Sarah Bury

Sarah Bury was raised in a working-class home with four older siblings. Her father nurtured a garden and taught Sarah about kindness. Her mother taught Sarah the power of words and the importance of integrity. Their home flooded every time it rained. Eventually, the entire finished basement had to be torn out, and the foundation of the home replaced. Sarah’s education has had ever-present themes of equity and social justice. Sarah is proud to be a product of the Chicago Public Schools (including Whitney Young High School). She attended Daley College and Roosevelt University for her undergrad and American University for her law degree, focused on environmental law, and her master’s degree focused on environmental politics. The lesson of her master’s degree was to trust and listen to communities because they know what they need. Sarah has spent over a decade working and volunteering for the environment, and has a special fondness for water. She first recognized that she wanted to narrow her focus to water when she served as the Dale Bryson Water Quality Fellow for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Sarah went on to volunteer with organizations like the Sierra Club and the League of Women Voters.