FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
SPEAKER SERIES
IN 2015, EARTH DAY TEXAS WAS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE!
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or Earth Day Texas, 2015 was a year of firsts. We expanded to three days and celebrated the first Friday Eco-Conference, where distinguished businessmen and women from across the country gathered to discuss the practical application of sustainability in each of their organizations. We programmed five stages with over 100 unique speakers and covered every topic from land stewardship and new urbanism to wind energy and do-it-yourself composting. And we proudly boasted record exhibitor turnout, with prominent environmental groups forging new alliances with green corporations and academic institutions.
This year, EDTx had more bright minds on-site educating the Texas public than ever before.
This year, EDTx had more bright minds on-site educating the Texas public than ever before. So this is a brag book, of sorts. We are so humbled by the accomplishments of the EDTx speakers and panelists that we had to share them. Our hope is that these individuals will inspire your own environmental pursuits. Whether it’s home gardening or saving species from extinction, every contribution matters in the movement toward a sustainable society. Thank you to all of our distinguished speakers, panelists, and moderators. This book is just one way that your contributions at EDTx live far beyond three days at Fair Park to influence change 365 days out of the year. If reading this book makes you eager to get involved with EDTx, we wouldn’t blame you. Shoot us an email at sales@earthdaytx.org and learn more about how you can be a part of the world’s largest green exhibition.
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Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
CONTENTS
SPEAKERS AND BIOS ORGANIZED BY DAY, LOCATION, AND TIME
FRIDAY
New Urbanism Roundtable Lunch Speakers............................................................................ 2 Meetings and Speakers...................................................................................................................... 3 • ULI, AIA, and USGBC................................................................................................................... 3 • Greater Dallas Planning Council ............................................................................................ 7 • SVP Dallas........................................................................................................................................ 8 • Future 500...................................................................................................................................... 9 Green Speaker Series.......................................................................................................................24 • Stage East......................................................................................................................................24 • Stage West.................................................................................................................................... 25
SATURDAY
Green Speaker Series....................................................................................................................... 27 • Stage East Speakers.................................................................................................................. 27 • Stage West Speakers.................................................................................................................31 • EDTx Academy Stage Speakers............................................................................................34 • EDTx Scholastics Stage Speakers.........................................................................................36 • Common Ground Stage Speakers........................................................................................38 • Science on a Sphere................................................................................................................. 40 • Citizen Science Workshop........................................................................................................41 Saturday Night Banquet Panel.....................................................................................................42
SUNDAY
Green Speaker Series.......................................................................................................................43 • Stage East Speakers..................................................................................................................43 • Stage West Speakers................................................................................................................48 • EDTx Academy Stage Speakers............................................................................................49 • EDTx Scholastics Stage Speakers........................................................................................ 50 • Common Ground Stage Speakers........................................................................................ 52 • EDTx Explorer Stage Speakers..............................................................................................54 • Science on a Sphere..................................................................................................................55 • Citizen Science Workshop.......................................................................................................55
2015 SPEAKERS (Alphabetical)..................................................................................56 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 1
FRIDAY
New Urbanism Roundtable Lunch Music Hall at Fair Park, M Dining Terrace 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM
WICK ALLISON Wick Allison is chairman and publisher of D Magazine, which he founded in 1974 and returned to in 1995. Before he built D Magazine into a company with $30 million in revenues, Allison worked in the White House and served in the U.S. Army. He also founded Art & Antiques, the largest circulated art and antiques magazine in the world, and served as publisher of William F. Buckley’s National Review. When it comes to new urbanism, Allison is an outspoken advocate for creating urban vibrancy by reducing the number of major highways cutting through downtown Dallas.
MICHAEL SORRELL Michael Sorrell is president of Paul Quinn College. A Chicago native, Sorrell worked for numerous Dallas law firms after earning his law degree from Duke University. He also worked as a special assistant in the executive office of the president during the Clinton administration. Under Sorrell, Paul Quinn College founded the “WE Over Me Farm” on the college’s former football field. The farm is part of Sorrell’s larger goal of creating a “new urban college model” and addressing what he sees as a food desert in the region around Paul Quinn College.
GARY THOMAS Gary Thomas is president and executive director of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). In this position, he is responsible for a 13-city transit system covering a 700-square-mile service
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area with bus, light rail, commuter rail, and paratransit services. Under his leadership, DART has doubled its light-rail system — twice — to become the nation’s longest at 85 miles. The agency has also been recognized for its bus fleet and customer-facing communication technology service.
JACK MATTHEWS Jack Matthews has been president of Matthews Group Ltd. since 1985. Matthews joined the company in 1982 while completing his MBA at the University of Western Ontario, and in 1988 he founded Matthews Southwest to provide an American presence in the development business. Throughout his career, Matthews has continued to develop innovative, high-quality commercial, industrial and residential projects in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
ROBERT ABTAHI Robert Abtahi is a Dallas-based lawyer and columnist for D Magazine’s “Street Smart” blog. Abtahi’s private law firm practices administrative and business litigation law on a wide range of issues, including environmental issues and compliance. He is a Dallas City Planning Commissioner and has also advocated for southern Dallas and Dallas urbanism as a volunteer contributor to The Dallas Morning News’ “Community Voices” column.
Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects, and U.S. Green Building Council Meeting Hall of State and Tower Building 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
ULI – Morning Programming Urban Land Institute (ULI) hosted its Fourth Annual meeting at the Earth Day Texas Friday Eco-Conference. ULI is a nonprofit research and education organization that facilitates an open exchange of ideas, information, and experience among industry leaders and policymakers dedicated to creating better places. ULI has over 35,000 members worldwide, representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines working in private enterprise and public service.
Keynote Speaker TODD SPINKS Todd Spinks, is director of Sustainability at the University of North Texas. He oversees all sustainability at the university in areas of research, operations, outreach, and teaching students.
Industrial/Office Development Council: “South Dallas Industrial Market” JOHN WALSH John Walsh III is CEO, founder, and president of TIG, a real estate holding company established to advise, manage, operate, lease, and develop real estate investments for institutions, individuals, corporations, and companies.
ROBBY RIEKE Robby Rieke is director in Holliday Fenoglio Fowler’s Dallas office, with over 12 years’ experience in commercial real estate finance.
CHARLES MYERS Charles Myers is CEO of MYCON General Contractors. He concentrates on delivering quality construction services, emphasizing full service and leading-edge technologies while maximizing value and schedule for his clients.
JONATHAN STITES Jonathan Stites is senior vice president of Seefried Industrial Properties. During his 17-year real estate career, Stites has been involved in the development, leasing, and sales of nearly 8 million square feet of space approaching $360 million in value.
JOHN HENDRICKS John Hendricks is an associate member of the CBRE Industrial Leasing group, where he specializes in project leasing assignments throughout Dallas.
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Urban Development/Mixed-Use Council: “Tools for Building a Healthier Texas” SARA HAMMERSCHMIDT Sara Hammerschmidt is senior associate for content at the Urban Land Institute, supports the Building Healthy Places Initiative, and has done extensive work on issues that lie at the intersection of health and the built environment.
complex development projects. He is a specialist in creating luxury, second-home communities.
Urban Revitalization Council: “Fair Park and Beyond: What Makes (and Keeps) an Authentic Place?” MARSHA GETTO-AIKENS Marsha Getto-Aikens is an associate at Gensler and has over two decades of senior management experience in strategic planning, real estate, store development, rollout planning and execution, and asset management for national and international brands.
DANIEL HUERTA Daniel Huerta is executive general manager of Fair Park and Community Services Division for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. His responsibilities include oversight and management of Fair Park and the Cotton . Bowl Stadium.
DAVID FARRELL
BETSY DEL MONTE Betsy del Monte is founding principal of Transform Global, an organization formed to engage communities through collaboration, advocacy, and education while protecting the environment.
BARRY HAND Barry Hand is a leader in the Gensler Lifestyle 2 Studio in Dallas, a studio calibrated to improve the world via the office’s mixed-use, hospitality, and sports projects. He also serves as a Mixed-Use Practice Area leader within the firm.
Community Development Council: “Lessons Learned from the Resort Industry” LARRY CORSON Larry Corson is co-president of Wilbow Corporation, a leading developer of residential communities in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex.
CHRISTOPHER KELSEY Christopher Kelsey is president of Long Cove and has more than 15 years of experience overseeing
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David Farrell is owner of recently established Farrell Architects, a design and consulting firm for the real estate community. Farrell brings over 35 years of experience in retail, office, multifamily, and mixed-use projects.
MOLLIE MOSSMAN Mollie Mossman is director of real estate at the Brinkmann Companies, responsible for approximately 2 million square feet of office and industrial real estate in four states. She is also the portfolio manager for the Brinkmann family real estate holdings.
Multifamily Council: “Dealing with Density in the Suburbs” DREW KILE Drew Kile is vice president of Institutional Property Advisors. Prior to his current position, he spent six years with Marcus & Millichap where he facilitated the closing of more than 75 office and retail transactions valued at more than $160 million.
KENNETH FAMBRO Kenneth Fambro is vice president of development at Integrated Real Estate Group. Fambro oversees all aspects of the development process, from
new business development and acquisitions to project feasibility.
DAVID DUNSON David Dunson is executive vice president with SWBC Real Estate. He is responsible for transaction sourcing and evaluation, with a particular focus on multifamily development and acquisitions.
MATT BRENDEL Matt Brendel is development partner for JPI, responsible for acquisition, development, and asset management activities, principally in North Texas and Colorado.
Commercial Retail Council: “Nebraska Furniture Mart … How the Deal Got Done” DAVID WATSON David Watson is managing principal of Direct Development. Since its inception in 1997, Direct Development has been an active participant in the commercial retail real estate business in the southwest.
KEITH PARIS Keith Paris is founder and president of Paris Projects, Ltd., a company that now spans the southwestern, south central, and southeastern United States. Paris has been in the construction and real estate development business for over 25 years.
KERI SAMFORD Keri Samford is director of economic development at City of The Colony. To the role she brings more than 20 years of industry experience with recognized results in recruiting, expanding, and retaining businesses.
Transit-Oriented Development Council: “The Challenging Neighborhoods: Dallas’ PublicPrivate Partnership Models”
TIMOTHY GLASS Timothy Glass is research and information manager for the City of Dallas Office of Economic Development. In this role, Glass leads the research and planning efforts required to successfully conduct economic development policy and practice in a large, maturing urban center.
HEATHER LEPESKA Heather Lepeska is senior coordinator in the Office of Economic Development for the City of Dallas. In her current role, she works on federal programs and initiatives, including the HUD Challenge Grant, the New Markets Tax Credit Program, the EB-5 program, as well as the inland port project.
AIA and USGBC – Afternoon Programming The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. With nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA serves as the voice of the architecture profession and resource for members in service to society. AIA sponsors hundreds of continuing education experiences each year, sets the industry standard in contract documents, conducts market research, and serves as an advocate of architecture as a profession. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is made up of tens of thousands of member organizations,
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chapters, students, and community volunteers who are moving the building industry forward in a way that has never been seen before. USGBC and its community are changing the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated through advocacy, administering certifications such as LEED, and educational opportunities. Both the national and local Texas chapters of USGBC participated in Earth Day Texas.
Lunch Address BILL WALSH Bill Walsh is founder and executive director of the Healthy Building Network. HBN was founded in 2000 to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals in building products as a means of improving human health and the environment.
2030 District Panel BRIDGETT NEELY Bridgett Neely is founder and president at Firefly Energy Consulting, an advisory services provider for the clean energy sector. She has more than 15 years of experience in the energy sector advising on strategic, economic, and policy issues related to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart grid.
ZAIDA BASORA Zaida Basora is assistant director of Facilities Architecture and Engineering for the City of Dallas Public Works Department.
DAVID A. SCHMIDT David A. Schmidt works at SCHMIDT & STACY Consulting Engineers, Inc., a firm that designs high-performance, low-maintenance building support systems.
Future Cities Panel BRETT FIDLER Brett Fidler is director of energy and enterprise development for the City of Tulsa. He was previously the director of sustainability for the city before moving into his current role.
THERESA O’DONNELL Theresa O’Donnell is chief planning officer for the City of Dallas. Her responsibilities include housing and community services, planning and neighborhood vitality, and overseeing the Office of Fair Housing.
PATRICK JONES Patrick Jones is a principal at Treanor Architects, a design firm that provides services in architecture, planning, interior design, historic preservation, and graphic design.
BILL MOEBIUS Bill Moebius is senior vice president and regional director at Peloton Commercial Real Estate, a Texas-based real estate services firm focused on providing exceptional services to owners and users of commercial real estate.
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JEFF HEBERT Jeff Hebert is chief resilience officer for the City of New Orleans. He is responsible for the further development of the city’s cross-cutting resilience efforts and serves as the executive director of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority.
NICOLE FERRINI Nicole Ferrini is chief resilience officer for the City of El Paso and most recently spearheaded
the GRO El Paso Initiative focused on building grassroots resilience on a regional scale with emphasis on issues ranging from climate instability, resource conservation, and crisis management to urban development and social justice. Ferrini is a founding member of the USGBC Chihuahuan Desert Chapter, founding board member of Eco El Paso, and member of the Congress for New Urbanism.
MARK BOWERS Mark Bowers is an urban design and planning practice builder at Kimley-Horn and Associates, one of the premier design consulting firms in the United States.
Water: The Business Case for Green Stormwater and Infrastructure MIKE BASTIAN Mike Bastian is vice president at CH2M Hill, a construction firm that excels in a wide range of services, from design-build to project management to construction management and consulting.
R.J. TAYLOR R.J. Taylor is conservation director at Connemara Conservancy, a foundation dedicated to conservation and environmental education in North Texas.
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting at Earth Day Texas Hall of State 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
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he Greater Dallas Planning Council (GDPC) is the oldest Dallas-area civic organization that focuses on issues shaping regional growth. The members of the GDPC address various issues from a broad range of community and professional perspectives. Urban design issues, economic development, transportation, water issues, energy, and education remain a core focus of the organization.
Urban Design: Benefits of Walkability, Bikeability, Density, and TOD JOHN LETTELLEIR John Lettelleir is director of development services for the City of Frisco. Lettelleir and the planning division are responsible for administering the standards of the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.
SUSAN ALVAREZ Susan Alvarez is acting interim director for Trinity Watershed Management for the City of Dallas and interim assistant director for the Floodplain and Drainage Management Division.
PAT ACKER Pat Acker is vice president for Halff Associates, Inc., a company that offers professional services ranging from environmental assessment to architecture and interior design.
Transportation: Values of Complete Streets and Mobility Alternatives MARK GOODE III Mark Goode specializes in traffic engineering and complete streets design at Kimley-Horn and Associates. Goode has 30-plus years’ experience as project engineer, project manager, and principal-in-charge of hundreds of traffic engineering, transportation planning, parking feasibility, and functional parking design projects.
RIK ADAMSKI Rik Adamski is a partner at ASH+LIME Strategies, an economic development consulting firm focused on incremental improvements at the
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neighborhood level to enhance the social fabric and generate stable economic growth in communities.
Energy: ONCOR’s Texas Trails Program Hike and Bike Trail Guidelines CHARLES ELK Charles Elk is vice president of customer operations for Oncor, a regulated electric transmission and distribution service provider that serves 10 million customers across Texas. Each day, Oncor helps Texans meet the challenge of rethinking energy use for greater efficiency, cost savings, and positive environmental impact.
JENNIFER SALAZAR Jennifer Salazar is manager, corporate affairs for Oncor. As a corporate citizen, Oncor values relationships with community and nonprofit organizations like MyFi Dallas – The Mayor’s Youth Fitness Initiative; Klyde Warren Park; American Heart Association – My Heart. My Life. Platform Sponsor of the 2012 Dallas Heart Walk; and the United Way.
JILL ALVAREZ Jill Alvarez is transmission engineering manager at Oncor, operator of the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, made up of approximately 119,000 miles of lines and more than 3 million meters across the state.
