Please CLICK HERE to view the complete Agenda.

The Forum will feature two days of exciting general sessions and breakout sessions with interactive presentations from industry leaders, authors, innovators and trendsetters.

Highlighted Speakers Include:

Complete Speaker Bios (in alpha order by last name):
A
Kelly Aaron
President of EverLights, Inc.
Kelly Aaron is a nationally-recognized pioneer in helping organizations safely dispose of their fluorescent bulbs, HID lamps, PCB and non-PCB ballasts, hazardous waste, special waste, computers and batteries.  She co-founded EverLights, Inc. with her mother Patt Gallagher in 1995 to provide cost-effective and environmentally-safe recycling services to the industrial and commercial business sectors in the Chicago area.  Ms. Aaron assumed the presidency in 2005 and now oversees all aspects of the company’s operations. EverLights has grown into the largest woman-owned recycling company in the Chicago area, with more than 1,000 clients in the public and private arenas and eight employees.  To help organizations recycle their hazardous waste, Ms. Aaron developed a nationwide network of specialty haulers and recyclers. Ms. Aaron played a key role in helping Illinois become one of the first states in 1997 to pass a law mandating recycling of lighting products. A native of the Chicago area, she has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Liberal Arts from Miami University of Ohio.

Cecilia Aguillon
Director of Market Development and Government Relations, Kyocera Solar, Inc.
Cecilia Aguillon is the Director of Market Development and Government Relations for Kyocera Solar, Inc., a world leading manufacturer and distributor of solar energy products with manufacturing and sales presence in the Americas and Australia. She works with local, state, and federal governments across the United States, Canada and Mexico on designing and implementing solar energy programs. She works with local and federal solar associations on building sustainable solar markets. In addition, she is involved in business development, marketing and PR activities in the regions Kyocera has market presence. Ms. Aguillon has been with Kyocera for 11 years.

Susan Anderson
Director, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
In January 2009, Susan Anderson was selected by Mayor Sam Adams to lead the City of Portland’s new Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.  This new bureau ensures that sustainability principles are thoroughly integrated into the core of Portland’s planning, urban design, business and residential services, and government operations. Similarly in 2000, Ms. Anderson was asked to lead the new Office of Sustainable Development. OSD provided a mix of creative policy and service programs with practical, technical solutions for residents, government and businesses. During the 1990s, Ms. Anderson directed the City’s Energy Office, an entrepreneurial city organization based on business and government partnerships. In 1993, under Ms. Anderson’s leadership at the Energy Office, the City of Portland became the first city in the United States to adopt a climate action plan.  Since then, carbon emissions have been reduced by more than 15 percent per capita. Prior to her work with the City of Portland, Ms. Anderson was director of an environmental consulting firm. She also held positions with the Oregon Department of Energy, was an environmental land-use planner and a public relations professional. Ms. Anderson holds undergraduate and advanced degrees in Urban and Regional Planning, Economics and Environmental Science.

Martha Arguello
Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles
Martha Arguello has served for the past 32 years in the non-profit sector as an advocate, community organizer, and coalition builder. She joined PSR-LA in 1998 to launch the environmental health programs, and became Executive Director in November 2007. Ms. Arguello has dedicated her career to the environmental justice movement, and has lectured nationwide on the use of precautionary principle policies. As a coalition builder, Ms. Arguello is an active board member of numerous organizations, including Californians for Pesticide Reform, the California Environmental Rights Alliance, and Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy. She also co-founded the Los Angeles County Asthma Coalition and the Coalition for Environmental Health and Justice, and was appointed to Cal/EPA’s Environmental Justice Committee and the California Air Resources Board’s Global Warming Environmental Justice Advisory Committee.

Alisha Auringer
Manager of the Environment, LAcarGuy
Alisha Auringer is the Manager of the Environment at LAcarGUY, a unique position in the automotive dealership industry.  She is responsible for greening LAcarGUY’s 10 dealerships, and raising the eco-consciousness of the company’s 700+ employees through its newly created Green Team. Ms. Auringer is an active member of the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and acts as liaison between LAcarGUY and the green community where she continues her education in sustainability at Santa Monica College. She is currently working under a $5.4 million dollar grant administered by the California Energy Commission to meet the state’s climate change policy by delivering “green” workforce training programs to support the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.  Ms. Auringer is married and a mother of one daughter. She lives in Manhattan Beach where she enjoys playing tennis and supporting LAcarGUY’s numerous community and charity endeavors.

B
Sarah Backhouse
Environmental Media Host
A TV host, writer and producer, Sarah Backhouse has worked for a diverse array of broadcasters including: CBNC, BBC, PBS, Fine Living, Sci Fi Channel and Discovery. Since 2006, Ms. Backhouse has specialized exclusively in environmental media hosting and writing for various green networks including: Planet Green; MNN; HuffPo; G Living; Coco Eco; and Worth Magazine’s Philanthropy section. Ms. Backhouse has also covered sustainability conferences worldwide, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Global Climate Summit (GGCS) in Los Angeles and Fortunes’s Brainstorm Green. Additionally, she is on the media committee of the UN affiliated Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization (IREO). Ms. Backhouse was born in the UK and raised in Australia and Japan. She graduated with Bachelors degrees in Economics and Japanese Studies from the Australian National University and Keio University, Tokyo, and speaks fluent Japanese.

Ashley Beckman
Co-Founder, Golden Path Alchemy
Golden Path Alchemy was founded by Ashley Beckman and Minka Robinson. Both are certified in aromatherapy and flower and gem essence therapy. Ms. Beckman holds a degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of Texas. She also studied in Paris at L’ecole Superieure de Commerce and at Bocconi University in Milan. Ms. Beckman practices homeopathy in Los Angeles, California, and has attended world-renown Dr. Luc DeSchepper’s Renaissance Institute of Classical Homeopathy for the past four years. She has studied the healing properties of herbs, flower essences, essential oils, light color therapy and whole foods for more than ten years.

Brooke Betts Farrell
President, Co-founder RecycleMatch
In 2009, Ms. Betts-Farrell founded RecycleMatch (http://www.recyclematch.com/), named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2010 Most Brilliant Ideas. RecycleMatch is an online marketplace that connects companies that have waste with companies that can use the resources productively. Ms. Betts-Farrell was most recently Senior Vice President, Brand Director at FKM, a US advertising agency with $250 Million in annual billings. Prior to providing strategic direction and oversight for all of FKM’s clients, Ms. Betts-Farrell was the FKM Brand Director overseeing the brand transformation of Waste Management, North America’s largest environmental solutions provider, from its former position of trash hauler. Ms. Betts-Farrell has a BS in Economics and a BS in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.

Nancy Boyle
Founder of Majic Earth Inc
Born in the small city of Adean in Ecuador, today Nancy Boyle lives in Delray Beach, Florida with her two children. She developed a career as a Fashion Designer in New York City for over 15 years and in 2004 moved to Florida to work as a Professor of Design at Miami International University of Art & Design.  In 2006, she became President of Organic Answers Group Inc, a Hardscape design & installation company providing environmental design solutions for outdoor scapes.  In 2009 she started Majic Earth Inc. to manufacture and distribute earthworm castings.  Her mission as President is to educate others about the importance of soil restoration for health reasons and for the Planet.  Most recently she accepted the post as President of the Palm Beach County Chapter of the National Association of Professional Women. She is committed to women working together and empowering one another.  Her love for nature and a holistic lifestyle has led her to install organic gardens and bring awareness about the importance of conservation, preservation and sustainability to local schools.  She sits on the board of Urban Growers Community Farm, a nonprofit organization based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and participates in the Urban Farming Committee of the West Palm Beach Green Task Force as well as Delray Beach Green Task Force. “Greening the Earth” for the children and future generations is her passion.

Jen Boynton
Managing Editor at Triplepundit.com
Jen Boynton is Managing Editor at triplepundit.com, an innovative new-media company for the business community that cultivates awareness and understanding of the triple bottom line (people, planet and profit). Her interests include sustainability metrics, guerilla marketing, and people who use innovation to solve the world’s problems. Ms. Boynton has an MBA with a focus in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School. Please email her at jen@triplepundit.com if you have a good story to tell.

Deborah Burnes
CEO and Co-Founder of sumbody
As the CEO and co- founder of sumbody, a skincare company dedicated to all-natural, eco-friendly products free of synthetic chemicals, Deborah Burnes has become the go-to source for legions of customers, not to mention an esteemed and dedicated celebrity following.  Her book Look Great, Live Green reveals the harmful truth about the many chemicals and toxins lurking in the thousands of beauty products millions use each and every day. For the last 10 years, Ms. Burnes has busily promoted her sumbody skincare line, all the while sharing how a few holistic revisions to our everyday lives makes home a safer and healthier place for family and the planet.  She’s been featured on television shows as well as in print. In addition, she’s participated in many celebrity events including the 2007 Academy Awards environmentally-friendly Green Room and the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Today Ms. Burnes is a resident of Northern California’s wine country, where she resides with her husband and 2 daughters.

C
Ashley Carlson
Director of Packaging – Plastics Division, American Chemistry Council
Ashley Carlson is the Director of Packaging for the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council.  Ms. Carlson advocates on behalf of the Council on marine debris prevention, the need for increased plastic recycling, and the benefits of innovative, sustainable plastic packaging. Prior to her role as Director of Packaging, Ms. Carlson served as Director of Retail Outreach for the American Chemistry Council, providing scientific-based counsel to retailers as they make decisions and help them better understand the performance properties, environmental impacts and benefits of competing chemical components. Ms. Carlson has also worked on several communication campaigns for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Louisiana’s Office of Community Development’s The Road Home program at ICF International.

