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VX2012 Speakers
John "Woody" Wodraska
Wodraska Partners, Inc.
Peter Hamilton
Director of Energy Services
California Center for Sustainable Energy
Riggs Eckelberry
President and CEO
OriginOil Inc.
Tech Transform
Garret Graves
Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana
Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities
State of Louisiana
John "Woody" Wodraska
President // Wodraska Partners, Inc.
Woody Wodraska is a veteran of the water industry and started his professional career with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). He was then recruited to serve as the CEO of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Wodraska has worked in a variety of positions in the private sector of the water industry. This included Azurix, a subsidiary of ENRON and a stint with large to mid-sized Architectural & Engineering Consulting firms, specializing in water. Presently he is President of Wodraska Partners, a small firm specializing in providing comprehensive problem solving strategies for public and private entities in the water industry.
Peter Hamilton
Director of Energy Services // California Center for Sustainable Energy
Riggs Eckelberry
President and CEO // OriginOil Inc.Principal // Tech Transform
Riggs Eckelberry is founding CEO of OriginOil, a publicly-traded technology firm that helps algae growers extract oil from algae for use as a feedstock for the commercial production of transportation fuels, chemicals and foods. He transitioned into clean technology from a thirty-year career in high tech, having previously helped take Los Angeles-based CyberDefender public as its president and chief operating officer. Earlier, he was a key member of the team that developed YellowPages.com, resulting in its sale for $100 million; and he contributed to numerous other company successes in a lengthy career during and after the dot-com era. In January of 2011, Riggs Eckelberry was named to the Advisory Board of the National Algae Association. He speaks regularly on algae industry trends and writes the Algae Business column for Algae Industry Magazine.
Garret Graves
Chair // Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of LouisianaExecutive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities // State of Louisiana
Dean Taylor
Manager and Scientist, Electric Transportation
Southern California Edison
Tom DiPrima
Executive Vice President
KB Homes Southern California
Harlan Kelly
Assistant General Manager, Infrastructure
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Tom Georgis
Senior Vice President, Development
Dean Taylor
Manager and Scientist, Electric Transportation // Southern California Edison
Dean Taylor is a manager and scientist at Southern California Edison in the electric transportation area, where is works on technical and strategic analysis as well as regulatory and legislative policy for the last 21 years. He has been involved with battery EVs since 1991 and plug-in HEV analysis and research since 1995. He has co-lead or chaired several legislative or technical coalitions or task forces for the industry, including the federal ad hoc PHEV and BEV coalition that worked on the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the California EV Task Force, and the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Working Group. He has over 15 years experience in creating or co-managing legislative coalitions that resulted in over 50 bills being signed into law. He has project managed dozens of technical studies covering over 30 electric drive technologies, including non-road vehicles, high-speed rail, and heavy duty vehicles. His chapter on plug-in vehicle federal policies was published in 2009 by the Brookings Institute Press, and he has many other publications. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science, Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis.
Tom DiPrima
Executive Vice President // KB Homes Southern California
Harlan Kelly
Assistant General Manager, Infrastructure // San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. is the Assistant General Manager, Infrastructure of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). Mr. Kelly has had a 28-year career as a civil engineer. In his present capacity at the SFPUC, he oversees the implementation of capital programs for water, sewer, and power, including the $4.3 billion rebuild of the Hetch Hetchy Water System. He was formerly the City Engineer of San Francisco. He has also held functional and project management positions at DPW, including Acting General Manager and Deputy Director of Engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer, and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. He resides in San Francisco with his wife Naomi and their two young sons.
Tom Georgis
Senior Vice President, Development // SolarReserve
Mr. Georgis has over 20 years of development and operational experience in the energy, technology, and government service sectors, holding several senior management positions, most recently as Managing Director of International at GlobalTec Solutions, a privately held technology company where he was responsible for all aspects of the company's international expansion. Mr. Georgis was a Principal and Managing Director at Exodus Energy LLC a Houston based privately held power and natural gas firm. While at Exodus, Mr. Georgis focused on the development and acquisition of energy assets, acting as lead developer on several multi million dollar innovative technology energy facilities including natural gas storage, offshore LNG regasification, and petroleum coke gasification. Previously, Mr. Georgis was a manager at Enron Corp. where he was responsible for developing and structuring energy asset projects internationally; negotiating and closing over 500 MW of power generation agreements. Mr. Georgis's experience includes structuring transactions for energy and infrastructure projects, negotiating with lenders, and advising investors in all aspects of energy project acquisition and project development including: storage and transportation capacity sales, gas and alternative fuel power generation, natural gas pipeline arrangements, and power purchase agreements. Mr. Georgis also served nine years as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in the United States Navy. Mr. Georgis graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in International Studies and obtained a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School at the University of California Los Angeles.
Atsushi Denda
Deputy Director
Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation
Peter Brown
past Chairman and Secretary of the Board
David Rosenheim
Executive Director
The Climate Registry
Paul Mertes
Mertes Management and Technology Inc.
Atsushi Denda
Deputy Director // Institute of Technology, Shimizu Corporation
Peter Brown
past Chairman and Secretary of the Board // OASIS
David Rosenheim
Executive Director // The Climate Registry
David is a proven senior executive with experience as COO, CEO and Director on several corporate Boards. As Executive Director of The Climate Registry, David is responsible for providing strategic direction; liaising with state and provincial Board members; and overseeing The Registry's program, services and staff. He also serves as co-director of the Northern California chapter of Environmental Entrepreneurs. In his previous position, David oversaw U.S. business development for a leading carbon management organization, and prior to that was an entrepreneur in the high tech sector, founding and/or leading innovative internet start-ups. David has an MBA from Oxford University and is based in San Francisco.
Paul Mertes
President // Mertes Management and Technology Inc.
Paul has twenty years experience as an executive directing the growth or turnaround of engineering, technology, and infrastructure companies. Paul has led company and divisional operations in Canada, the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, specializing in strategy development and execution.
Experience includes: clean energy technologies; transportation technologies (rail, air, transit); transport planning, demand forecasting, environmental assessment, and design/construction; building design/construction; lean engineering & operations; and expert system development/deployment.
Paul is President of Mertes Management and Technology, Managing Director of Verdexchange Canada Inc, and serves as a business advisor to the MaRS Cleantech Group, and as Advisory Board Member of Clean Transportation Group Inc. Previous positions include CEO of CleanEnergy & Board Member of the Canadian Geoexchange Coalition, Senior Vice President Giffels Engineering & Chairman AGM Program Managers; President Canac Remote Control Technologies; and Vice President International, Cole,Sherman Associates.
Akihiko Tobe
Senior Director
Smart City Business Management Division Hitachi, Ltd.
Frances Keeler
Of Counsel
Keesal, Young & Logan
Nancy Ryan
Deputy Executive Director
California Public Utilities Commission
Andrew McIlroy
Senior Manager
Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore Vallery Open Campus Development
Akihiko Tobe
Senior Director // Smart City Business Management Division Hitachi, Ltd.
Frances Keeler
Of Counsel // Keesal, Young & Logan
Frances Keeler is Of Counsel in the firm's Long Beach office, where she specializes in environmental law. Her emphasis is in the district, state & federal Clean Air Acts; district, state and federal regulatory development; and CEQA.
Prior to joining Keesal, Young & Logan, Ms. Keeler was a Senior Deputy District Counsel with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the air pollution control agency for the Los Angeles air basin. Ms. Keeler has over 23 years of experience with the agency. Ms. Keeler has been involved in the development of air quality management plans and rules that implement the plan and has extensive experience in permitting and compliance issues. Ms. Keeler represented the District in the development of credit trading programs and has been actively involved in the state and federal programs to regulate non-road sources such as locomotives, marine vessels and ground support equipment. Ms. Keeler's litigation experience in both state and federal courts has primarily focused on the Clean Air Act and CEQA. Prior to joining District Counsel, Ms. Keeler worked for eight years in the Operations Management and Enforcement Divisions of the District as an industrial operations inspector and staff specialist. Her undergraduate degree is in chemistry.
Nancy Ryan
Deputy Executive Director // California Public Utilities Commission
Andrew McIlroy
Senior Manager // Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore Vallery Open Campus Development
Robert Freeman
Airport Environmental Manager
Los Angeles World Airports
Rajit Gadh
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
Founding Director
UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center
Mark Irwin
Director of Technology Development
Southern California Edison
Timon Meyer
Senior Advisor
Cleantech Business Park
Managing Director
Berlin Solar Network
Robert Freeman
Airport Environmental Manager // Los Angeles World Airports
Rajit Gadh
Professor // UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied ScienceFounding Director // UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center
Dr. Rajit Gadh is a Professor at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA, and the Founding Director of the UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center. He is also Founder and Director of the Wireless Internet for Mobile Enterprise Consortium. Dr. Gadh's research interests include Smart Grid Architectures, Smart wireless communications, sense and control for Demand Response. He has over 150 papers in journals, conferences and technical magazines, and, 3 patents granted.
He has a Doctorate degree from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), a Masters from Cornell University and a Bachelors degree from IIT Kanpur. He has taught as a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley, has been a Assistant, Associate and Full Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, and did his sabbatical as a visiting researcher at Stanford University for a year.
Mark Irwin
Director of Technology Development // Southern California Edison
As Director of Technology Development, Mark's responsibilities include leading the Advanced Technology group's testing and demonstration of emerging technologies, including the execution of our Department of Energy smart grid demonstrations and the strategic oversight for the operations of the Electric Vehicle Technical Center, Advanced Technology laboratories and the evaluation of emerging energy storage technologies.
During his time with Edison, Mark has spent 15 years in the unregulated businesses with Edison Mission Group, including roles as Managing Director of Solar Development and Vice President for Asset Management – Americas. In these roles, Mark has led teams that developed, managed or contracted with significant power generation and fuel assets.