KRIS BROWN Kris Brown is a founder of la terra studio, a Dallasbased landscape architecture firm that provides cutting-edge solutions and assistance with park planning, trail planning, site planning, and land development.
Social Venture Partners Dallas Social Innovation Speaker Series: The Economics of Our Environment 11:30 AM to 1 PM Women’s Museum at Fair park
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ocial Venture Partners (SVP) Dallas is the North Texas chapter of an international organization that cultivates effective philanthropists, strengthens nonprofits, and invests in innovative solutions, building powerful relationships to tackle the community’s social challenges. SVP does this by connecting and engaging individuals, helping them make the greatest impact with their philanthropic giving; funding and strengthening nonprofits, helping them take their vital work for kids and the environment to the next level; and advancing social innovation in North Texas so those working for social change can adopt new organizational and impact models.
RON GONEN Ron Gonen is the former New York City recycling czar and among the United Nations Champions of the Earth. He is also co-founder and CEO of the Closed Loop Fund, a company formed to provide municipalities zero-interest loans and private firms engaged in public-private partnerships access to capital at below-market rates to spur investment in municipal recycling programs.
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Future 500 Presents “Oceans, Forests, Food, and Fuels: A Case for Optimistic Environmentalism Women’s Museum, Fair Park 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
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uture 500 is a nonprofit organization that aligns the power of the private sector with the purpose of its most critical stakeholders through genuine stakeholder engagement. Since its inception, Future 500 has fostered the capacity for corporations and NGOs to engage one another in unique and meaningful ways.
LINDSEY ALLEN Lindsey Allen is executive director of Rainforest Action Network (RAN). A veteran environmental and social justice activist, Allen has spent her career preventing commodity expansion into globally critical forest areas. In her previous role as director of RAN’s Forest Program, Allen led the organization’s Rainforest Agribusiness and Rainforest-Free Paper campaigns in their fight to stop palm oil and pulp and paper expansion into southeast Asian rainforests. Before joining RAN in 2010, Allen targeted destructive cattle sector expansion into the Amazon rainforest and pulp and paper expansion in the boreal forest of North America with Greenpeace.
KYLE ASH Kyle Ash is legislative director for Greenpeace USA and is responsible for domestic and international climate change policy analysis and campaign strategy. Prior to joining Greenpeace, Ash served as government affairs manager for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), where he was a legislative advocate on issues ranging from public health and animal welfare to medical research and education. Before that, Ash served as assistant lobbyist and strategist for the European Environmental Bureau.
BOB AXLEY Bob Axley is president of Glenhurst Investments and the current vice chair of the Jubilee Housing task force.
TINA BEATTIE Tina Beattie is chairwoman at ConservAmerica, a nonprofit whose mission is to educate the public and elected officials on conservative approaches to today’s environmental, energy, and conservation challenges. Beattie is also the vice president of Top Line Restaurants, Inc. and is a member of the leadership circle for the Moms Clean Air Force.
JON BENNETT Jon Bennett is vice president of business development at SDL Citadel, a Dallas-based renewable energy company that owns, sells, and operates patented technology that converts nonhazardous postindustrial materials and biomass into energy. Bennett provides leadership in the creation of long-term value through customer acquisitions and retention, market expansion, and brand awareness. Prior to joining SDL, he enjoyed a 29-year career in the Texas electric utility industry with Energy Future Holdings, TXU Energy, and
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Oncor Electric Delivery with roles in engineering, operations, risk management, and external affairs.
DAVID BOOKBINDER David Bookbinder is co-founder of Element VI Consulting and former chief climate counsel to the Sierra Club. Element VI combines its expertise on carbon policy, international trade issues, and world energy markets to shape global climate policy. Bookbinder began practicing law at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison where, for many years, he handled securities, mergers and acquisitions, product liability, white-collar crime, intellectual property, and more. Dealing with congress and federal agencies, Bookbinder helped lead efforts on both global warming legislation and Clean Air Act greenhouse gas regulation, and he has testified in front of House and Senate committees and has advised states as to their greenhouse gas regulatory authority. Since leaving the Sierra Club in 2010, he has represented natural gas interests in a variety of federal regulatory matters, including several challenges to EPA rules.
Boone Family Foundation, and TreeHouse, Inc. He serves as a member of the advisory board of Satori Capital, Texas Women Ventures Fund, Dallas Women’s Foundation, and Teach for America and served as director of the national council of the YMCA. An advocate for public education, he serves on the Dallas ISD Star Commission to share business best practices. In 2007, Boone was first runner-up for Texan of the Year awarded by The Dallas Morning News. He was inducted into the Retailing Hall of Fame in 2006.
RICKY BRADLEY Ricky Bradley is information technology director and lead developer for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. Bradley’s role includes the design, build, and implementation of new web pages as well as maintenance of the existing web portfolio. Prior to joining CCL, Bradley served as director of quality assurance and communications for the world’s third-largest bank.
GARRETT BOONE
PETER BRYN
Garrett Boone serves as the chairman emeritus of The Container Store, the company he cofounded in 1978. In 2006, he co-founded Texas Business for Clean Air and has been a director at Principal Solar since 2014. Boone is active on the boards of directors of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Woodall Rogers Park Foundation, Trinity Trust Foundation, Trinity Commons Foundation,
Peter Bryn has led the Houston Chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby for over two years and worked as Texas state coordinator for about half that time. His main focus has been assisting Texas chapters to work more closely together and starting chapters in strategically important areas. Bryn has spent eight years working for ExxonMobil, and his current position is global marine energy projects manager.
JON CAMPBELL Jon Campbell is executive vice president of government and community relations for Wells Fargo & Company. A 35-year veteran of the company, his previous role as director of the Social Responsibility Group expanded in 2012 to include government relations and CRA risk management. Before that, he was regional president of the Great Lakes, overseeing Wells Fargo’s retail and business banking operations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio,
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Michigan, and Indiana. He has held management positions in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, credit, and community banking. He currently serves as chair of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Minnesota Orchestral Association, treasurer of the National Urban League Board of Trustees, and on the boards of the University of Minnesota Foundation, University of Minnesota Carlson School Board of Overseers, and United Way U.S. National Board of Trustees.
JEREMY CARL Jeremy Carl is director of research at the Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy and research fellow at the Hoover Institute. His work focuses on energy security, climate policy, and global fossil fuel markets, and he writes extensively on U.S.-India relations and Indian politics. Before joining the Hoover Institute, Carl was a research fellow at the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Prior to this position, he was a research fellow in resource and development economics at the Energy and Resources Institute, India’s leading energy and environmental policy organization.
APRIL CROW April Crow is global director of environment and sustainability for The Coca-Cola Company. She is a sustainability expert providing leadership for the environmental platform of one of the world’s most recognized brands. She has nearly 20 years of corporate and business unit experience throughout the value chain, from manufacturing to customer and external stakeholder management including scientific and regulatory affairs, quality,
environmental affairs, and sustainability.
VINCE DIBIANCA As a senior partner at Praemia Group, Vince DiBianca is an executive coach and personal advisor to CEOs, boards of directors, and senior executives committed to achieving unprecedented results. His clients include the leaders of global organizations like Allstate, General Motors, Hughes Aircraft, Men’s Warehouse, Novartis, Reebok, Sears, Whole Foods, and the United Nations. He has also worked with professional and college sports coaches. Earlier in his career, DiBianca served as retailing industry partner of Touche Ross (now Deloitte & Touche), operated a financial services company, built a sizeable management consulting firm, and was a senior executive at Computer Science Corporation.
PATRICK DOHERTY Patrick Doherty is a senior fellow in the International Security Program at the New America Foundation, dedicated to the renewal of American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the digital age through big ideas, technological innovation, next generation politics, and creative engagement with broad audiences.
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MARK DUBOIS Mark Dubois is co-founder of Friends of the River and the International Rivers Network, an organization that works to ensure clean water supplies, revitalize fish and wildlife habitat, improve recreation, and leave a legacy of healthy rivers. Dubois was international coordinator for Earth Day in 1990 and 2000, events that involved 200 million people from 184 countries. He coordinated 10 consecutive lobbying efforts at World Bank/IMF annual meetings, and he founded WorldWise, a grassroots campaign for international development bank reform.
MARIA DUNN Maria Dunn is policy manager at Phillips 66, an American multinational energy company. Before moving into policy, she practiced law for many years with the company’s predecessors, ConocoPhillips and Phillips Petroleum Company. She has worked in policy and emerging issues for 17 years.
RICHARD EIDLIN Richard Eidlin is co-founder and vice president of policy and campaigns for the American Sustainable Business Council, a nonprofit organization that offers programs that educate and inform the public and policymakers on the benefits of a more sustainable economy. He has worked 25 years on sustainable business and policy issues in the public and private sector. Over the course of his career, Eidlin has consulted to the United Nations Environment Programme, worked in the U.S. solar energy industry, served as business outreach director for the Apollo Alliance, co-directed the Colorado Cleantech Industries Association for the Obama campaign, was an adjunct faculty member with the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and a board member of New Hampshire Business for Social Responsibility. He currently teaches environmental policy at the University of Denver, serves on the board of Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center, and directs the Greater Good Academy.
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DAVID FOSTER David Foster is the Texas state director for Clean Water Action (CWA), a one million–member organization of diverse people and groups joined together to protect the environment, health, economic well-being, and community quality of life. Foster started working for CWA in 1995 and became its Texas program director in 2004, coordinating the organization’s public outreach to numerous Texas communities, elected officials, and regulatory agencies. He also served as executive director of Trans Texas Alliance, a statewide transportation reform group, from 2001 to 2003, successfully implementing a TXDOT pedestrian safety grant.
BENNETT FREEMAN Until recently, Bennett Freeman served as senior vice president for social research and policy at the Calvert Group, the global leader in responsible investing, leading social, environmental, and governance research, analysis, policy, and advocacy work. He served in three positions as a Clinton presidential appointee in the U.S. Department of State, including as deputy assistant secretary for democracy, human rights, and labor. Freeman began his career in responsible investing at GE, working with Jack Welch on the senior executive team on a range of corporate responsibility and public policy issues.
MICHAEL GERRARD Michael Gerrard is the Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia Law School,
where he teaches courses on environmental law, climate change law, and energy regulation. He serves as the director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and is associate chair of the faculty at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. A world-renowned expert, Gerrard has practiced environmental law in New York City since 1979 and was formerly the managing partner of the 110-lawyer New York office of Arnold & Porter, LLP. He has written or edited seven books in the field of environmental law in the United States, two of which were named Best Law Book of the Year by the American Association of Publishers – Environmental Law Practice Guide. Gerrard has an almost unique ability to bridge the public interest and corporate worlds, garnering respect from both developers and environmental community.
SARA GILBERTSON Sara Gilbertson is director of business and industry for the World Wildlife Fund, where she leads a team that collaborates with key global corporate players that harvest, produce, process, or trade in natural resources and use or impact energy and water resources in their supply chains. Gilbertson’s specialties include full-circle communication, financial reporting, contracts, and connecting corporate engagement programs to strategy, budgets, and growth objectives, managing competing priorities under tight deadlines, business development, and sponsorship marketing.
JAMES GLAVE James Glave is director of communications at Clean Energy Canada at Tides Canada, an organization that works to accelerate Canada’s transition to a clean and renewable energy system. Glave’s responsibilities include publications, traditional and social media outreach, strategy, and more. He was the lead author on “Towards a New Energy Accord: How and Why a Canadian Energy Strategy Can Accelerate the Nation’s Transition to
a Low-Carbon Economy.” Glave’s 20-year media career in Canada and the United States included staff editor positions at Wired magazine’s news service and Outside magazine. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed 2008 comic memoir Almost Green: How I Saved 1/6th of a Billionth of the Planet.
BARRY GRADEN Barry Graden is director of SFI Forest Partners Program for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. SFI is an independent nonprofit organization responsible for maintaining, overseeing, and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative program. Before joining SFI, Graden accumulated over three decades of experience working in the forest products industry. He is an Eagle Scout, a Certified Forester with the Society of American Foresters, and a licensed Forester in the state of South Carolina.
NATHANEAL GREENE Nathaneal Greene is director of renewable energy policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC uses law, science, and the support of its 1.4 million members and online activists to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. Greene’s expertise is in renewable energy, its research and development, and the economic challenges that must be overcome so that scientific solutions can be deployed quickly and with the greatest environmental benefits.
PAUL GRISS Paul Griss is president of Boldon Group Incorporated, an organization that works with business, NGO, academic, and government partners to develop expert forums that convene thought leaders and practitioners to provide clear, science-based, and innovative policy options on a wide range of issues. Griss has worked at a senior level on conservation and environmental protection issues in Canada for over 25 years and spent 11 years in senior management with two major nongovernmental organizations before
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setting out on his own. He is the author of the best-selling The Daily Planet: A Hands-on Guide to a Greener Environment and is a recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal for contributions to the province.
consultant at the World Future Council, a global forum comprising 50 respected individuals from around the world championing the rights of future generations and working to ensure humanity acts now for a sustainable future.
STEVE HANTLER
CHARLIE HEMMELINE
Steve Hantler is director of policy initiatives for the Marcus Family Office. In this role, he advises Bernie Marcus, Home Depot co-founder, in the areas of public policy, free enterprise and entrepreneurship, national security, higher education, and liability reform. Previously, Hantler had a 27-year career with Chrysler Corporation, where he held positions as assistant general counsel, manufacturing group counsel, and senior trial attorney. Prior to joining Chrysler, Hantler was engaged in private law practice. He is senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute and a member of the Legal Policy Advisory Board of the Washington Legal Foundation.
Charlie Hemmeline is executive director of the Texas Solar Power Association (TSPA), an organization dedicated to advancing the development of solar electric power generation in Texas. Before joining TSPA, Hemmeline spent more than eight years with the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., leading innovative programs for solar and energy efficiency. Serving originally under President George W. Bush and later President Barak Obama, Hemmeline led wide-ranging efforts to break down the barriers to mainstream solar and reduce the soft costs of implementation.
TOM HARBISON Tom Harbison is housing chair for Jubilee Park. The Jubilee Project is dedicated to rebuilding one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Dallas.
RANDY HAYES Randy Hayes is executive director of Foundation Earth, a think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action in order to make an earth-centered economy a reality. Hayes is also founder of the Rainforest Action Network and
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HARRIET HENTGES Harriet Hentges is president of Hentges Associates, an advisory firm on sustainability and corporate responsibility, and associate partner at The Rock Group. She was a principal in Hentges Kahn & Strauss, LLC, a consulting practice for food producers, manufacturers, and grocery retailers aimed at fostering a more sustainable food system. She has held key positions at three major corporate retailers, Sears Roebuck, WalMart, and Ahold USA, and served as COO of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the U.S. League of Women Voters.
WALT HUMANN Walt Humann is a prominent Dallas businessman and public servant formerly of the Hunt Oil Company. He is chiefly recognized as the creator of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system; for his help, vision, and skillful diplomacy in desegregating Dallas-area schools; and his service on the Jubilee Housing Task Force. In 1970, Humann was selected as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Men of America,” primarily for chairing the committee to create the U.S. Postal Service while serving as a White House Fellow. In the 1970s and ’80s, he helped to mediate the dispute of Love Field between the mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth, and in the late 1990s he chaired the Jubilee Project helping revitalize a 62-block inner-city Dallas neighborhood.
MARION HUNT Marion Hunt is trustee and program officer for the Roy A. Hunt Foundation. Her mission is to address the root causes of problems, environmental problems in particular.
STEPHANIE HUNT Stephanie Hunt co-founded the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University with her husband in 2009. The organization’s mission is to bring technologydriven solutions to improve the lives of those in extreme poverty and develop a new generation of engineers who will apply their talents to the challenges facing the global poor. She began
her career at Sotheby’s, then joined the energy research group of the investment bank Wasserstein Perella & Company, where she worked until 1997. Hunt currently serves on the boards of USA for UNHCR, Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, and The da Vinci School. She is a passionate supporter of documentary filmmaking.
