Jayni Chase

Founder, Center For Environmental Education

"What a breath of fresh air! The finalists in the Green Effect competition give me tremendous hope. It's heartening to read their words, watch their testimonials and feel I'm getting a glimpse into their hearts. These are the leaders who can and will lift us, community by community, out of the quagmire we've gotten ourselves into with our unnecessarily large and wasteful lifestyles. It's time for a cultural shift and SunChips philosophy, 'Big change stars with small steps.' is spot on. I hope that the Green Effect competition will get the attention it deserves. National Geographic has been way out front, educating all of us and helping us understand what needs to be done. This is the perfect team—visionary leaders who are reaching out into our communities to effect lasting and meaningful change."
—Jayni Chase on the Green Effect finalists

An eco-savvy mother of three and wife of Chevy Chase, Jayni Chase, put her passion for the earth to work by launching the Center for Environmental Education in 1988. The organization provides resources to K-12 schools looking to get greener and/or looking for the best environmental educational materials available. With her latest endeavor, GREEN reModel, Chase has an ambitious goal: to create "Model" Green Schools in cities across the country. Utilizing campus audits, school supervisors, administrators, teachers, parents, and students will work with community organizations and local businesses to create ultimate green schools.