Mark has an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Timon Meyer
Senior Advisor // Cleantech Business ParkManaging Director // Berlin Solar Network
Timon Meyer is Senior Advisor for Cleantech Business Park, a 220-acre industrial and commercial park for Clean Tech companies, and Managing Director of Berlin Solar Network, the association of solar companies and institutions in Berlin and its surrounding "Capital Region".
Timon was Head of the Business Unit "Manufacturing Industries, Mobility & Clean Technologies" at Berlin Partner. Previously, Timon was with TOTAL Germany from 2002 through 2006, serving as Strategic Controlling Manager, among other positions. During his tenure, the company opened its first LH2 / CH2 hydrogen filling station in Berlin and initiated several other sustainable development projects, most notably a CO2 emission reduction formula for trucks. Timon holds a European Master in Management degree from ESCP Europe.
David Orr
Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President
Oberlin College
Fred Johring
Harbor Trucking Association
Golden State Express, Inc.; Golden State Services, Inc.
Deborah Weintraub
Chief Deputy City Engineer
City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Paul Gipe
Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home-and Community-Scale Wind Energy Systems
David Orr
Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President // Oberlin College
David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College and Executive Director of the Oberlin Project.
In 1996 he organized the effort to design the first substantially green building on a U.S. college campus. The Lewis Center purifies all of its waste water and is the first college building in the U.S. powered entirely by sunlight. His recent projects include a two year $1.2 million collaborative project to define a 100 days climate action plan for the Obama administration where the actions of the present generation might deprive posterity. He is presently the Executive Director of the Oberlin Project which is focused on making the City of Oberlin a model of full-spectrum sustainability and replicating that effort through a National Sustainable Communities Coalition.
Fred Johring
President // Harbor Trucking AssociationPresident // Golden State Express, Inc.; Golden State Services, Inc.
Fred Johring is President of the Harbor Trucking Association, an industry group that provides trucking to/from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The Harbor Trucking Association is the leading advocacy group and advocates to keep Ports competitive and world leaders in promoting clean air and job growth.
Fred is also the President of Golden State Express, Inc. (GSE) and GSL Transportation Services, Inc. (GSL), a midsized trucking and warehousing group based in Rancho Dominguez, CA. Mr. Johring has extensive experience at Union Pacific Railroad in the international and intermodal arena, before he founded his current companies in 1996. He is a commissioner on the board of the Workforce investment Board in Long Beach. He is active with the American Trucking Association, the CTA, and the Harbor Transportation Club.
Deborah Weintraub
Chief Deputy City Engineer // City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation
Paul Gipe
Author // Wind Energy Basics: A Guide to Home-and Community-Scale Wind Energy Systems
Susan Robinson
Public Affairs Director
Waste Management
Michael Christensen
Deputy Executive Director, Development
Port of Los Angeles
Carl Salas
Founder and Principal
Salas O'Brien
Robert Owen-Jones
Assistant Secretary
Global Engagement Branch, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Australian Government
Susan Robinson
Public Affairs Director // Waste Management
Michael Christensen
Deputy Executive Director, Development // Port of Los Angeles
As deputy executive director at the Port of Los Angeles, Michael R. Christensen, P.E., is the second in command at the nation's number one container port and head of the Port's Development Bureau.
Christensen oversees the Engineering, Environmental, Goods Movement, and Construction divisions, which employ approximately 200 professional, technical, and clerical staff plus hundreds of consultant and contractor personnel in support of the permitting, design, construction, maintenance, and environmental management of the infrastructure and development projects at the 7500-acre complex. He also oversees the Board of Harbor Commissioners' office and is liaison with outside transportation agencies on goods movement projects related to the Port.
Christensen has more than 35 years of engineering and management experience related to maritime, rail, and general transportation projects. Prior to joining the port in October 2006, Christensen served as vice president at Parsons Transportation Group where he was responsible for a broad range of local, regional, and national goods movement, port, and rail projects.
His career-to-date also includes holding senior management positions at several other transportation consulting firms plus 16 years of service to the Southern Pacific Railroad, where he held various posts including assistant chief engineer for design and construction and chief environmental affairs officer. He has held key leadership positions on a number of major projects that include the Alameda Corridor rail expressway serving the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, the Port of Los Angeles' Transportation Master Plan, the Port of Oakland's Maritime Development Alternative Study, and Reno's ReTRAC grade separation project.
Christensen earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Arizona State University and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association. A third-generation civil engineer, Christensen is a registered professional engineer in California and nine other states. He currently resides with his wife and four children in Redondo Beach, Calif., where he volunteers on a school board committee, as a youth soccer league referee, and as a local Boy Scout leader.
Carl Salas
Founder and Principal // Salas O'Brien
Robert Owen-Jones
Assistant Secretary // Global Engagement Branch, Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Australian Government
Jeff Joyner
Shareholder, Intellectual Property Litigation
Greenberg Traurig
Wendy James
President and CEO
The Better World Group, Inc.
Marshall Parsons
Manager, Edison SmartConnect Product Development
Southern California Edison
Andy Thompson
Marketing Communications Manager
Shaw Power Group
Jeff Joyner
Shareholder, Intellectual Property Litigation // Greenberg Traurig
Jeff Joyner has been very active in serving as outside general counsel to CleanTech businesses whose goals are start-up funding, acquisition and protection of intellectual property, public offerings, incentives, grants, and joint venture partners, among others. In this role, Jeff uses his vast experience in patent, trademark, and copyright acquisition, protection, licensing, enforcement, litigation, trials and appeals. Jeff advises and is a limited partner of one of the first clean technology venture funds that focuses on energy, water, agriculture and materials. He also advises other companies using technologies for solar, wind, biomass, solar thermal, waste-to-energy, green building material, transportation, infrastructure and smart grid projects, among others. Jeff is on the Board of Directors for CleanTech LA and chairs several working groups and task forces dedicated to the green economy for CleanTech businesses for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Jeff was named one of the "75 Top IP Litigators" in California by the Daily Journal; selected by Super Lawyers magazine, ranking him in the top 2.5 percent of Southern California lawyers; and selected by Forbes as one of "America's Premier Lawyers."
Wendy James
President and CEO // The Better World Group, Inc.
Wendy James is President and CEO of The Better World Group, Inc. The company has been a recognized leader in political and environmental strategy, policy development and coalition management for more than a decade, working closely with the environmental community, progressive businesses and policymakers.
Over the past 35 years, James has developed unique expertise in political strategy, media and coalition building, with a special focus on clean energy and transportation issues. Prior to creating BWG, she led the Environmental Media Association, Southern California Edison's Electric Transportation Division and the American Gas Association's environmental communications program. She also worked as a congressional press secretary and a daily newspaper reporter.
Wendy has been honored by the California League of Conservation Voters, the Coalition for Clean Air, and was named Small Business Woman of the Year by her state legislators. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Institute for Transportation Studies at the University of California-Davis, on the Board of Trustees for the California State Parks Foundation, and the Community Advisory Council for Southern California Gas Company.
Marshall Parsons
Manager, Edison SmartConnect Product Development // Southern California Edison
Marshall Parsons is responsible developing and testing products and solutions to meet the needs of the Edison SmartConnect™ smartmeter program. Specific focus areas include Home Area Networks, Programmable Communicating Thermostats, Graphical Information Displays, Smart Appliances and Plug-in Electric Vehicles.
Before assuming his current position Parsons was Program Manager of laboratory and field test programs for the Edison SmartConnect™ meters and telecommunications. Under his leadership, two field trials were successfully completed with an installed base of 8,000 smart meters and associated telecommunications infrastructure.
Prior to joining Southern California Edison in 2003, Parsons was a Senior Consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, implementing major CRM and business systems. Parsons has worked internationally in telecommunications and aerospace R&D in the United Kingdom and South Africa and as the Integration Manager at the new airport in Hong Kong.
Parsons earned his Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering in the United Kingdom and is a Member of the IET (UK). He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute.
Andy Thompson
Marketing Communications Manager // Shaw Power Group
Joseph Andrew (Andy) Thompson is the marketing communications Director for Shaw's Power Group. Shaw is a fully integrated nuclear services provider offering licensing, design, engineering, construction, pipe fabrication, maintenance, modularization, startup and test, and new plant services worldwide.
Mr. Thompson joined Shaw's Power Group in 2011. In his current role, he is responsible for marketing communications, community relations and internal communications.
Mr. Thompson has over 32 years of experience in nuclear and fossil generation communications. In 1980, he participated in the industry response to the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear event by providing on-site communications support.
Prior to joining Shaw, Mr. Thompson worked as a newspaper reporter and spent 32 years with Duke Energy serving in a number of communications roles, including manager of the Catawba Nuclear Station's community relations program, nuclear media relations, fossil media relations and employee communications.
Mr. Thompson holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of South Carolina.
Antonio Villaraigosa
City of Los Angeles
Gregory Trimarche
Environmental and Energy Attorney
Greenberg Traurig
Henry Hilken
Director of Planning and Research
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Mike Woo
Dean, College of Environmental Design
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor // City of Los Angeles
Antonio R. Villaraigosa is the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles.
Born on January 23, 1953 in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles, Antonio is the oldest of four children raised by a single mother, Natalia Delgado.
Villaraigosa's sense of civic justice and political action began at a young age. As a high school student, he volunteered with the farm workers movement, led student walkouts and organized an African-American student union.
During his junior year of high school, Villaraigosa dropped out, but eventually returned to school at the encouragement of his English teacher, Herman Katz. After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School, Villaraigosa attended UCLA, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in History. He went on to attend the People's College of Law, a night school dedicated to public-interest law.
By the age of 25, Villaraigosa was elected president of a local union representing civil rights workers and lawyers in six states. Over the next fifteen years, Villaraigosa continued this work as a union organizer for the Service Employees International Union, United Teachers Los Angeles, and then as President of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Federation of Government Employees.
In 1994, Villaraigosa was elected to the California State Assembly and, four years later, his colleagues elected him the first Assembly Speaker from Los Angeles in 25 years.
