Aja Schmeltz (she/her) “I am a woman, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother and a friend. I am an artist, an activist, a musician, a hiker, a kayaker, a gardener, a music lover, a sports fanatic and a damn good cook. I am an agent of change, striving hard to be the change I want to see in the world.”
Aja is an Afro-Latina, cisgendered, middle class woman raising 3 daughters with her partner of 20+ years, growing food and medicine, creating art, loving hard and strengthening connections in her beloved communities throughout the Mahicantuck (Hudson) River Valley. The Just Transition is central to her work, both personally and professionally, because she strongly believes that a successful community is made up of individuals working collaboratively on all fronts to create avenues to build a healthier, thriving, more sustainable environment.
In addition to her roles at the Good Work Institute as Worker Trustee, Community Engagement Steward and Communications Steward, Aja sits on the boards of HUDSY, Wild Earth and The Hudson Valley Current, is a member of the Kingston Trust Hub Advisory Board, is a member of the Hudson Valley Food Systems Coalition, and is a thought-partner for many initiatives and organizations throughout the region.
