About Us
Helping Mississippi become a climate-kind state.
Our Story
We believe that climate-kind stewardship of the earth is central to lasting prosperity. Sustainable communities not only benefit the environment, but also attract business and grow local economies.
We are committed to promoting equitable, sustainable, energy-efficient, and economically viable solutions that build a stronger Mississippi for generations to come.
We believe that education is essential for achieving this goal, as it creates demand for climate solutions to be developed and implemented.
We are dedicated to teaching about climate change science, the threats that we and the rest of the world are facing, and to inspiring and empowering all Mississippians to act. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in our programs and activities.
Who We Are
2°C Mississippi (2CM) is a 501(c)(3) community-based organization (CBO) that works with communities in Jackson, Mississippi helping to create climate resilience through adaption, mitigation and education projects. Our focus is disadvantage, largely African American communities that suffer most from the severe and negative impacts of climate change on their health and wellbeing. 2CM’s current projects include co-designing with frontline communities, green infrastructure solutions to mitigate urban heat islands and flooding in the city’s most neglected communities.
We have developed strategic partnerships and collaborate with local community-based organizations to increase our capacity to obtain funds for and develop projects that have positive impact on the communities we serve.
Staff
Dominika Parry, Ph.D.
President/CEO
Dominika Parry is the founding President of 2CMississippi. She is an environmental economist, professionally and personally passionate about climate change. Dominika established 2C Mississippi to promote a bipartisan, science-based dialog and action on climate change in Mississippi. Dominika received her PhD in 2003 from Yale University, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she also trained as a Postdoctoral Associate, working on valuation of air pollution damages. She spent most of her career in academia as an Assistant Professor at the Earth and Environment Department at Boston University, Visiting Assistant Professor at the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration at University of Kentucky, and a Researcher at the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she worked on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for federally and state owned land management.
Since moving to Mississippi, in 2013, Dominika became an Independent Consultant in Environmental Economics and Policy working on a variety of projects including local support for Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Vicksburg, MS and publishing a report on the Economic Impact Analysis of the Lower Mississippi River. In 2016, Dominika founded a Jackson Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby. Currently, she is both the Jackson Chapter Leader as well as a pro-bono State Coordinator for CCL in Mississippi leading local efforts in support of federal climate change regulations.
Dominika received also a BA/MS in Sociology from Warsaw University in Poland and completed two years of PhD work in Political Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. She was a Research Fellow at the Warsaw Ecological Economics Center, Warsaw University conducting international valuation studies on eutrophication in the Baltic Sea; endangerment of Polish wetlands; and protection of lynx population in the Carpathian Mountains. In the summer of 1999, she participated in the Young Scientists Summer Program International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA) in Austria. She worked there on costing standard harmonization in the European Union.
Dominika is a native of Poland, but after 25 years of moving across the US, she and her family chose Mississippi as their forever home. She lives with her two sons, husband, two dogs, nine fish, hermit crab and an occasional toad in Ridgeland Mississippi.
Diane Pruitt, M.P.A.
Project Director
Joined 2C Mississippi as Director responsible for managing green infrastructure projects in Jackson, Mississippi. Impressed with the work 2C Mississippi is doing, Diane decided to relocate to Mississippi to help support 2C Mississippi’s efforts to address the impact of climate change on the underserved communities in Jackson. “It was important to me to be able to ‘give back’ to the community in a more impactful way.”
“I see my role as constantly evolving – defining project strategies, building upon our community and partner relationships, and promoting equitable delivery of services and support.”
Diane is a seasoned solutions oriented professional with over 20 years experience in business development, program and project management and marketing. She has worked for several global companies including, Hewlett Packard, AT&T and Schneider Electric. In her role, prior to coming to 2C Mississippi, Diane designed and developed a buildings certification service for a global company of over 120,000 employees. Focusing her efforts on healthy buildings, Diane developed the Building Certifications offer that would generate new revenue potential for the company.
She has been an employee and an entrepreneur, developing a broad skillset and credentials. Diane is a strategic thinker with relevant market knowledge, skilled in bringing order to chaos, and very good at listening, leading and advising.
Diane has her Master’s degree in Public Administration and her B.A. in Urban and Environmental Studies. She is a a LEED Green Associate with a LEED Certificate in Cities and Communities.
Board of Directors
Nancy Anne Branton, Secretary of the Board
Nancy Anne Branton is a First Vice President- Investments with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC in Ridgeland Ms. Nancy Anne has been a financial advisor in the Jackson, Mississippi area for over 25 years. She graduated from Delta State University with a degree in Banking and Finance. Nancy Anne has served her community working with many non-profits thru the years. She most recently served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. She is also a member of the National Advisory Board for the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. Nancy Anne lives in Brandon, MS with her wife Suzi Altman and her dog Walter.