GLENN HUROWITZ Glenn Hurowitz is managing director of Climate Advisers, a Certified B Corporation and missiondriven policy and politics shop working to deliver a strong low-carbon economy. His work focuses on achieving large-scale global emissions reductions at low cost and is an internationally recognized leader in transforming agricultural supply chains to protect the world’s tropical rainforests. As part of his work with Climate Advisers, Hurowitz cofounded and helps lead Chain Reaction Research, which provides in-depth sustainability risk analysis to major financial institutions. He has served as director of the Tropical Forest and Climate Coalition, an alliance of Fortune 500 companies and conservation organizations. Hurowitz is also executive director of Climate Advisers’ campaigns affiliate, Catapult, and senior fellow at the Center for International Policy.
BRYAN JACOB Bryan Jacob is owner of Climate Coach International. As such, he is a seasoned “climate coach” prepared to help organizations understand their climate-related risks and opportunities to design and implement practical and cost-effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. He is also a veteran of the annual U.N. climate conferences to help shape a progressive voice of business.
AARON JAMES Aaron James is vice president of development and membership for the Georgia Aquarium. In this role, he is responsible for enhancing the aquarium’s mission through strategic planning of its fundraising and general member cultivation efforts. James has over 15 years of experience
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in the development and academic fields, having worked as director of development for the Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta and in fundraising, admissions, and teaching at Casady School in Oklahoma City; Louisville Collegiate in Louisville, Kentucky; and Park Tudor in Indianapolis.
KIM JEFFERY Kim Jeffery is retired chairman and CEO of Nestlé Waters North America, the leading bottled water company in North America. For 20 years, he served as president and CEO of the company, and for nearly 36 years he was on the vanguard of the rapidly growing bottled water industry . Throughout his tenure, he made environmental stewardship a top priority. Jeffery is on the board of Future 500, Keep America Beautiful, Connecticut Council for Education Reform, and Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut.
STEPHEN JORDAN Stephen Jordan is a co-founder and senior partner of IO Sustainability, a consulting firm that specializes in corporate responsibility and sustainability strategy, diversity and inclusion strategy, business development, coalitions and dialogues, and stakeholder relationship management. In 2000, he founded and served for 12 years as executive director of the Business Civic Leadership Center, a nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce focused on corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships. He is author, co-author, or editor of numerous publications on corporate responsibility, business ethics, and global development, including “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: A Brief History of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Social Responsibility.”
MARIE JORDAN Marie Jordan is senior vice president of National Grid, where she works to ensure there is a reliable
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infrastructure in place to deliver the electricity and gas at a reasonable cost for customers. She studied electrical engineering at the University of California in Sacramento and is one of the few women executives in the male-dominated utility industry. Jordan has taken an active role in mentoring a new generation of engineers, specifically women, and volunteering with the American Red Cross.
BHUSHAN JOSHI Bhushan Joshi is senior manager of sustainability at JC Penney, supporting the development and implementation of a corporate sustainability strategy. He brings 10 cumulative years of experience in environmental sustainability, energy management, and consulting. Prior to joining JCPenney, Joshi worked at Weir SPM, a company that manufactures flowcontrol equipment and other heavy-duty products for the oil and gas industry; Westinghouse Electric, which provides technology, plant design, and equipment for the commercial nuclear electric power industry; FedEx Ground; and Novar/ Honeywell International, a diversified company with aerospace, controls, and security solutions.
LARRY KOPALD After beginning his career at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, Larry Kopald rose through the ranks at global agencies such as Leo Burnett, DDB, and Foote, Cone & Belding, where he spent his last stint as executive creative director and ran nearly $500 million in annual advertising. Becoming one of four partners in THINK New Ideas, an agency created to combine global marketing capabilities with bleeding-edge technology, Kopald helped grow the agency to 700 employees in the U.S. and Europe within five years before it was acquired. A sampling of clients includes McDonalds, American Express, Honda, Mazda, Universal Studios, Coke, Pepsi, and Oracle.
Kopald also has a strong commitment to working for organizations that bring positive impact to the world, including extensive work in the environment, early childhood education, health care, and international labor and human rights. As the head of Hollywood’s Earth Communications Office, he created films seen by over a billion people a year. His work has been celebrated in such varied and distinct places as the Harvard Business Review, Esquire, and Advertising Age and he has been nominated for Emmy® and Grammy® awards in addition to winning hundreds of advertising awards.
JOHN LOVENBURG John Lovenburg is vice president of environment at BNSF Railway Company, a national railway shipping company that operates in 28 states and three Canadian provinces with an operating revenue around $23 billion. Lovenburg’s responsibilities in this role include remediation, hazardous materials, sustainability, environmental litigation, compliance, environmental permitting support, agency engagement, environmental engineering, and environmental policy. Before assuming his current role, he held a number of positions at CH2M Hill, most recently as vice president and global director for site remediation and revitalization in the Environmental Services Business Group.
MARY MacDONALD Mary MacDonald is managing director of EarthShare New York and senior vice president of national business development at EarthShare, a national nonprofit federation with 25 years of experience in connecting people and workplaces with effective ways to support critical environmental causes. MacDonald has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit marketing and development, with a focus on employee engagement in CSR over the past several years. Before she joined EarthShare over 10 years ago, she directed her own consulting firm that
specialized in event planning management and fundraising and was a director of special projects for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
RICK MARRINER Rick Marriner is a shareholder representative for Shell Oil and Project Meadowlark, a scientific initiative by Shell in collaboration with Arizona State University focused on soil carbon capture and storage. Soil carbon capture is a natural technology solution to store atmospheric CO2. Marriner has held a number of positions with Shell Oil through the years, starting as a marine charterer.
MICHAEL MARX Michael Marx is executive director of Corporate Ethics International and Business Ethics Network. He has designed and directed campaigns for organizations like the Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, American Lands Alliance, NRDC, and Sierra Club. In his current position, Marx oversaw the coordination of the Big Box Collaborative, a coalition effort to change the environmental practices of Wal-Mart. He later coordinated the International Tar Sands Campaign in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.
LIZ MAW Liz Maw is CEO of Net Impact, a leading nonprofit that empowers the next generation to use their careers to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world. During her tenure, Net
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Impact has tripled its chapter network to more than 300 formed partnerships with over 50 global corporations and developed multiple new programs that engage students and professionals in sustainability. Prior to joining Net Impact, Maw’s professional experience included strategic consulting to nonprofits with the Bridgespan Group, as well as fundraising and direct marketing for nonprofit organizations in New York City and Washington, D.C.
ANDREAS MERKL Andreas Merkl is CEO of Ocean Conservancy, an organization dedicated to the development of new solutions for a changing ocean. Prior to taking the helm, he served as a principal at California Environmental Associates, a San Francisco–based think tank and consultancy that works on the management of the natural resource commons, ranging from fisheries and freshwater to forests, air, and biodiversity. Earlier in his career, Merkl was a founding member of McKinsey & Company’s Environmental Practice and served as vice president and co-founder of CH2M Hill’s Strategic Consulting Group, a leading provider of environmental management consulting services worldwide.
TIM MOHIN Tim Mohin is director of corporate responsibility at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an American semiconductor company that develops computer processors and related technologies for business
and consumer markets. Prior to joining AMD, he advised executives at Fortune 500 companies as the lead sustainability consultant for EORM, initiated and led Apple’s supplier responsibility program, and spent 12 years with Intel Corporation. Mohin is author of Changing Business from the Inside Out: A Treehugger’s Guide to Working in Corporations.
MARK MURPHY Mark Murphy is global head of corporate responsibility and sustainability for Cargill, an American privately held, multinational corporation that focuses in trading, purchasing, and distributing grain and other agricultural commodities. In his role, he leads and develops enterprise-level strategy for corporate responsibility and sustainability. He also advises and deploys processes to identify emerging business risks and opportunities and helps Cargill businesses manage complex environmental, social, and economic challenges faced in markets, supply chains, and communities where Cargill operates.
JOSIAH NEELEY Josiah Neeley is senior fellow and Texas director of the R Street Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public policy research organization whose mission is to engage in policy research and outreach to promote free markets and limited, effective government. Neeley was previously a policy analyst for the Center for Tenth Amendment Studies and the Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Before that, Neeley was an associate specializing in constitutional litigation with the firm of Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom in Terra Haute, Indiana. He also clerked for U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola, Florida.
LUIS NEVES Luis Neves is chairman of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and climate change and sustainability officer, executive vice resident at Deutsche Telekom Group. With over 30 years of experience in the national and international
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telecommunications and information society fields, he has played a fundamental role in promoting the role of information and communications technology in relation to climate change. He currently holds positions and participates in a range of international projects and initiatives including GeSI, United Nations Global Compact Group, and Steering Committee of the United Nations Caring for Climate Initiative.
TODD PAGLIA Todd Paglia is executive director of ForestEthics, an organization that uses campaigns, education, and partnerships to protect endangered forests, wildlife, and human wellbeing. In his role, Paglia can be credited with transforming the paper policies of multibilliondollar Fortune 500 companies, including Staples, Office Depot, Williams-Sonoma, Dell, Victoria’s Secret, and more. Before joining ForestEthics, he was an attorney for Ralph Nader focusing on consumer protection issues such as environmental purchasing by governmental agencies to spur alternative markets, enforcement of antitrust laws, corporate welfare issues, and corporate accountability.
DAVE RAPAPORT Dave Rapaport is vice president of earth and community care for Aveda, a skin care, cosmetics, perfume, and hair care company known for its natural branding and beauty solutions. He is a senior sustainability thought leader with 30 years of high-ranking experience working with prominent nonprofit organizations and pioneering values-led businesses. He also has extensive public policy experience at local, state, national, and international levels and has expertise in multiple issues and fields, including corporate social responsibility, supply chain sustainability, pollution prevention, toxic chemicals policy, solid waste management, hygiene and sanitation, renewable energy, and sustainable development.
MATT RENNER Matt Renner is executive director for the World Business Academy (WBA), a nonprofit business think tank, action incubator, and network of business and thought leaders. WBA’s mission is to inspire business to assume responsibility for the whole of society. Renner joined the organization because of his deep concern for global warming and his commitment to helping business lead in finding solutions. Prior to WBA, Renner worked to launch KRXA, the first commercial progressive talk radio station in the Monterey Bay area in California, was an editor and White House correspondent for Truthout.org, and served as director of development and communications at Truthout.
MARK REYNOLDS Mark Reynolds is executive director of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, an international grassroots environmental group that trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with their members of Congress in order to influence climate policy. Reynolds has been a driving force of the organization, causing it to double in size for five consecutive years. Previously, he served as an executive director for a publicly traded company, founded and built multiple startups, and was a productivity and effectiveness consultant for U.S. and Canadian companies.
RICK RIDGEWAY Rick Ridgeway is vice president of environmental affairs at Patagonia, a company that focuses on high-end outdoor clothing. Here he oversees vanguard environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, Common Threads, and the Footprint Chronicles. He also co-founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. In addition to business, Ridgeway is recognized as a mountaineer and adventurer. He has produced and directed several documentary films and written dozens of magazine articles and six books.
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STEVE ROCHLIN Steve Rochlin is senior fellow of the Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with over 17 years of experience in sustainability. Prior to joining BCLC, he served as the director of global advisory services and member of the board of directors for AccountAbility and as the director of research and development for the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. He is co-author of two books: Beyond Good Company: Next Generation Corporate Citizenship and Untapped: Creating Value in Underserved Markets.
GAYLE SCHUELLER Gayle Schueller is senior vice president of sustainability at 3M, a consumer products company valued at around $30 billion in sales. In her role, Schueller is responsible for the company’s integrated strategy to deliver customer solutions to meet their sustainability challenges and operate in a way that advances stewardship, social responsibility, and economic success for all stakeholders. Her career spans a broad range of businesses, from electronics to health care to consumer industries. Schueller has led technical and business teams from around the world including Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America.
STEVEN SCHUETH Steven Schueth is president of First Affirmative Financial Network, a firm that helps investors do more by combining innovative financial management with investment strategies that consider the environmental, social, and governance aspects of potential investments. Prior to taking on this role, he served as director of the Social Investment Forum and as chair and president of the organization from 1993 to 2002. He currently serves as a director of the Denver-based nonprofit Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado and received the social investment industry’s SRI Service Award in 1998.
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JOHN SCHULZ John Schulz is sustainability operations director at AT&T, focused on embedding sustainability into AT&T’s operations, products, and services while positioning information and communications technology as an important sustainability solution. He focuses on integrating sustainability into operational resource use — energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water — and the services and products that AT&T brings to market. Schulz has held a wide range of positions at AT&T, including time spent with the sustainability, external affairs, energy, corporate real estate, and IT organizations.
CHARLIE SHEERIN Charlie Sheerin is senior director of strategic philanthropy at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations. WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members. Before assuming his current position, he worked as director of communications and resource development for the Aga Khan Foundation USA, acting vice president of development for WWF, and development director for The Nature Conservancy.
YALMAZ SIDDIQUI Yalmaz Siddiqui is senior director of environmental and supplier diversity strategy for Office Depot. He is responsible for setting strategic direction and integrating a wide range of environmental programs into the global organization. Prior to joining Office Depot, Siddiqui served as senior consultant in customer relations management at IBM Business Consulting Services and authored the first global study on environmental purchasing of wood and paper products. Before IBM, he was a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he focused on the forest, paper, and packaging industries.
JAN SIEVING Jan Sieving is vice president of public affairs — North America for Repsol, an energy company whose portfolio includes oil, natural gas, chemicals, and new energy. Before assuming her current role, Sieving was vice president of marketing and communications for CB&I, director of communications and public affairs for Occidental Petroleum Corporation, field representative for California state Sen. Ken Maddy, and assistant director of press relations for California Gov. Pete Wilson.
ROB SISSON Rob Sisson is executive director of ConservAmerica, the national grassroots organization that advocates for conservation to become a bipartisan political priority and works to educate public and elected officials on conservative approaches to today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Before joining ConservAmerica, Sisson spent 22 years in commercial banking and served two terms as the mayor of the City of Sturgis, Michigan. During his tenure, he helped lead the city to national recognition for energy and environmental conservation programs.
ROLF SKAR Rolf Skar is forest campaign director for Greenpeace and has worked on market-based campaigns to protect forests around the world, from Indonesia to Canada. Prior to joining Greenpeace, he was campaign director for the Siskiyou Project in Portland, Oregon, where he directed outreach, media, and political work to permanently protect the 1.2-million acre Siskiyou Wild Rivers region. Previously, Skar took charge of programs for the Portland-based Northwest
Earth Institute, encouraging individuals to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives.
KEN STRASSNER Ken Strassner is a Future 500 senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. He served as vice president of global environment, safety, regulatory, and scientific affairs at Kimberly-Clark and earlier as vice president of environment and energy at the company. In these roles, Strassner formulated corporate policies and directed technical staff across these functions, as well as managed the development of Kimberly-Clark’s Corporate and Business Unite sustainability plans and relationships with outside stakeholders interested in the corporation’s sustainability performance. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark Corporation in 1976, Strassner served as an officer in the U.S. Navy, practiced law with a firm in Washington, D.C., and served as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of labor for Occupational Safety and Health. His legal specialties include U.S. and international environmental and energy law, product safety matters, and occupational safety and health requirements.
ARLENE STROM Arlene Strom is vice president of sustainability and communications at Suncor Energy and serves as vice chair of Suncor Energy Foundation. In these roles, she is accountable for sustainability strategy for the corporation, including community investment and climate change strategy as well as communications, stakeholder, and aboriginal relations and issues management. Strom is also responsible for Suncor’s sustainability and outreach strategy, climate change strategy, environmental excellence support, and management of the Suncor Energy Foundation. Prior to joining Suncor, Strom worked for six years at Burnet Duckworth & Palmer as a securities lawyer and taught securities law as a sessional at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law for three years. During the first part of her career, Strom held various positions in sales and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry.
