Charles Callaway (he/him)

Dr. Espanola Jackson Energy Justice Award Selection Committee Member

Charles Callaway is a resident of West Harlem. As the Director of Workforce Development and head of the Green Institute at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Charles taps into his many years of working with and leading empowerment programs throughout Harlem. At WE ACT, he has recruited and trained 2,031 people in 30-hour of OSHA and 32-hour of asbestos handling classes for the construction industry along with more than 100 in solar installation certification classes. As a result of this, more than 200 now have jobs, including 168 community members working in the construction field and 98 in the solar industry. Charles has also been instrumental in developing a solar workers cooperative, SUNS: Solar Uptown Now Services, with his solar trainees, and they have installed 18 megawatts of solar power to date and serve for other solar companies. Charles previously served as WE ACT’s Director of Organizing, playing a key role in organizing residents around significant issues in the community and helping them understand the importance of advocating on its behalf. He worked with Harlem residents on the Columbia University expansion and 125th Street rezoning. Charles also worked with the Mother Clara Hale Community Taskforce and the MTA to build the first green bus depot in Harlem.