While in the Assembly, Villaraigosa spearheaded a $9.1 billion initiative to rebuild and modernize California schools, led a $2.1 billion initiative effort to provide parks and open space throughout the state, funded an extensive expansion of water quality enforcement by the state, and authored the state health insurance program, Healthy Families.
Elected as the Councilmember to Los Angeles' 14th District in 2003, Villaraigosa was widely credited with resolving the Metropolitan Transit Authority transit strike, creating the largest passive park on the Eastside and Los Angeles, and protecting funding for the Arts.
In 2005, Villaraigosa ran for Mayor of Los Angeles on a platform of bringing the City together to take on the big challenges. He was elected on May 17, 2005 and sworn in as Mayor on July 1, 2005.
During his first term, Mayor Villaraigosa built the police force to its largest size in history, oversaw the steepest reduction in crime since the 1950's, and developed Los Angeles' first comprehensive anti-gang strategy.
Mayor Villaraigosa dedicated much of his first term to reforming Los Angeles's public schools because of his passionate belief that Los Angeles will never succeed as a great global city if every child isn't given a world-class education.
Fighting for reform from both inside and outside of the school district, the Mayor now oversees the Partnership for LA Schools, which runs ten of the lowest-performing schools. Within one year, test scores are already rising.
With the launching of GREEN LA, the Mayor set Los Angeles on the path to becoming one of the greenest big cities in the nation. The City has met the Kyoto targets for reducing greenhouse gases four years ahead of schedule; taken over 2,000 dirty diesel trucks off the road; met the first target of getting 10% of energy from renewable sources and is on track to reaching 40% by 2020; and put into place the most aggressive green building program of any large city.
Teaming up with transportation leaders throughout Los Angeles County, Mayor Villaraigosa led the effort to pass a once-in-a-generation investment in the mass transit system of Los Angeles. With the passage of Measure R, LA County is poised to invest in $40 billion in new transit, rail and highways.
On March 3, 2009, Mayor Villaraigosa was re-elected and took the oath for a second term on July 1, 2009.
Pledging to finish the work begun in his first term, Mayor Villaraigosa laid out an agenda centered on five focused goals for four years.
First and foremost of these goals, will be his effort to lead Los Angeles out of the recession and create jobs. The Mayor will also work to shut down failing schools and reconstitute them as innovation campuses, public charters or members of the Partnership Schools; set the city's Department of Water and Power on a path to becoming coal free by 2020; oversee the largest mass transit construction program in America; and fight to keep Los Angeles one of the safest big cities in the nation by keeping the police force at 10,000 officers strong and crime at historic lows.
Gregory Trimarche
Environmental and Energy Attorney // Greenberg Traurig
Gregory Trimarche is an environmental and energy attorney in Greenberg Traurig's Orange County Office, with particular focus on regulatory and government affairs issues relating to energy and "clean technology" matters. Mr. Trimarche represents many clients that are part of the "clean tech" industry, including but not limited to solar and wind power facility developers, biofuel companies, alternative fuel vehicle manufacturers, and a wide range of other clients involved in energy facility siting and permitting, "smart grid," and other energy and resource conservation matters. Among other things, Mr. Trimarche has assisted clean tech clients in their efforts to obtain "stimulus" grants, tax credits, and other government incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("ARRA") and other government programs. Mr. Trimarche is a co-founder and currently serves as Chair of Clean Tech OC, a nonprofit trade association serving the clean tech industry in Orange County, California.
Henry Hilken
Director of Planning and Research // Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Henry Hilken is the Director of Planning and Research at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The Air District is responsible for assuring clean air in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Hilken oversees preparation of regional air quality plans, transportation and land use programs, climate protection activities, amendments to Air District regulations, air quality modeling analyses, preparation of emission inventories, and the Community Air Risk Evaluation program. Mr. Hilken has a Masters of City Planning from UC Berkeley and has worked at the Air District since 1988.
Mike Woo
Dean, College of Environmental Design // California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Michael Woo is Dean of the College of Environmental Design at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The College is one of the few university programs in the U.S. linking the allied disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning, and also includes a large art department and the interdisciplinary sustainability programs at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies.
Since the 1980s, Dean Woo has been one of the leading figures in Southern California planning and other efforts to shape the urban environment. He was the first trained urban planner elected to the Los Angeles City Council (1985 – 1993) and has served as a member of the L.A. City Planning Commission for the pat six years. During his two terms as the Councilman representing the Hollywood area, Woo initiated the Hollywood Redevelopment Plan which set forth the 30-year legal and financial framework underlying Hollywood's current revitalization. He also played a key role planning the route and station locations of the Metro Red Line subway connecting downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. Woo chairs the national board of directors of Smart Growth America and also chairs the nonprofit organization which runs the Hollywood Farmers Market, the largest certified farmers market in the City of Los Angeles. He earned a B.A. in Politics and Urban Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received his Master of City Planning degree from UC Berkeley.
David Kanani, PhD EECD
Managing Partner
Grid Solar, LLC
Kraig Schwigen
Senior Vice President, World Wide Operations
CMB Export, LLC
John Drayton
Manager of Vehicle Technology
Los Angeles Metro ((Bus Operations))
John Fenton
Chief Executive Officer
Southern California Regional Rail Authority
David Kanani, PhD EECD
Managing Partner // Grid Solar, LLC
Kraig Schwigen
Senior Vice President, World Wide Operations // CMB Export, LLC
The Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations of the CMB Regional Centers is Kraig A. Schwigen. CMB Export, LLC and CMB Summit, LLC were founded by Patrick F. Hogan who still serves as the President of both companies. CMB Export, LLC was authorized as a Regional Center in 1997 under the legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service and the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program. CMB, as a Regional Center, pools investor capital from around the world with the ultimate goal of obtaining permanent residency in the United States for their investors and the creation of new American jobs as a result of each investment. Since 2008, CMB has raised $400 million in EB-5 investor capital that has been married up to well over $3 billion in total project spending which has lead to the creation of no fewer than 10,000 new American jobs.
Mr. Schwigen has had a professional relationship with Mr. Hogan since 1998. Mr. Schwigen served with the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department for over twenty three years. Prior to his retirement from law enforcement in 2008 he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. During his career he was responsible for overseeing numerous divisions within the department including Investigation, Fugitive, Patrol, Professional Standards and Administrator of the County Jail. Additionally, Mr. Schwigen has over fifteen years involvement in the new home construction and real estate development industries, recently completing one of the largest home subdivisions in Western Illinois.
Currently, Mr. Schwigen oversees all aspects of CMB's worldwide operations including the development and expansion of CMB's presence in the EB-5 industry and investor marketplace. He is very active in the Invest in the USA (IIUSA) organization and chairs the Best Practices Committee. He and Mr. Hogan have worked closely with the Ohio Department of Development in developing the framework that would allow EB-5 infrastructure investments to become a part of the State's future infrastructure plans. Mr. Schwigen's recent focus within CMB has become more related to Project Development as other senior staff have been added and primary responsibilities have shifted freeing up more time for the development of future CMB investment projects.
John Drayton
Manager of Vehicle Technology // Los Angeles Metro ((Bus Operations))
John Fenton
Chief Executive Officer // Southern California Regional Rail Authority
Throughout his career, John Fenton has built a reputation as a leader who gets results. His ability to motivate people and align teams around his vision of operational excellence has resulted in measurable improvements in safety, productivity, and financial well-being in organizations. Through his exceptional relationship-building skills with key stakeholders, and his expertise in the transportation industry, Fenton has been able to successfully introduce new efficiencies and deliver measurable results in domestic and international markets.
John Fenton joined Metrolink as its CEO in April 2010. Fenton's commitment to excellence in service, efficiency, transparency and fiscal responsibility has brought substantial changes to the railroad, including enhancing the safety culture, improving equipment utilization and capitalization, and instituting a fuel conservation program that has improved emissions and saved millions. Under Fenton's short tenure, Metrolink has launched the nation's safest fleet of passenger rail cars, and progressed with its accelerated strategy to have Positive Train Control operational in advance of the 2015 federal deadline.
Prior to joining Metrolink, Fenton was an Operating Partner with CIH Capital Partners, a full service investment bank. He previously served as President and CEO of OmniTRAX, Inc., Denver-based short line railroad transportation services company. His railroad experience is extensive, including posts as General Manager and Vice President of the Canadian National Railway, Canada's largest freight railroad; Vice President of the Kansas City Southern Railway; an executive with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, which later became part of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway; and as a manager at Union Pacific Railroad.
John Fenton has a Master's Of Science in Systems Management (MSSM) from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Transportation management from Indiana University, Bloomington. Fenton lives in Pasadena with his wife of 33 years, Monica.
Randy Lack
Chief Marketing Officer
Element Markets
Medhanie Ephrem
Deputy Director of Facilities
Long Beach Community College District
Andrew Orrell
Director of Nuclear Energy & Fuel Cycle Programs
Sandia National Laboratories
Eric Schockman
Vice President
California League of Conservation Voters Educational Fund
Randy Lack
Chief Marketing Officer // Element Markets
Medhanie Ephrem
Deputy Director of Facilities // Long Beach Community College District
Medhanie Ephrem is the Deputy Director of Facilities for the Long BeachCommunity College District. Mr. Ephrem has 16 years experience in highereducational facilities management. He also provides leadership to a teamthat oversees a general obligation bond construction program in excess of$600 million. He also is a key contributor to the California CommunityColleges Investor Owned Utility management team (CCC/IOU). This teamdevelops and implements a permanent framework for a sustainable, long-term,and comprehensive energy management program at the 112 campuses served byCalifornia¹s four large IOUs. He is a graduate of the University ofCalifornia at Irvine and resides in Long Beach, CA.