JERRY TAYLOR Jerry Taylor is vice president of the Niskanen Center, a libertarian nonprofit think tank that works to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process. Prior to founding the center in 2014, Taylor spent 23 years at the Cato Institute, where he served as
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the director of natural resource studies, assistant editor of Regulation magazine, senior fellow, and then vice president. Before that, he was the staff director for the energy and environment task force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
JIM THOMAS Jim Thomas is vice president of sustainability, safety, environment, risk, ethics, and compliance for Petco Animal Supplies, responsible for developing and leading the company’s longrange sustainability strategies and collaborating closely with the executive board and leadership team. Prior to joining Petco, he was vice president, director of corporate social responsibility for JCPenney for five years, and vice president, organizational compliance for the Gerber Products Division with Novartis for 20 years. Thomas is chairman of the Corporate Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability Management Roundtable, an industry group comprising many of the leading U.S. companies, and vice chairman of the Retail Sustainability Initiative of the Retail Industry Leaders Association. He is past chairman of the Global Environmental Management Initiative and was on the steering committee for the UN Global Compact – US Network.
PETE TRELENBERG Pete Trelenberg is manager of environmental policy and planning at ExxonMobil, one of the most successful oil and gas corporations in
the marketplace. In his position, Trelenberg advises senior management and the board on climate change, greenhouse gas management, sustainability, and regulatory reform activities for ExxonMobil. Trelenberg first joined Exxon in 1980 as a project engineer and has worked his way up in the company to his current position. Most recently, he served as the head of planning and business development for ExxonMobil Chemical Company in Houston.
JIM WALKER Jim Walker is co-founder of The Climate Group (TCG), where he is director of international programs and strategy. He has worked on sustainability strategy and policy since 1997, serving as TCG chief operating officer for seven years. He is also a representative of the Climate Mobilization Fund, overseeing grant-making to the We Mean Business Coalition and Here and Now Campaign. Walker helped to establish the HSBC Climate Partnership on climate and cities and TCG’s programs on off-grid energy, electric vehicles, and LED lighting. Walker has been involved on projects from the Netherlands to China.
PAUL WALKER Paul Walker is on the board of directors for ConservAmerica and president of Insight Consulting, an organization that provides professional consulting services for the business community. He is a frequent presenter at energy and water forums throughout the United States and is chairman of Arizonans for Responsible Water Policy, a trade group comprising large water companies advocating for long-term water policy changes.
ERIC WASHBURN Eric Washburn is principal at Bracewell & Giuliani, an international law firm that provides guidance on business, law, finance, litigation, government relations, and regulatory policy. He provides federal legislative and regulatory advice to industry and
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nonprofit clients on a broad range of policy matters including natural resources, environmental, and energy issues. Washburn joined Bracewell in 2014 after 10 years working in senior positions at two government relations firms where he advised clients on natural resources and energy issues. During this time, he also became the founding executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, a coalition of dozens of leading hunting and fishing organizations.
SABRINA WATKINS Sabrina Watkins is the head of sustainable development at ConocoPhillips, with global responsibility for corporate policies, positions, and implementation strategies related to sustainable development. She began her career in upstream production and drilling engineering in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans. During her 34 years in the industry, Watkins has held senior management roles in asset development, production, procurement, drilling, health, safety, and environment. Since 2001, she has led work on early-stage innovation and emerging technologies and directed global upstream technology strategy. She managed global corporate environmental technology and carbon capture and storage policy from 2006 to 2008 and assumed her current role in 2009.
JEFF WEIGEL Jeff Weigel is Texas director of strategic initiatives for The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends through scientific research, partnerships, collaboration, and advocacy. He first joined The Nature Conservancy in 1979 as a seasonal field biologist for the Minnesota chapter. In 1988, he joined the Texas chapter as the director of stewardship, and in the ensuing years has held a number of key positions developing conservation projects, raising funds, and building conservation programs across Texas. In his current role he works on fundraising, board development, and government relations.
ARTHUR WEISSMAN Arthur Weissman is president and CEO of Green Seal, a nonprofit certification organization that gives consumers a standard with which to evaluate the sustainability of the products and services they purchase. He has over 30 years of experience in environmental programs, policy, standards, and enforcement. He has spent over half that time at Green Seal, which he has led for the past 15 years. Weissman has also served as founding chair of the Global Ecolabeling Network and international convener for ISO standards. Prior to joining Green Seal, Weissman was responsible for developing national policy and guidance for the Superfund program at the Environmental Protection Agency. He also served as a congressional science fellow and worked for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut.
LAURA WHITING Laura Whiting is senior counsel for Occidental Chemical Corporation, a leading North American manufacturer of PVC resins, chlorine, and caustic soda. She has worked in this capacity for the past 10 years, focusing on environmental and process safety compliance, enforcement defense, regulatory development and permitting, product stewardship, sustainability, and corporate transactions. Whiting is a member of the board of directors for Dixon Water Foundation and Texas state trustee for The Nature Conservancy.
ANDREA STRIMLING YODSAMPA Andrea Strimling Yodsampa is the co-founder and CEO of DEPLOY/US, a social venture dedicated to building a prosperous, sustainable energy future through strategic engagement in both markets and policy. She is a social entrepreneur and social scientist with 25 years of experience in government, civil society, and academia, including work in the U.S., Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. Yodsampa served for over a decade as a commissioner with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, is co-founder and former chair of the board of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and served on the U.S. delegation to the Stockholm Forum on Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation in 2002.
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Green Speaker Series Stage East
Business and the Environment Forum BILL HAMMOND Bill Hammond is CEO of the Texas Association of Business (TAB), a business and chamber organization that he has led since April 1998. Before joining TAB, Hammond served for three years as employer representative on the three-member Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), was appointed chairman of the commission by then Governor George W. Bush, and served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Before his service in state government, Hammond owned and was president of the Dallas Tent and Awning Company. He has spent his career working aggressively to ensure a strong pro-business tax and regulatory climate in Texas.
BILL WHITE Bill White is former mayor of Houston and current senior advisor at Lazard. He completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Harvard University and law degree at the University of Texas at Austin. White worked at and then became a partner of the Houston firm Susman Godfrey before he joined the Clinton administration as deputy secretary of energy. During his service as the mayor of Houston, White championed environmental causes, emphasizing cleaning up the city’s air and protecting public health.
State of the State Panel CLAY JENKINS Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has served the Dallas area since January 2011. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the county’s truancy courts, which hear cases from partnering school
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districts and enforce truancy court orders as directed. Jenkins graduated from Baylor University School of Law and is a partner at Jenkins & Jenkins, a firm that practices plaintiff personal injury and commercial litigation.
SID MILLER Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller oversees state programs aimed at promoting the agricultural economy and encouraging healthy living in Texas. He served as chairman of the Texas House Agriculture and Livestock Committee, is a former vocational agriculture teacher, and is a world champion cowboy with nine world titles . A true rural Texan, Miller is a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a former Farm Bureau director.
VICTOR VANDERGRIFF Victor Vandergriff is a member of the Texas Transportation Commission, an organization that oversees the statewide activities of the Texas Department of Transportation, and was appointed commissioner by Governor Rick Perry in 2013. He is an attorney and private businessman specializing in business development and legislative issues. Vandergriff completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California and law degree at Southern Methodist University.
“The Nature of Business” Speech JOSEPH QUINLAN Joseph Quinlan is managing director and chief market strategist for U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. In this role, he provides economic and market insights and executes the firm’s overall investment strategy. Quinlan previously served as a senior global economist and strategist for Morgan Stanley and started his career at Merrill Lynch. Outside the bank, he lectures on finance and global economics at New York University, has written 11 books, and is a fellow at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. Quinlan is one of the world’s leading thinkers on the human and business implications of energy and water resources.
Green Speaker Series Stage West
Global Solar Leaders TONY SEBA Tony Seba is a lecturer in entrepreneurship, disruption, and clean energy at Stanford University, a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and author of three books on clean and renewable energies.
LUCHIANO GUIDO Luchiano Guido works at SolarFUTURE.today Latin America, a worldwide television platform and multi-industry solar awareness campaign for the solar PV industry.
RAYMOND HERNANDEZ JR. Raymond Hernandez Jr. is a film and television producer who has extensive experience in the entertainment industry. He is currently developing various television projects and three independent feature films.
TOMASZ SLUSARZ Tomasz Slusarz is the CEO of Solar PV.TV and a member of SolarFUTURE. today Foundation, Charity Galas, and the Honorary Visionary Board and the Solar Advocates Group. Solar PV.TV is a worldwide television platform for solar PV business and technology.
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Wind JEFF CLARK
Grid DON CLEVENGER
Jeff Clark is executive director of the Wind Coalition, a wind energy industry trade association created to promote the development of wind as a resource in the south central United States. Prior to assuming this leadership position, he was vice president of governmental affairs at the Technology Association of America and before that led the Texas office of the National Federation of Independent Business. He served as principal at Public Strategies and was a member of the advance staff during the campaigns of President George W. Bush.
Don Clevenger is senior vice president of strategic planning of Oncor Electric Delivery, a regulated electric business that operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to more than 3 million meters across the state. He graduated with a law degree from Southern Methodist University and represented TXU for the firm Hunton & Williams for years before joining the company in 2004. He starting as senior counsel of business services at Oncor and steadily worked up the ranks to his current position.
JOHN SPICER John Spicer is president of Breeze Energy, a Texas-based wind energy company that provides consumers with affordable renewable energy. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Texas A&M. After graduating, Spicer worked for a major traditional energy corporation, where he first began purchasing wind energy and realized the potential of the energy source.
WALTER HORNADAY Walter Hornaday is president and CEO of Cielo Wind Power, a privately held wind power project development company based in Austin, Texas. He earned a degree in engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, then started a company in 1991 that rebuilt and repaired small wind turbines for farmers and small businesses in rural Texas. He built on these successes when he established Cielo in 1998 and has been growing the company ever since.
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PAUL WATTLES Paul Wattles is senior analyst for market design and development for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT, as it is better known, operates the electric grid and manages the deregulated market for about 75 percent of the state of Texas. Wattles has over 14 years of electric industry experience with an emphasis on wholesale markets, advanced metering, demand response, and regulatory and governmental affairs.
AUDREY FOGARTY Audrey Fogarty is vice president of product management for Younicos, an international company that specializes in intelligent energy storage and grid solutions. In her role, she ensures that best-fit energy storage solutions are deployed for grid operators, power generators, and energy end users. Prior to entering the storage industry in 2011, Fogarty spent 10 years working in renewable energy markets in Europe and the U.S., serving as vice president of energy dispatch at E.ON Climate & Renewables North America and trading development manager at the Irish renewable energy utility, Airtricity.
SATURDAY
Green Speaker Series Stage East
Integrity and Earth: Honoring our Roots While Enhancing Progress KARENNA GORE Eldest daughter of environmental advocate and former Vice President Al Gore, Karenna Gore is director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. She received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, master’s degree in social ethics from Union Theological Seminary, and law degree from Columbia Law School. Gore previously worked as a lawyer and director of community affairs for the Association to Benefit Children. She is author of Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America and lives in New York City.
and political committee. Before then, Karpinski worked for 21 years as the executive director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, where he led many national environmental issue campaigns. Under his leadership, LCV’s electoral budget has more than tripled, and the organization has assumed a leading role in the efforts to pass clean energy and climate policies.
DAVID WEINBERG David Weinberg is executive director of the Texas League of Conservation Voters (TLVC), an organization that works to preserve and enhance the quality of life of Texans by making conservation a top priority with Texas elected officials, political candidates, and voters. During his tenure, he has significantly expanded fundraising, membership, and program work. Prior to TLCV, Weinberg worked in environmental advocacy and state politics in New York at Consumers Union and the New York Public Interest Research Group.
SUSYBELLE GOSSLEE
Conservation Votes Count GENE KARPINSKI Gene Karpinski is president of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), an organization that works to turn environmental values into national, state, and local priorities. He joined the organization in 2006 after serving for more than a dozen years as a member of the board of directors
Susybelle Gosslee is president of the Dallas League of Women Voters, an organization in Dallas County that encourages informed and active participation in government, influencing public policy through education and advocacy. Gosslee co-chaired a League of Women Voters of the United States project on Homeland Security and Civil Liberties in 2005 and has been a representative at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2006 and 2008. She is also the founder of Our Friends Place, a residential program for teen girls who have been sexually or physically abused.
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National Parks Centennial Kickoff Presented by the National Parks Conservation Association SUZANNE DIXON Suzanne Dixon is Texas regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, an organization that advocates for the national parks and the National Park Service by educating decision makers and the public about the importance of parks.
ALAN SPEARS Alan Spears is a historian for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), an organization that advocates for national parks and the National Park Service by educating decision makers and the public about the importance of parks. He began his career with NPCA as an intern from Howard University and has led campaigns to establish parks of historical significance across the Eastern seaboard.
BRIAN SHELLUM Brian Shellum is a historian with a focus on AfricanAmerican military, military attachĂŠ, and military intelligence history. He is the author of Black Officer in a Buffalo Solider Regiment and has written several books on Charles Young and the Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. frontier. Prior to his historical pursuits, Shellum served in the U.S. Army until 1994, worked as government historian at the Defense Intelligence Agency, and as senior intelligence officer with the Department of Defense.
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Conservation Has No Party DAVID YARNOLD David Yarnold is president and CEO of the National Audubon Society, a conservation organization that connects nearly 4 million people using science and education. During his tenure, he led a turnaround
that has expanded the Audubon’s effectiveness while building on the organization’s strong conservation legacy. Previously, Yarnold worked at the Environmental Defense Fund, helping expand partnerships with corporations in order to increase revenue, and was a former Pulitzer Prize–winning editor at the San Jose Mercury News.
ROB SISSON Rob Sisson is executive director of ConservAmerica, the national grassroots organization that advocates for conservation to become a bipartisan political priority and works to educate public and elected officials on conservative approaches to today’s most pressing environmental challenges. Before joining ConservAmerica, Sisson spent 22 years in commercial banking and served two terms as the mayor of the City of Sturgis, Michigan. During his tenure, he helped lead the city to national recognition for energy and environmental conservation programs.
other conservation organizations in educational efforts to generate enthusiasm for and action around bat conservation. She has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and policy from Duke University and doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from Columbia University.
DIANNE ODEGARD Dianne Odegard is a Texaspermitted bat rehabilitator. She works with Bat Conservation International (BCI) as education and public outreach manager and public information liaison with specialties in education, artificial roosts, bats in buildings, and bats and public health. In pursuit of BCI’s vision to protect bats and their habitats, during the next five years the organization will work worldwide with public and private partners to respond rapidly and effectively to bat conservation crises, preventing the extinction of threatened bats and the extirpation of globally significant populations of bats.
A Strong Economy and a Clean Environment DAN PATRICK Dan Patrick is Texas lieutenant governor. Previously he served seven years in the Texas State Senate, where he chaired the Senate Education Committee and is known as a strong fiscal and social conservative. When he’s not talking politics, Patrick hosts a daily afternoon talk show on Houston radio.
Bats! CULLEN GEISELMAN Cullen Geiselman, is vice chair of Bat Conservation International (BCI) board of directors. BCI is an organization dedicated to protecting the world’s 1,300-plus species of bats and their habitats, and as vice chair Geiselman involves zoos, parks, schools, and
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 29
JORDAN MACHA Jordan Macha is gulf policy analyst for the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), an organization committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region of the southern United States. She is responsible for identifying GRN’s restoration priorities for the Gulf region and advancing those priorities in federal, state, and local decision-making venues. Before joining GRN, Macha worked with the Sierra Club and received her undergraduate degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
Oceans LOUIE PSIHOYOS Louie Psihoyos is executive director of the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), a nonprofit organization that creates film, photography, and media to inspire people to save the oceans. Psihoyos is widely regarded as one of the world’s most prominent still photographers and has circled the globe dozens of times for National Geographic, Fortune, Smithsonian, Discover, and many more prominent publications. His first documentary film, The Cove, won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2009. At Earth Day Texas, Psihoyos showed his second film, Racing Extinction, which has already been received with critical acclaim.