Cathie Chavez-Morris
Project Manager, Multifamily Residential Recycling Program
Environmental Specialist II, Bureau of Sanitation
As the Program Manager for the City of Los Angeles’ Multifamily Residential Recycling Program, Cathie Chavez-Morris is responsible for managing services to over 400,000 multifamily residential units. Her previous employment includes experience with the management, transportation and treatment of hazardous waste, remediation of contaminated private and public properties, and state-funded conservation projects along the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers.  She is a co-founder of the La Madera Community Garden and was appointed by Supervisor Gloria Molina on the Board of Governors of Arboreta and Botanical Gardens.  Her current professional projects include the use of community based social marketing techniques in recycling campaigns and the local implementation of state legislation aimed at reducing green house gases. Mrs. Chavez-Morris graduated with a B.S. in Geological Sciences and an M.S. in Environmental Studies.  She is also a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program in Washington D.C and is a LEED Green Associate.

Ms. Susan V. Collins
Executive Director for the Container Recycling Institute
Susan Collins is the Executive Director for the Container Recycling Institute, a 501(c)(3) which studies and promotes policies and programs that increase container recycling while shifting the associated costs from government and taxpayers to producers and consumers. She has worked exclusively on recycling and sustainability issues for 20 years.  Ms. Collins leads research projects for the Container Recycling Institute and works with environmental organizations, activists and state and federal governments throughout the United States and around the world to educate the public on the benefits of container recycling. While a consultant, she assisted over 80 public agencies with their solid waste and recycling programs.  During the course of these engagements, she gave testimony at public hearings, conducted public workshops, and served on four CIWMB (state-wide) advisory groups. Ms. Collins served on the Board of the California Resource Recovery Association for nine years, and is now a senior advisor to that organization. She holds degrees in Manufacturing Engineering from Boston University and Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

Elisabeth Comere
Manager of the Environment, Tetra Pak
Elisabeth Comere is responsible for managing the environment at Tetra Pak – the world’s leader in packaging and food processing solutions. She joined the company in 2006 as Environment Manager for Europe where she helped define and drive Tetra Pak’s environmental strategy and contributed to shaping recycling programs for cartons in Europe. Since 2010, she has been based in the United States, focusing on advancing Tetra Pak’s commitment to sustainability in the US and Canada as well as implementing various industry and customer packaging initiatives. Prior to her work at Tetra Pak, Ms. Comere served as a political adviser to a Member of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, and headed the environment department of the Food & Drink Industry group in Europe. She was educated in France, the UK and Belgium. She graduated as lawyer from Law School of Bordeaux University (France) and earned an Environmental Sciences Master from Brussels University (Belgium).

Midori Connolly
CEO and Chief AVGirl, Pulse Staging & Events, Inc
When Midori Connolly discovered there were no recommendations for Green AV practices, she undertook nine months of research and writing to compose the first-ever set of Sustainable Staging guidelines. Open-sourcing this information and sharing with clients and competitors alike, she proceeded to become the sole industry expert on the topic of Green AV for Live Events. She is leading her company in its journey to BS8901 certification (a Sustainability Management System for Events), the first event supplier in the United States to do so.
Ms. Connolly provides education through her AVGirl advice column for Plan Your Meetings, as a platinum speaker on Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility for MPI and speaking on the Business of Green Meetings for PCMA, Elite Meetings and other organizations. Midori resides in sunny San Diego, CA with her husband and two young children, Coleman and Molly.

Anna Cummins
Co-Founder, 5 Gyres
Education Advisor, Algalita
Anna Cummins received her undergraduate in History from Stanford University, and her Masters in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute for International Studies. In 2007 Ms. Cummins joined the Algalita Marine Research Foundation as education adviser, conducting school outreach and giving public presentations on plastic marine pollution. With Algalita, Ms. Cummins completed a month long, 4,000-mile research expedition studying plastic debris in the North Pacific Gyre, and a 2,000 mile cycling/speaking tour from Vancouver to Mexico, giving talks about plastic pollution. Ms. Cummins and her husband Marcus Eriksen recently co-founded 5 Gyres, in collaboration with Algalita and Pangaea Explorations, to research and communicate plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. Ms. Cummins was elected a National Fellow of the Explorers Club in 2010.

D
Kathleen de Chadenèdes
Director of the s’Cool Food Initiative, Orfalea Fund
Kathleen de Chadenèdes is a professionally trained chef, culinary educator and sustainable agriculture advocate. She currently directs the s’Cool Food Initiative in Santa Barbara County, California for the Orfalea Foundations. Ms. de Chadenèdes earned a B.S. in Agriculture with a specialty in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida. She serves on the Advisory Board of Cal Poly/San Luis Obispo’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Center for Sustainability.

Fran Diamond
Chairwoman, California Water Quality Control Board
Fran Diamond is the immediate past and four term Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board, first appointed by Governor Davis in 1999 and then reappointed in 2006 by the Governor Schwarzenegger. She has served as a member of this critical board for over l0 years working to improve water quality for the over 13 million inhabitants of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Ms. Diamond is a founder of the landmark group No Oil, Inc. which tirelessly and successfully  saved the Los Angeles coast from on-shore oil drilling.  She also served as a Special Assistant on the Environment to Governor Gray Davis. She is also a Member of the City of Los Angeles Citizens’ Oversight Committee for Proposition O. Ms. Diamond is a Member of the Executive Board and Governing Board of Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and has served on the Los Angeles County Beach Commission. She is a trustee of the California League of Conservation Voters and is a member of the California Women’s Political Committee and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

E
Cecila V. Estolano
Chief Strategist of State and Local Initiatives, Green For All
Cecilia V. Estolano is charged with spearheading Green For All’s effort to scale public-private partnerships as a means to grow family-supporting green jobs in cities across the United States, particularly in under-served communities. Prior to joining Green For All, Ms. Estolano served as CEO of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Ms. Estolano has served on the California Coastal Commission, as a Special Assistant City Attorney, as a Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and as Environmental Policy Advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley.  Ms. Estolano was the Deputy Chair of the Environmental Protection Agency Review Team, Energy and Environment Group for the Obama Presidential Transition Team.  She is currently a member of Senator Barbara Boxer’s Judicial Advisory Committee.  Ms. Estolano is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law and holds an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.  She received her undergraduate degree in Social Studies with honors from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges.  Ms. Estolano is Lee Chair in Real Estate Law and Urban Planning at UC Berkeley, where she teaches courses in sustainable redevelopment at the College of Environmental Design and UC Berkeley School of Law.

F
Maggie L. Fox
President and CEO, The Alliance for Climate Protection
A veteran of numerous political and environmental campaigns, Maggie Fox is currently the President and CEO for the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 2006 by former Vice President Al Gore. In addition to her leading position with the Alliance, Ms. Fox consults with a number of organizations including the Energy Future Coalition, Western Resource Advocates, and the Ocean Conservancy. Ms. Fox was formerly the National President of America Votes, a progressive coalition of over 40 organizations that spearheaded the largest voter mobilization and education effort in the nation. Ms. Fox also served as the Deputy Executive Director of the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental advocacy organization. During her 20-year tenure with the Sierra Club, Ms. Fox led numerous federal, state and regional policy efforts on climate change, energy policy, western public lands and water, Native American natural resource issues and agricultural reform. Ms. Fox earned her B.A. from the University of North Carolina, a Masters in Education from the University of Colorado, and a J.D. with an emphasis in Environmental Law and Native America Natural Resources Law from Northwestern School of Law. She currently lives in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado with her husband and two children.

Mindy Fox
Director, Office of Education and the Environment at CalEPA
Mindy Fox currently serves as the Office of Education and the Environment Director at the California Environmental Protection Agency. She manages the development and implementation of the Education and the Environment Initiative Curriculum, a K – 12 environment-based State Board of Education approved curriculum. Ms. Fox has managed a variety of education and outreach programs focusing on sustainable practices, commercial waste reduction, consumer waste prevention, and recycling market development zone technical assistance. She began her state service at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), served as a Community Relations Liaison for communities with hazardous waste sites and acted as DTSC’s Public Education Coordinator in developing environmental education programs for adults and students.

Kim Frankovich
Vice President of Sustainability, Solo Cup Company
Kim Frankovich joined Solo Cup Company in 2005 and in her role as Vice President – Sustainability, which she has held since 2009, she sets companywide sustainability goals and strategies for lowering Solo’s environmental impact. Ms. Frankovich serves on the board of Keep Chicago Beautiful and is active in a number of associations including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR), the National Association of PET Container Resources (Napcor), Association of Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group and Elemental Impact. She serves as Solo’s liaison to Keep America Beautiful and the Ocean Conservancy and chairs Solo’s Sustainability Action Network. Prior to taking on her present role, Ms. Frankovich served as Assistant General Counsel and Vice President at Solo. Before joining Solo, Ms. Frankovich was Corporate Counsel at Baxter International Inc. Prior to going in-house, Ms. Frankovich was an associate attorney at Lewis, Rice & Fingersh in St. Louis, and Grippo & Elden in Chicago.  She is a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and graduated cum laude from Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, IN and magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT.

G

Gina Garcia
Residential Greening Program Director, Sustainable Works
Gina Garcia has been an advocate for the environment for most of her life and began a career in Sustainability when she joined Sustainable Works in 2007 as a volunteer.  She quickly moved through the organization and began coordinating the Student Greening Program in early 2009. Ms. Garcia soon became the Director of that program after supervising its expansion into the Los Angeles Community College District and breaking attendance records at Santa Monica College.  In early August, she became the Director of the Residential Greening Program, a position that allows her to expand on her experience with Sustainable Works and use her public speaking and community building skills to reach a more diverse audience.  Ms. Garcia draws inspiration from her family and strives to be a model for her two young daughters.  She holds a BA in Theater from Montclair State College and a certification in Horticulture from UCLA.

