Emerald Keepers has a new leader to take the helm of the nonprofit’s board of directors. Kali Lindsay has taken on the role of president of the board for the environmental organization, a position that has been held by Emerald Keepers founder Amy Steward for six years.
Lindsay, a native San Diegan who grew up in Coronado, has been involved in the organization since 2023, starting out by going to informative talks and the organization’s Coronado Community Conference. She joined the board in January 2024 and has been serving as treasurer. As a board member, she has also been mentoring the Emerald Keepers high school interns in their quest to reduce single-use plastics, and in November, Lindsay spoke at a city council meeting in support of the Island Express on behalf of Emerald Keepers.
“It seemed like a really good opportunity to get even more involved and to grow with Emerald Keepers,” Lindsay said about taking on the position of president.
Lindsay is a passionate environmentalist who practices sustainability at her home, which she shares with her husband, Robbie Ruelas. You’ll find Lindsay riding her bicycle around town for transportation and shopping at thrift stores. She also composts and adheres to a mainly vegan diet because it’s better for the environment.
Lindsay, 34, attended Francis Parker High School and studied dance at the Coronado Academy of Dance. She graduated in 2008 and went on to attend Stanford University, earning a degree in psychology. Her career path eventually led her to follow her parent’s footsteps into accounting, working as a tax accountant.
But her passion for the environment has been a constant in her life. The couple enjoys hiking and camping. As a resident advisor at Stanford during her senior year in college, Lindsay took the freshman in her dorm camping and river rafting.
“I’ve always liked to mentor young people,” she said.
The pandemic brought Lindsay and Ruelas back to Coronado to be closer to her parents. They had been living in Seattle, where Ruelas was in a pediatric residency program.
As president of Emerald Keepers, Lindsay would like to grow the Emerald Keepers community in Coronado and have more volunteer opportunities available.
“We’re hoping to have quarterly membership meetings with the community,” she said. “Community education is so important. A lot of this (sustainability) stuff isn’t intuitive. There is still a lot of need to get information out to the community.”
Lindsay also wants to focus education on climate change and how people can help mitigate it.
“Kali understands our mission and the importance of education,” Steward said. “She shares the belief that most people want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment. Kali is smart, personable, and passionate about protecting Coronado for future generations.”
Emerald Keepers was founded in 2019 by Steward with the idea that Coronado can be a model city of sustainability. The nonprofit has been championing the implementation of the Circuit shuttle aka Island Express, which finally came to fruition this year, although the successful pilot program has been halted by the Coronado City Council. Emerald Keepers has also been key in getting the city to consider a single-use plastic reduction ordinance.
Part of the organization’s educational mission is its weekly page in the Eagle & Journal, designed to help people understand that they do not have to be perfect when it comes to sustainability, but every action makes a difference.
“Emerald Keepers is such a cool thing. Coronado was a good place to grow up and it’s nice to be involved in the community,” Lindsay said. To better serve the organization, Lindsay is planning on enrolling in UC San Diego’s certificate program on sustainability.
“I cannot think of anyone better to take the helm of Emerald Keepers than Kali Lindsay,” Steward said.