Andrew Orrell
Director of Nuclear Energy & Fuel Cycle Programs // Sandia National Laboratories
Mr. Andrew Orrell is the Director of Nuclear Energy & Fuel Cycle Programs for Sandia National Laboratories, responsible for laboratory development initiatives involving all facets of the nuclear fuel cycle. Mr. Orrell has over 20 years of industry experience in nuclear waste management and repository systems spanning low-level, intermediate (transuranic), spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste types. He headed Sandia's Lead Laboratory for Repository Systems program and led the completion of the postclosure performance assessment portions of the Yucca Mountain License Application. Prior to working on the Yucca Mountain Program, he was the Sandia manager for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the National Transuranic Waste Management program. His professional experience spans technical and managerial efforts at the WIPP and YMP, and technical support for international programs, including repository development, licensing, national policy development, regulatory framework development, site characterization studies, safety case development and performance assessments, transportation programs, and public confidence. His work also includes systems studies for advanced nuclear energy systems for the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, small modular nuclear reactor systems for industry, safety and security applications for the NRC regarding transportation, reactor safety and balance of plant systems, as well as laboratory directed research in advanced nuclear energy and repository systems. Most recently, Mr. Orrell also managed a multi-disciplinary team of internationally recognized experts supporting the severe accident analysis and consequence management for the accident at Fukushima, Japan.
Mr. Orrell regularly consults with leaders of government on nuclear energy and nuclear waste policy. He is versed in the complex issues regarding the treatment, storage and disposal of radioactive waste and the interdependencies between the technical, program and policy elements of nuclear waste management and nuclear energy.
Eric Schockman
Vice President // California League of Conservation Voters Educational Fund
H. Eric Schockman, Ph.D. is the Vice president of the California League of Conservation Voters Educational Fund and oversees Green California, the largest coalition of environmental organizations in California working collectively for sound public policy. He also conducts environmental public opinion polling and statewide voter engagement. In his spare time, he is President and founder of the Global Hunger Foundation. He served as CEO and president of a prestigious international anti-hunger organization for over a decade pumping out some $60 million in grants to the field and helping to pass major public policy legislation.
A public policy expert and an authority on hunger and poverty and environmental issues, Dr. Schockman previously served as Associate Dean/Associate Professor of Political Science for the University of Southern California. He was also a top consultant to the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council. Dr. Schockman was the founder of the National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO), an alliance of all major national anti-hunger organizations in the United States. Additionally, Dr. Schockman is a member the National Interfaith Hunger Director's Committee . He was on the founding board of directors of the Global FoodBanking Network. He was former Chair of the California Post Secondary Education Commission , an appointment made by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Appointed by California State Assembly Speaker Emeritus Antonio Villaraigosa, Eric has also served on the Little Hoover Commission, a bipartisan, independent body whose function is to promote efficiency, effectiveness and economy in state programs. He served in the Peace Crops in Sierra Leone, West Africa, teaching agricultural and sustainable development.
Dr. Schockman speaks before elected officials, professional and community organizations across the country and is frequently quoted in The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, CNN, NPR and other national publications and electronic media.
He has also written several books and edited many articles on politics in California, the nation and international affairs, and presented on panels on these same topic.
Dr. Schockman holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California.
Margot Wirth
Director of Private Equity
California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Carl Zichella
Director of Western Transmission
Natural Resources Defense Council
Jeffrey Milanette
Executive Director
Danny Wong
Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability
Avery Dennison Corporation
Margot Wirth
Director of Private Equity // California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Margot Wirth is the Director of Private Equity at the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS). CalSTRS is the second largest public pension fund in the United States with total assets of $145 billion (of which private equity assets comprise $23 billion). Prior to joining CalSTRS in 2001, Margot was a valuation consultant/manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York and San Francisco. She was also previously Vice President at 3-E Development Corporation, a residential real estate developer in the Washington DC area and a chemical engineer with DuPont in Beaumont, Texas. Margot is a member of the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.
Carl Zichella
Director of Western Transmission // Natural Resources Defense Council
Carl Zichella is the director for western transmission for NRDC. He is the organization's lead staff for western U.S. renewable energy transmission siting and serves on a nationwide team working on renewable energy development issues. In this role he works with stakeholders from environmental organizations, renewable energy development and transmission industries, local, state and national governments, regulatory agencies and the public to find renewable energy transmission solutions that accelerate renewable energy development while respecting wildlife and land conservation efforts.
Before joining NRDC he was the director for western U.S. renewable projects for the Sierra Club. He served in leadership capacities on the Sierra Club staff for 23 years.
Mr. Zichella is a former director of the Climate Action Reserve, founding steering committee member of the California Apollo Alliance, a director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technology (CEERT), environmental representative on the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI), environmental representative to the Western Governor' Association Renewable Energy Zone identification process, environmental representative for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council's Transmission Expansion Planning Policy Committee, and was a founding director of the American Wilderness Coalition.
He lives in Davis, California with his wife Sarah and their dogs Lambchop and Dudley.
Jeffrey Milanette
Executive Director // PortTechLA
Jeffrey Milanette is the Executive Director of PortTechLA (www.PortTechLA.org) a clean / green technology commercialization center and incubator sponsored by the Port of Los Angeles, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. PortTechLA serves the technology needs of the Port's customers and related businesses seeking to create employment and improve the quality of the environment in the San Pedro Bay region of Los Angeles.
Jeff has been involved in the incubation industry since 1986 when he formed Innovative Partners, Inc. (IPI). He founded the San Diego Incubator Corporation, the first incubation program in San Diego and served as Chairman of the Board (1986-89). In 1989, IPI was engaged by Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) to establish the Rutgers Business Innovation Center, a technology incubator program affiliated with the University which he then directed for six years.
As President of IPI, Jeff has conducted numerous feasibility studies and evaluations of incubation programs in the US and overseas for public and private sector clients, including both the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In addition to successfully commercializing technology himself as President of SpeakEZ, Inc., Jeff has also been a founder or director of several technology start-ups, including Aereon, Inc., La Jolla Design Corp., and The Venture Information Network for Entrepreneurs. He served as President of the New Jersey Entrepreneurs Forum from 1995 to 2009, and was a co-founder of the annual Russian Venture Fair (now in its 11th year). Jeff is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, and holds an MBA in finance from the George Washington University.
Danny Wong
Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability // Avery Dennison Corporation
Danny Wong is the senior director of corporate sustainability for Avery Dennison Corporation, leading the company's vision and strategy to embed sustainability into everyday practices across its global operations. Danny chairs the company's Sustainability Steering Committee of corporate and business unit leaders who identify and implement the priorities for the company. He directs a team of six full-time sustainability professionals, four of whom report directly into business operations or product innovation. Danny has over 25 years of experience in sustainability, industrial hygiene and safety, and holds a doctorate in environmental sciences from UCLA.
Stephen Mullennix
Senior Vice President, Operations
Noah Garrison
Project Attorney, Water Program
Christopher Cannon
Director of Environmental Management
Port of Los Angeles
Kelvin Hiraishi
Director, R&D Engineering West
Mazda North American Operations
Stephen Mullennix
Senior Vice President, Operations // SolarReserve
Stephen Mullennix is Senior Vice President, Operations at SolarReserve where he leads the company's efforts in asset management and corporate development. SolarReserve's leading technology includes integrated energy storage that can deliver utility scale renewable electricity on demand - day or night. In September 2011, SolarReserve began construction of its flagship Crescent Dunes project in Nevada – the world's largest solar thermal power plant with advanced energy storage technology. The project will provide clean power to approximately 75,000 homes and create more than 4,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs.
Mr. Mullennix has 16 years of experience in the infrastructure and energy industries. He has held senior positions in numerous successful infrastructure companies in the energy, engineering design services, and wastewater sectors. Mr. Mullennix has led asset management activities and overseen projects in the solar, biomass, landfill methane and other renewable energy sectors. Mr. Mullennix has negotiated numerous power purchase agreements, EPC contracts, technology supply agreements, fuel contracts and O&M relationships. Throughout his career, Mr. Mullennix has worked with technical teams to commercialize breakthrough first-of-its-kind technologies in the infrastructure industry.
Prior to joining SolarReserve, Mr. Mullennix was a Managing Director at US Renewables Group, the founding investor in SolarReserve. While at US Renewables Group, he was actively involved in the initial founding of SolarReserve and has worked with the management team and the company's investors since inception in 2007. In addition to his work with SolarReserve, Mr. Mullennix successfully led acquisition, management and disposition of multiple investments in US Renewable Group's three investment funds totaling more than $750 million of equity capital. Prior to US Renewables Group, Mr. Mullennix was Asscoiate Vice President at AECOM Technology Company (NYSE: ACM) and Co-Founder of Ennix Incorporated.
Mr. Mullennix earned an MBA with Honors from the Anderson School at UCLA, an AB degree in Economic Geography from Dartmouth College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Noah Garrison
Project Attorney, Water Program // NRDC
Noah Garrison is a Project Attorney with the Water Program at NRDC. Working from each of NRDC's U.S. offices, the Water Program seeks to ensure safe and sufficient water for people and ecosystems in the United States. Noah joined NRDC in 2007, and has spent the past four years working on legal, policy, and technical water related issues that include urban runoff and storm water; green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) implementation and its relationship to water supply, energy use, and climate change; enforcement of the Clean Water Act and California Porter-Cologne Act; and groundwater supply and the relationship between groundwater and the public trust in California. Noah is a graduate of Wesleyan University and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, with a specialization in Public Interest Law and Policy. Noah also holds a M.S. in Geological Sciences from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he served as a Lecturer in 2004.
Christopher Cannon
Director of Environmental Management // Port of Los Angeles
Christopher Cannon is the director of environmental management for the Port of Los Angeles, a position he has held since October 2010.
Cannon has worked at the Port of Los Angeles as a consultant since 2004, most recently helping to manage the implementation and daily operation of the highly successful Clean Truck Program.
In his new role, Cannon will be responsible for balancing commerce and growth with ecological sustainability at the nation's busiest container port. The division assesses environmental impacts of development projects and determines appropriate mitigation measures. It also prepares and distributes any environmental documentation mandated by state and federal law; special studies involving dredging, noise abatement, water quality and air quality; contamination characterizations; wildlife management; and establishment of policies regarding environmental quality issues.