SHELLEY DU PUY Shelley Du Puy is education and outreach coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary team. In her role, she is responsible for coordinating all education, outreach, public and media relations, and nonresearch volunteer activities. Du Pay holds a bachelor’s degree in marine science from Texas A&M University at Galveston and has over 30 years of experience with NOAA in areas ranging from fisheries data collection to wetlands conservation to environmental education.
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Fracking RYAN SITTON Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton is an energy expert, native Texan, and the man who will oversee energy policy in Texas for the next six years. Before being elected railroad commissioner, Sitton and his wife, Jennifer, founded PinnacleAIS, an engineering and technology company focused on reliability and integrity programs for the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
ADAM BRIGGLE Adam Briggle is assistant professor at the University of North Texas with a doctorate in environmental studies from the University of Colorado. He is a board member of the advocacy group Frack Free Denton and has authored and co-authored several books. Over the past few years, he has worked as a field philosopher working with a diverse range of stakeholders around the issue of natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing within the city limits of Denton, Texas.
Green Speaker Series Stage West
Texas Trees Foundation Partnership Earth911 Award to ONCOR JEFF CHENEY Jeff Cheney is president of Earth911, a consumer JANETTE MONEAR and client-facing organization that provides Janette Monear is president and CEO of the Texas Trees Foundation. Oncor supports Texas Trees Foundation in its initiatives to provide education, trees, and other support to create more livable communities in North Texas and make better land stewards through a variety of programs, projects, and partnerships. Monear brings 25 years of previous experience in urban forestry to her role at the Texas Trees Foundation.
corporations with sustainability and lifestyle and media solutions for everyday individuals. Prior to this role, he was a member of the board of directors of Quest Resource Holding Corporation and served as broker associate at Keller Williams Realty. He is also owner and operator of the online community forum frisco-online.com and Northstar Property Management.
Plano Solar Advocates LARRY HOWE Together with other Live Green in Plano volunteers, Howe co-founded Plano Solar Advocates in 2012, a grassroots volunteer group of citizens whose mission is to increase awareness and expand the use of solar energy for electricity generation in Plano.
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Municipal Sustainability NICOLE FERRINI
Speech KEN PAXTON
Nicole Ferrini is chief resilience officer for the city of El Paso and most recently spearheaded the GRO El Paso Initiative focused on building grassroots resilience on a regional scale with emphasis on issues ranging from climate instability, resource conservation, and crisis management to urban development and social justice. Ferrini is a founding member of the USGBC Chihuahuan Desert Chapter, founding board member of Eco El Paso, and member of the Congress for New Urbanism.
Ken Paxton is the recently elected Texas attorney general. As a state senator, he was consistently recognized as a conservative, stalwart leader with a deep passion and respect for the U.S. Constitution. Paxton served in the Texas House of Representatives for 10 years prior to being elected to the State Senate in 2012.
LISA LIN As the sustainability manager for the City of Houston, Lisa Lin oversees and assists with Houston’s varied environmental programs, including the Houston Green Office Challenge, Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, the city’s bike share program, climate action planning, and more.
MURRAY MYERS Murray Myers works on the Zero Waste Plan for the City of Dallas and focuses on marketing, organics, e-cycling, and commercial recycling.
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Captain Planet Foundation LAURA TURNER SEYDEL Laura Turner Seydel is an international environmental advocate, eco-living expert, and chair of Captain Planet Foundation, an organization that promotes hands-on environmental education projects worldwide. She is also a director of and works with the Environmental Working Group to limit the toxic chemicals in food, air, water, and consumer products. In 2004, she co-founded Mothers and Others for Clean Air and is currently the chair of the board. In 1994, she and her husband co-founded Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.
Save the Honeybees MARGIE ALT Margie Alt is executive director of Environment America and Environment America Research & Policy Center, a federation of state-based, citizen-
funded environmental advocacy organizations. She oversees all aspects of the organization, including policy and strategy development for major campaigns; building the organization’s membership, visibility, and field power; and recruiting and training staff and activists. Prior to the launch of Environment America, Alt spent 25 years helping to build U.S. PIRG and the state Public Interest Research Groups, where she oversaw efforts that led to environmental reforms in over 20 states.
LUKE METZGER Luke Metzger is the founder and director of Environment Texas, the Texas affiliate of Environment America and a statewide, citizen-funded advocate for clean air, clean water, and open spaces. Prior to this position, Metzger worked as a consumer advocate for TexPIRG, the Texas field organizer for U.S. PIRG, and a campus organizer for CALPIRG. He has been named one of the Top Lobbyists for Causes by Capitol Inside, received the President’s Award from the Texas Recreation and Park Society for his work to protect Texas parks, and was chosen for the inaugural class of Next Generation Fellows by the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin.
Parks and Trees CELIA BARSHOP Celia Barshop is senior park manager for Fair Park and Community Services at the City of Dallas. Fair Park is a recreational and educational park located in southeast Dallas and is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
MATT GRUBISICH Matt Grubisich is operations director and urban forester for the Texas Trees Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve, beautify, and expand parks and other public natural green spaces in the North Central Texas area.
Water Infrastructure JANICE BEZANSON As executive director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, Janice Bezanson heads up the program to educate Texans about the benefits of municipal water recycling. She has 30 years of experience protecting rivers, forests, and water resources. Her efforts have led to public protection of more than 100,000 acres. Texas Conservation Alliance is a dynamic group of individuals and organizations protecting Texas’ rivers, forests, coastlines, wildlife, and other natural habitats.
ALAN MURPHY Alan Murphy is president of water process and technologies at STW Resources Holding Corp, an integrated provider of oilfield services and water management including consulting, water reclamation, and remediation. He joined STW from the engineering firm Bob Johnson & Associates and has over 20 years of extensive experience in the water and wastewater industries in the state of Texas.
BREWSTER McCRACKEN Brewster McCracken is president and CEO of Pecan Street Inc., a smart grid research and commercialization consortium headquartered at The University of Texas at Austin. McCracken served two terms on the Austin City Council and spent nearly a decade practicing commercial litigation with two large international law firms.
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Green Speaker Series EDTx Academy Stage
AFRICA WELCH-CASTLE Africa Welch-Castle is a mechanical engineer for the Department of Army Directorate of Public Works, Energy Management Branch, Environmental Division at Fort Hood.
Climate BRUCE McCARL
Military and the Environment JOE KNOTT Joe Knott is a retired lieutenant colonel who now runs the Compatible Lands Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit organization that specializes in creating compatible land use buffers, particularly around military installations.
DARLA GRIFFITH Darla Griffith is environmental management system and pollution prevention coordinator for the Department of Army Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Management Branch, Environmental Division at Fort Hood.
JASON TACKETT Jason Tackett is project manager and planner for the Regional Planning and Environmental Center in the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Bruce McCarl is a regents’ professor and distinguished professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University. His recent research efforts have largely involved political analysis of climate change, climate change mitigation, El Niùo/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) analysis, and the Edwards Aquifer. McCarl was a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change group that won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for groundbreaking research on risk analysis, climate change, agricultural and forestry policies, and more.
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center JOHN DeFILLIPO John DeFillipo is director of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center and an engaging naturalist with over 18 years of experience blending ecological concepts with business insights. The Wetland Center is the focal point of a one-of-a-kind manmade wetland that recycles millions of gallons of water each day to supplement the municipal water supply for 1.7 million people living in North Texas.
Soles4Souls BUDDY TEASTER
Backyard Chickens: How to Keep Healthy, Happy Hens CAMERON MOLBERG Cameron Molberg is owner of Austin-based Coyote Creek Farm. His vision is to revitalize rural, middleclass family farms by teaching families efficient and effective farming practices. Farm goals include long-term sustainability, slow growth, support for local agricultural communities, and limiting the farm’s carbon footprint.
What’s New on Campus BHIMU PATIL Bhimu Patil is director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University. His research emphasizes foods for health and the pre- and post-harvest effects on bioactive compounds in citrus, pepper, onion, melons, and pomegranate. Patil received his doctorate in horticulture from Texas A&M University in 1994.
VIRENDER SHARMA Virender Sharma is interim department head and professor of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M Health Science Center. His research includes processes to deactivate viruses, bacteria, and toxins in water and air and remove emerging contaminants such as antibiotics, estrogens, and toxic metals in water. He received his doctorate in marine and atmospheric chemistry at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami.
Buddy Teaster is CEO of Soles4Souls, a global nonprofit dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty by collecting used shoes and clothes and distributing them to people in need. He was previously president and chief operating officer of Executive Business Services. Before that, he served as chief network officer for Young Presidents’ Organization.
Digital Tree Canopy Survey STEVE HOUSER Steve Houser is owner and president of Arborilogical Services and a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. He is a Master Gardener with Texas Agriculture Extension Service and Master Naturalist with a group that includes Texas Forest Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Society for Ecological Restoration, The Native Conservancy, and others.
Rural Land Stewardship BILL FOX William E. “Bill” Fox is assistant professor with Texas A&M AgriLife Research at the Blackland Research & Extension Center in Temple, Texas, and serves as adjunct faculty with the Ecosystem Science & Management Department at Texas A&M. He has a bachelor’s degree in range science from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in animal and range science from New Mexico State University, and a doctorate in rangeland ecology and management from Texas A&M University.
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Green Speaker Series EDTx Scholastics Stage Presented by Breeze Energy
Forests MISTY BOWIE Misty Bowie is a consultant for Project Learning Tree and Teachers Conservation Institute coordinator for the Texas Forestry Association, an organization that promotes an economic, social, and political climate that will advance forestry in Texas through education, political action, and public relations.
ROCCO SARACINA Rocco Saracina is a research coordinator for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). He supports the organization in conservation and university relations efforts through targeted research and outreach and administers SFI’s Conservation and Community Partnership Grant Program. Saracina joined SFI after graduating from Humboldt State University with an environmental science degree concentrated in ecological restoration.
helps property owners maintain land and natural resources to ensure forestlands remain productive and healthy for the environment and future generations of Texans.
How to Incorporate Underrepresented Minority Students in the STEM Classroom TONY SCALLION Tony Scallion works with executive leadership and staff to design and/ or enhance cohesive and comprehensive STEM programs from the ground up. He provides support to executive leadership and staff in the areas of planning, management, program execution, and communications.
JOHN BOYETTE John Boyette is district forester III for the Texas A&M Forest Service in the division of Forest Resource Development and Sustainable Forestry. Texas A&M Forest Service is a state agency that
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Ozone Theater TIFANI PUST Tifani Pust is educational programs director of Air Alliance Houston and artistic director for Ozone Theater, free air pollution and health
education programs for elementary and middle school students. Using drama-based education tools, students learn about ozone, clean air, and health in a fun and engaging format. The program that has engaged over 14,000 students in 800 classrooms across five counties. Pust studied theater at Arizona State University and is also director of Upstage Arts Youth Theater in Clear Lake, Texas.
Edible Landscape STEVE SMITH After leaving the U.S. Army, Steve Smith co-founded a community garden in Dallas with fellow combat veteran James Jeffers. Operating since 2012, Eat the Yard is an urban farming operation dedicated to sustainable methods and entirely organic practices. They sell produce to restaurants and grocers and then compost the corresponding wastes from those businesses, bringing the system full circle.
ORLANDO GARCIA Orlando Garcia is a retired combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army for over 23 years. Since his retirement, he has been working full time with Farmers Assisting Returning Military (F.A.R.M.), where he helps aid fellow veterans in their transition into civilian life using farm therapy, recreational therapy, and peer-to-peer . counseling.
Real School Gardens SCOTT FIELLE Scott Fielle is regional director for REAL School Gardens, an organization that works with communities and schools to create learning gardens. These gardens are powerful resources for improving students’ academic success while fostering connections with the natural world.
Re-Tire BERNETTA YOUNG Bernetta Young works for the City of Dallas Code Compliance involved with the city’s new initiative called Keep Dallas Clean, a public awareness campaign designed to help stop illegal dumping of tires in the Trinity River Corridor.
The Climate Denial Train – Why It’s So Strong MICHAEL SLATTERY Professor Michael Slattery is an internationally trained geographer and environmental scientist. He is director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at Texas Christian University and lead scientist on the TCU-Oxford-Nextera Wind Research Initiative at TCU. He has written more than 70 scientific articles, published a book on environmental issues, and testified before Congress. In 2007, he was awarded the Dean’s Research and Creative Activity Award at TCU. Slattery’s research expertise is on human impact on the environment, especially river systems, and he teaches courses on the environment, soils, hydrology, and climate.
Planning and Development of the STEM Environment in the Classroom TONY SCALLION Tony Scallion works with executive leadership and staff to design and/ or enhance cohesive and comprehensive STEM programs from the ground up. He provides support to executive leadership and staff in the areas of planning, management, program execution, and communications.
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Green Speaker Series Common Ground Stage
Food and Community: Creating Change Together SUSIE MARSHALL Susie Marshall is executive director of GROW North Texas, a nonprofit organization that connects North Texans to food, farms, and communities in order to build a sustainable and secure regional food system.
foods. He has teamed up with the North Texas Food Bank to provide fresh food to the inner city.
CHEF MARK WOOTTON Chef Mark Wootton’s Garden Café is said to embody the farm-to-table movement. True to its name, the East Dallas establishment has a beautiful patio and garden. Everything grown outside the kitchen ends up in a Garden Café recipe, with a full 5 percent of the vegetables and herbs used by the popular restaurant sourced straight from the backyard.
CHEF GRAHAM DODDS
Local Sourcing and Clean Food CHEF JOHN FRANKE
Award-winning executive chef of Hibiscus, Graham Dodd is known for his passion for locally sourced ingredients and farmto-table style of cooking. He is also an enthusiastic beekeeper, maintaining several hives in Dallas and Waxahachie and integrating the locally produced honey into his cuisine. For Graham, local food is both a professional and personal passion.
As corporate chef at Front Burner Restaurants, Franke has led the menu development for restaurants like Twin Peaks, Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, The Ranch at Las Colinas, Whiskey Cake, Red Dog Right, and the new Velvet Taco. He centers each menu on fresh ingredients, locally sourced products, and in-house from-scratch recipes.
CHEF PATRICK STARK Dallas chef Patrick Stark focuses on preparing food that is clean, GMO free, as organic as possible, seasonal, grass fed, even gluten free. He also founded the Mohawk Militia, an organization dedicated to creating awareness about the dangers of genetically modified
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Co-ops and non-GMOs: From Growth to Distribution to Table GARY STEPHENS Gary Stephens co-owns Green Grocer, a grocery store and juice bar, with his wife, Cassie. They operate two locations, one in Chicago and other on Lower Greenville Avenue in Dallas.
MEGAN NEUBAUER COUCH Megan Neubauer Couch is director of Pure Land Organic, a 28-acre farm in McKinney, Texas, that she operates with her father, Jack Neubauer. The goal of this father-daughter team is to provide a wide variety of high-quality organic produce to the Dallas area via farmers markets, fine restaurants, caterers, grocers, and private chefs.
STEVEN BAILEY Steven Bailey is the owner of Urban Acres farm store, which is a local and organic grocery store in Oak Cliff and food cooperative system across Dallas County. With distribution locations in Irving, Addison, Park Cities, Uptown, and White Rock, it sells the best and freshest Texas produce, with a beehive colony on the roof and a wealth of local farms represented on the shelves.
Aquaponics: Out of the Water and Into the Classroom GAY BINGHAM A cattle rancher and educator at Seagoville High School, Gay Bingham passionately teaches her students about aquaponics, sustainable agriculture, and environmental stewardship. Her family has produced natural grass-fed beef on pastures free of inorganic pesticides and fertilizers since 1998, and she completed her first aquaponics lab and tilapia nursery in 2011.
Grow 35-40 Organic Plants in a 2-Square-Foot Garden SHAWNA CORONADO Shawna Coronado is an author, columnist, blogger, photographer, and spokesperson dedicated to speaking internationally on living a green lifestyle, organic gardening, and culinary arts. She is an on-camera spokesperson and social media personality with over 292,000-plus followers on her various platforms. Coronado’s
ultimate goal through all of her work is to better the world through community involvement and simple green living.
