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East Lansing
Hero Story
For many years, David Arnosti has shone in the spirit of leadership, collaboration, and enhancing social equity, both close in his Lansing community, as well as participating in projects that have positive long-lasting national and international impacts. He has been a key engine in developing the Capital Area Chapter of Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, leading to significant social and environmental-impact projects that enhance people’s abilities to work together, and reduce carbon-footprint in Central Michigan.
As a member of Haslett Community Church’s ‘Green Team’ starting in 2015, and as a leader of MIIPL’s Capital Area Chapter since 2021, David has spearheaded projects within and beyond his congregation, collective-fundraising campaigns that resource energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy integration at community-serving organizations. He has reported to Meridian Township’s Environmental Commission on the offsetting energy consumption, paired with hundreds, or in some cases thousands of dollars saved each year by programs that operate essential services like: food pantries, warming centers and shelters, and education.
Twined with this work, he’s networked to bridge economic, race, education and social-opportunity differences to help the Capital Area IPL-Chapter flourish to 13 Central Michigan congregations that have taken action at the intersection of social and environmental stewardship. As an example: David’s leadership galvanized congregations to contribute to a 13 kilowatt solar installation at Southside Community Coalition’s Community Center raising over $38,000 in one season. In the same neighborhood, he and collaborators reached out to Ingham County Landbank, who were constructing an ‘all electric’ home as an efficiency demonstration, with the Board of Water and Light. Because of these efforts, today, a 7.4kilowatt solar array powers the home, aptly matching the design intention to open the doors of home ownership to lower-income families.
Specific Highlights Include:
Since 2015, engaged with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light (MIIPL) at Haslett Community Church, supporting ‘Green Team’ (environmental action/sustainability) activities. Organized a fund-raiser, with support from the wider community, to install the first solar roof on a house of worship in Meridian Township. Led a congregation-wide contest for highest number of Home Energy audits from Consumers Energy, and advocated for awarded funds to be used as seed money in a fundraiser for Lansing’s ‘Haven House,’ to complete energy upgrades, which now save the facility thousands each year, circulating dollars saved back to community services.
Board member at MIIPL from 2017-2023. Co-led organizing to develop the Capital-Area Chapter of MIIPL, which has flourished to 13 member congregations of diverse faith traditions since 2021. Similarly supported, collaborated, forwarded collective fundraising, and encouraged fellow faith-leaders in solar-projects that save energy and reroute money from utility-bills back to community services: Edgewood United Church (2017), University Lutheran (2020),the Islamic Center (2021), Southside Community Center Coalition (2021), and (the 2nd Black church in the State to go solar) Trinity African Methodist Episcopal, with the support of Solar Faithful (2023). This year, MIIPL’s ‘Community Centers’ grant through the Michigan Community Services Commission will support a similar scope of work at 6 Detroit congregation-Centers.
Recognizing that climate change will impact lower-income communities most directly, David spearheaded fundraising projects to install a 13 kW solar roof for theSouth Side Community Coalition (which provides essential community services in south Lansing) and on a newly built, and fully electric Ingham County Landbank affordable home on Lansing’s South Side (which was a first for the Landbank and has served as, a prototype for subsequent solar installations on Landbank housing). This article describes the house (although it does not mention that our Capital Area Chapter was responsible for the solar array): https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2023/11/21/solar-powered-home-ingham-county-land-bank-for-sale-lansing/71608770007/. David also helped raise funds for a solar expansion at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, where he attended a professional conference. Michigan IPL aggregated the donations for all of these projects and then paid them out when the fundraising was complete!
Since 2003, acting as a liaison and fund-galvanizer through his congregation to ‘Beloved Child Association’ (AMU), in Rwanda, supporting HIV prevention, medicine, school supplies, education, microentrepreneurship, and opportunities for change in rural poor communities. We invited the head of AMU, Rose Gakwandi, to Lansing, where she visited area social services, schools and houses of worship, connecting our communities with Rwandans studying at Michigan State University.
Organizer for six conferences of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, impacting science and medicine with a particular leadership focus on fostering diversity in scientific study, career development, and this industry-workforce. Focus of study on evolutionary biology and genes as related to disease/health, including the 2019 conference in East Lansing.
Has led federally-supported research on gene regulation at MSU since 1996; participant in numerous Study-sections at National Institute of Health and National Science Foundation for evaluation of federal grants.
Founded and organized the ‘Building Bridges’ outreach program for Native American STEM students, providing summer research opportunities at MSU for tribal members from Bay Mills Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians at MSU This training is intrinsic to supporting health and education of tribal nations, stemming from treaty obligations dating from the founding of the State of Michigan.