Before his work on the Clean Truck Program, Cannon worked with the Port Environmental Management Division's Air Quality and CEQA groups, supporting the development of key air projects such as the Clean Air Action Plan and its efforts to complete critical environmental impact reports for Port-related projects.
Cannon has 21 years of experience in the environmental services industry, working on a range of projects while employed by ENVIRON International Corporation and TRC Environmental Solutions.
Cannon also spent two years as a legislative assistant for environmental policy on the Washington, D.C. staff of U.S. Representative Martin Sabo of Minnesota.
Cannon received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Dartmouth College and a law degree from University of California at Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Kelvin Hiraishi
Director, R&D Engineering West // Mazda North American Operations
Works to develop attractive products that contribute to successful North American Business Plan, focusing upstream in Advance Development Research, Technical Development and Brand / Quality Enhancement.
Ken Lewis
President, Firm Sustainability Leader
AC Martin Partners
Ron Goodman
Manager of Market Development
Southern California Gas Company
Hank Lee
Vice President, International Banking
East West Bank
C. Scott Miller
Miller De Wulf Corporation
Ken Lewis
President, Firm Sustainability Leader // AC Martin Partners
Ken Lewis is the President of AC Martin Partners, and has been with the firm for 30 years. He is a designer first, with an inherent ability to bring people, ideas and technology together, helping to create and influence the built environment. An uncharacteristically, hands-on President, Ken has designed and managed a long list of projects for the firm, involving himself from the earliest stages of the project, through the construction and final commissioning. He now focuses exclusively on facility programming, large projects and sustainable design leadership on all projects in the office.
A long time advocate of Sustainable Design Principles, Ken strongly believes in a holistic approach to architecture – an approach that goes beyond a narrow focus of checklists and measurements. He is recognized in Southern California as an expert in Green Building Design, recently participating in the effort for the City of Los Angeles' first green building legislature for private sector, new construction. He was appointed by the City of Burbank to the city's task force for a "Sustainable Burbank" in 2009, and now serves as the Vice Chair/Commissioner for Burbank's Sustainability Commission.
Ken received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California, and is a registered architect in California and a LEED™ Accredited Professional. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Society of College and University Planners, and served as a member of the Los Angeles Business Council – Energy and Environment Committee. As part of Ken's commitment to furthering the field of the architecture and engineering, he was an adjunct faculty member for the School of Engineering at Cal State Fullerton from 1990 to 1995, is currently an adjunct faculty member for the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California. Ken is a frequent guest lecturer at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California.
Ron Goodman
Manager of Market Development // Southern California Gas Company
Hank Lee
Vice President, International Banking // East West Bank
Hank Lee has been in the equipment leasing industry for over 20 years with the last 12 years focusing on financing energy assets. Hank specifically has financed distributed generation assets such as central plants, energy efficiency equipment, co-generation and renewable energy projects for institutions, commercial, municipals and the federal government.
Hank has brought his energy equipment financing expertise to East West Bank as a First Vice President in the International Banking Department specializing in financing renewable energy projects. He has financed solar projects at the Port of West Sacramento, City of Brea, San Diego Community College District, Edwards Air Force Base as well as solar projects in New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Hank is a graduate of Duke University with a degree in Economics.
C. Scott Miller
President // Miller De Wulf Corporation
C. Scott Miller, MBA, is the President of the Miller De Wulf Corporation - a bioenergy communications and marketing firm in Los Angeles. His clients include the Bioenergy Producers Association, Ineos Bio, New Planet Energy, Price BIOstock, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. He is a nationally recognized spokesman for sustainable biomass aggregation for bioenergy projects. Scott was recently elected President of "Victory Plant" - a non-profit biorefinery certification and outreach collaboration whose mission is to educate, certify, and promote the deployment of integrated biorefineries in North America. He is an active member of the American Council on Renewable Energy, 25x'25, and the California Biomass Collaborative. Scott is also a certified social media strategist who writes bioenergy blogs and participates regularly on Twitter #Biochat as "BioBlogger."
Michael Berg
Berg & Associates
Suzy Amis-Cameron
MUSE School CA
Doug McPherson
General Counsel and Vice President, Corporate Development
Sigal Admony-Ravid
Israel Consul for Economic Affairs to the West Coast
Michael Berg
Principal // Berg & Associates
Michael Berg, J.D. is an environmental, social and governance (ESG) expert with a focused specialization on how financial markets, regulators and large supply chains are addressing climate change and sustainability.
Michael is an advisor to leading Fortune 200 companies, investment firms and organizations on ESG strategy and reporting. Michael is a regular contributor to the American Bar Association on leading edge disclosure issues. His work has been cited by the Harvard Business School, Austin Business Journal and Greentech Media.
Suzy Amis-Cameron
Founder // MUSE School CA
Suzy Amis Cameron is a model, actress, a proud mother of five children, happily married to James Cameron, and an educational and environmental activist. In 2005, she founded MUSE School CA with her sister Rebecca Amis, an experience-based elementary school with a mission to 'Inspire and Prepare Young People to Live Consciously with Themselves One Another and the Planet. Suzy also developed the Red Carpet Green Dress contest, an international competition to raise funds for global scholarships through MUSE School CA and MUSE Global. Dress designs were submitted from all over the world, with the mandate that the dress be created from sustainable materials. Suzy chose the winning design, wore it on the red carpet at The Academy Awards in 2010, and the 2011 design was presented on a model on the green carpet at the Global Green Pre-Oscar Party. MUSE Global outreach program provides educational and financial resources to Good Morning School in Mae Sot, Thailand- a MUSE inspired school educating children of migrant workers who have escaped genocide in Burma.
Doug McPherson
General Counsel and Vice President, Corporate Development // Idealab
Doug McPherson serves as Idealab's General Counsel and Vice President of Corporate Development. Prior to joining Idealab, he served as Chief Legal Officer and Vice President, Business Development for Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch and its predecessor company, CitySearch. Before working at CitySearch, Doug was with the law firm of HellerEhrman LLP. He also served as a law clerk for a federal district judge and worked for The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City. He holds a B.A. in Classics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar, an M.A. in Greek and Roman History from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School where he served on the Stanford Law Review and Environmental Law Journal. He enjoys running, wine, time with his family and live performances of all kinds.
Sigal Admony-Ravid
Israel Consul for Economic Affairs to the West Coast
Sigal Admony-Ravid is the Israel Consul for Economic Affairs to the West Coast. Her office is responsible for enhancing bi-national trade relations between the local and Israeli business communities across a broad spectrum of industries.
Sigal began her career at the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the Foreign Trade Administration as the Deputy Director of the North American Department. Afterwards, she was assigned the duties of overseeing a national program that promoted the international commercialization of alternative energy technologies.
Before joining the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Sigal worked as an attorney for a leading Israeli firm specializing in intellectual property. She also worked as an attorney for the State Advocacy Fiscal Department within the Ministry of Justice.
Sigal received her degree in law from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Sigal also holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Tel Aviv University's Eitan Berglas School of Economics and an MBA from the TelAviv University and the Anderson school of business ,UCLA.
The Government of Israel Economic Mission is responsible for enhancing bi-national trade relations between the West Coast and Israeli business communities. By leveraging its networking capacity and industry knowledge in Israel and the Western United States, the Economic Mission is able to seamlessly engage prospective business partners half a world apart. Our operations span a variety of industry sectors, with a focus on high-tech, security, new media, cleantech and biotechnology.
Tom Drischler
Acting Chief, Bureau of Franchise & Taxicab Regulation
City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation
David Nahai
David Nahai Consulting
Lee Kanon Alpert
Immediate Past President
LADWP Board of Commissioners
Mark Fillinger
Director of Development
First Solar
Tom Drischler
Acting Chief, Bureau of Franchise & Taxicab Regulation // City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation
Tom Drischler is the Acting Chief of the Bureau of Franchise & Taxicab Regulation for the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation. He is also concurrently the Los Angeles Taxicab Administrator, a position he has held since 1999. From 1986 through 1999, he was a Management Analyst with Los Angeles World Airports at LAX , where he was instrumental in writing and implementing the LAX Ground Transportation Permit Program. Tom's office issues permits to more than 7,000 drivers and attendants of private ambulances, taxicabs and other vehicles for hire and more than 4,000 vehicles.
A graduate of Daniel Murphy High School of Los Angeles, Tom has a Bachelor's degree in Social Science from the University of Oregon and a Masters degree (MPA) in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Transportation Regulators (www.IATR.org) and is an Accredited Airport Executive with the American Association of Airport Executives.
David Nahai
President // David Nahai Consulting
David Nahai is the President of David Nahai Consulting Services, LLC, which advises public and private entities in the renewable energy, energy efficiency and water sectors. He is also a partner at the law firm of Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith and co-chair of its energy, water, and real estate practice areas. He is also the former Commission President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). Mr. Nahai's administration expanded LADWP's renewable portfolio to 15% and paved the way for its attainment of the 20% level. Under David Nahai's watch, the LADWP achieved multi-fold increases in energy efficiency levels, as well as record reductions in water consumption in the City of Los Angeles. Mr. Nahai is also the former Chair of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he served in the administrations of 3 California Governors. He sits on the Boards of the California League of Conservation Voters, Heal the Bay, and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation and has served as Senior Advisor to the Clinton Climate Initiative.
Lee Kanon Alpert
Immediate Past President // LADWP Board of Commissioners
Mark Fillinger
Director of Development // First Solar
Mr. Fillinger is responsible for developing First Solar's utility-scale solar projects and leading the origination team in the US. A 20+-year energy industry executive, Mr. Fillinger has extensive experience with siting, permitting, financing and negotiating all project related contracts.