Simple Backyard Composting: You Can Do It! MELANIE O’NEILL Melanie O’Neill has been playing in the dirt for years, so she decided to earn her Master Composter designation through the City of Irving’s program. Now she teaches others how to get started composting in their backyards.
Backyard Medicines JOHN WOLF John Wolf is a farmer and forager at Wolfsong Farm, where clean, seasonal food and medicinal tea is grown and wild-crafted without the use of pesticides or artificial fertilizers.
Food Recovery Challenge STEPHEN STURDIVANT Stephen Sturdivant is an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6. He works on the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, a voluntary program that provides free technical assistance to businesses to help them reach their food recovery goals.
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Science on a Sphere Centennial Hall
BETH RUSSELL Beth Russell is chief of the exploratory visualization and outreach section in the Earth Systems Research Laboratory and the operations manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Science on a Sphere in Boulder, Colorado. She has been part of the Science On a Sphere (SOS) team since 2006 when she interned as a NOAA Hollings Scholar. After finishing her meteorology degree at Penn State University, Russell joined the SOS team full time in 2007. She has written the original users guide, created the online data catalog, and taught training sessions at over 50 SOS installations around the world. She also travels with the SOS temporary exhibit and has given presentations at a variety of locations, including the United Nations COP15 Climate Conference, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, SuperComputing Conference, and American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting.
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LARRY FLOURNOY Larry Flournoy works as a consultant for Earth Day Texas, haying recently retired from Texas A&M University after 20 years. From 2000 to 2015, he served as associate director of the Academy for Advanced Telecommunications and Learning Technology, which is charged by the Board of Regents with developing consortia and collaborative opportunities for Texas A&M and the people of Texas in areas of distance learning, telemedicine, advanced telecommunications, and supercomputing.
Citizen Science with Makerspaces Workshop Hall of State Auditorium
RON BLAKE Ron Blake has had the benefit of a wide range of life experiences that includes formal training as well as a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He was physically present at the historic events of the first Apple II rollout in 1977 and decades later at the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Francisco in 2012 and 2013. Immediately recognizing a familiar energy, sense of excitement, and opportunity, he enthusiastically joined the Maker Movement. By 2014, he founded a startup called Merrymaker Labs and became the Greymaker. When asked, “What does the Greymaker make?” His reply: “The Greymaker makes makers. Have you been made?”
CHARLIE LINDAHL Charlie Lindahl is a lifelong geek/nerd — and proud of it. He has an insatiable curiosity about All Things Tech and is
currently employed as dedicated IT support for campus operations at Texas A&M Health Science Center. He is a passionate and active member of the Maker Movement and a member of Transition Houston, an organization dedicated to sustainable and resilient practices in a postpeak-oil world. His projects include working with microcontrollers with environmental sensors, the Raspberry Pi platform relating to environmental monitoring, and building a do-it-yourself spherical imaging system.
WALTER JOHNSTON Walter Johnston teaches in the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Previously he has worked at Abbott Laboratories, DSC, Nortel, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the RLX startup. Johnson received a doctorate in statistics from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Green Speaker Series Saturday Night Banquet
TIM MOHIN
ROLF SKAR
Tim Mohin is director of corporate responsibility at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), an American semiconductor company that develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. Prior to joining AMD, he advised executives at Fortune 500 companies as the lead sustainability consultant for EORM, led Apple’s supplier responsibility program, and spent 12 years with Intel Corporation. Mohin is author of Changing Business from the Inside Out: A Treehugger’s Guide to Working in Corporations.
Rolf Skar is the forest campaign director for Greenpeace and has worked on market-based campaigns to protect forests around the world, from Indonesia to Canada. Prior to joining Greenpeace, he was campaign director for the Siskiyou Project in Portland, Oregon, where he directed outreach, media, and political work to permanently protect the 1.2-million acre Siskiyou Wild Rivers region. Previously, Skar took charge of programs for the Portland-based Northwest Earth Institute, encouraging individuals to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives.
RICK RIDGEWAY
BENNETT FREEMAN
Rick Ridgeway is vice president of environmental affairs at Patagonia, a company that focuses on high-end outdoor clothing. Here he oversees vanguard environmental and sustainability initiatives including Freedom to Roam, Common Threads, and the Footprint Chronicles. He also co-founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. In addition to business, Ridgeway is recognized as a mountaineer and adventurer. He has produced and directed several documentary films and written dozens of magazine articles and six books.
Until recently, Bennett Freeman served as senior vice president for social research and policy at the Calvert Group, the global leader in responsible investing, leading social, environmental, and governance research, analysis, policy and advocacy work. He served in three positions as a Clinton presidential appointee in the U.S. Department of State, including as deputy assistant secretary for semocracy, human rights and labor. Freeman began his career in responsible investing at GE, working with Jack Welch on the senior executive team on a range of corporate responsibility and public policy issues.
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SUNDAY
Green Speaker Series Stage East
Tiny Houses B.A. NORRGARD B.A. Norrgard is a tiny house advocate and enthusiast who spoke about her sustainable lifestyle and dream for urban tiny house communities. Norrgard lives by example as she passionately advocates living a large life in a small space.
Land Stewardship WILL ROGERS Will Rogers is president and CEO of the Trust for Public Land. He has been with the organization since 1991, first as the director of California, Hawaii, and Nevada operations and as CEO beginning in 1998. Prior to joining the Trust for Public Land, Rogers managed urban projects for a Chicago-based real estate company, managing both new construction and
the rehabilitation of vacant industrial buildings for commercial, office, and residential use. Before that, he worked as a commercial beekeeper, founding and managing a commercial honey production company in Colombia.
ROBERT GREGORY Robert Gregory is CEO of Compatible Lands Foundation, a nationwide nonprofit organization that specializes in creating compatible land use buffers, particularly around military installations.
DAVID JAMES Colorado rancher David James runs his property with holistic management, grassbased cattle ranching, and the New Ranch movement in order to produce local, pure food for the Four Corners while preserving topsoil, clean water, and open space.
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MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY Michael Martin Murphey is known as one of the best American songwriters for iconic hits such as “Wildfire,” “Carolina in the Pines,” “Geronimo’s Cadillac,” and more. He has topped the pop, country, bluegrass, and western music charts while earning six gold albums and multiple Grammy® award nominations. Murphey is also an outspoken advocate of responsible ranching practices as a way to conserve and manage natural spaces in the American West. His nonprofit, the Murphey Western Institute, is dedicated to exactly this cause.
LARRY BUTLER Larry Butler is the host of Out On The Land, a weekly, half-hour television series that includes video segments from a variety of farms, ranches, and other lands. His land management and conservation experience began with 32 years serving the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since retiring from the USDA, Butler has been and continues to be a private land management and wildlife habitat management consultant.
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Energy FRANK RUKAVINA Frank Rukavina is director of sustainability at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a government agency that develops clean energy and energy-efficiency technologies and practices. He is responsible for NREL’s advancement of corporate environmental, social, and economically responsible decision making. Before this position, he served as director of environment, health, safety, and quality, building on the experience he gained as environment, health, safety, and quality manager for Rocky Flats Closure Site Services and health and safety manager for Kaiser-Hill at
the Department of Energy’s Rocky Flats Closure Project.
JOHN HALL John Hall is Texas state director and director of clean energy for the Environmental Defense Fund. He is specifically working to implement a comprehensive plan that will increase the use of Texas’ abundant clean energy resources, including wind, solar, energy efficiency, and demand response. He previously served as executive director for the Texas Environmental Research Consortium in Houston, chairman at the Texas Water Commission and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, project manager and facilitator at the Port of Houston Authority, and deputy commissioner at the Texas General Land Office.
BREWSTER McCRACKEN Brewster McCracken is president and CEO of Pecan Street Inc., a smart grid research and commercialization consortium headquartered at The University of Texas at Austin. McCracken served two terms on the Austin City Council and spent nearly a decade practicing commercial litigation with two large international law firms.
ALVAND SALEHI Alvand Salehi is a management analyst and presidential management fellow at the Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-E), a government group that advances high-potential, high-impact energy technologies that are too early for private-sector investment. In this role, he provides support to the deputy director for operations and office of the chief counsel. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Salehi was general counsel to the technology company Bolt Analytics. Early in his career he work as an attorney and was a television news producer and reporter in Los Angeles.
Climate Change SAM COLEMAN Sam Coleman is deputy regional administrator for Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates environmental laws and standards in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In August 2005, he served as EPA’s senior federal official in New Orleans to guide the response to Hurricane Katrina, and his efforts were recognized with the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2009. His other positions at the EPA include superfund director, director of the compliance assurance and enforcement division in Region 6, and deputy director of the office of site remediation enforcement at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Before starting at the EPA, Coleman held several positions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
JOEL WALKER Joel Walker is Johnson Space Center’s sustainability officer and director of center operations. He is responsible for all facilities, utilities, security, logistics, and environmental planning and operations for the 250-building campus in support of the nation’s human spaceflight program, currently operating the International Space Station and planning for a future asteroid mission and eventually landing humans on Mars.
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 45
JOE KNOTT Retired Lt. Col. Joe Knott’s last assignment in the military was the sustainability and energy program manager at the National Guard bureau, where he was responsible for sustainability planning in all U.S states and territories. His previous assignments included managing the Army’s Compatible Use Buffer Program and its premier land conservation and partnership program, which under his leadership conserved over 70,000 acres across the U.S. for permanent protection of habitat and green space. Knott retired from the military in 2012, having served over 33 years in uniform, including working for the Office of the Secretary of Defense supporting the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program. He is now director of military partnerships for the Compatible Lands Foundation.
TERI EASTBURN Teri Eastburn works in the Office of Education and Outreach at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), an organization that strives to advance the understanding of weather and climate in order to benefit society. She serves as manager for digital learning and leads a new UCAR effort, UCARConnect, as part of her role in the UCAR Center for Science Education. For over a decade, Eastburn managed UCAR’s School and Public Programs, where she communicated climate change messages to over 15,000 people attending tours and programs annually. She has led workshops on climate change for Texas educators and has led, organized, and been part of numerous other efforts on climate change at NCAR and NOAA as a regional lead for their Climate Stewards program.
Bikes and Hikes BUD MELTON Bud Melton is vice president of BowmanMelton Associates, an organization that helps to create bicycle- and walkingsafe communities and development projects. He is
46 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
a bicycle and pedestrian mobility specialist with more than 50 years’ experience working with the public in numerous industry and organizational roles, including as a business owner and manager, educator, researcher, employee transportation coordinator, facilitator, and presenter. Melton is also a member of the American Planning Association and serves on several boards including the Greater Dallas Planning Council, Texas Trees Foundation, and Texas Trails Network. He is a key organizer of the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conferences around the state.
SHELLY WHITE Shelly White is executive director of the Trinity Strand Trail, an urban trail that will run through the Dallas Design District and bring new utility to that urban space. Before starting her work with this nonprofit organization, she was race director for the Dallas Jingle Bell Run. controller/administrator at Bailey Crowe & Kugler, operations manager at Green Valley Technology, and marketing consultant at Stonebridge Technologies.
ASHLEY HAIRE Ashely Haire is bicycle coordinator for the City of Dallas, charged with helping Dallas become a bikefriendly city. she previously worked as project manager with the Texas Department of Transportation and senior research associate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Portland State University.
New Urbanism ROBBIE GOOD Robbie Good is the founder of the Trinity Park Collaborative, an open club that seeks to be a gathering ground for those who support the development of a park in the Trinity River floodplain. He is a graphic designer who founded the organization in the hopes of bringing existing Trinity groups together to fight the proposed Trinity toll road and promote the construction of a park instead.
SCOTT GRIGGS Scott Griggs is Dallas city council person for District 1, partner in the law firm of Griggs Bergen, and trusted civic leader in the Oak Cliff area. He has a degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University and law degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
ANGELA HUNT Angela Hunt is former Dallas city council person and the youngest woman to ever have served as council member. She is known as an independent leader focused on improving the lives of everyday citizens and ensuring fiscal responsibility. After her service on the city council, Hunt returned to private law practice, joining the firm of Farrow-Gillespie & Heath as a commercial litigation partner.
PATRICK KENNEDY Patrick Kennedy is a Dallasbased urban planner and designer. Among his many projects, he currently works at Space Between Design Studio and A New Dallas. Kennedy believes in choice, opportunity, transportation and in using market forces to deliver great places.
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 47
Green Speaker Series Stage West
Texas A&M AgriLife Urban Water Team Series DANIEL CUNNINGHAM Daniel Cunningham is program coordinator for the Urban Water Program at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, a gateway to science, researchers, and extension educators across the United States. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture, along with a minor in natural resource management, from Texas Tech University. His research focused on community development and implementation of integrated sustainable food production systems in arid areas.
PATRICK DICKINSON Patrick Dickinson is program coordinator for the Urban Water Program at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas, which strives to recognize needs and opportunities, transfer finished technologies and information, and achieve outcomes that are recognized and valued by the Dallas–Fort Worth region and urban citizens. He has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Tarleton State University, is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, and has extensive experience in the Texas horticulture industry.
48 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
Green Seal LINDA CHIPPERFIELD Linda Chipperfield is vice president of marketing and outreach at Green Seal, a nonprofit organization that uses science-based programs to empower consumers, purchasers, and companies to create a more sustainable world. Prior to joining Green Seal, she served as creative director and team leader at Noble & Associates, a national communications agency focused on marketing to manufacturers and consumers. She also co-founded Southwest Missouri Citizens for Clean Energy and served on the executive committee for the Missouri Sierra Club and regional conservation committee for the Sierra Club.
Texas Trees Foundation Celebrates the Planting of the 200,000th Tree in Partnership with TXU Energy JANETTE MONEAR TXU Energy has sponsored the TXU Energy Urban Tree Farm and Education Center since 2002. With their valuable support, this project is the nation’s largest-known urban tree farm. Monear brings 25 years of previous experience in urban forestry to her role at the Texas Trees Foundation.
Green Speaker Series EDTx Academy Stage
DFW Airport Eco-Friendly Practices RYAN SPICER
a future asteroid mission and eventually landing humans on Mars.
Ryan Spicer is enterprise sustainability programs manager at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which fully embraces sustainability as a way to protect the environment, support their neighbors, and develop their business. Prior to this position, he was an environmental operations Aanalyst at the airport and served as environmental scientist at Metco Environmental.
Jerry Rolands is a sustainable energy engineer for PAE Applied Technologies at the Johnson Space Center. He supports center operations on all matters pertaining to energy, sustainability, and renewable energy and assists with compliance of all federally mandated requirements in these fields. He has over 22 years of experience in the energy management field in the military, federal, and electric utility level.
DFW Airport Eco-Friendly Practices KRIS RUSSELL
FRANK RUKAVINA
Kris Russell is senior environmental analyst at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, an organization committed to its involvement in North Texas communities with the goal to enhance its visibility in the surrounding areas and increase public awareness of its value to North Texas. Russell has been with the airport for 14 years. Previously he was an environmental investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and intern environmental scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency.
JERRY ROLANDS
Frank Rukavina is director of sustainability at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a government agency that develops clean energy and energy-efficiency technologies and practices. He is responsible for NREL’s advancement of corporate environmental, social, and economically responsible decision making. Before this position, he served as director of environment, health, safety, and quality, building on the experience he gained as environment, health, safety, and quality manager for Rocky Flats Closure Site Services and health and safety manager for Kaiser-Hill at the Department of Energy’s Rocky Flats Closure Project.
NASA and NREL JOEL WALKER Joel Walker is Johnson Space Center’s sustainability officer and director of center operations. He is responsible for all facilities, utilities, security, logistics, and environmental planning and operations for the 250-building campus in support of the nation’s human spaceflight program, currently operating the International Space Station and planning for
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 49
MICHAEL SHEPPY Michael Sheppy is an energy engineer at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), responsible for tracking the energy efficiency of NREL’s portfolio of buildings. Prior to assuming this position, he was a mechanical engineer for NREL and a graduate student researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
Green Speaker Series EDTx Scholastics Stage Presented by Breeze Energy
The Solar Car Challenge LEHMAN MARKS
Paper for Water THE ADAMS SISTERS Over two years ago, sisters Isabelle (age 11) and Katherine (age 8) Adams learned that girls their age in third-world countries often did not get to go to school because they were instead hauling water all day, and that a child died every 15 seconds from unclean water. In response, they started a project making origami Christmas ornaments and exchanging them for donations to raise money for water wells.
