Elayne Coleman joins Planet Detroit's advisory board. Coleman is a graduate of Detroit Public Schools. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Emory University and a Master of Business Administration from Wayne State University.

Overview:

- Elayne Coleman, director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, joins Planet Detroit's advisory board for 2026, bringing her expertise to bolster its journalism and community engagement.
- A lifelong Detroiter, Coleman has a rich background in public space activation and sustainability in higher education, holding degrees from Emory University and Wayne State University.
- Her commitment to contextualizing environmental issues for local readers aligns with Planet Detroit's mission.

Planet Detroit announced Wednesday that Elayne Coleman, director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, has joined its advisory board for 2026.

Coleman leads a team of conservation, policy, and environmental justice practitioners at the Sierra Club, where she oversees efforts to address some of Michigan’s most pressing environmental challenges.

She previously served as a community organizer with the chapter, leading green stormwater infrastructure education and outreach initiatives. Before joining the Sierra Club, Coleman worked in public space activation and sustainability in higher education.

A lifelong Detroiter, Coleman is a graduate of Detroit Public Schools. She earned a bachelor of arts in Environmental Science from Emory University and a master of business administration from Wayne State University.

Coleman said she was drawn to Planet Detroit’s mission of contextualizing environmental issues for local readers.

“Planet Detroit captures the stories I yearned to tell while organizing for environmental justice as a teenager and contextualizes the everyday challenges that Detroiters face through an ecological lens,” Coleman said.

Planet Detroit is an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering environmental issues affecting Detroit and Michigan. The organization’s advisory board provides strategic guidance and expertise to support its journalism and community engagement efforts.

“We’re honored to welcome Elayne to our advisory board,” said Nina Ignaczak, Planet Detroit’s executive director. “Her deep roots in Detroit, combined with her experience in environmental policy and community organizing, will be invaluable as we continue to grow our coverage of the issues that matter most to Michiganders.”

Outside of her professional work, Coleman enjoys outdoor walks, casual birding, baking, and spending time with her husband, family, and friends.

Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup focused on producing quality climate, health, and environment journalism that holds power accountable, and spotlights solutions. Planet Detroit has received awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers since its establishment in 2019. Prior to her journalism career, Nina worked in urban planning in local government and nonprofit sectors, holding a Master of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.