Prior to First Solar, Mr. Fillinger worked with NextLight and OptiSolar where he led both development and project finance activities where he developed the company's power purchase agreement offering, negotiating and closing the first $40 million of projects developed under this structure. While at the California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority, he developed a third party PV acquisition program for State agencies. Mr. Fillinger also worked at Enron North America, where he served as Director of Power Origination. Mr. Fillinger holds a B.S in Energy Economics from the University of California, Davis and an M.B.A in Finance from Columbia University.
Diane Wittenberg
Executive Director and Chairman
Plug-in Vehicle Collaborative
Jim McIntosh
Executive Advisor
California ISO
Mike Rosenfeld
Vice Consul
British Consulate-General; UK Trade & Investment
Mary Nichols
California Air Resources Board
Diane Wittenberg
Executive Director and Chairman // Plug-in Vehicle Collaborative
Jim McIntosh
Executive Advisor // California ISO
Mike Rosenfeld
Vice Consul // British Consulate-General; UK Trade & Investment
Mary Nichols
Chairman // California Air Resources Board
Fiona Ma
Former Speaker Pro Tempore
California State Assembly
Jun Niimi
Consul General
Japanese Consulate, Los Angeles
Malia Cohen
Supervisor, District 10
San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Carla Peterman
California Public Utilities Commission
Fiona Ma
Former Speaker Pro Tempore // California State Assembly
Jun Niimi
Consul General // Japanese Consulate, Los Angeles
Consul General Niimi joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979 after graduating from Tokyo University's Faculty of Law. His previous international assignments were in England, Kenya, France, Iran, Russia, and Thailand. At Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Tokyo, he has served as Director of the Overseas Public Relations Division, Director of the Consular Policy Division, Director of the Overseas Establishments Division, and as Assistant Vice-Minister. The post of Consul General at Los Angeles is his first assignment in the United States.
Malia Cohen
Supervisor, District 10 // San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Malia Cohen was elected in November 2010 to represent the residents of San Francisco's 10th District, including the Bayview Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods.
Supervisor Cohen serves as Chair of the Transportation Authority Finance Committee, Chair of the Government, Audit and Oversight Committee, member of the Rules Committee. She also serves as Vice Chair of the San Francisco Retirement System (SFRS), member of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board and member of First 5 Commission of San Francisco.
Since being elected Supervisor for San Francisco's tenth district in 2010, Supervisor Malia Cohen has prioritized developing policies and legislation that keeps the residents of San Francisco's Southeastern neighborhoods working, healthy and safe. Consistent with these principals in her first three years in office Supervisor Cohen sponsored the Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance prohibiting limited services pregnancy centers from making false or misleading statements about their services. After passage, this measure was challenged in court and upheld in its entirety. Supervisor Cohen championed legislation that increased penalties for illegal dumping and after seeing the financial and public safety impacts of metal theft, successfully passed first-of-its-kind legislation to strengthen permitting regulations and enforcement on our City's junk dealers. Additionally, Supervisor Cohen co-sponsored legislation establishing parking restrictions for oversized vehicles as a response to widespread constituent complaints about long-term recreational vehicle (RV) parking and resulting safety and health problems.
In this short amount of time in office Supervisor Cohen has sponsored three ordinances regulating types of especially lethal ammunition, high capacity firearm magazines and giving law enforcement additional tools to combat gun violence. These ordinances increase San Francisco's already tough stance on firearm regulation. Additionally, she has passed legislation that increases neighborhood notification and community participation in land use decisions and sponsored legislation facilitating the expansion of the California College of the Arts and the revitalization of historic buildings at Pier 70.
Supervisor Cohen came to the Board from Power Forward Consulting, a public affairs, media and policy consulting firm helping businesses and nonprofits create sound public policy. She is a former member of the Corporate Strategy and Communications team for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco where she worked to supervise and regulate America's banking institutions.
Supervisor Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and attended Lowell High School. She earned a BA in Political Science from Fisk University and a MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Carla Peterman
Commissioner // California Public Utilities Commission
Carla Peterman was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission by Governor Edmund G. Brown in December 2012 and began her post in January 2013. Commissioner Peterman is the assigned commissioner for alternative transportation, electric storage issues (AB 2514, Skinner, 2010), several proceedings related to the promotion of biogas, including for pipeline injection (AB 1900, Gatto, 2012) and an application from Southern California Gas to provide biogas conditioning services, the California Teleconnect Fund, the California American Water general rate case, a proceeding related to transit worker safety, and the 2007 Malibu Fire investigation, along with numerous other smaller cases.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Peterman was appointed to the California Energy Commission by Governor Jerry Brown in January 2011 and began her post in March 2011. She filled the Public Member position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members are required by law to have professional training in specific areas—engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law. Commissioner Peterman was the lead CEC Commissioner for renewables, transportation, natural gas, and the 2012 Integrated Energy Policy Report. In this role, Commissioner Peterman provided lead policy guidance for the implementation of the 33% RPS (SBX1 2), The New Solar Homes Partnership, the Emerging Renewables Program, the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, and selected power plant siting proceedings.
Ms. Peterman is the first African-American female to be appointed to both commissions.
Ms. Peterman has conducted research at the University of California Energy Institute at Haas from 2006 to 2011 and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 2008 to 2010. She was a business analyst with Isles from 2004 to 2005, focusing on green business and job training opportunities and was an associate focused on energy financing in the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers from 2002 to 2004. Ms. Peterman also served on the board of directors for The Utility Reform Network (TURN) from 2008 to 2011, most recently as Board Treasurer.
Ms. Peterman will complete her doctoral studies next year in Energy and Resources at the University of California Berkeley. Her research focuses on solar photovoltaic markets and federal and state renewable energy policies and financial incentives. She has also worked and written on such policy issues as cap-and-trade, efficacy of local environmental regulations, climate change and communities of color, and clean energy subsidies.
Ms. Peterman holds a BA in history from Howard University where she graduated summa cum laude and an MSc in environmental change and management and an MBA from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Osamu Onodera
Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Silicon Valley
Jeff Kightlinger
General Manager
Metropolitan Water District
Felicia Marcus
Board Member
California State Water Resources Control Board
Zev Yaroslavsky
Supervisor, 3rd District
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Osamu Onodera
Director // Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Silicon Valley
Jeff Kightlinger
General Manager // Metropolitan Water District
Felicia Marcus
Board Member // California State Water Resources Control Board
Felicia Marcus was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the State Water Resources Control Board (Board) for the State of California in 2012, and designated by the Governor as Chair in April of 2013. The Board is responsible for both water quality and water rights issues in the state and is currently focusing on issues ranging from setting water quality objectives for the San Francisco Bay and Delta; to general permits for stormwater pollution control; to reviewing irrigated lands permits to control agricultural drainage. The Board sets statewide policy, settles water rights disagreements, and hears appeals of local regional board water quality decisions. Before her appointment to the Water Board, she was the Western Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a national environmental leader in bringing science, law, and policy expertise to solving our world's pressing environmental and conservation challenges. Prior to joining NRDC, Felicia was the Executive VP/COO of the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit devoted to conserving land for people. Before coming to TPL, Felicia served as the Regional Administrator of the U.S. EPA Region IX in the Clinton Administration where she was known for her work in bringing unlikely allies together for environmental progress and for making the agency more responsive to the communities it serves, particularly Indian Tribes, communities of color, local government, and agricultural and business interests. While at USEPA, Felicia worked extensively on the range of environmental issues under EPA's jurisdiction, most heavily in air quality, Bay-Delta water, tribal, and US-Mexico border issues. Prior to that, Felicia headed Los Angeles' Department of Public Works at a time when the City went from garnering lawsuits to garnering national awards for environmental excellence. Felicia came to Public Works after extensive experience as a public interest lawyer and community organizer in Los Angeles. She currently serves or has served in the past on many non-profit boards and Advisory Councils including the Public Policy Institute of California Statewide Leadership Council, Sustainable Conservation, USC-Kesten Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy, and the Center for Diversity and the Environment. She is also currently an Obama Administration appointee to the Commission on Environmental Cooperation-Joint Public Advisory Council (US, Mexico, Canada) and was a Schwarzenegger Administration appointee to the Delta Stewardship Council prior to being appointed to the Water Board.
Zev Yaroslavsky
Supervisor, 3rd District // Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Jack Baylis
President and CEO
The Baylis Group
David Fransen
Consul General
Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles
Tom Soto
Managing Director and an Investment Committee Member
Jonathan Weisgall
Vice President
Mid-American Energy
Jack Baylis
President and CEO // The Baylis Group
David Fransen
Consul General // Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles
Tom Soto
Managing Director and an Investment Committee Member // TCW/Craton
Tom Soto is a Managing Director and an Investment Committee Member at TCW/Craton. Tom serves on the Board of Liquid Environmental Solutions and manages Craton's investment in GridPoint.Tom is one of the country's leading voices on the economics of climate change and the prosperity tied to reducing green house gases. As a business leader, Tom's companies have included Cabrillo Fuels, where he was the largest minority producer of ethanol fuel in Southern California. During this period and prior to TCW/Craton, Tom built his management consulting company, PS Enterprises, into the country's leading consulting firm working with government and fortune 500 companies such as American Airlines, Verizon, and the White House in insuring their compliance with new and stricter environmental regulations. Tom was an appointee of President Bill Clinton to the State Department's Border Environmental Cooperation Commission, and was more recently President elect Barack Obama's Co-lead of the Executive Office of the President's Transition Team for The White House Council on Environmental Quality from November of '08 to January of '09. Tom was recently recognized by Poder 360 Magazine as one of the Nation's Top 100 Latino Green Leaders and was one of Hispanic Business Magazine's 100 Most Influential Latinos of 2010. During his limited spare time, Tom advises nonprofit and environmental groups such as the Mono Lake Committee. He is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the California Science Center and is a leading voice in the emerging manager sector promoting diverse fund managers in finance as a board member of the New America Alliance. Tom has a BA in Political Science from UCLA.
