March 14, 2025 | Vernice Miller-Travis and Almeta E. Cooper
As health professionals, it is crucial for us to grasp the vital connection between health and sustainability. Recognizing the challenges and opportunities within our communities allows us to take meaningful, collaborative action. We invite you to participate in an impactful webinar featuring Ms. Vernice Miller-Travis, Executive Vice President and Environmental Justice Lead at Metropolitan Group, alongside Ms. Almeta E. Cooper, National Manager for Health Justice at Moms Clean Air Force. Together, they will illuminate the pressing climate and health vulnerabilities faced by marginalized and low-income communities. Furthermore, they will offer actionable strategies for forging powerful cross-sector partnerships among health professionals, policymakers, and community organizations. By integrating the principles of environmental justice and health equity into our local and regional sustainability initiatives, we can drive transformative change that benefits every member of our communities. Join the conversation and be part of the solution.
Speaker Bios:
Vernice Miller-Travis is the executive vice president of the Metropolitan Group.
Vernice is one of the nation’s pioneering and most respected thought leaders on environmental justice and the interplay of civil rights and environmental policy.
Vernice has vast experience as a civil rights and environmental policy analyst and advocate; consultant for federal and state agencies, foundations and nonprofits; environmental program manager and foundation program officer. She was a contributing author to the landmark report “Toxic Waste and Race in the United States.” This inspired her to go on to help build a social movement that is rooted at the intersection of race, environment, economics, social justice and public health. The Sierra Club recently awarded Vernice the Robert Bullard Environmental Justice Award.
Almeta E. Cooper is the National Manager of Health Justice for Moms Clean Air Force.
Almeta lends her expertise in health justice to all aspects of Moms Clean Air Force’s work, with a special focus on climate and children’s health under the umbrella of the Community Health Justice program. Her work on clean air and health issues for Moms is a natural progression of her 30-year career as an executive, attorney, and advocate for organizations focused on health care, health justice, and women and girls.
Almeta formerly served as Moms’ Georgia field organizer in Atlanta before becoming the National Manager for Health Justice and relocating to Washington, DC. Prior to joining to Moms Clean Air Force, she served as the general counsel and corporate secretary for the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), where she managed MSM’s legal affairs, served on the executive leadership team, and served as the corporate secretary for the Board of Trustees.
Almeta has lived, worked, and served communities in the Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast. Since 2019, she has offered executive consulting services to nonprofit organizations, small businesses, executives, attorneys, and corporations. In 2022, she was named to join the Multisector Partner Group of the Association of American Medical Colleges, AAMC Center for Health Justice. Almeta’s work with Moms Clean Air Force has been featured by the Today Show, the Weather Channel, Word In Black, Capital News Service, the Washington Informer, Forbes, WUGA, Inside Climate News, and numerous other outlets.
Almeta believes in being actively engaged with her community. She serves on a health care system board in Akron, Ohio, and volunteers with civic groups, all between staying connected with family and friends across the country and yoga sessions.