Madelyn Glickfeld
Assistant Director for Outreach and Strategic Initiatives, UCLA Institute of the Environment
Madelyn Glickfeld teaches seminars on the environment at the Institute of the Environment, consults on both planning and implementation of conservation projects, does research and writing projects and develops educational conferences, workshops and panels related to sustainable development and the environment, natural resources, science, law and public policy and disaster management. Through her consulting firm MJG Inc, she has done a large variety of work. She has also done research and consulting on storm water management in large scale developments to mitigate watershed and ocean pollution impacts. Prior to returning to the University and her consulting practice, Ms. Glickfeld served as Assistant Secretary of the California Resources Agency from 2001 – 2003. Ms. Glickfeld has held a variety of public service positions, including ten years as an appointee of the Senate Rules committee to the California Coastal Commission.  During that time, she also served on the Board of the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Project and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.   She has been a Board Member of Heal the Bay since 1996 and is currently Vice President for Science and Policy for this regional nonprofit with a staff of 50 and a budget that is over $3 million per year.  She joined the Board of the nonprofit Southern California Wildlands Project and the Board of the nonprofit Green Info Network, Inc in 2004. Ms. Glickfeld is an Alumnus of the Former UCLA School of Architecture and Planning where she received a Masters of Science in Planning.

Wendy Greuel
Los Angeles City Controller
Wendy Greuel was the second woman to be elected to a citywide office in the City’s history (as City Controller). In 1993, Ms. Greuel served with Cabinet Secretary Henry Cisneros as the Field Operations Officer for Southern California for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She oversaw HUD’s emergency response and recovery programs after the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In 1997, Ms. Greuel joined the Corporate Affairs Department of DreamWorks SKG where she worked on the company’s government and community affairs. In 2002, Ms. Greuel was elected to the Los Angeles City Council and represented the Second District in the Northeast San Fernando Valley for seven years as Councilwoman. As Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee, Ms. Greuel worked tirelessly to make Los Angeles more business friendly by cutting the City’s business tax by 15%, which returned nearly $100 million to local businesses. As a member of the Audits and Government Efficiency Committee, Ms. Greuel saved taxpayers millions of dollars. As City Controller, Ms. Greuel ensures City Hall spends taxpayer dollars wisely and responsibly by identifying and eliminating wasteful spending, exposing fraud and abuse in city government and works to ensure an economic recovery and economic growth. She currently lives in Studio City with her husband and son.

Hannah Choi Grenade
President, Advantix Systems
Hannah Choi Grenade is the president of revolutionary green energy company, Advantix Systems.  As a huge believer in energy efficiency as a critical component to American competitiveness and business productivity, Ms. Grenade has dedicated her career to studying energy efficiency and the challenges it presents to a wide range of industries.  Previously Ms. Grenade served as a Principal at McKinsey & Company as a leader in their Energy and Materials practice focusing on issues of strategy, regulation, and climate change.  Ms. Grenade was also as a leader in McKinsey’s Clean Technology practice.  Ms. Grenade is the principal author of the recent McKinsey report, Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy.

Anna Griffin
Publisher and Editor in Chief
Coco Eco Magazine
Anna Griffin is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Coco Eco Magazine, a digital multi-media publication dedicated to sustainable, eco-chic living. A native of London, England, Ms. Griffin’s background includes a career in journalism and broadcasting. Through a combination of tenacity, passion and forward-thinking vision, Ms. Griffin founded Coco Eco Magazine in Los Angeles in October 2008. Ms. Griffin has moderated and been a panelist for various expos, including, Go Green Expo. She has contributed to on-air radio with NPR, and is a contributing writer for The Huffington Post. Under Ms. Griffin’s direction, Coco Eco Magazine is the premiere online platform for sophisticated, savvy, stylish and environmentally aware women.

Jenna Gulager
Special Assistant to Deputy Chief of Operations, Interim Manager of Capital Finance
Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles
Jenna Gulager is the Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Operations for Real Estate and Economic Development and currently the Interim Manager of Capital Finance at the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Ms. Gulager develops and implements programs for CRA/LA’s seven regions and 31 Redevelopment Project Areas to achieve the agency’s economic development and job creation goals.  For example, Ms. Gulager is working to develop programs that support the expansion and greening of the City of Los Angeles’ industrial sector and also on programs and partnerships to expand access to healthy foods.  As Interim Manager of Capital Finance, Ms. Gulager oversees commercial underwriting, the Los Angeles Development Fund (the City of Los Angeles’ New Markets Tax Credit entity) and grants procurement, including the development of one of the first municipal Commercial PACE programs.  Ms. Gulager originally joined CRA/LA in 2005. She began her tenure in CRA/LA’s CD9 Project Area, working on affordable housing, industrial development, brownfields remediation, recreational facilities and public improvement projects.  Prior to joining CRA/LA, Ms. Gulager was Director of Real Estate Development for LA Family Housing, a nonprofit that provided emergency and transitional housing and developed affordable housing. She also worked for Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn in the Office of Economic Development. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s Degree in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley.

H
Jocelyn Harmon
Director of Nonprofit Services, Care2.com (Moderator)
Jocelyn Harmon is Director of Nonprofit Services at Care2.com, a social community of 13 mm + activists.  Prior to joining Care2, Ms. Harmon was Director of Business Development for InfoGROUP Nonprofit. Ms. Harmon has been a member of the “capacity-building” community for nonprofits since 2000.  She started her career as Development Manager for the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and then became Director of Development and Communications for the National Council of Nonprofits, an association of 22,000 local charities. In 2009, Ms. Harmon was recognized as one of the Women in Nonprofit Technology Who Rock by Fast Company Online.  Her personal blog, Marketing for Nonprofits, is top-ranked on Alltop. She also writes a bi-monthly column for Fundraising Success magazine. She has a Masters of Arts in Sociology from the University of Washington.

Marian Hawryluk
Electric Vehicle Project Manager, BMW of North American, LLC
Marian Hawryluk is Electric Vehicle Project Manager at BMW of North America, LLC effective November 1, 2009.  In this capacity, she is responsible for sales, marketing, customer communications and overall project management of the BMW Group Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) programs in the US.  She was part of the MINI E program from its inception and is current planning for the arrival of the BMW ActiveE in 2011 and, ultimately, the BMW Megacity Vehicle in 2013. Most recently Ms. Hawryluk was in the position of Sales Process Manager for MINI USA.  Prior to this, Ms. Hawryluk held various positions within the Information Technology group at BMW, including managing the sales and customer communications IT application areas.  Previously Ms. Hawryluk held various IT positions in Avon Products, Inc.  Ms. Hawryluk graduated summa cum laude from Pace University in White Plains, New York, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.  Ms. Hawryluk was born in Nyack, New York and is married with two children.

Mariel Hemingway
Founder, Mariel’s Kitchen
As the granddaughter of renowned author Ernest Hemingway, Ms. Hemingway’s profession was predestined for the public sphere. In addition to her successful acting career, Mariel Hemingway has been pursuing her passion for yoga and health for over 20 years, and is now recognized as a trusted voice in the area of holistic and balanced wellbeing. Her latest exciting project is Mariel’s Kitchen, a company that will produce real food products with a real life message. Ms. Hemingway believes that caring for the fitness of the body, mind, and spirit is the first step in becoming conscious of the health and security of the environment that surrounds us. It is her conviction that eating real food grown organically and locally may help us get more in touch with who we are and how we interact with our communities.

Monica D. Higgins
Founder, Renovation Planners
Monica D. Higgins is an in-demand remodeling expert and the Founder of Renovation Planners, a certified construction management firm that helps homeowners avoid becoming the next remodeling horror story. Ms. Higgins’ proven remodeling process and expert knowledge has been featured by/in HGTV, DIY Network, Fine Living, Home Wizards, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Lowes for Pros, BobVila.com, Bankrate.com and more. Ms. Higgins is a certified construction manager and a LEED Accredited Professional that holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Southern California and is licensed by the California Department of Real Estate.  She is a member of several professional associations and has served on the Board of Trustees for Berkeley Hall School, the Advisory Board for the Small Business Development Center at El Camino College and as a volunteer counselor for SCORE. Additionally, Ms. Higgins is the author of Remodel Smart™: 6 Steps for Turning a Foreclosure into Your Dream Home.

Angela T. Howe, Esq.
Managing Attorney, Surfrider Foundation
Angela Howe, Litigation Manager, works to manage Surfrider Foundation’s legal strategy and advocacy efforts, to assist chapters with beach access and environmental litigation, and to assist with general counsel duties. Ms. Howe earned her law degree from Boalt Hall, Berkeley School of Law. Before joining Surfrider’s staff, she worked for Hogan & Hartson LLP in both their D.C. and Los Angeles offices. Her legal career at Hogan centered around Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act work with the Environmental Practice Group, as well as a great deal of pro bono litigation efforts. While working in Los Angeles, Ms. Howe was an active volunteer member of the West LA-Malibu Chapter as part of the Executive Committee and head of the education program. Ms. Howe appreciates the beauty and power of the ocean, which drives her passion to protect it.