Indian Marker Trees STEVE HOUSER Steve Houser is owner and president of Arborilogical Services and a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. He is a Master Gardener with Texas Agriculture Extension Service and Master Naturalist with a group that includes Texas Forest Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Society for Ecological Restoration, The Native Conservancy, and others.
50 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
Dr. Lehman Marks is the president of the Solar Car Foundation, which runs the Solar Car Challenge, a program designed to motivate students in science, engineering, and alternative energy. Marks has had a long and impressive career in education, working as assistant to the chancellor at Dallas County Community College District before serving as the head of science at The Winston School for 24 years. Marks now works full time for the Solar Car Challenge.
Planting and Maintaining Your Trees TYLER WRIGHT Tyler Wright is an urban and community forester for the Texas Trees Foundation, where he manages research and technology, education and outreach, nursery management and volunteer coordination, and technical assistance for urban forestry consulting. Prior to joining the foundation, he worked as a plant health care technician with Bartlett Tree Experts and as a municipal inventory arborist for the Davey Resource Group.
Geothermal MARIA RICHARDS
The Science of Earth Science ZHONG LU
Maria Richards is an authority on geothermal energy — the use of the Earth’s natural heat to generate electrical power. SMU’s geothermal laboratory is a renowned national resource for the development of clean, green energy. She co-directed sophisticated mapping of North American geothermal resources that makes it clear that vast geothermal resources reachable through current technology could replace and multiply the levels of energy currently produced in the United States, mostly by coal-fired power plants.
Zhong Lu is a ShulerFoscue professor of earth sciences at Southern Methodist University and worked a physical scientist with Cascades Volcano Observatory, U.S. Geological Survey from 2006 to 2013. With a specialty in remotesensing and InSAR processing and applications, Lu has done groundbreaking research in the field of geophysics with the application of remotesensing techniques to study volcanoes, landslides, underground nuclear explosion monitoring, glacier dynamics, and much more. He earned his doctorate in geophysics from the University of Alaska.
Educational Aquaponics Systems JESSE HULL Jesse Hull works as farm director and engineer for Get Healthy Dallas, a nonprofit organization that implements long-term educational and economic programs in neighborhoods weakened by chronic disinvestment. He brings more than 20 years of experience in crop production, farming, and educational systems to the role and has consulted on commercial and educational scale projects across the U.S. and internationally.
American Rainwater Catchment Association DOTTY WOODSON Dotty Woodson is a water resource specialist for Texas A&M Research and Extension Center at Dallas. Her program areas are landscape water conservation through design, plant selection, and irrigation efficiency and other water-conserving practices, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, and drip irrigation. She is also a program specialist for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, which aims to promote sustainable rainwater harvesting practices to help solve potable, nonpotable, stormwater, and energy challenges throughout the world.
There is No Planet B: Inspiring Students to Change the World RICHARD KINCAID Richard Kincaid is Texas program manager for EcoRise Youth Innovations, a school-based program designed to empower youth to tackle real-world challenges in their schools and communities by teaching environmental literacy, social innovation, and hands-on design skills. He comes from an extensive background in education and has directed high school programs across Texas for the better part of 10 years.
STUART PIMM Stuart Pimm is Doris Duke professor of conservation ecology at the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He is a world leader in the study of present-day extinctions and what can be done to prevent them. His research covers the reasons why species become extinct, how fast they do so, the global patterns of habitat loss and species extinction, and the management consequences of his research. Pimm received his bachelor’s degree from Oxford University and doctorate from New Mexico State University.
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 51
Green Speaker Series Common Ground Stage
Composting in Your Backyard FRAN WITTE As the environmental programs coordinator for the City of Irving, Fran Witte develops and implements programs to promote environmental sustainability among Irving’s residents, businesses, and visitors. She has been employed by the city for almost 23 years and has been instrumental in developing and implementing programs to promote environmental sustainability in Irving.
ANDREW MILLER A recent University of North Texas graduate, Andrew Miller started a small sustainability and technology startup called Compost Denton in 2014. The business works with nonprofits, urban farms, and community residents to help build a sustainable waste management infrastructure to make Denton an even more sustainable and environmentally thoughtful city.
52 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
HEATHER RINALDI Owner of Texas Worm Ranch, Heather Rinaldi is a vermicomposting expert. While it might not sound glamorous, worms form the crux between reducing food waste and creating a more organic food system. Rinaldi grew up on a farm in northern Oklahoma, where raising worms was (and still is) a full-cycle process.
Blossom to Table: Bees in the City SUSAN POLLARD Susan Pollard and her husband, Brandon, started the Texas Honeybee Guild as part of a personal mission to raise environmental awareness and advocate for bees. The guild teaches others about beekeeping and the role bees play in environmental stability. Currently, the Pollards have more than 50 bee colonies spread across North Texas.
JESSE HULL Jesse Hull works as farm director and engineer for Get Healthy Dallas, a nonprofit organization that implements long-term educational and economic programs in neighborhoods weakened by chronic disinvestment. He brings more than 20 years of experience in crop production, farming, and educational systems to the role and has consulted on commercial and educational scale projects across the U.S. and internationally.
What’s Food Got to Do With it? LORI DE LA CRUZ At Mountainview College, Lori De La Cruz is the sustainability coordinator and manages the sustainability and solid waste management programs as they relate to education. She controls everything from the campus climate action plan to STARS reporting to the community garden.
School of Fish: Getting Started with Aquaponics ADAM COHEN Adam Cohen founded Green Phoenix Farms to give back to the community and the Earth through a commitment to sustainability, natural food, and healthy eating. He has developed scalable aquaponics systems that grow food and aquatic animals in a simple, eatable ecosystem.
CHARLES PLUMMER Charles Plummer is director of organic gardening and culinary arts at Dallas Youth Village, which houses teenage boys who have been convicted of nonviolent offenses. Through farming and food programs on his 1-acre farm, Plummer is able to train these young men in usable skills while imparting valuable life lessons. Plummer began his career as a chef and worked in top restaurants and hotels in the Dallas area before enrolling in a commercial urban agriculture program in Milwaukee.
The FarmGirls Radio Show DONELLE AND MARILYN SIMMONS Donelle Simmons and her mother, Marilyn, are garden coaches, educators, managers, and more. They run the FarmGirls Radio Show as part of their business, Garden Inspirations. The mission of Garden Inspirations is to educate, empower, and encourage budding gardeners through the Green Garden Club, managing community gardens, designing and installing organic landscapes,
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 53
teaching a variety of garden educational workshops and seminars, and, of course, hosting their radio show.
Green Speakers Series EDTx Explorer Stage
CHAD HOUSER Famed Dallas chef Chad Houser is executive director of Café Momentum, a nonprofit restaurant that recently opened a brickand-mortar location in downtown Dallas. Café Momentum is a training program that gives young men who have spent time in juvenile facilities real-world culinary and hospitality experience. In order to devote his full attention to this role, Houser sold his partnership in Parigi Restaurant in 2012 — after 17 years working as chef. His efforts recently earned him the honor of being named one of the country’s 2015 Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the United States Junior Chamber.
Sustainable Farming Practices PAUL MAGEDSON Paul Magedson is owner and founder of Good Earth Farm, a Dallas-area farm that grows vegetables, pasture-raised poultry, and grass-fed lamb using sustainable techniques. Magedson started his farm in 1984 and was one of the first in Texas to be certified organic. He now sells his produce at various local farmers markets and from his own farm store.
Dallas Farmers Market: Cultivating a Healthier Lifestyle AMANDA VANHOOZIER Amanda Vanhoozier is the director of market operations at the Dallas Farmers Market. She champions schools and community gardens, local farmers, and farmers markets by anchoring community around food and place with a face. From green initiatives to a local food hub, the newly renovated shed is cultivating a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for all of North Texas.
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LYNDA STOKES Lynda Stokes is mayor of Reno, Texas, a small town that has been rocked by more than 30 earthquakes since November 2014. She has been recognized as an environmentalist after urging the Texas Railroad Commission to shut down two disposal wells in the Reno area. She is also the first woman to serve as the town’s mayor.
DAVID MARQUIS David Marquis is a local Dallas actor, playwright, and activist best known for his I Am a Teacher trilogy of plays. He consults with the Texas Conservation Alliance on water issues.
JARIUS PULCZINSKI Jarius Pulczinski is a student at Texas A&M Health Science Center studying for a Masters of Public Health.
NATALIE NAGY Natalie Nagy is a student at Texas A&M Health Science Center studying for a Masters of Public Health.
Science on a Sphere Centennial Hall
BETH RUSSELL Beth Russell is chief of the exploratory visualization and outreach section in the Earth Systems Research Laboratory and the operations manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Science on a Sphere in Boulder, Colorado. She has been part of the Science On a Sphere (SOS) team since 2006 when she interned as a NOAA Hollings Scholar. After finishing her meteorology degree at Penn State University, Russell joined the SOS team full time in 2007. She has written the original users guide, created the online data catalog, and taught training sessions at over 50 SOS installations around the world. She also travels with the SOS temporary exhibit and has given presentations at a variety of locations, including the United Nations COP15 Climate Conference, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, SuperComputing Conference, and American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting.
LARRY FLOURNOY Larry Flournoy works as a consultant for Earth Day Texas, haying recently retired from Texas A&M University after 20 years. From 2000 to 2015, he served as associate director of the Academy for Advanced Telecommunications and Learning Technology, which is charged by the Board of Regents with developing consortia and collaborative opportunities for Texas A&M and the people of Texas in areas of distance learning, telemedicine, advanced telecommunications, and supercomputing.
Citizen Science with Makerspaces Workshop Hall of State Auditorium
RON BLAKE Ron Blake has had the benefit of a wide range of life experiences that includes formal training as well as a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He was physically present at the historic events of the first Apple II rollout in 1977 and decades later at the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Francisco in 2012 and 2013. Immediately recognizing a familiar energy, sense of excitement, and opportunity, he enthusiastically joined the Maker Movement. By 2014, he founded a startup called Merrymaker Labs and became the Greymaker. When asked, “What does the Greymaker make?” His reply: “The Greymaker makes makers. Have you been made?”
CHARLIE LINDAHL Charlie Lindahl is a lifelong geek/nerd — and proud of it. He has an insatiable curiosity about All Things Tech and is currently employed as dedicated IT support for campus operations at Texas A&M Health Science Center. He is a passionate and active member of the Maker Movement and a member of Transition Houston, an organization dedicated to sustainable and resilient practices in a post-peak-oil world. His projects include working with microcontrollers with environmental sensors, the Raspberry Pi platform relating to environmental monitoring, and building a do-it-yourself spherical imaging system.
WALTER JOHNSTON Walter Johnston teaches in the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Previously he has worked at Abbott Laboratories, DSC, Nortel, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and the RLX startup. Johnson received a doctorate in statistics from the University of Texas at Austin.
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 55
2015 SPEAKERS
(Alphabetical)
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Robert
Abtahi
Lawyer
Private practice
New Urbanism Roundtable
Pat
Acker
Vice President
Halff Associates, Inc.
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Katherine
Adams
Co-founder
Paper for Water
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Isabella
Adams
Co-founder
Paper for Water
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Rik
Adamski
Partner
ASH + LIME
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Lindsey
Allen
Executive Director
Rainforest Action Network
Future 500 Roundtable
Wick
Allison
Chairman and Publisher
D Magazine
New Urbanism Roundtable
Marie
Alt
Executive Director
Environment America
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Susan
Alvarez
Acting Interim Director
Trinity Watershed Management for the City of Dallas
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Jill
Alvarez
Transmission Engineering Manager
ONCOR Electric Delivery
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Kyle
Ash
Legislative Director
Greenpeace USA
Future 500 Roundtable
Bob
Axley
Vice Chair
Jubilee Housing Task Force
Future 500 Roundtable
Steven
Bailey
Founder
Urban Acres
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Celia
Barshop
Senior Park Manager
Fair Park & Community Services
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Zaida
Basora
Assistant Director
Facilities Architecture and Engineering for the City of Dallas Public Works Department
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Mike
Bastian
Vice President
CH2M Hill
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Tina
Beattie
Chairwoman
ConservAmerica
Future 500 Roundtable
Jon
Bennet
Vice President of Business Development
SDL Citadel, LLC
Future 500 Roundtable
Janice
Bezanson
Executive Director
Texas Conservation Association
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Gay
Bingham
Educational Professional
Seagoville High School
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Ron
Blake
Founder
Greymaker
Citizen Science Workshop
David
Bookbinder
Co-founder
Element VI
Future 500 Roundtable
Garrett
Boone
Chariman emeritus and co-founder
The Container Store
Future 500 Roundtable
Mark
Bowers
Urban Design and Planning Practice Builder
Kimley-Horn and Associates
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Misty
Bowie
Consultant, Project Learning Tree and TCI Coordinator
Texas Forestry Association
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
John
Boyette
District Forester
Texas A&M Forest Resource Development and Sustainable Forestry
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Ricky
Bradley
Texas Regional Director
Citizens Climate Lobby
Future 500 Roundtable
Matt
Brendel
Development Partner
JPI
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
56 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Adam
Briggle
Professor and founding member
UNT and Frack Free Denton
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Kris
Brown
Founder
la terra studio
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Peter
Bryn
Volunteer & Houston group leader, Texas State Coordinator
Citizens Climate Lobby
Future 500 Roundtable
John
Campbell
Executive Vice President
Wells Fargo
Future 500 Roundtable
Jeremy
Carl
Director of Research
Shultz-Stephenson Task Force on Energy Policy
Future 500 Roundtable
Mark
Carter
Last Biome
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Jeff
Cheney
President
Earth 911
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Linda
Chipperfield
President of Marketing and Outreach
Green Seal
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Jeff
Clark
Executive Director
Wind Coalition
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Don
Clevenger
Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning
ONCOR Electric Delivery
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Adam
Cohen
Founder
Green Phoenix Farms
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Sam
Coleman
Deputy Regional Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Chip
Comins
CEO
AREI
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Shawna
Coronado
Author
Self
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Larry
Corson
Co-President
Wilbow Corporation
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
April
Crow
Global Director of Environment and Sustainability
The Coca-Cola Company
Future 500 Roundtable
Daniel
Cunningham
Urban Water Team
Texas A&M Agrilife
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Lori
De La Cruz
Sustainability Coordinator
Mountainview College
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
John
DeFilipo
Director
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Betsy
del Monte
Founding Principal
Transform Global
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Vince
DiBianca
Senior Partner
Praemia Group
Future 500 Roundtable
Patrick
Dickinson
Urban Water Team
Texas A&M Agrilife
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Suzanne
Dixon
Texas Regional Director
National Parks Conservation Association
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Graham
Dodds
Chef
Hibiscus
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Patrick
Doherty
Senior Fellow
New America Foundation
Future 500 Roundtable
Shelley
Du Puy
Education and Outreach Coordinator
NOAA Flower Garden Banks Marine Sanctuary
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Mark
Dubois
Co-founder
International Rivers Network
Future 500 Roundtable
Maria
Dunn
Policy Manager
Phillips 66
Future 500 Roundtable
David
Dunson
Executive Vice President
SWBC Real Estate
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Teri
Eastburn
Office of Education and Outreach
UCAR
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Richard
Eidlin
Co-founder and Vice President
American Sustainable Business Council
Future 500 Roundtable
Charles
Elk
Director of Customer Operations
ONCOR Electric Delivery
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 57
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Kenneth
Fambro
Vice President of Development
Integrated Real Estate Group
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
David
Farrell
Owner
Farrell Architects
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Nicole
Ferrini
Chief Resilience Officer
City of El Paso
Green Speaker Series: Stage West & ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Brett
Fidler
Director of Energy and Enterprise Development
City of Tulsa
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Scott
Fielle
Regional Director, North Texas
REAL School Gardens
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Larry
Flournoy
Consultant
Earth Day Texas
Science on a Sphere display
Audrey
Fogarty
Vice President of Product Management
Younicos
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
David
Foster
Texas State Director
Clean Water Action
Future 500 Roundtable
Bill
Fox
Professor
Texas A&M
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
John
Franke
Chef
Frontburner Restaurants
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Bennett
Freeman
Senior Vice President of Research and Policy
Calvert Investments
Future 500 Roundtable
Cullen
Geiselman
Board of Directors
Bat Conservation Internatioanl
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Michael
Gerrard
Andrew Sabin Professor of Environmental Practice
Columbia Law School
Future 500 Roundtable
Marsha
Getto-Aikens
Associate
Gensler
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Sara
Gilbertson
Director of Business and Industry
World Wildlife Fund
Future 500 Roundtable
Timothy
Glass
Research and Information Manager
City of Dallas Office of Economic Development
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
James
Glave
Director of Communications
Clean Energy Canada
Future 500 Roundtable
Ron
Gonen
Co-founder and CEO
Closed Loop Fund; former NYC Recycling Czar
SVP Dallas Social Innovation Speaker Series
Mark
Goode III
Traffic Engineer and Principal
Kimley-Horn and Associates
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Karenna
Gore
Director of Earth Ethics
Union Theological Seminary
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Susybelle
Goslee
President
Dallas League of Women Voters
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Barry
Graden
Director of SFI Forest Partners
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Future 500 Roundtable
Nathaneal
Greene
Director of Renewable Energy Policy
Natural Resoures Defense Council (NRDC)
Future 500 Roundtable
Robert
Gregory
CEO
Compatible Lands Foundation
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Darla
Griffith
Environmental Management Systems
Fort Hood
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Scott
Griggs
Councilperson
City of Dalas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Paul
Griss
President
Boldon Group
Future 500 Roundtable
Matt
Grubisich
Urban Forester
Texas Trees Foundation
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Luciano
Guido
SolarFUTURE.today, Latin America
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Ashley
Haire
Bike Coordinator
City of Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
John
Hall
Texas State Director & Director of Clean Energy
Environmental Defense Fund
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
58 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
Sara
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Senior Associate for Content
Urban Land Institute, Building Healthy Places Initiative
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Bill
Hammond
CEO
Texas Association of Business
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Barry
Hand
Leader
Gensler Lifestyle 2 Studio
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Steve
Hantler
Director of Policy Initiatives
Marcus Family Office
Future 500 Roundtable
Tom
Harbison
Chair of anti-crime task force
Jubilee Project
Future 500 Roundtable
Randy
Hayes
Executive Director
Foundation Earth
Future 500 Roundtable
Jeff
Hebert
Chief Resilience Officer
City of New Orleans
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Charlie
Hemmeline
Executive Director
Texas Solar Power Association
Future 500 Roundtable
John
Hendricks
Associate Member
CBRE Industrial Leasing Group
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Harriet
Hentges
President
Hentges Consulting
Future 500 Roundtable
Raymond
Hernandez, Jr.
