Dear Blue Sky community –
On behalf of the board of the Blue Sky Funders Forum, I am thrilled to announce that Onika Abraham Lee will join Blue Sky as our new Executive Director! Onika will officially start on June 7, working from Brooklyn, New York City.
Onika brings to Blue Sky considerable leadership experience in environmental and outdoor learning. Most recently, Onika led Farm School NYC, an urban agriculture organization building stronger, healthier communities inspiring local action around food access and social, economic, and racial justice. As executive director, Onika expanded Farm School NYC into a thriving, interconnected organization through transparency, communication, trust-building, and values alignment. Under Onika’s vision and guidance, Blue Sky is positioned for its next chapter of growth and impact.
Onika’s relationship-driven approach and extensive experience listening to and exchanging ideas with stakeholders most impacted by injustices were particularly impressive to all of us who interviewed her. Onika’s demonstrated ability to build community and inspire positive action is precisely what we hoped to see in our next Executive Director. We are confident Onika will advance Blue Sky’s ongoing work to grow collaborative partnerships, provide strategic leadership, attract new funding to support and advance the movement, and promote equitable access to the benefits of learning, playing, and growing in the outdoors.
In Onika’s own words … “Blue Sky’s mission is deeply aligned with my passion for nurturing just and transformative relationships among nature. We are nature, after all, along with the land and water and all their beings. Philanthropy is on the cusp of radical change – forward-thinking foundations are beginning to examine their privilege, decolonialize their approach, and dismantle the power imbalances inherent to their positionality. I am excited to help harness the power of these shifts with the members of Blue Sky to unleash more funding and equitably redistribute resources to our movements.”
The board is grateful to Blue Sky’s members and partners for their support and engagement throughout the robust and thorough search and deeply appreciative to the Search Committee – a committed group of funders and movement leaders, including:
- Nancy Bales (Chair), Gray Family Foundation
- Juan Martinez, Fresh Tracks / The Aspen Institute
- Jason Morris, Pisces Foundation
- Hannah Shulman, the 11th Hour Project
- Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, Environmental Grantmakers Association
Please also join me in thanking Blue Sky’s program coordinator, Berkeley Bryant, and Interim Director, Joya Banerjee, for their tremendous leadership in carrying on Blue Sky’s work throughout the transition.
The board looks forward to collaborating with Onika and the Blue Sky community toward our shared vision where every person – regardless of race, identity, or community – has the right and opportunity to experience meaningful connections in the outdoors that improve quality of life, health, and social wellbeing. We know Onika will be an instrumental part in advancing this vision.
See you all at Blue Sky’s annual convening in Washington D.C. May 9-11 where you’ll get to meet Onika live and in person!
All my best,
Jason Morris
Chair, Blue Sky Funders Forum
Senior Program Officer, Pisces Foundation