I
Sandra Itkoff
Vice President Angeleno Group
Ms. Itkoff joined Angeleno Group in February 2007 and has over 20 years of finance, strategy, operations and product development experience in entrepreneurial environments.  Ms. Itkoff oversaw the raise of AG’s 2010 over-subscribed third fund, which is comprised of institutional pension funds, endowments and foundations, and large family office LPs.   She provides Angeleno Group’s portfolio companies with financial, management, strategic, and tactical guidance and resources.  Ms. Itkoff presently sits on the Energy & Environment committee of the Los Angeles Business Council, the board of directors of Via Nueva Foundation, and is active with the Pacific Council on International Policy.  Prior to joining Angeleno Group, Ms. Itkoff was VP of Finance at Largo, a production, financing and distribution joint venture between Larry Gordon and JVC of Japan.  While at Largo, Ms. Itkoff helped raise a $75 million bank syndicate lead by Chemical Bank.   Prior to this, Ms. Itkoff led due diligence at a seed level venture capital fund with funds from two European banks. She began her career in corporate finance at Bank of America. Ms. Itkoff holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in Finance and International Business, and a B.A. in Economics from U.C.L.A.
K
Jennifer Kaminski
Outreach Manager, North American Energy Efficiency Program
As Outreach Manager for The Registry’s North American Energy Efficiency Program, Jennifer Kaminski works with utility companies to implement an energy efficiency and climate change mitigation program, the Cool Planet Project. Ms. Kaminski joins The Climate Registry with a background in public policy and communications.  Most recently Ms. Kaminski worked in client services and communications for a consulting firm, providing alternative investors with public policy due diligence across all regulated sectors throughout the United States.  Previously Ms. Kaminski was Deputy Campaign Manager for Rocky Delgadillo’s CA Attorney General race.  Prior to her campaign work, Ms. Kaminski worked for a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide managing market research projects within the radio industry.  Ms. Kaminski has also spent time in the Washington press corp covering national politics for Talk Radio News Service.  Ms. Kaminski earned her BA in Political Science with an emphasis in Media Relations from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Nurit Katz
Sustainability Coordinator, UCLA
As UCLA’s first Sustainability Coordinator, Nurit Katz is working to foster partnerships among academic, research and operational departments and further the goals and initiatives of the campus sustainability program. Prior to starting this position, in 2005 she founded the UCLA Sustainable Resource Center in an effort to provide resources for the community on sustainability. She then served as President of the Graduate Students Association and helped Dr. Charles Corbett develop a new interdisciplinary graduate certificate program: Leaders in Sustainability. Additionally, Ms. Katz played an integral role in launching the UCLA Center for Corporate Environmental Performance. Apart from her work with UCLA, Ms. Katz has worked on a variety of sustainability projects, including a project for the City of Los Angeles that focused on transit-oriented development along the Expo Light Rail Line. Ms. Katz holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Masters in Public Policy from the UCLA School of Public Affairs.

Sue Kateley
Executive Director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association
Sue Kateley is Executive Director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association. Ms. Kateley’s career at CALSEIA started in the early 1980s where her work included the Uniform Solar Energy Code, establishing the Solar Contractors’ License Classification, and consumer protection and enforcement related to the design of California’s solar incentive programs. Ms. Kateley left CALSEIA to join the California Energy Commission in 1986. She retired from the Energy Commission in 2007 and rejoined CALSEIA for a second tour of duty. In the two short years back at CALSEIA Ms. Kateley has led efforts to streamline the administration of the California Solar Initiative and make other programmatic improvements, develop statewide incentives for solar water heating, build comprehensive policies that integrate energy efficiency and renewable energy, inform policymakers and the public on policies and programs in a manner that will expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future. Her current efforts are focused on implementing a feed-in tariff for distributed solar generation and improving permitting processes and requirements at local building departments.

Tamara Kennedy-Hill
Executive Director, Green Meeting Industry Council
Ms. Kennedy-Hill has over ten years experience in the hospitality and meetings industry.   She has been a champion for green meetings for over six years, speaking at various industry events and serving as active member and program chair for GMIC prior to her role as Executive Director.  Ms. Kennedy-Hill has a B.S. degree in Communication, Training and Development emphasis, and a professional certificate in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from Marylhurst University. The Green Meeting Industry Council is a nonprofit membership based organization which strives to engage the global meetings, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) industry towards sustainable best practices.  The mission of the GMIC is to transform the global meetings industry through sustainability.

Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D
Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles
In January 2006, Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., became the first female executive director of the Port of Los Angeles. Dr. Knatz was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan to reduce air emissions from port operations by roughly 50 percent over a period of five years.  Her efforts facilitated the first joint meeting of the leaders of the two ports since the 1920s and the first ever public meeting of the two Port Boards on the day the Plan was approved. Dr. Knatz previously served as managing director of the neighboring Port of Long Beach. Dr. Knatz began her maritime career as an environmental scientist at the Port of Los Angeles in 1977. A proud alumna of the University of Southern California, where she presently teaches in the Civil Engineering School, Dr. Knatz earned two degrees from USC: a doctorate in biological science and a Master of Science in environmental engineering.  She also holds an undergraduate degree in zoology from Rutgers University. Born and raised in New Jersey, Dr. Knatz resides in Long Beach with her husband and two sons.

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Alexis Lantz
Planning and Policy Director, Los Angeles Country Bicycle Coalition
Alexis Lantz recently completed her Master’s in Urban Planning at UCLA with a focus on transportation. Her interest in transportation stems from a belief that walking, cycling and mass transit are an integral components for ensuring sustainable communities with stronger local economies. During her time at UCLA she focused her research and studies on bicycle and pedestrian planning. She is responsible for co-creating the first bicycle and pedestrian planning course for the UCLA Department of Urban Planning.  The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Planning Association recently awarded Ms. Lantz with the 2010 Distinguished Leadership Award for a Student Planner. Ms. Lantz currently works for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition as their Planning and Policy Director.

Deborah Lindquist
Designer, Deborah Lindquist
Deborah Lindquist was originally trained at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, the best Fashion design school in the US. Combining her life-long passion for beauty and style with cutting edge knowledge of fashion, Ms. Lindquist has quickly established herself as the premier Eco Fashion Brand name. Deborah Lindquist Eco Fashion Brand has become a trend-setting power in the eco fashion world. As a pioneer and leader in the eco fashion movement Ms. Lindquist is constantly updating her knowledge on the newest green fabrics, advancing this important industry to new standards of excellence. In order to keep her designs fresh and innovative, every season Ms. Lindquist incorporates the most cutting edge fabrication, many never been introduced to the public before. Through the years the Lindquist Eco Fashion Brand has made a significant impact on the Fashion industry and has taken a leadership role in the earth conscious movement. By creating signature style through the innovative reincarnation of cashmere and the use of new, never-before used fabrics, Ms. Lindquist’s mission is to create breathtaking eco friendly design that will deliver style and status to her clients while using the finest quality fabrics.

Vonda Lockwood
Director Store Operations & Sustainability, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Vonda Lockwood is Walmart’s Director of Store Operations & Sustainability for US Operations. She is responsible for program execution and implementation for over 4,000 stores across the United States. Ms. Lockwood leads Walmart’s Waste Sustainable Value Network where she works cross functionally with various stakeholders including associates, non-government organizations, and supplier partners, to name a few. She is helping drive Walmart US to meet their goal to eliminate landfill waste by 2025. Ms. Lockwood’s background with Walmart ranges from Operations, Store Planning, Training and Development to Global Indirect Sourcing.
Ms. Lockwood holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Programming from the University of Central Oklahoma with a minor in Biology.

Mary Luévano
Policy and Legislative Affairs Director, Global Green USA
Mary Luévano serves as the Policy and Legislative Affairs Director of Global Green USA, the US affiliate of Green Cross International, the environmental group founded by Mikhail S. Gorbachev.  Ms. Luévano oversees policy and legislative initiatives related to sustainable building, clean energy and climate change in addition to advising on a range of other policy issues for Global Green. Prior to joining the organization, Ms. Luévano worked for 8 years as a Congressional staffer serving in the offices of US Senator Alan Cranston, US Reps. Augustus Hawkins, Calvin Dooley and Jane Harman. In 2004, Ms Luevano was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to serve on the City of LA’s Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners where she was elected Vice President. Prior to that, Ms. Luévano served for three years (one as President) on the City of LA’s Environmental Affairs Commission.  Ms. Luévano holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science/International Relations from UCLA and has completed the Congressional Research Service’s Graduate Legislative Institute in Washington, DC.  She lives in Culver City, California.

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Nancy Mancilla
CEO and Co-Founder of ISOS Group
Nancy Mancilla, Co-Founder of ISOS Group, is a provider of GRI Sustainability Reporting Certifications in the United States. ISOS is geared towards providing organizations of all sizes with sustainability assessments, reporting guidance and external assurance. Prior to starting her own company, Ms. Mancilla assisted Winrock International in developing their sustainability services and led numerous micro-economic development projects related biodiversity, agronomics and renewable energy. She also developed an innovative technique to analyze the sustainability of Winrock’s hydro-electric projects in the Republic of Georgia as opposed to Russian energy sources. She currently serves on the board of the Green Gaming Standard Committee, Environmental Management and Accounting Network (America’s Chapter), and the Triconti Wind Farm in the Philippines. Previous positions included the Little Rock City Mayor’s Sustainability Commission, Arkansas Clean Cities Coalition and the Arkansas Biofuels Alliance. Ms.Mancilla earned her B.A. in International Relations (IR) with a Minor in Environmental Studies from the U.S. International University in San Diego, California. She also holds a M.A. in IR from the University of Amsterdam, as well as an inaugural M.P.S. (Public Service) from the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas where she dedicated her work to issues of sustainability.

Heather McCormick
Board Member, Pasadena Angels
Heather McCormick is a corporate attorney and the founder of McCormick Legal Advisors. She provides general business law representation to emerging growth companies, venture capitalists, private equity firms, and other corporate clients. Ms. McCormick regularly serves as outside general counsel to technology and other emerging growth companies. Prior to founding McCormick Legal Advisors, Ms. McCormick was in-house counsel to Platinum Equity. Ms. McCormick also practiced law for a number of years with Cooley Godward, LLP. Before she became a lawyer, Ms. McCormick was an investment banker for Merrill Lynch in New York. Ms. McCormick holds a J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley, where she was senior articles editor of the law review. She also holds her M.B.A. from Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley.