Jonathan Weisgall
Vice President // Mid-American Energy
Jonathan Weisgall is Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Geothermal Energy Association. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught a seminar on energy issues since 1990, and he has also guest lectured on energy issues at Stanford Law School, Haverford, and the Johns Hopkins Environmental Science and Policy Program. Mr. Weisgall graduated from Columbia College and from Stanford Law School. He previously practiced law in Washington, D.C. at Covington & Burling, has written several law review articles and has published articles in Legal Times, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Foreign Policy, SAIS Review, and The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Ron Nichols
General Manager
Robyn Beavers
Senior VP
NRG Energy
Gail Goldberg
Executive Director
ULI- Los Angeles
Bob Hertzberg
California Assembly Speaker Emeritus
Mayer Brown LLP
Ron Nichols
General Manager // LADWP
Ron Nichols is General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Under his leadership, in two years LADWP has more than doubled the utility's commitment to energy efficiency, doubled the pace of funding rebates for customer-installed solar, and started an aggressive new solar feed-in tariff program while meeting 20% renewable energy delivered to its power customers. Similarly, LADWP has adopted expanded goals to reduce reliance on imported water to meet LA water customer needs through increased water conservation, clean-up of contaminated ground water, stormwater capture and recycled water. These changes are underway while maintaining among the lowest customer rates for water and power in California.
Robyn Beavers
Senior VP // NRG Energy
Robyn Beavers started her career as an energy efficiency consultant and then moved on to become the founding member of Google's Green Business & Operations strategy team. In this role she delivered several green strategic programs including the country's largest corporate solar installation at the time, energy efficiency retrofits for Google's global offices, employee incentive programs, and the creation of a large scale renewable energy investment program. While pursuing her MBA, Robyn served as a Fellow for the Department of Energy. In 2011, she joined Vestas Wind Systems where she created WindMade, a global NGO that issues the first global consumer label for brands and products made with wind energy. She has recently joined DEKA Research & Engineering to commercialize their various distributed water and power technologies. She holds both a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an MBA from Stanford University.
Gail Goldberg
Executive Director // ULI- Los Angeles
Bob Hertzberg
California Assembly Speaker Emeritus // Mayer Brown LLP
Robert M. Hertzberg was twice unanimously elected Speaker of the California State Assembly (2000 – 2002). Currently, Mr. Hertzberg is Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles office of Mayer Brown LLP, an international Law firm with offices around the globe. He is also co-founder of G24 Innovations based in Cardiff, Wales which manufactures a new type of lightweight and flexible solar cell that generates power in any light, even in indoor conditions.
His work with G24i and as Co-founder of Renewable Capital, has made him an active entrepreneur and leader in global policy on renewable energy. The Guardian (UK) named him as one of the "50 People Who Could Save the Planet" and his company won the World Bank Award, for Lighting Africa, for a project in Rwanda. CNBC European Business recognized G24i as one of its TOP 100 Low-Carbon Pioneers. Mr Hertzberg has appeared on CBS Evening News, CNN, BBC, Nightline, as in articles in The Economist, and Fortune Small Business. A previous solar company in Los Angeles won the 2005 Wall Street Journal Innovation of the Year Award in the field of energy.
For his entire life, Bob has had a deep interest in public policy and politics. The Los Angeles Times said this about Bob Hertzberg: He is a high-velocity wonk; he loves BIG ideas and will flesh out every one of them if you give him the chance." Among his many involvements, he chaired the transition team for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and served on the transition team of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He serves on the Boards of The Public Policy Institute of California, The Board of Counselors for the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, (where he also served as a Keston Fellow on Infrastructure), The Board of Visitors for the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine, The Rose Institute at Claremont, The Los Angeles World Affairs Council, The Pacific Council and is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Hertzberg was named to replace Leon Panetta, as Co-Chair of California Forward, a non-partisan group focused on repairing the dysfunction of California Government. He also serves on The Think Long Committee of California.
He is a Magna Cum Laude Graduate of The University of Redlands (1976) and received his JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (1979).
Phillip Isenberg
Delta Stewardship Council
Fred Walti
Executive Director
Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
James Goldstene
Executive Officer
California Air Resources Board
Terry O'Day
eVgo/ NRG
Phillip Isenberg
Chair // Delta Stewardship Council
Chair of the Delta Stewardship Council. Previously, he served as a Sacramento City Council member from 1971-1974, Mayor of Sacramento from 1975-1982 and as a member of the California State Assembly representing portions of Sacramento, Contra Costa and San Joaquin Counties from 1982 to 1996. His state legislative district contained major parts of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. His subject area focus as an elected official included land use planning, water and resource issues, state budget and fiscal matters, redevelopment reform and healthcare issues.
Isenberg holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law and a Bachelor of Art in Social Science and Government from California State University, Sacramento. He was in private practice and also served as President of Isenberg-O'Haren Government Relations from 2004 to February 2010. He is currently an inactive member of the California State Bar.
Isenberg served as chair of the California Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force from 2004 to 2006 and served as chairman of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force from 2007 to 2008. The recommendations of the Delta Vision Task Force provided much of the structure of the major water/Delta policy changes adopted by the legislature in 2009 and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger.
He was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to a six year term on the Delta Stewardship Council, and elected Chair of the Council by his colleagues.
Fred Walti
Executive Director // Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
In his role as Executive Director of CTLA and LACI, Fred combines experience as an entrepreneur with his passion for clean technology. Prior to joining this new public/private partnership, Fred worked as a technology entrepreneur and an advisor on the City's cleantech business strategy.
As Executive Director, Fred lead's the strategic, policy, industry partner and outreach efforts of CLTA and LACI.
Fred brings sixteen years of entrepreneurship to this effort, having co-founded The Propellant Group, a management consulting group, Full Moon Interactive (FMI), an Internet architect, and LAI, Inc., a consulting company focusing on leveraging technology in traditional businesses. Fred built FMI from startup to $25 million in annual sales with 14 consecutive quarters of profitability. Fred also started one of the first interactive divisions of a global advertising agency in 1995. Prior to his experience in "new media," Fred spent 15 years with global communications companies in various executive capacities. Fred ran the Apple computer account on a worldwide basis for BBDO and was GM of their San Francisco office, doubling the billings of the office and returning it to profitability in 18 months.
Fred has been involved -- either as a consultant, principal, employee or investor -- in the startup of several-dozen technology companies. He served as COO of Snap.com, a next-generation venture-backed search engine. Previously, Fred was a Strategic Advisor at Idealab in which he led the efforts to develop operating plans for a number of their portfolio companies. Fred served as the Interim CEO for Geocities, helping to author its first business plan, gain its first round of venture backing, and crystallizing its advertising-driven business model. Geocities went public and was later sold to Yahoo in 1999.
Starting in 2008, Fred began advising the Mayor's Office, CTLA, the CRA/LA, LAEDC, and UCLA on various early efforts to develop a clean technology commercialization ecosystem.
Fred speaks often to groups on creating cleantech innovation ecosystems, harnessing the region's strengths to build a large green economy, entrepreneurship, the role of economic development in creating jobs, and public/private partnerships.
Fred received his BA from New York University.
James Goldstene
Executive Officer // California Air Resources Board
James N. Goldstene is the Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board. The Board has 11 members appointed by the Governor and is responsible for promoting and protecting the public health and ecological resources of California through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects of its actions on the state's economy. To achieve this goal, the Executive Officer oversees the development and implementation of regulations and policies adopted by the Board and represents the ARB before the Legislature and in a wide variety of state, regional, national and international forums. The California Air Resources Board has more than 1300 employees.
Goldstene was appointed Executive Officer in October 2007. Since then the Board has passed major rules to reduce diesel emissions from trucks, construction equipment and ships. It also adopted a comprehensive plan to reduce global warming pollutants under AB 32, California's pioneering climate change legislation, and developed a range of measures and regulations to implement this plan, including the groundbreaking Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the establishment of a greenhouse gas emissions-trading program. In 2008 the Obama administration adopted California's standard for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles as the standard for the entire nation. Currently, ARB is working with the U.S. EPA and the Department of Transportation to develop more stringent standards for vehicles from model year 2018 to 2025.
Prior to his appointment as Executive Officer, Goldstene served first as a specialist to coordinate the Board's involvement in California's Smog Check program. Later, as Senior Advisor to the Board's Office of Climate Change, he was also responsible for providing policy guidance and direction for the implementation of AB 32.
Prior to joining the Board, Goldstene served as Deputy Chief at the California Department of Consumer Affairs' Bureau of Automotive Repair, the agency responsible for regulating automotive repair dealers and running the state's Smog Check program. His career history also includes key management positions with the Bureau of Barbering and Cosmetology, the State Contractors License Board, the California Pollution Control Financing Authority and other financing authorities in the Office of the State Treasurer. Goldstene served as Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy's environmental advisor in the early 1990s.
Goldstene also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies and is currently co-chair of the Western Climate Initiative Executive Committee.
Goldstene holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Government from California State University, Sacramento, where he served as part-time faculty in the Government Department for many years. As part of his graduate studies, he completed a year studying in the Department of Politics at the University of Bristol in England. Goldstene taught American government and political theory at California State University, Sacramento for many years.
Terry O'Day
VP // eVgo/ NRG
Mr. O'Day is Director of California Business Development for NRG EV Services and Councilmember in the City of Santa Monica.
NRG EV Services provides affordable, comprehensive charging plans and charging networks that provide range confidence throughout the metropolitan areas where eVgo operates. The parent company, NRG Energy, is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 Company that owns and operates one of the country's largest and most diverse power generation portfolios. The company has committed over $35 million in capital to develop the infrastructure required for electric vehicles to achieve market success.
Mr. O'Day was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in November 2010. Prior to his appointment, he was Chair of the city's Planning Commission. The City has 90,000 residents, a $650 million annual budget, 1,700 employees and a AAA credit rating. Mr. O'Day led a six-year process to update the City's General Plan – the leading example of environmental land use planning in the state, reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions from land use by 31 percent by 2030.