Inglish DeVoss, Treasurer of the Board
Inglish DeVoss graduated with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and Minor in African and Diaspora Studies from Tulane University. She was a gallery director in New Orleans before moving to Jackson in 2000. Inglish previously served as Program Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity, as an African art consultant for Disney, and as owner of Little Cook Lab, cooking enrichment classes for Jackson area children. Inglish has volunteered with several community organizations including on the Boards of AmeriCorp of Jackson, Women’s Foundation of Mississippi and Growing Up Knowing. She was an extended active for the Junior League in youth/ community programs as well as on various event and advisory committees for Mississippi Spay and Neuter, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Citizen’s Climate Lobby, and Grounds Krewe sustainable products and events in New Orleans. She served as the Community Liaison for Arts on the Green and three years on the St. Andrews Parent Association Executive Committee where her two sons presently attend.
Candace Partridge, Ph.D., Chairwoman of the Board
Candace Partridge is a Sustainable Debt Data Manager for the Climate Bonds Initiative. She completed her doctorate in green municipal bonds from University College London, in 2019, where her research focused on the use of green bonds to finance more sustainable infrastructure for cities. She has also done postdoctoral research on the financial aspects of plastic waste management infrastructure at the UCL Plastic Waste Hub. She is currently doing further research into the green municipal bond market in the US, along with volunteering as a policy liaison for Citizen’s Climate Lobby.
David Elkin, Executive Director and Professor, University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC)
David is a healthcare innovator who is passionate about mental health care access for all.
As the Executive Director of The Center for Advancement of Youth (CAY), an outpatient pediatric behavioral health clinical service line, David manages over 65 providers and support staff with an integrated, interdependent approach. Under his leadership, this high-volume clinic has set a new industry standard with consistent technological innovation — including telehealth — to reach and better serve patients throughout Mississippi.
“I have built a financially viable and sustainable business model while prioritizing excellence in evidence-based care by obtaining federal and private grants, fundraising, and executing astute financial management. I believe that when business principles are applied alongside a patient-first approach, we create a future where the quantity and quality of mental healthcare rises. My personal mission is to provide mental health care to all.”
Gabrielle Banks, Ph.D. Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center
Gabrielle Banks is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in Child Development.
Providing Climate Solutions to Underserved Communities
Our green infrastructure projects provide relief and resilience to underserved communities that are often most severely impacted by the negative aspects of climate change.
Our goal is to make an impact in quality of life and restore areas that can have positive impact on the residents and their community. We continue to pursue funding to support our efforts to plan, design, implement and where funding allows, provide some maintenance of projects we develop.
Board of Advisors
Kane Ditto, Principal of StateStreet Group, L.L.C.
Former Mayor of Jackson
Kane Ditto is the principal of StateStreet Group, L.L.C., a real estate development company which he started in 1971, and several companies in the manufactured housing business. Mr. Ditto served as Mayor of the City of Jackson from July 1989 until July 1997. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives from District 66, where he served from 1987 to 1989. Before entering the political arena, Mr. Ditto practiced law for 18 years with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis in Jackson where he was managing partner of the firm for five years. As a practicing attorney, he developed a primary emphasis in municipal finance. Mr. Ditto presently serves as President of the Board of Trustees of Mississippi Department of Archives and History. He also serves on the boards of Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area Partnership and the Mississippi Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Mr. Ditto is a graduate of Duke University and has a law degree from Vanderbilt University. He and his wife, the former Betsy Martin, have four children and nine grandchildren and are members of Northminster Baptist Church.
Alan Penman, MD, PhD, MPH
Professor
Department of Preventive Medicine
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Dr. Penman is a physician with specialty training in ophthalmology, public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics. He graduated MBChB from Aberdeen University Medical School, Scotland in 1979, and received an MSc in Clinical Tropical Medicine from London University, England in 1981, an MPH from the University of Alabama (Birmingham) in 1998, and a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Mississippi in 2008. He has extensive experience analyzing population and sample survey data on mortality, morbidity, and behavioral risk factors, and from 2005-2013 was head of data analytics for the Jackson field site of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, funded by the NIH/NHLBI. He has served as the local PI and co-investigator on 2 extramurally-funded grants focused on the genetics and epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy. As a Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), Dr. Penman consults regularly with UMMC investigators conducting clinical studies and population research. In addition, he directs and teaches courses in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health and disease prevention for medical students and graduate medical faculty. For the past 4 years he has worked on course development and teaching in public/community health, epidemiology, and global health. Dr. Penman is a listed author on more than 75 peer-reviewed publications.
Melia Dicker
Director of Marketing and Communications
Woodward Hines Education Foundation
Melia Dicker is experienced in nonprofit administration and programming, strategy, marketing, and communications. She started her career in the nonprofit sector as a member of the Public Allies AmeriCorps program, which develops diverse young leaders, and went on to spend eleven years on the national board of directors. Melia co-founded two national nonprofit organizations: Spark, an apprenticeship program for underserved youth, and IDEA, an organization advancing democratic education. She has served on the board of each. Melia is currently the Jackson Center Director for Get2College, a nonprofit program of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation that offers free college planning and financial aid assistance. Melia has a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University and a certificate from the Business Advantage Program for Professionals from the Millsaps College Else School of Management. She is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and has settled with her family in Jackson, Mississippi.
Address
212-B Draperton Court
Ridgeland, Mississippi 39157
Open Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:15am – 5pm (Central Time)
Weekends: As Needed
Holidays: Closed
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