Kelly Chapman Meyer
Founder, Teaching Gardens
Kelly Chapman Meyer began as a member of the NRDC Action Forum and is currently a Co-Chair of the NRDC Leadership Council, where she lobbies on behalf of environmental policies and legislation.  She is a board member of Heal the Bay and worked to help pass the Environmental Education Initiative which provides environmental education for all children in the state of California, K – 12.  In 2008, she partnered to build the first LEED Platinum home in California that was used to educate the public on Green building and raise money for environmental causes.  She recently supported the implementation of the Marine Life Preserve Area (MLPA) off the coast of Southern California.  Ms. Meyer was also a member of the National Finance Committee during Obama’s Presidential campaign.  Ms. Meyer is currently focused on the launch and expansion of the Teaching Garden into 1,000 schools within the next two years.  With the goal to help solve childhood obesity, this program focuses on integrating better nutrition habits and fitness into schools across the nation. By introducing organic gardening along with a nutritional curriculum and technology that allows schools to communicate with other participants, the hope is to re-establish what it means to be healthy for the next generation.

Mary Sue Milliken
Chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, radio and TV personality
Celebrity Chef Mary Sue Milliken is co-owner of the popular and critically-acclaimed Border Grill restaurants in Santa Monica and Las Vegas, and Ciudad restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles.  Ms. Milliken is excited about her latest endeavor–the Border Grill Truck! A business partner with Chef Susan Feniger for over 25 years, Ms. Milliken is co-author of five cookbooks, including Cooking with Too Hot Tamales, Mesa Mexicana, and City Cuisine.  Mary Sue co-starred in nearly 400 episodes of Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” and “Tamales World Tour”, and has appeared as a guest on everything from “Iron Chef America” and “Oprah” to “Good Day LA” and “The Today Show”.  Since 1996, she and Susan have had several homes on the radio dial in Los Angeles, including KCRW, KFWB, and KFI.  And Mary Sue and Susan also created the Border Girls brand of fresh prepared foods at Whole Foods Market, as well as a line of signature peppermills and salt mills manufactured by Vic Firth Gourmet. Mary Sue is also an active member of the community, playing leading roles in many charities, notably Share Our Strength.

Councilmember Judith Mitchell
Governing Board Member, Cities of Los Angeles County, Western Region Representative
South Coast AQMD
Judith Mitchell was elected to the Rolling Hills Estates City Council in 1999 and is serving her third term as a councilmember.  She served as Mayor in 2004 and 2009 and has been involved in city activities for over 26 years.  Appointed in 1984 to the city’s Park and Activities Commission, and in 1994 to the Planning Commission, she helped establish Highridge Park, the 36-acre George F Canyon Nature Center, and the 28-acre Linden H. Chandler Preserve. Councilmember Mitchell was the President of the League of California Cities in 2009 and serves on the Executive Board as the Immediate Past President. Her involvement with the League of California Cities includes service as the chair of the League’s Environmental Quality Policy Committee for two years and chair of the League’s Climate Change Working Group, which drafted policy guidelines to address the challenges of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. She is presently First Vice-Chair of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG). Councilmember Mitchell received her B.A. from Purdue University, an M.A. from University of California at Los Angeles, and her J.D. from Loyola Law School at Los Angeles.  Councilmember Mitchell is an attorney and was involved in an active business litigation practice until 2001.  She now serves as counsel to her former Los Angeles law firm.

Patty Monahan
California Office Director and Deputy Director, Clean Vehicles at the UCS
Patricia Monahan is the director of the California office and deputy director for Clean Vehicles at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Before joining UCS in 2001, Ms. Monahan spent eight years as a scientist working on air pollution and toxics at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC, and San Francisco. She spent several years as an energy analyst at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where her research encompassed industrial energy use and efficiency, projections of energy use and pollution, and international strategies for reducing heat-trapping gas emissions. Ms. Monahan has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in energy analysis and policy from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Heather C. Morris
Director of Communications and Community Relations, Port of Long Beach
Heather C. Morris, with over 25 years of experience in public relations and local government, has been the Director of Communications for the Port of Long Beach since May 2005. Prior to joining the Port, Ms. Morris was the public information officer for the City of Irvine. Prior to Irvine, she was the public information officer for the City of Brea, the public information manager for the City of Norwalk and the community services director for the City of Signal Hill. Ms. Morris is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA), California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO), American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS). Ms. Morris has a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, San Luis Obispo, and an Associate of Arts degree from Long Beach City College.  She is a Paul B. Clark award recipient and has an Advanced Certificate in crisis communications from the California Specialized Training Institute.

Heidrun Mumper-Drumm
Associate Professor and Director of Sustainability Initiative, Art Center College of Design
A graphic designer and letterpress printer, Heidrun Mumper-Drumm is associate professor and Director of Sustainability Initiatives at Art Center College of Design. She teaches core academic and studio classes related to design for sustainability, and is Co-Director of the Art Center Sustainability Summits. She contributes to sponsored, transdisciplinary and Designmatters courses, as well as Tama Art University, INSEAD, and studio abroad programs.  As a former environmental engineer for Bechtel and Parsons Engineering, her background includes nuclear, geothermal, solar and wind energy projects, and environmental management for NASA and the US Air Force. She has been applying this experience, as well as current research and thinking about sustainability, to developing a lifecycle-based design process to enable designers to create more sustainable products and services. In addition to teaching at Art Center College of Design, she regularly speaks on the subject of sustainable design, conducts workshops and recently taught at Disney’s Consumer Products Creative Academy. She acts as a consultant, advisor, and facilitator to various organizations, including Sierra Club Green Home, Opportunity Green and the Academic Leadership Summit on Sustainability.

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Mary D. Nichols
Chairwoman, California Air Resources Board
Mary D.  Nichols, JD, was appointed Chair of the California Air Resources Board in July 2007, a post she held previously under Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 1979 to 1983.  At CARB she is responsible for implementing California’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions legislation as well as setting air pollution standards for motor vehicles and fuels.  After graduating from Cornell University and Yale Law School Ms. Nichols practiced environmental law in Los Angeles, bringing cases on behalf of environmental and public health organizations to enforce state and federal clean air legislation.  President Clinton appointed her to head the Office of Air and Radiation at US EPA, where she was responsible for, among many other regulatory breakthroughs, the acid rain trading program and setting the first air quality standard for fine particles.  She also served as California’s Secretary for Natural Resources from 1999 to 2003.  Prior to her return to the ARB, Ms. Nichols was Professor of Law and Director of the Institute of the Environment at UCLA.

Virginia Nicols,
Certified Green Building Professional; Corporate and Community Relations
Virginia Nicols has not always been a Certified Green Building Professional. For most of her career she developed marketing materials – specializing in direct response – for a variety of industries, including banking and high tech.  Ten years ago she found herself promoting energy efficiency and, more recently, solar.  Her clients now include large corporations and cities eager to satisfy their constituents, save money where they can, and get ahead of regulatory requirements.  Ms. Nicols’ marketing skills hold her in good stead – but she has discovered that the “green” marketplace requires new knowledge and understanding.

Dr. Cully Nordby
Academic Director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment
Dr. Cully Nordby is the Academic Director of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and a behavioral ecologist in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.  She earned a B.S. in zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in animal behavior and a graduate certificate in conservation biology from the University of Washington.  While doing postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley, she held a David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship through The Nature Conservancy.  She also teaches courses in environmental science and sustainability at UCLA.  In 2007, Dr Nordby was appointed chair of the UCLA Sustainability Committee.  The mission of the committee is to create a culture of sustainability in which the entire UCLA community is aware of, engaged in, and committed to advancing sustainability through education, research, operations, and community service.

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Meaghan O’Neill
Editor-in-chief of TreeHugger.com and PlanetGreen.com
Meaghan O’Neill first joined TreeHugger as head writer when it launched in 2004. She has also worked as a freelance journalist, managing editor of Boston Magazine, contributing editor at Design New England, researcher-reporter at Interior Design, and assistant editor at Ziff Davis Media. Her first book, Ready, Set, Green: Eight Weeks to Modern Eco-Living, was published in 2008, and her eight-part series “The Slate Green Challenge” for Slate.com was a National Magazine Award finalist in 2007. She has contributed to a diversity of publications including Men’s Journal, The Boston Globe Magazine, I.D., ReadyMade, Glamour, and Teen Vogue, among others; has spoken at events, businesses, and schools across the country; and has made dozens of national and local radio and television appearances. She lives in Rhode Island with her family.

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Lorraine A. Paskett
Senior Assistant General Manager – Sustainability Programs and External Affairs, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Lorraine Paskett serves within the Los Angeles Department for Water & Power’s Sustainability Programs and External Affairs Division.  She brings a wealth of experience to her current position, having spent 20 in years legal and public policy arenas where she focused on energy and environmental initiatives. Ms. Paskett also spent nearly a decade working with public and private electric utilities, holding an executive role with the largest municipal utility in the country. She has participated in water quality, marine life protection, land preservation, renewable energy expansion, and climate change mitigation programs. These experiences aid Ms. Paskett in supporting Los Angeles’ vision of creating a cleaner, healthier environment. In addition to these accomplishments, Ms. Paskett has helped shape domestic state and local renewable market structures, wholesale electric market reforms, and energy crisis recovery plans.

