executive director
Caleb Roberts hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a background in community organizing around issues of transportation, economic development, and affordable housing. Caleb is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with an M.S. in Community and Regional Planning and received his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. He previously worked as a Housing Advocate at Texas Housers, and as a Senior Planner for Gap Strategies. He is a husband, a writer of science fiction, and a lifelong track athlete.
E: downwindersatrisk@gmail.com
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Kiani Ned. Throughout her professional life, Kiani has managed the social media, branding strategy, and communications for galleries, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. She has helped launch and sustain creative projects for artists, writers, organizations, and service providers. She will be joining the DAR Team as Development Coordinator to oversee capacity building and fundraising efforts.
E: downwindersdevelopment@gmail.com
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Alicia Kendrick. Alicia Kendrick is a Joppa resident, mother and a member of the Joppa Environmental Health Project Steering Committee. She has been working with us since 2021, joined the Board in 2022 and will be graduating from the College of Constructive Hell-Raising in May 2023.
E: downwindersalicia@gmail.com
bilingual COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
James Perkins is a dedicated bilingual organizer with a profound commitment to community empowerment. With fluency in both English and Spanish, James boasts years of experience in leading successful campaigns that have increased community engagement, government accountability, and led to the creation of equitable policies and practices. Known for a collaborative approach and a passion for social justice, James Perkins is poised to continue to contribute valuably to communities across the DFW metroplex.
StraTegic Advisor; Dean, college of constructive hell-raising
Jim Schermbeck was born and raised in Fort Worth. From 1977 to 1988 he worked to stop the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant as a volunteer and professional organizer. He was Program Director of the Dallas office of the National Toxics Campaign from 1989 to 1994, where he helped DFW residents in identifying two Superfund Sites, including the former RSR lead smelter in West Dallas. He assisted founder Sue Pope is establishing Downwinders at Risk in 1994 and was its Director until 2024. He founded the College of Constructive Hell-Raising in 2017 as a way to teach the communtiy organzing priniciples and history informing Downwinders' approach to Change Making.
E: strategeryjim@gmail.com