North Carolina Climate & Jobs Roundtable About Us

Todd Lu, NC Climate and Jobs Roundtable Coordinator

Todd Lu is the Statewide Coordinator for the North Carolina Climate and Jobs Roundtable, where he works to bridge labor, environmental, and racial justice organizations around a Climate and Jobs agenda. He began his career as an undergraduate student working in environmental and labor movements in California and New York in capacities of organizing, participatory research, and program management. He is currently a PhD student in Sociology at the UNC Chapel Hill, where he teaches undergraduate students and researches climate politics in the labor movement. Todd is a union member of the United Electrical Local 150 NC Public Service Workers Union. He holds a BA in Sociology and Labor & Workplace Studies from UCLA and a Master of Arts in Sociology at UNC Chapel Hill.

Aiden Graham, Campaign Manager, NC AFL-CIO

Aiden Graham is the Campaigns Manager & Field Program Director for the North Carolina State AFL-CIO. Aiden grew up in the rural Sandhills of North Carolina, among the pine forests, peach orchards, and tobacco fields. He settled in the Triangle after completing his undergraduate degree at UNC-CH and has lived in Durham for the past two decades. A brief stint in Boston introduced him to the climate, environmental justice, and labor movements — the intersections of which continue to provide some of his most challenging and fulfilling work. In his roles at the NC State AFL-CIO, Aiden spends his days fighting alongside some of the most committed labor leaders in NC, building the political power necessary to construct a state that works for all who live here. Aiden is a member of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, TNG-CWA Local 32035.

Ajamu Dillahunt, Founding Member, Black Workers for Justice

Ajamu Dillahunt is a Southern labor and social justice activist. He is a founding member of Black Workers for Justice, a grassroots organization focused on empowering African-American workers to become leaders in the Black Freedom and labor movements. Ajamu served as President of the Raleigh Area Local of the American Postal Workers Union for 18 years, where he was also Director of Research and Education for the North Carolina Council of the APWU. His many organizational affiliations include the Grassroots Global Justice, the Labor Network for Sustainability and the board of Fertile Ground Food Cooperative. He served as Board Co-chair for the Institute for Southern Studies. He holds a Master’s Degree in African Studies.

Cesar Leyva, National Political Director of Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)

Cesar Leyva was born in the border town of Tijuana, Mexico and moved to San Diego, CA when he was 10 years old. His mother was a single parent working as a fast food worker, working long hours for very little pay while raising two boys. Cesar relocated to North Carolina in 2000 and began working at a telecom company. He joined the union on his first day of work and was able to witness first hand, unprecedented employee equality and the power of workers when they stick together. He quickly became a shop steward and later an officer in his local. He is proud to have served as North Carolina Senior Campaign Lead for the Communications Workers of America, where he works to raise the voice of organized labor in the broader social justice movement. His is now working as National Political Director of Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). Working together through community coalitions and other unions, his focus is on human rights, environmental issues, fair wages and organizing the south, among many others.

Justine Oller, Outreach Director, NC League of Conservation Voters

Justine brings nearly two decades of experience working with environmental and community-based organizations in capacities including organizing, strategy and planning, participatory research and program management. Justine began her career as an organizer with the Brooklyn chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). She has since worked with several nonprofits supporting efforts to bridge environmental conservation with community development. She served as program manager for an international conservation organization and prior to joining NCLCV, worked with ALIGN NY: The Alliance for a Greater New York, managing foundation, institutional and individual support. Justine holds a BA in economic and social policy from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cornell University.

Melvin Montford, Executive Director, NC A. Philip Randolph Institute

Melvin is the Executive Director of the NC A. Philip Randolph Institute, where he works to foster self-improvement, self-empowerment, and self-sufficiency in economically disadvantaged families. Melvin understands that civic engagement is a year round process, and that many of the issues facing economically disadvantaged communities are related to environmental sustainability and public health. Melvin has worked to elevate fracking and other environmental issues in recent elections, forged important new relationships between labor and environmental groups, and deeply understands that our labor force needs to be at the forefront of planning for a clean energy economy. He sees a future where machinists and steelworkers are building wind-turbines in high paying jobs. Long before most of us had even heard of the Koch Brothers, Melvin was fighting back against their influence in our elections and democracy. He has been pushing for the rights of workers for decades, and now, from fracking to climate change, Melvin is at the forefront of bringing new advocates to the fight for clean energy.