Jane Paul
Consultant, Green Economy, Justice and Sustainability
Jane Paul has a passion to raise awareness and advocate for action in sustainability.  Her expertise in administration, policy work and facilitation is utilized to increase the strength of environmental and economic justice efforts in the Los Angeles area.  Ms. Paul’s goal is to build economic stability and equitable opportunities across all communities, ensure environmental integrity in planning, and reinforce crucial climate change considerations in the new economy. Ms. Paul’s is focused on environmental policy as the Coordinator of Green Economy Initiatives at the Green LA Coalition.  Additionally, she provides consulting services to Antioch University Los Angeles in the development of their new Master of Arts program in Urban Sustainability.  In 2007, Ms. Paul received an MA in Urban Planning from the UCLA School of Public Policy, with an emphasis on community economic development. Ms. Paul lives in Mar Vista, Los Angeles with her husband, two teenagers, a dog and a vegetable garden.

Alexandra Paxton
Special Assistant to Deputy Chief of Operations, Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles
Alex Paxton is the Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Operations at the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). At the CRA/LA, Ms. Paxton has developed policies and practices to ensure that the Agency’s investments promote middle-class job opportunities for LA residents, including the landmark Construction Careers and Project Stabilization Policy and accompanying project labor agreement, which, coupled with the CRA/LA’s green building initiatives, creates pathways to green construction jobs.  She has also focused on projects designed to meet the economic development and environmental needs of the city, including a cleantech industrial strategy and the creation of a cleantech business incubator in Downtown Los Angeles. Prior to her position with the CRA/LA, Ms. Paxton served as Deputy and then Acting Executive Director for the LA City Workforce Investment Board under Mayors James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa. She also served as Legislative Deputy for LA City Councilmember Eric Garcetti, and as Deputy Director for Facilities Policy and Planning for the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she worked on all aspects of planning a seven-year, $1.76 billion, bond-funded new school construction program, including a project that enhanced relocation benefits for displaced low-income individuals and small business.  From 1993 to 1997, Ms. Paxton was Managing Director of The Wooster Group, an ensemble theater company in New York City.  She received her M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama’s Theater Management program and her J.D. from Yale Law School.  Ms. Paxton is a member of the State Bar of California.

Senator Fran Pavley
23rd District – California Legislature
Senator Fran Pavley represents Senate District 23 – including portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties – in the California Legislature. She was elected to the forty member State Senate in November, 2008. Senator Pavley chairs the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee and also serves on the Transportation and Housing, Budget, Health, and Environmental Quality policy committees. As Chair of the Select Committee on Climate Change, Senator Pavley continues to hold hearings to guide the implementation of AB 32. The committee is providing legislative oversight on a broad range of issues related to climate policy. Senator Pavley sees the requirements of AB 32 as an opportunity to foster innovation and green jobs — the most promising engines to start the new economy. She seeks to create a clean, safe, secure energy future for California and the United States. Prior to her election to the Senate, Senator Pavley served three terms in the California State Assembly. In addition to AB 32, she authored AB 1493 (Clean Car Regulations), now known as the “Pavley” law. President Barack Obama recently announced a national standard modeled on the “Pavley” law. During a special ceremony  in the White House Rose Garden, the president personally thanked Fran for her work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Jan Perry
Councilwoman, Ninth District
Now in her third term as Councilwoman of the Ninth District, Jan Perry success in responding to the district’s needs has been dramatically demonstrated by the increase in trash capture devices, resurfacing of streets, repaving of streets, repair of sidewalks, and the increase in the number of streetlights. Councilwoman Perry co-authored and is widely credited with passage of Proposition O to clean Los Angeles water. She has greened her district by reducing blighted property and cleaning brownfields since her first term of office. Councilwoman Perry currently chairs the Energy and the Environment Committee; vice-chairs the Information Technology & Government Affairs Committee; Ad Hoc on Economic Recovery & Reinvestment; and Ad Hoc Committee on Recovering Energy, Natural Resources, and Economic Benefit from Waste for LA (RENEW LA) Committee. She is a member of the Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee and Public Safety Committee. She was appointed by the mayor to represent LA as governing board member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and was recently reappointed to serve a third t 4-year term. Councilwoman Perry also serves on the Exposition Light Rail Authority and is Council President Pro Tempore for the Los Angeles City Council. Councilwoman Perry earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California School of Journalism, cum laude. She received a master’s degree from USC in public administration.

John Picard
Founder, John Picard and Associates
John Picard is one of the leading thinkers and builders of sustainable societies. In 1990, Mr. Picard built one of the first modern homes to function totally off of the grid.  Following this achievement, he constructed the first LEED rated building in the United States (So Cal Gas), developed the first green film studio (Sony) and designed the first green retail chain in history (The GAP). In recognition of his pioneering work on green buildings, in 1994, Mr. Picard was appointed the lead consultant for the greening of the White House in the first term of the Clinton/Gore Administration.  This project led to a sustained collaboration of the core founders and creators of the U.S. Green Building Council. In 1995, Mr. Picard introduced a totally new way to green businesses by using the Internet as a replacement for the built world.  “Gap.com” became the first significant online retail business. Mr. Picard’s influence in popular culture is equally pervasive: most recently, Picard was featured as the “green prophet” in the Discovery Channel project, Greensburg. The two-year documentary series was dedicated to rebuilding a small farming town in Kansas, which was completely devastated by a series of tornados leaving only 2 standing structures.  The show illuminates sustainable solutions throughout the rebuild and replacement of the town’s infrastructure, residence and Main Street.

Shel Pink
Founder, SpaRitual
Lifestyle futurist Shel Pink captured the attention of the spa industry when she founded and launched SpaRitual in 2004.  At the time “eco”, “organic” and “vegan” were not conscious concepts in the beauty industry, Ms. Pink saw an overwhelming need for a brand that could initiate the dialogue.  The SpaRitual philosophy encourages women to understand beauty as a holistic connection to oneself and to the environment. Continuing on this holistic path Ms. Pink discovered yoga, meditation and ayurveda while attending college, inspiring her to found SpaRitual.

Sarah Potts
LA Director, Clinton Climate Initiative
Sarah Potts is the Los Angeles City Director of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a program of the non-profit William J. Clinton Foundation. CCI works with governments and businesses around the world to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate change. Operating at the nexus of business, politics, and environmentalism in Los Angeles, Ms. Potts’ work focuses on low-carbon transportation, outdoor lighting efficiency, building energy efficiency, and large-scale clean energy generation. Most notably, Ms. Potts worked in partnership with the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting and Mayor Villaraigosa’s Office to develop and launch a major streetlight retrofit project. Once complete, the project will reduce CO2 emissions by over 40,500 tons and save the city $10 million annually in street light maintenance and energy costs — a 40% savings. Ms. Potts has also worked in the New York office of the Clinton Foundation where she coordinated CCI’s External Communications, Marketing and Press. Ms. Potts has both a B.A. and Masters in International Development from Brown University.

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Randi Ragan
Founder and owner of GreenBliss EcoSpa
Randi Ragan is the founder and owner of the award-winning GreenBliss EcoSpa (Voted one of LA’s “Top 10 Holistic Spas”), and featured in the pages of the LA Times, Daily Candy, LA Business Journal, Healing Lifestyles & Spa Magazine, Organic Spa Magazine, Massage Therapy Journal, and Vegetarian Times. Ms. Ragan writes for various publications and websites about green living issues and is working on a book about mindful green living. She has been a featured speaker at the annual BodyWise Conference for teen girls, and regularly speaks at both private and public Los Angeles area schools on “smart beauty” for teenage girls. She co-produced with Yoga Works, and hosted the 2010 New Year’s Renewal Retreat in Malibu, was a principle organizer and Host speaker at the 2008 Urban Sustainability Retreat and Salon, a panelist at the First Anniversary Conference for Women of the Green Generation, and at the Sustainable Business Council’s forum on Green Health & Wellness. Ms. Ragan’s home and garden were featured in a photo essay for Sprig.com (Washington Post/Newsweek Group) about the greening up process she and her family have engaged in since its purchase 8 years ago. This process includes growing some of the flowers and herbs used in her company’s spa treatments.

Jennifer Regan
Manager of Sustainability Programs, AEG
Jennifer Regan is the manager of Sustainability Programs for AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. Ms. Regan advises company executives on environmental strategy and assists division leaders with integrating sustainable practices into their operations. Her 2010 projects include the launch of AEG’s First Annual Sustainability report, the first of its kind in the live entertainment and sports industry, which measures energy, water, waste, hazardous waste, and greenhouse gas emissions for over 20 international sports and live entertainment venues. Before working at AEG, Jennifer Regan was a Field Organizer for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters serving Marion County, the home of Oregon’s state capitol and Ms. Regan’s Alma Mater.  Jennifer Regan received her BA in Politics from Willamette University. She resides in Los Angeles where she maintains her community involvement as an organizer for the Downtown Chapter of Los Angeles Green Drinks and as an active participant of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council’s Sustainability Committee.

Bonnie Reiss
Secretary of Education, State of California
Bonnie Reiss was sworn in by Governor Schwarzenegger on February 23, 2010 as the California Secretary of Education. Since 2007, Secretary Reiss served as operating advisor to Pegasus Capital Advisors. Previously, she served as senior advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2003 to 2007, where she advised the Governor on all major policy initiatives. From 1994 to 2003, Secretary Reiss served as founding president of the Inner-City Games Foundation, later renamed After School All-Stars. In 1988, she founded the Earth Communications Office where she led the effort to use media for public awareness campaigns of environmental issues until 1993. Secretary Reiss experience includes careers as an entertainment lawyer, accountant, producer and writer from 1981 to 1988. Secretary Reiss was appointed to serve on the University of California Board Of Regents in 2007 for a twelve year term. She serves on the board of directors for After School All-Stars and the Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women. In 2007, Secretary Reiss received the William S. White Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Education for her advocacy in the area of public education and, in 2006; she received the Advocate of the Year Award from the University of California Student Association. From 2004 to 2006, Secretary Reiss served on the California State Board of Education.