East Lansing
Hero Story
For many years, David Arnosti has shone in the spirit of leadership, collaboration, and enhancing social equity, both close in his Lansing community, as well as participating in projects that have positive long-lasting national and international impacts. He has been a key engine in developing the Capital Area Chapter of Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, leading to significant social and environmental-impact projects that enhance people’s abilities to work together, and reduce carbon-footprint in Central Michigan.
As a member of Haslett Community Church’s ‘Green Team’ starting in 2015, and as a leader of MIIPL’s Capital Area Chapter since 2021, David has spearheaded projects within and beyond his congregation, collective-fundraising campaigns that resource energy efficiency upgrades and renewable energy integration at community-serving organizations. He has reported to Meridian Township’s Environmental Commission on the offsetting energy consumption, paired with hundreds, or in some cases thousands of dollars saved each year by programs that operate essential services like: food pantries, warming centers and shelters, and education.
Twined with this work, he’s networked to bridge economic, race, education and social-opportunity differences to help the Capital Area IPL-Chapter flourish to 13 Central Michigan congregations that have taken action at the intersection of social and environmental stewardship. As an example: David’s leadership galvanized congregations to contribute to a 13 kilowatt solar installation at Southside Community Coalition’s Community Center raising over $38,000 in one season. In the same neighborhood, he and collaborators reached out to Ingham County Landbank, who were constructing an ‘all electric’ home as an efficiency demonstration, with the Board of Water and Light. Because of these efforts, today, a 7.4kilowatt solar array powers the home, aptly matching the design intention to open the doors of home ownership to lower-income families.
Specific Highlights Include:
Since 2015, engaged with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light (MIIPL) at Haslett Community Church, supporting ‘Green Team’ (environmental action/sustainability) activities. Organized a fund-raiser, with support from the wider community, to install the first solar roof on a house of worship in Meridian Township. Led a congregation-wide contest for highest number of Home Energy audits from Consumers Energy, and advocated for awarded funds to be used as seed money in a fundraiser for Lansing’s ‘Haven House,’ to complete energy upgrades, which now save the facility thousands each year, circulating dollars saved back to community services.
Board member at MIIPL from 2017-2023. Co-led organizing to develop the Capital-Area Chapter of MIIPL, which has flourished to 13 member congregations of diverse faith traditions since 2021. Similarly supported, collaborated, forwarded collective fundraising, and encouraged fellow faith-leaders in solar-projects that save energy and reroute money from utility-bills back to community services: Edgewood United Church (2017), University Lutheran (2020),the Islamic Center (2021), Southside Community Center Coalition (2021), and (the 2nd Black church in the State to go solar) Trinity African Methodist Episcopal, with the support of Solar Faithful (2023). This year, MIIPL’s ‘Community Centers’ grant through the Michigan Community Services Commission will support a similar scope of work at 6 Detroit congregation-Centers.
Recognizing that climate change will impact lower-income communities most directly, David spearheaded fundraising projects to install a 13 kW solar roof for theSouth Side Community Coalition (which provides essential community services in south Lansing) and on a newly built, and fully electric Ingham County Landbank affordable home on Lansing’s South Side (which was a first for the Landbank and has served as, a prototype for subsequent solar installations on Landbank housing). This article describes the house (although it does not mention that our Capital Area Chapter was responsible for the solar array): https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2023/11/21/solar-powered-home-ingham-county-land-bank-for-sale-lansing/71608770007/. David also helped raise funds for a solar expansion at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, where he attended a professional conference. Michigan IPL aggregated the donations for all of these projects and then paid them out when the fundraising was complete!
Since 2003, acting as a liaison and fund-galvanizer through his congregation to ‘Beloved Child Association’ (AMU), in Rwanda, supporting HIV prevention, medicine, school supplies, education, microentrepreneurship, and opportunities for change in rural poor communities. We invited the head of AMU, Rose Gakwandi, to Lansing, where she visited area social services, schools and houses of worship, connecting our communities with Rwandans studying at Michigan State University.
Organizer for six conferences of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, impacting science and medicine with a particular leadership focus on fostering diversity in scientific study, career development, and this industry-workforce. Focus of study on evolutionary biology and genes as related to disease/health, including the 2019 conference in East Lansing.
Has led federally-supported research on gene regulation at MSU since 1996; participant in numerous Study-sections at National Institute of Health and National Science Foundation for evaluation of federal grants.
Founded and organized the ‘Building Bridges’ outreach program for Native American STEM students, providing summer research opportunities at MSU for tribal members from Bay Mills Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians at MSU This training is intrinsic to supporting health and education of tribal nations, stemming from treaty obligations dating from the founding of the State of Michigan.