three commissions for local and state government agencies related to environmental policymaking. In 2017, Eddie was appointed to the SF Commission on the Environment, which sets policy for the SF Department of Environment and advises the City and County on environmental matters. In 2018, he was appointed to the SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), a state planning and regulatory agency with regional authority over the Bay Area. In June 2020, he was appointed to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which plans and finances transit in the nine Bay Area counties. In 2022, he was elected by his peers to serve as President of the SF Commission on the Environment. He has also served on the boards of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Mission Housing Development Corporation.

Prior to being a nonprofit attorney, he was an AmeriCorps member, teaching public speaking and arts workshops in Oakland’s Chinatown. While working toward his law degree, he continued to teach art and public speaking workshops for youth and worked for the Assembly Judiciary Committee in Sacramento. His workforce development expertise and analysis of federal constitutional law has also assisted multiple municipalities in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. In December 2021, Eddie was inducted into the State of California’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame for his work in equity and clean energy.

Eddie has received his J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his B.A. from Brown University. He is also a member of the California State Bar.

Carolina Correa manages Brightline's various air quality programs and studies. In addition to this, Caro is responsible for all of Brightline’s communications and social media presence. Caro is a previous 2020 Summer Policy Fellow and a graduate of Brown University, where she studied Environmental Studies and Hispanic Studies. Caro has worked within communities in Los Angeles, where she canvassed community members for their needs pertaining to the pandemic and connected community members to free public health services. She is passionate about environmental equity in low-income communities!

Peter supports Brightline as our Special Counsel. He is a shareholder at Ton Law P.C. where his practice is devoted to environmental counseling and litigation relating to hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, water quality, air quality, endangered species, and environmental health & safety compliance. He represents private and public sector clients in state and federal court, and before administrative bodies. Peter also has an active pro bono practice focused on issues of equity. 

Peter received his J.D. from UCLA School of Law and his B.A. from U.C. Berkeley. He is a member of the Executive Committee for the Environment Law Section of the California Lawyers Association and is the former chair of Environmental Law Section of the Alameda County Bar Association. Peter currently serves on the board of GRID Alternatives Bay Area, a nonprofit whose work focuses on ensuring an inclusive and just clean energy transition.

Jennifer Tapken is Brightline's Deputy Director where she is responsible for driving Brightline’s organizational development and management, while overseeing successful implementation of programs and policies.

Jennifer brings extensive experience in human resources, organizational development, DEI, operations, IT and financial management from nonprofit, healthcare, and academic institutions. Her most recent position was as Deputy Director of the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California. She has also held positions with organizations such as Save the Redwoods League, the ACLU of Northern California and the University of California, San Francisco. She previously served on the board of Asian Women's Shelter.

Jennifer is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare with a concentration in psychology. She is passionate about environmental justice and social justice.

Merhawit Mehzun, known as Merha, supports Brightline's programmatic work while also contributing to the organization's growing policy capacity. She previously served as a Spring and Summer Policy Fellow in 2022, during which she worked on the 2023 Offshore Wind report. Merha holds both a BA and MA in International Studies, with a concentration in sustainable development and environmental justice, from the University of San Francisco. Her Master’s thesis focused on community-led placemaking in Cape Town, South Africa’s urban development. She is deeply passionate about community engagement, environmental justice, and collaborative action.

Alexandra Gonzalez-Edgar supports Brightline as the Legal Corps Administrator, helping to expand Brightline’s legal reach and impact. Passionate about strategic responses to local, state, and national landscape shifts, Alexandra hopes to grow and build out efficient legal pipelines for future attorneys in nonprofit environmental justice work. Alexandra holds a Master’s degree in Climate & Society from Columbia University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and minor in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research experience spans climate science and environmental law. As a CRISP Summer Research Fellow at The Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4) housed at The Earth Institute at Columbia University, she explored human impacts and links to peace and sustainability. She has also contributed to policy research at ClientEarth, and as a legal researcher for criminal defense attorneys arguing Racial Justice Act claims within California’s Juvenile courts. Alexandra is passionate about using policy, writing, and advocacy to foster community and equity at both local and national levels, and is grounded in the belief that meaningful collaboration and authentic listening are the foundation of lasting equitable change.

Alexis Sutterman is Brightline’s senior policy manager, and leads the organization’s policy and regulatory work. Taking a justice- and community-centered approach, her role focuses on advancing Brightline’s climate and clean energy portfolio through active engagement at the California legislature and state agencies. Prior to Brightline, Alexis was an energy equity program manager at the California Environmental Justice Alliance and led the organization’s community solar and clean distributed energy campaigns. She is inspired by the Zapatista mantra that otro mundo es posible (another world is possible), and is extremely grateful to work in service of this vision everyday.

As a Program Liaison, Isabelle supports the organizing capacity of La Voz Latina and CCSROC community leaders by developing research tools, designing community outreach frameworks, and providing educational resources to advance environmental justice and equity in San Francisco’s eastern neighborhoods. She is completing a Master’s in Urban Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration in Housing, Community, and Economic Development. Currently, as a Graduate Student Researcher at the Terner Center, she also works on projects related to decarbonization in affordable housing across California and studies the impact of cash assistance on families exiting Rapid Re-Housing programs in the Bay Area.

As a Puerto Rican and social worker, she is deeply committed to community engagement, addressing local needs, and building collective power to promote sustainable change—especially among communities most vulnerable to environmental racism and climate risks.

Rex Simmons (he/they) is a researcher specializing in environmental justice and political economy issues. Originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan, they have worked with organizations in Louisiana, Taiwan, and California advocating for fenceline communities near oil refineries and petrochemical facilities. Rex holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College and an MA in Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara. While at play, they can be found recording music, in the woods, or cooking elaborate meals.

Astrid DuBois serves as Brightline's Policy Advisor and works to build coalitions and relationships to ensure communities engage in shaping policies that impact them. Astrid comes to Brighline after 3 years working to advance federal environmental justice policy with WE ACT for Environmental Justice in Washington D.C. She led the team’s government affairs efforts and Congressional outreach, including securing EJ funding in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and convening grassroot-led tours around the country to realize the potential of the Biden Administration's historic focus on environmental justice. Astrid started their career in social work with homeless youth and families in Washington State, where they grew up, and is passionate about building healthy and sustainable futures. She holds a B.A. in English and Spanish at Williams College.

Ashlie serves as a Program Specialist at Brightline, where she supports air quality community organizing and youth programming. Guided by her passion for community outreach, she is especially committed to uplifting youth voices and empowering the next generation of environmental justice leaders. Ashlie is a graduate of Cal Poly SLO, where she earned her B.S. in Environmental Management & Protection with minors in Sustainable Environments and GIS.