Film & TV Producer
self
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Arturo
Herrero
CSO & Head of Emerging Markets
JinkoSolar
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Walter
Hornaday
President and CEO
Cielo Wind
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Steve
Houser
Urban Forester
Arborilogical Services
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Chad
Houser
Chef
Café Momentum
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Larry
Howe
Co-founder
Plano Solar Advocates
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Daniel
Huerta
Executive General Manager
Fair Park and Community Services Division for Dallas Parks & Recreation Department
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Jesse
Hull
Farm Director and Engineer
Get Healthy Dallas
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Walt
Humann
Retired
Hunt Oil Company, DART, Jubilee Housing Task Force
Future 500 Roundtable
Marion
Hunt
Trustee and Program Officer
Hunt Family Foundation
Future 500 Roundtable
Stephanie
Hunt
Co-founder
Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanities at SMU
Future 500 Roundtable
Angela
Hunt
Former councilperson
City of Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Glenn
Hurowitz
Managing Director
Climate Advisors
Future 500 Roundtable
Bryan
Jacob
Owner
Climate Coach International
Future 500 Roundtable
Aaron
James
Vice President of Development and Membership
Georgia Aquarium
Future 500 Roundtable
David
James
self
Colorado Rancher
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
James
Jeffers
Co-founder
Eat the Yard
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Kim
Jeffery
Retired Chairman and CEO
Nestlé Water North America
Future 500 Roundtable
Clay
Jenkins
Dallas County Judge
Dallas County
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Walter
Johnston
Professor
Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas
Citizen Science Workshop
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 59
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Patrick
Jones
Principal
Treanor Architects
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Stephen
Jordan
Co-founder and Senior Partner
IO Sustainability
Future 500 Roundtable
Marie
Jordan
Senior Vice President
National Grid
Future 500 Roundtable
Bhushan
Joshi
Senior Manager of Sustainability
JC Penney
Future 500 Roundtable
Gene
Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Christopher
Kelsey
President
Long Cove
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Patrick
Kennedy
Space Between Design Studio; A New Dallas
Urban Planner
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Drew
Kile
Vice President
Institutional Property Advisors
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Richard
Kincaid
Texas Program Manager
Eco-Rise Youth Innovations Dallas
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Joe
Knott
Lt. Col. Ret.
Compatible Lands Foundation
Green Speaker Series: Stage East & EDTx Academy
Larry
Kopald
Co-founder and Managing Director
Kopald Stranger
Future 500 Roundtable
Kevin
Lefebvre
EMS & Sustainability
City of Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Heather
Lepeska
Senior Coordinator
Office of Economic Development for the City of Dallas
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
John
Lettellier
Director of Development Services
City of Frisco
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Alex
Levran
Solar Industry Segment Initiative
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Lisa
Lin
Sustainability Manger
City of Houston
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Charlie
Lindahl
Dedicated IT Support for Campus Operations
Texas A&M’s Health Science Center
Citizen Science Workshop
John
Lovenberg
Vice President of Environment
BNSF Railway Company
Future 500 Roundtable
Zhong
Lu
Professor
Southern Methodist University
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Mary
MacDonald
Senior Vice President
EarthShare
Future 500 Roundtable
Jordan
Macha
Gulf Policy Analyst
Gulf Restoration Network
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Paul
Magedson
Owner
Good Earth Organic Farm
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
David
Marquis
Actor, Playwright, Activist
Texas Conservation Alliance
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Explorer Stage
Rick
Marriner
Shareholder Representative
Shell Oil
Future 500 Roundtable
Rick
Marriner
Shareholder Representative
Project Meadowlark; Shell Oil
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Susie
Marshall
Executive Director
GROW North Texas
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Michael
Marx
Executive Director
Corporate Ethics International and Business Ethics Network
Future 500 Roundtable
Jack
Matthews
President
Matthews Group Ltd.
New Urbanism Roundtable
Liz
Maw
CEO
Net Impact
Future 500 Roundtable
Bruce
McCarl
Professor, Nobel Laureate
Texas A&M
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
60 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Brewster
McCracken
CEO
Pecan Street Institute
Green Speaker Series: Stage East; . Stage West
Bud
Melton
Vice President
Bowman Melton Planners
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Andreas
Merkl
CEO
Ocean Conservancy
Future 500 Roundtable
Luke
Metzger
Director
Environment Texas
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Sid
Miller
Texas Agriculture Commissioner
State of Texas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Andrew
Miller
Co-founder
Community Compost
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Bill
Moebius
Senior Vice President and Regional Director
Peloton Commercial Real Estate
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Tim
Mohin
Director of Corporate Responsibility
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
Future 500 Roundtable
Cameron
Molberg
Owner
Coyote Creek Farm
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Janette
Monear
President and CEO
Texas Trees Foundation
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Mollie
Mossman
Director of Real Estate
Brinkman Companies
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Mark
Murphey
Global Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
Cargill, Inc.
Future 500 Roundtable
Alan
Murphy
President of Water Process & Technologies
STW Water Resources
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Charles
Myers
CEO
MYCON General Contractors
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Murray
Myers
Sanitation Services
City of Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Natalie
Nagy
Student
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Explorer Stage
Josiah
Neeley
Texas Director
R Street Institute
Future 500 Roundtable
Bridgett
Neely
Founder and President
Firefly Energy Consulting
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Megan
Neubauer
Co-owner
Pure Land Organic
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Luis
Neves
Group Sustainability and Climate Change Officer
Deutsche Telekom AG
Future 500 Roundtable
Beth Ann
Norrgard
Advocate
Tiny House Movement
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Theresa
O’Donnell
Chief Planning Officer
City of Dallas
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Melanie
O’Neill
Master Composter
Compost Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Dianne
Odegard
Director Outreach and Education
Bat Conservation International
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Todd
Paglia
Executive Director
ForestEthics
Future 500 Roundtable
Keith
Paris
Founder and President
Paris Projects, Ltd.
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Bhimo
Patil
Professor
Texas A&M
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Ken
Paxton
Texas Attorney General
State of Texas
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Stuart
Pimm
Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Charles
Plummer
Director
Garden of Eden Community Outreach
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Susan
Pollard
Co-founder
Texas Honeybee Guild
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Louie
Psihoyos
Executive Director
Oceanic Preservation Society
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 61
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Jarius
Pulczinski
Student
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Explorer Stage
Tiffani
Pust
Ozone Theater
Air Alliance Houston
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Joseph P.
Quinlan
Managing Director and Chief Market Strategist
U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Dave
Rapaport
Vice President of Earth and Community Care
Aveda
Future 500 Roundtable
Matt
Renner
Executive Director
World Business Academy
Future 500 Roundtable
Mark
Reynolds
Executive Director
Citizens Climate Lobby
Future 500 Roundtable
Rick
Ridgeway
Vice President of Environmental Affairs
Patagonia
Future 500 Roundtable
Robby
Rieke
Director, Dallas Office
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Heather
Rinaldi
Co-owner
Texas Worm Ranch
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Steve
Rochlin
Co-founder and Senior Partner
IO Sustainability
Future 500 Roundtable
Will
Rogers
President and CEO
Trust for Public Land
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Jerry
Rolands
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Frank
Rukavina
Director of Sustainability
National Renewable Energies Laboratory (NREL)
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Kris
Russell
Senior Environmental Operations Analyst
DFW Airport Eco-Friendly Practices
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Beth
Russell
Chief of the Exploratory Visualization and Outreach
Earth Systems Research Laboratory (NOAA)
Science on a Sphere display
Jennifer
Salazar
Area Manger in Business Operations
ONCOR Electric Delivery
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Alvand
Salehi
Presidental Management Fellow
ARPA-E
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Keri
Samford
Director of Economic Development
City of the Colony
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Rocco
Saracina
Sustainability and Natural Resource Professional
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Tony
Scallion
Assistant Principal, DISD
STEM Administrator
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
David A.
Schmidt
President
SCHMIDT & STACY Consulting Engineers, Inc.
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Gayle
Schueller
Senior Vice President of Sustainability
3M
Future 500 Roundtable
Steven
Schueth
President
First Affirmative Financial Network
Future 500 Roundtable
John
Schulz
Sustainability Operations Director
AT&T
Future 500 Roundtable
Tony
Seba
Entrepreneur
Silicon Valley
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Laura Turner
Seydel
Chair
Captain Planet Foundation
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Verlinder
Sharma
Professor
Texas A&M
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Charlie
Sheerin
Senior Director of Strategic Philanthropy
World Wildlife Fund
Future 500 Roundtable
62 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Brian
Shellum
Author
“Black Officer in a Buffalo Soldier Regiment”
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Michael
Sheppy
Energy Engineer
National Renewable Energies Laboratory (NREL)
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Yalmaz
Siddiqui
Senior Director of Environmental and Supplier Diversity
Office Depot
Future 500 Roundtable
Jan
Sieving
Vice President of Public Affairs - North America
Repsol
Future 500 Roundtable
Donelle
Simmons
Host
FarmGirls Radio
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Rob
Sisson
Executive director
ConservAmerica
Future 500 Roundtable; Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Ryan
Sitton
Texas Railroad Commissioner
State of Texas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Rolf
Skar
Forest Campaign Director
Greenpeace
Future 500 Roundtable
Michael
Slattery
Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies
Texas Christian University
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Steve
Smith
Co-founder
Eat the Yard
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Michael
Sorrell
President
Paul Quinn College
New Urbanism Roundtable
Alan
Spears
Historian
National Parks Conservation Association
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
John
Spicer
President
Breeze Energy
Green Speaker Series: Stage West
Ryan
Spicer
Energy Sustainability and Project Manager
DFW International Airport
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Todd
Spinks
Director of Sustainability
University of North Texas
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Patrick
Stark
Chef
940 Kitchen
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Gary
Stephens
Co-owner
Green Grocer Dallas
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Jonathan
Stites
Senior Vice President
Seefried Industrial Properties
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Lynda
Stokes
Mayor
Reno, Texas
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Explorer Stage
Ken
Strassner
Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy
Future 500
Future 500 Roundtable
Andrea
Strimling Yodsampa
Co-founder and CEO
DEPLOY/US
Future 500 Roundtable
Arlene
Strom
Vice President of Sustainability and Communications
Suncor Energy
Future 500 Roundtable
Stephen
Sturdivant
Food Recovery Challenge
EPA Region 6
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Jason
Tackett
Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
R.J.
Taylor
Conservation Director
Connemara Conservancy
Greater Dallas Planning Council Meeting
Jerry
Taylor
Vice President
Niskanen Center
Future 500 Roundtable
Richard
Teague
Professor
Texas A&M
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Buddy
Teaster
CEO
Soles4Souls
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series 63
FIRST NAME
LAST NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION
LOCATION
Gary
Thomas
President and Executive Director
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
New Urbanism Roundtable
Jim
Thomas
Vice President of Sustainability, Safety, Environment, Risk, Ethics, and Compliance
Petco Animal Supplies
Future 500 Roundtable
Pete
Trelenberg
Manger of Environmental Planning and Policy
ExxonMobil
Future 500 Roundtable
Victor
Vandergriff
Texas Transportation Commissioner
State of Texas
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Amanda
Vanhoozier
Director of Market Operations
Dallas Farmers Market
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Jim
Walker
Co-founder
The Climate Group
Future 500 Roundtable
Paul
Walker
Board of Directors; President
ConservAmerica; Insight Consulting, LLC
Future 500 Roundtable
Joel
Walker
Director of Center Operations
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
John
Walsh
CEO, Founder, and President
TIG
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Bill
Walsh
Founder and Executive Director
Healthy Building Network
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Eric
Washburn
Principal
Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP
Future 500 Roundtable
Sabrina
Watkins
Head of Sustainable Development
ConocoPhillips
Future 500 Roundtable
David
Watson
Managing Principal
Direct Development
ULI/AIA/USGBC Meeting
Jeff
Weigel
Director of Strategic Initiatives
The Nature Conservancy
Future 500 Roundtable
David
Weinberg
Exeuctive Director
Texas League of Conservation Voters
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Arthur
Weisman
President and CEO
Green Seal
Future 500 Roundtable
Africa
Welch-Castle
Mechanical Engineer
Fort Hood
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Academy Stage
Bill
White
Former Mayor
City of Houston
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Shelly
White
Executive Director
Trinity Strand Trail
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Laura
Whiting
Senior Counsel
Occidental Chemical Corporation
Future 500 Roundtable
Fran
Witte
Environmental Programs Coordinator
Office of Environmental Stewardship/Public Works Team, City of Irving
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
John
Wolf
Farmer and Forager
Wolfsong Farm
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Dotty
Woodson
Exension Program Specialist - Water Resources
American Rainwater Catchment Association
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
Mark
Wootton
Chef
Garden CafĂŠ
Green Speaker Series: Common Ground Stage
Tyler
Wright
Urban Forester
Texas Trees Foundation
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
David
Yarnold
President and CEO
National Audubon Society
Green Speaker Series: Stage East
Bernetta
Young
Code Compliance Manager
City of Dallas
Green Speaker Series: EDTx Scholastics Stage
64 Earth Day Texas 2015 Speaker Series
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