31. Neal Lewis

With the green movement emerging from the shadows and into the mainstream, career environmentalists are finally getting their due. Yet while many find themselves gaining a larger audience, few have been able to convert their newfound voices into solid influence. Still more of them have sold out to special interests and become the corporate raider types they railed against over the years. Neal Lewis is the consummate professional advocate who can still rally the troops on the fringes and wag his finger at elected officials while maintaining dignity and credibility. After years of work in the trenches, Lewis is the go-to guy when it’s time to get things done in almost any municipality on Long Island. His latest endeavor as the head of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College could either spread him too thin or provide him with a stable platform to launch new initiatives and train much-needed foot soldiers in the green movement. If the latter proves to be true, look for him to move up the list in upcoming years.