Kristin Groos Richmond
Co-founder and CEO, Revolution Foods
Prior to founding Revolution Foods, Kristin Groos Richmond’s career spanned from education reform to corporate finance.  She began her career on Wall Street as an investment banker at Citigroup. After her career in corporate finance, Ms. Richmond moved to Nairobi to co-found the Kenya Community Center for Learning (KCCL), one of the first special education schools in East Africa. She remains an active board member of KCCL.  Ms. Richmond also served as a Vice President at RISE, a nonprofit dedicated to recruiting and retaining quality teachers in public schools. Ms. Richmond is an Education Pioneers Fellow and an Aspen Institute New Leaders in Education Fellow.  She is a Board member of Lighthouse Community Charter School and has a BS from Boston College and an MBA from UC Berkeley where she serves on the Board of the Global Social Venture Competition.

Jessica Robinson
Director of Communications, National Biodiesel Board
Jessica Robinson is the Director of Communications for the National Biodiesel Board. Ms. Robinson directs an ongoing national media outreach program to increase awareness of biodiesel. Ms. Robinson serves as editor for NBB’s regular publications including the monthly Inside NBB in Biodiesel Magazine and the quarterly Biodiesel Education Network (BEN) News. Ms. Robinson joined NBB in 2009, bringing to the industry more than a decade of professional communications experience. Her public relations background touches in trade associations, government agencies and politics. Ms. Robinson has also worked in radio and television news stations in New Mexico, Missouri and Florida. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism.

Jennifer Roney, Ph.D.
Director of Sustainability Programs, Bright Green MBA Program
Dr. Jennifer Roney serves as Director of Sustainability Programs and Faculty for the Bright Green MBA program at Alliant International University, as well as lead Faculty at Bainbridge Graduate Institute.  Her expertise includes sustainable organization design and change, changing perceptions and mindsets toward sustainability thinking, and developing sustainable community through social justice, networked organization and leadership. Dr. Roney previously served as the Associate Dean at Willamette University in Portland Oregon. There she led her program through dramatic growth, expanding the school both geographically and programmatically, assuring sustainability into the future and connecting with business and community leaders.  Dr. Roney has taught at Southern Methodist University, Pepperdine University, and The University of Utah. She also consults on changing mindsets to facilitate transformation to sustainable organizations and on sustainability education.  Dr. Roney has a BA in Economics from UCLA, an MBA from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Utah.  She is a Fulbright Scholar and performed research in Poland which is captured in her book “Webs of Resistence in a Newly Privatized Polish Firm: Workers React to Organizational Transformation.”

Gloria Reuben
Actress & Activist
Widely recognized as a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominated actress, Ms. Reuben is also a well-known environmental activist.  Ms. Reuben is currently an Ambassador for the Alliance for Climate Protection, an organization created and led by former Vice President Al Gore.  She plays an active role in the Alliance’s Women’s Outreach Initiative and recently participated in the organization’s national PSA entitled “Repower America,” along with Frances Beinecke (Head of the Natural Resources Defense Council), Sheryl Crowe, Ted Turner, General Wesley Clark, Melissa Etheridge and Michael Bloomberg. In addition to her involvement with the ACP, Ms. Reuben sits on the President’s Advisory Council for the National Wildlife Federation and is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Waterkeeper Alliance. Through the Waterkeeper Alliance’s “The Dirty Lie” campaign, Ms. Reuben is leading the effort to dispel the notion that there is such a thing as “clean coal.”

Cynthia M. Ruiz
President, Board of Public Works
Environmentalist and community activist Cynthia M. Ruiz has served on the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works since 2003. As President of Public Works, she sits on the Emergency Operation Board for City of LA and is the lead Commissioner for the Bureau of Sanitation. For the past four year she has served in the capacity of Mayor Villaraigosa’s Fashion Ambassador, serving as his liaison to the Los Angeles Fashion Industry. In 2007 she founded Keep Los Angeles Beautiful (KLAB), which is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Commissioner Ruiz serves as a Board member on Project Restore and the Infrastructure Academy.  She has also partnered with School Board president Monica Garcia to start Latina’s Lighting the Way (youth mentorship program). Commissioner Ruiz is a graduate of California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned a Bachelor of Science & Masters degree in counseling. She also holds a certificate in Federal Mediation Training. In 2009 she completed a Leadership class at Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education.

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Janice Sakamoto
Vice President, Sustainability Partnerships, EcoMedia-CBS
As Vice President of Sustainability Partnerships at EcoMedia-CBS, Janice Sakamoto holds a position that allows her to blend her public and private sector experiences together in one organization.  At EcoMedia-CBS, Ms. Sakamoto develops and secures contractual partnerships with cities, counties, states and other public organizations.  In addition, Ms. Sakamoto manages and produces all of EcoMedia-CBS’s community events, including press conferences and media events.  With more than 20 years of experience in managing corporate philanthropy and non-profit organizations, she comes to EcoMedia from her own consulting firm, which provided consultation to for-profit and non-profit organizations in organizational development, strategic planning, business development, special events and corporate philanthropy.  Ms. Sakamoto began her career at the American Honda Foundation, where she assisted in the start-up of the new corporate foundation in 1984.  Five years later, she joined Mattel Toys as the Manager of the Mattel Children’s Foundation where she was responsible for directing Mattel’s global philanthropic activities. In November 1994, she served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation. She played a major role in establishing this national charity and in producing its signature fundraising event, Dream Halloween, which raised more than $1.7 million in its first three years.

Heidi Sanborn
Executive Director, California Product Stewardship Council
Heidi Sanborn has been active in the solid waste industry in California for 20 years working in various public and private positions including as a consultant to cities and counties on reducing waste and increasing recycling, as a private consultant, and serving in state government as the technical advisor to the Chair of the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB). As a consultant, Ms. Sanborn was the primary author of the contractor’s report to the CIWMB. Ms. Sanborn is widely recognized as the expert in EPR policy in California. She has been called to serve as an expert witness, and in 2009 she made presentations on packaging to the California Ocean Protection Council, National EPA Pollution Prevention conference in Washington D.C, and on two EPA national webinars on EPR.  She has authored many articles and reports on product stewardship. She helped found and is currently the Executive Director of the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) and is National Outreach Director for the Product Policy Institute, which is a founding Partner of CPSCMs. Sanborn is a graduate of the University of California at Davis with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Public Service and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She lives in Sacramento with her husband Brad and three rescue dogs.

Rachel Sarnoff
Founder, EcoStiletto
EcoStiletto was founded in 2008 by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, a writer, producer and spokesperson who represents eco-friendly living. Ms. Sarnoff has been a reporter for PlanetGreen.com and Treehugger.com; she wrote the “L.A. Story” column on the Washington Post’s Sprig.com. Currently, Ms. Sarnoff is the resident “Green Guru” at Savings.com, “Queen of Green” at Shoestringmag.com and “Green Expert” at GetButtonedUp.com. As a small-screen environista, Ms. Sarnoff has guested on eco-lifestyle “CNN Headline News Local Edition,” “Extra,” “Living With Ed,” “Hollywood Green,” “Good Day L.A.” and TV Guide Channel’s “The Fashion Team” segments, and has spoken on behalf of the national non-profit Healthy Child, Healthy World and Whole Foods’ Whole Body department. A mother of three, Ms. Sarnoff also blogs at MommyGreenest.com; she reuses, reduces and recycles with her husband and three children in Los Angeles, CA.

Fran Seegull
Venture Partner at Funk Ventures
Fran Seegull is Venture Partner at Funk Ventures, an early stage venture firm, engaging in venture capital investing and enterprise acceleration. The firm invests in clean technology, sustainable living, health & wellness and medical technologies—industries where it seeks to achieve market rates of financial return as well as social and environmental impact. Previously, Ms. Seegull has consulted to a range of purpose-driven companies including National Geographic, NPR West and many family foundations.  She also served as VP of business development at Novica United, a venture-backed social enterprise that retails and wholesales home decor products made by artisans in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Ms. Seegull has a BS in economics from Columbia and an MBA from Harvard.  She serves on the board of Lucky Earth and is a Senior Fellow at the Society & Business Lab at USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Dr. Janna Shackeroff
International Coral Reef Coordinator, NOAA
Janna M. Shackeroff is an interdisciplinary marine scientist and manager who specializes in the connections between human systems and ecological systems. Dr. Shackeroff coordinates the International Coral Reef Conservation Programs for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where efforts focus on supporting regional conservation initiatives and building marine protected area capacity building in the Coral Triangle, Micronesia, Samoa and Southwestern Pacific, and the wider Caribbean. Previously, Dr. Shackeroff worked with Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, developing the UNESCO World Heritage Nomination for the culturally and ecologically significant Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Dr. Shackeroff received her PhD from Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment, where she worked with indigenous and local people to better understand the human dimensions of coral reefs, and better incorporate people and local communities into marine management. A 2001 graduate of Wesleyan University and an avid swimmer and surfer, Janna was raised in Seal Beach, California.

