U.S. PIRG’s Nathan Proctor named to Grist 50 list

Media Contacts
Josh Chetwynd

Kevin O'Reilly

Former Director, Campaign for the Right to Repair, PIRG

Right to Repair campaign director chosen top “Fixer” by sustainability publication

BOSTON — Grist, an online sustainability publication, named Nathan Proctor to their list of emerging leaders working on game-changing ideas to protect the planet. Nathan’s work to advance Right to Repair reforms, a policy that would give consumers the power to fix rather than replace their devices, earned him one of 50 spots on the list for which more than 1,000 technologists, activists, artists, politicians and storytellers were nominated.

As U.S. PIRG’s national Right to Repair campaign director, Proctor has worked to advance legislation in 22 states and has collaborated with federal agencies to guarantee consumers access to the parts, tools and information they need to fix their stuff when it breaks.

“For anyone who has worked with Nathan, his selection to the Grist 50 comes as no surprise,” said U.S. PIRG Right to Repair Advocate Kevin O’Reilly. “His steady leadership and invigorating passion have been vital to advancing the Right to Repair movement. Nathan is not only a ‘Fixer’ working to repair our laws to protect the public interest — he’s an advocate fighting for all fixers across the country.

U.S. PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign looks to give owners of products ranging from tablets to tractors the power to fix their own stuff. Manufacturers of these products often fail to provide essential elements of repair, leading to higher costs for consumers and environmental repercussions like increased levels of toxic electronic waste and unsustainable resource extraction.

“I can’t think of a better title than ‘Fixer’ for Nathan,” said Evan Preston, U.S. PIRG’s director of New Economy campaigns. “Nathan has helped build a strong network of people fighting for the right to fix our stuff, to curb pollution, to give people control over the future of technology. With a lot of hard work, smart analysis, and an unstoppable passion for doing what’s right, Nathan is an organizer we should all look up to.”  

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U.S. PIRG is an advocate for the public interest. We speak out for a healthier, safer world in which we’re freer to pursue our own individual well-being and the common good. U.S. PIRG is part of The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a better world and a strategic approach to getting things done.