Matt Russell, the executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light’s board of directors, will be stepping down at the end of this month to join the Biden administration. According to a news release, Russell will serve as Iowa state executive director of the Farm Service Agency, serving in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During the transition, Iowa IPL will be led by Irene DeMaris, who will serve as acting executive director. DeMaris has been working with Russell on all aspects of programming, outreach and fundraising for the organization, whose mission, according to its website, is to empower Iowans of faith to take action on the climate crisis, according to a news release. Russell joined Iowa IPL in 2018. In the release, officials with Iowa IPL said that under Russell’s leadership, the organization has grown through its Called to Climate Action student leadership program and promoting farmers as natural problem-solvers for climate action.