Phoebe Shackeroff
Project Manager, Three Squares Inc.
Phoebe Shackeroff brings more than fifteen years of project management experience to Three Squares Inc. (TSI), ranging from work in the film and television industry to corporate communications and environmental nonprofits. Prior to joining TSI, Ms. Shackeroff served as Senior Program Assistant at World Wildlife Fund’s Sustainable Commerce Program, and as a Research Assistant for Duke University marine ecology studies in Hawaii. Currently, she is an active member of the Orange County Renewable Energy Society and helps with media production and social networking for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach. Ms. Shackeroff has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Literature from Yale University. She studied abroad at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and in a French language immersion in Université Laval in Québec City, Canada. She is also the Founder, Former Chair, and Board Member of USC Women of Cinematic Arts, an alumnae organization with more than 650 members. Her micro-budget documentary short, “Rupert the Black Swan” set box office records at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and was an official selection at the Blue Planet and Woods Hole Film Festival.

Nancy Shaw
Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Blue Shield of California
Nancy Shaw is the corporate responsibility manager at Blue Shield of California. Since her arrival, Blue Shield has created a green program and green team; launched an internal and external social responsibility website; measured its carbon footprint, paper usage and recycling rates; gained LEED and Energy Star certification in several locations; involved hundreds of employees via green events and a green pledge; became a member of Business for Social Responsibility and Business Council on Climate Change, a partnership of more than 100 San Francisco-based companies dedicated to addressing climate change; and won media coverage for its environmental work. Ms. Shaw has 15 years experience in green business consulting, marketing and philanthropy. She is on the Advisory Council of the Business Council of Climate Change and holds an MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio School of Management in San Francisco and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley.

Kristin Simmons
Higher Education Associate, U.S. Green Building Council
As the Higher Education Associate at the U.S. Green Building Council, Kristin Simmons guides colleges and universities through the green building planning process and the implementation of the LEED Green Building Rating System®. In this role, she supports the development of tools and resources around greening efforts on campuses across the country.  Most recently, Ms. Simmons managed the development of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges, the first ever resource of its kind. Prior to joining USGBC, Ms. Simmons worked on partnerships for technical advisory work for the International Finance Corporation, which is the private sector arm of the World Bank. She has also worked for a start-up company focused on improving financing for private schools for the poor in Africa. Ms. Simmons is a LEED Accredited Professional and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Davidson College.

Sandy Skinner
Designer, ecoSkin
A fashion industry veteran, ecoSkin designer and owner Sandy Skinner sought to use her extensive knowledge of apparel to create a line that is both fashion forward and environmentally friendly. Ms. Skinner has worked in all aspects of the fashion industry for the past 19 years – from retail to manufacturing and now, design. In 2005, Ms. Skinner felt the need to grow and expand her horizons. Realizing that the best way to do this would be to start her own company, she launched SJS Consulting. This enabled her to help companies and start-ups get on their feet and grow their businesses using her expertise in sales, merchandising and production. In March of 2006, Ms. Skinner was hired by one of her clients, JD Fine, of which Tart Sportswear is one entity. Soon, Ms. Skinner was heading up the entire company and led all divisions of JD Fine, including Tart Intimates and Sweet Tart, to exponential growth and profitability. In December of that year, Tart Collections made Ms. Skinner President of all divisions to increase her level of responsibility and leadership. Inspired by contemporary sportswear, and still searching for more, Ms. Skinner sought to enter into the industry with her own line. She left Tart Collections in May 2007 to go on and launch ecoSkin in July 2007. She aspires to great success with the 100% eco-friendly, chic and sexy line. Her broad knowledge of the industry and many contacts has allowed her to source fabrics and coordinate domestic production of the line in order to control all aspects of development and ensure fair trade practices.

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Erin Taylor
Political Director, The Alliance for Climate Protection & Repower America Campaign
Erin Taylor is the Political Director for the Alliance for Climate Protection and the Repower America campaign.  Ms. Taylor is the former Director of State Affairs at the American Association for Justice.  She has experience in communications, political campaigns and legislative policy on both the state and federal levels.  Ms. Taylor has a B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College and a M.A. in Public Affairs and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Pandora Thomas
Director, Environmental Service Learning Initiate
Environmental Editor, Grind for the Green
Pandora Thomas’ life and work is rooted in a belief that all people should have access to empowering and hands on environmental education experiences. She is passionate about reconnecting herself and others to the natural rhythms of our earth in order to heal our communities. Ms. Thomas is co-founder of Earthseed LLC and currently manages the Environmental Service Learning Initiative as well as serving as the environmental educator for Grind for the Green. Both programs aim to reconnect youth of color to the earth using innovative strategies. She is a credentialed teacher and has created and delivered curriculum to pre-k through adult audiences around multiple themes including human rights, environmental justice, and outdoor and environmental education. She received training in urban planning, is a certified green building professional and permaculture designer, a backpacker and ropes course instructor. Her writing includes a childrens book, various curricula and a greenbuilding manual for youth.  Ms. Thomas has been awarded fellowships to Columbia University Human Rights Program as well as Green For All’s Green Fellow Program.   She also serves as a Global Peer to four Nigerian women working to bring safe water technology to their communities through the Global Women’s Water Initiative.

Karen Trilevsky
Founder, FullBloom Bakery
Karen Trilevsky founded FullBloom in 1989 and has been the company’s sole owner for 21 years. Ms. Trilevsky’s passion for baking and enthusiasm for turning good values into good business have kept her intimately involved in day to day operations. She provides key decision making for this fast growing company of more than 220 employees. Ms. Trilevsky built FullBloom around three core values: make the highest quality, best tasting baked goods possible; be committed to the environment and sustainability; and care for the health and well being of the community. Ms. Trilevsky currently sits on the Board of Directors of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and FullBloom’s own Smart Cookie Scholarship Fund. She recently graduated from UCLA’s Entrepreneurship Program. She is also a member of Slow Food and the Chefs’ Collaborative.

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Melissa Vernon
Director of Sustainable Strategy, InterfaceFLOR
Melissa Vernon is the Director of Sustainable Strategy for InterfaceFLOR. She supports sales efforts as a Sustainability Expert and researches trends and opportunities in the green product market.  She works closely with technical, marketing, and sales to develop strategies, programs, and tools for Account Executives, enabling them to educate their customers. As a liaison between several InterfaceFLOR departments, she ensures that Interface customers receive a more holistic approach in creating commercial interior environments to meet the needs of client, community, and environment.  Ms. Vernon oversees the company’s image, messaging and presence at key environmental conferences. As a member of the Construction Specifications Institute’s GreenFormat Team, she is developing a common reporting format and database for collecting and evaluating sustainable product information. Ms. Vernon is a LEED Accredited Professional and a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, with an MBA from the Business School and a Master’s in Science from the School of Natural Resources & Environment. She also has a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Duke University.

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Deborah J. Weintraub, AIA, LEEDAP
Chief Deputy City Engineer, City of Los Angeles
Deborah J. Weintraub is the Chief Deputy City Engineer of the Bureau of Engineering, City of Los Angeles, the first architect and first woman in the position. As the Bureau’s managing executive for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan adopted by Council in 2007, she now oversees the implementation of the Master Plan.  She has been instrumental in implementing LEED certification for City funded projects, and in incorporating innovative “green” building elements in City projects.  Previously Ms. Weintraub worked for Southern California Edison providing sustainability and energy efficiency consulting to Edison customers, and for the Los Angeles Canadian Consulate General, promoting Canadian expertise in sustainability. Prior to that, she ran her own architecture firm in New York City. Ms. Weintraub earned a Masters of Architecture from Berkeley with Honors, and a Bachelors from Princeton University. She has published her designs, as well as professional papers, and has presented at numerous local and national forums.  Married with two children, she is a long time member of the AIA and the U.S. Green Building Council, and is currently an AIA/LA Board member.

Shoshana Wolff
Founder and Chef, Springchow
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she honed her knives and her skills in some of the finest kitchens in Las Vegas, Miami and Los Angeles including Bouchon at The Venetian Hotel, Blue Door at the Delano Hotel and Jer-Ne at the Ritz Carlton. A former private chef, Ms. Wolff has also created dishes for many of the most exclusive clients in the movie and music industry who enjoy her simple, yet stylish preparations. Ms. Wolff’s culinary curiosity led her to study and work in France, Spain and Argentina. Today her love of healthy food is evidenced in Springchow where she combines her passion for Asian cuisine and just-picked ingredients in her own many inspired versions of the spring roll. With Springchow, Ms. Wolff takes the humble spring roll to a delightful new level of freshness and flavor.

Gillian Wright
Director of Commercial and Industrial Services, Southern California Gas Company
Gillian Wright has worked for the Sempra Energy companies since 1999.  As of December 2007 she was named Director of Commercial and Industrial Services for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).  In that capacity she manages customer service and delivery of energy efficiency programs for the approximately 6,000 large commercial and industrial customers of SoCalGas.  Prior to her current assignment Ms. Wright had a variety of assignments for SoCalGas and its sister utility San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), in the companies’ energy markets, capacity products, and regulatory affairs functions.  Ms. Wright earned a Master of Public Policy degree with an emphasis in regulated industries at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1998, and earned a Bachelors Degree in Economics at Reed College in 1991.  Ms. Wright is on the Executive Committee for the Energy Solutions Center and has recently been accepted to join the board of the Los Angeles Business Council. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children.

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Eva Yanni-Rosenlund
Managing Director, Green Housing Solution
Ms. Yanni-Rosenlund is a sales and marketing professional with industry experience ranging from hotels, resorts to theme parks and cruise ships. She has a BA (Hons) degree in Tourism Business Management from Birmingham University in England, and extensive international travel and work experience. Ms. Yanni-Rosenlund has previously held positions such as Key Account Manager for a hotel chain and Director of Sales & Marketing for a large convention hotel. She is a board member of GMIC , the Southern California Chapter, and the Managing Director of Green Housing Solution, the first housing and hotel reservation management company providing sustainable solution for convention housing with focus on greening the hotel operations.