Welcome to our newest board member!

Brian Pelletier joined the St. Louis Earth Day Board of Directors in January, 2012. Formerly a marketing professional of 20 years, Brian made a big change in 2008 and found his passion in chocolate. You may recognize Kakao Chocolate, of which Brian is owner and chief chocolatier, with stores on S. Jefferson and Manchester in Maplewood.  His all-natural handmade confections have received praise the “Best Chocolate in St. Louis” from The Riverfront Times and by the readers of Sauce Magazine. Recently, Brian was listed among a handful of “Tastemakers” by Feast Magazine.

Brian has a passion for local, sustainable businesses and how they engage with their community to everyone’s benefit. He also serves on the board of directors for the Retail Confectioners International Association, Discovering Options, and St. Louis Slow Food.

Below, Brian shares his thoughts about joining the St. Louis Earth Day family and what the future holds for sustainability efforts in St. Louis:

What attracts you to SLED?

Earth Day is an important day because it’s an opportunity to get people to focus on the importance of sustainability, recycling, small local businesses, health, environmental and other concerns in a way that will, ultimately, encourage them to be more aware of those things all year long. St. Louis Earth Day is a committed group of people who are working hard to achieve that goal.

Is there are particular program of SLED that you’re proud of?

I’m encouraged to see Recycling On The Go at so many St. Louis events, helping people understand the importance of recycling and of reducing landfill waste.

What are your goals for being a SLED board member?

A lot of people see only one small piece of the incredibly complex puzzle of sustainability. I want to help people understand how they can make better, informed decisions about things like shopping for a new car, deciding what to eat for dinner, and reducing their carbon footprint, among other things.