According to the University of Colorado, “Those who are most affected and have the fewest resources to adapt to climate change are also the least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions — both globally and within the United States.” Promoting climate justice is an incredibly important environmental responsibility that is slowly becoming more and more recognized. In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who are helping to promote sustainability and climate justice. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kendra Lee.

Kendra Lee has served as Chairman of the Board for Merichem Company since 2012 and CEO since 2014. She has worked for Merichem Company for over 20 years, beginning her career in the research laboratories, and continued her progression in Merichem Company in chemical sales management and the corporate functions of Treasurer and Corporate Secretary before being appointed to serve on the Board of Directors in April 2010. Ms. Lee received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M and her MBA from the University of Houston.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?

Igrew up in Texas during an era when kids spent their free time outside. Summers meant camping road trips with my dad to see much of southwestern U.S. My love for animals and my appreciation for nature fueled my desire to study animals in college, specifically sharks, which led me to Texas A&M University at Galveston. A chance meeting with a professor in the university bookstore during my campus tour redirected my interest to Marine Sciences, a multidisciplinary science that includes biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and engineering.

After finishing my bachelor’s in Science at Texas A&M, I started working as a technician in the…