James Gignac is Midwest Senior Policy Manager for the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Prior to joining UCS, Mr. Gignac served as environmental and energy counsel and as assistant attorney general to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, where he worked on a variety of regulatory, legislative, and litigation matters involving clean energy, climate change, and environmental protection. Before his time in state government, Mr. Gignac was Midwest director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, and also represented private sector clients in environmental matters with the law firm Mayer Brown LLP.
Mr. Gignac earned a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA in history and political science from Albion College. He serves as a board member with Chicago Market, a cooperatively-owned grocery store focused on bringing local and sustainable foods to consumers. He has been quoted in the Chicago Tribune and U.S. News & World Report.