Previously, Mr. O'Day was Executive Director of Environment Now foundation. Founded by the family of Frank and Luanne Wells in 1989, Environment Now is known as a strategic, entrepreneurial, activist leader in California, having founded more than a dozen lasting, successful organizations like the Waterkeepers in California and Mexico and Energy Independence Now. Mr. O'Day's achievements included founding ten Waterkeeper programs now defending over 1,000 miles of coastline, developing an alliance that led to a $40 billion transit initiative in L.A. County in 2008, and protecting hundreds of thousands of forestland acres throughout the state. His two predecessors departed the foundation to become Secretaries of the California Natural Resources and the California Environmental Protection Agencies, respectively.
He is co-founder of Move LA, a collaboration of business, labor and environmental organizations, including the LA Area Chamber of Commerce, the LA Business Federation, LA County AFL-CIO, Building Trades Council of LA and Orange Counties. Move LA devised Measure R, which raised $40 billion in new funding for transit and transportation investment through a half-cent sales tax approved by LA County voters in November 2008 with 68 percent of the vote. Mr. O'Day signed the ballot argument in favor of Measure R that was distributed to all LA County voters.
Mr. O'Day is also past president of EV Rental Cars, a company he co-founded in 1998. It was the first rental company in the United States to offer only environmental vehicles, such as hybrid, natural gas, and electric cars to the general public. It served fifteen airports in six states and more than 500,000 customers, with over 700 cars, broadening access to clean fuel vehicles and developing markets for new sustainable technologies. Terry and his partners earned awards from the Coalition for Clean Air, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Council on Economic Priorities. They were featured in Newsweek, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Business Week.
Mr. O'Day has advised sustainable technology companies addressing solar, wind, and conventional energy production, manufacturing, electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and logistics, as well as public agencies including the Metropolitan Water District. He holds an MBA from The UCLA Anderson School of Management and completed the Coro Public Affairs Fellows Program in Los Angeles. He received a BA with honors in Public Policy at Stanford University, with a thesis addressing public finance and demand management of electricity. He has been active with community organizations throughout California and Mexico, including Coro Southern California, the USC Center for Sustainable Cities, the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, Human Rights Watch California Committee, Environmental Entrepreneurs, the Weingart Center and as the Board Chair of the Coalition for Clean Air.
Coby Skye
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Wayne Ratkovich
President and CEO
The Ratkovich Company
Catherine Reheis-Boyd
Western States Petroleum Association
Donald Paul
Executive Director
USC Energy Institue
William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources
Coby Skye
Engineer // Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Wayne Ratkovich
President and CEO // The Ratkovich Company
Wayne Ratkovich is founder and President/CEO of the Ratkovich Company which aims to produce developments that improve the quality of urban life. As a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and an Emeritus Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, he has served on several task forces formed to tackle urban development challenges. He is also a Founding Board Member of the Downtown Women's Center (DWC) in Los Angeles. His firm served as the volunteer developer of DWC's first residence for the women of skid row. He has also served on the boards of the Central City Association, the Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and as Chairman of the Dean's Council of the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Catherine Reheis-Boyd
President // Western States Petroleum Association
Catherine Reheis-Boyd is the President of the Western States Petroleum Association and oversees the trade organization's operations and advocacy in six states. Catherine Reheis-Boyd has been affiliated with WSPA since 1990 and previously was the Association's Executive Vice President. She served as Chief Operating Officer and managed WSPA's personnel as Chief of Staff since 2003.
Catherine Reheis-Boyd has managed a broad range of Association activities, including climate change and low carbon fuels, renewable fuels and alternative energy issues in WSPA's six states, and beyond those borders into Canada and abroad. Ms. Reheis-Boyd received her bachelor's of science degree in Natural Resource Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and pursued post-graduate studies in environmental engineering at the University of Southern California.
Donald Paul
Executive Director // USC Energy Institue
Donald Paul is the Executive Director of the USC Energy Institute, Professor of Engineering, and William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources at the University of Southern California. The USC Energy Institute supports major initiatives with industry and government including: the Center for Smart Oil Field Technologies, the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Smart Grid Demonstration Program, the USC-Mitsubishi Electric Vehicle Demonstration Project, the USC- Northrop Partnership Program on cyber-physical security for oil and gas operations, and the recently formed programs on unconventional hydrocarbon resource development and advanced transportation technology and transport infrastructure.
Dr. Paul had a distinguished 33-year career with the Chevron Corporation, retiring in June 2008 as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. During his career he advanced through positions of increasing responsibility in research and technology development, exploration and production operations, and executive management, including appointment as the president of Chevron's Canadian subsidiary.
Dr. Paul currently serves as a Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. and in 2010, was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy to the National Petroleum Council. He also participates in advisory roles at several universities (including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Rice, and the University of Texas), governments, oil and gas companies, utilities, and technology firms.
He holds B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees from MIT and an honorary doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines.
Joel Levin
Vice President, Business Development
Climate Action Reserve
Cherif Youssef
Technology Development Manager
Southern California Gas Company
Paul Krekorian
Councilmember, District 2
Los Angeles City Council
Pat Proano
Assistant Deputy Director
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Programs Division
Joel Levin
Vice President, Business Development // Climate Action Reserve
Cherif Youssef
Technology Development Manager // Southern California Gas Company
Mr. Youssef is the Technology Development Manager for the Southern California Gas Company. Mr. Youssef has 35 years of experience in the energy industry with past responsibilities in Marketing, Human Resources, Operations and Engineering. He is responsible for managing a $10 million per year R&D program. This program is focused on developing and demonstrating new products and technologies to help customers use energy more efficiently, meet their environmental regulations, use renewable energy and use alternative fuel vehicles.
Mr. Youssef has a Bachelor and Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Paul Krekorian
Councilmember, District 2 // Los Angeles City Council
Devoted to public service throughout his adult life, Paul Krekorian's career has been defined by his proven record of successful, results-oriented leadership in state government, local government, public education and in the private sector. His career in politics, however, was born of humble beginnings in the San Fernando Valley. After attending Cleveland High School in Reseda, Paul graduated from USC and went on to law school at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall. For twenty years, Paul practiced business litigation and intellectual property law before serving on the Board of Education in Burbank.
In 2006, Paul was elected to the California State Assembly, representing the communities of Burbank, Glendale and the east San Fernando Valley in Sacramento, where his record included a string of environmentally conscious bills from increasing the state's stock of renewable energy to reducing pollution in our oceans. Most recently, Paul was elected to lead Los Angeles' second City Council district in 2009. In L.A., Paul has continued his successful green advocacy while leading the charge to revamp the city's neighborhood council system, which he has consistently lauded as a way of "bringing greater democratization and neighborhood empowerment to this city's governance."
Pat Proano
Assistant Deputy Director // Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Programs Division
A 30 year veteran of Los Angeles County, Mr. Proano has a strong track record of providing leadership, coordination, and support for the County's Department of Public Works. He has led and coordinated numerous Public Works projects and activities throughout Los Angeles County's 88 cities and its unincorporated areas.
Mr. Proano has most recently been at the forefront of the County's efforts of integrating Conversion Technologies (CTs) into the municipal waste system. He was also instrumental in the effort to pass the plastic bag ban in the Los Angeles County unincorporated areas, and as a member of the Keep California Beautiful Coalition, he has worked to maintain a clean environment both with the County and statewide.
Mr. Proano has been asked to speak at numerous conferences and meetings and continues to constructively engage stakeholders on solid waste issues throughout the County and State.
With a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from California State University in Long Beach, Mr. Proano is a licensed Civil Engineer in California. He has also served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater in the Graduate Center of Public Policy and Administration.
Frank Harris
Manager of Corporate Environmental Policy
Southern California Edison
Mickey Kantor
Partner, Mayer Brown LLP
Former US Secretary of Commerce
Kaylynn Kim
Managing Partner
Tierra Global Advisors
Zhihang Chi
Vice President and General Manager
Air China, North America
Frank Harris
Manager of Corporate Environmental Policy // Southern California Edison
Frank Harris is the Manager of Corporate Environmental Policy at Southern California Edison. In this capacity he manages SCE's greenhouse gas policy activities and represents SCE before the California Air Resources Board, the California Public Utilities Commission, and the California Energy Commission. Additionally, he is responsible for evaluating environmental and energy legislation and regulation, providing policy recommendations to SCE management and coordinating and communicating SCE policy recommendations to external stakeholders. Dr. Harris holds B.A. degrees in Economics and Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Irvine where he specialized in Energy Policy and Public Choice. His most recent publication "California Dreaming: The Economics, Politics, and Mechanics of Meeting California's Carbon Mandate" was included in Generating Electricity in a Carbon Constrained World
Mickey Kantor
Partner, Mayer Brown LLP // Former US Secretary of Commerce
Mickey Kantor concentrates his practice on corporate and financial international transactions. He has extensive experience in market access issues, as well as the expansion of client activities in foreign markets through trade, direct investment, joint ventures, and strategic business alliances.
Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Mickey was the United States Secretary of Commerce (1996-1997) and the United States Trade Representative (1993-1996). He has been called "arguably the finest trade negotiator in the world"(Chambers Global 2006) and is said to be "blessed with fantastic political insights and connections"(Chambers USA2007).
He was recently recognized in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers-Trade & Customs 2009. Among them any awards and honors he has received are the following: the Order of the Southern Cross Award by The Government of Brazil, 2001, the William O. Douglas Award by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Thomas Jefferson Distinguished Public Service Medal from the Center for the Study of the Presidency, the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award from the Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation, and Elihu Root Distinguished Lecturer, Council on Foreign Relations.
Kaylynn Kim
Managing Partner // Tierra Global Advisors
Zhihang Chi
Vice President and General Manager // Air China, North America
Cecilia Estolano
ELP Advisors
Vikram Budhraja
President and CEO
Electric Power Group, LLC
Andreas Klugescheid
VP Governmental Affairs
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Supervisor, 2nd District
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Cecilia Estolano
Co-Founder // ELP Advisors
Cecilia V. Estolano is a member of Estolano LeSar Perez Advisors LLC (ELP Advisors) which provides consulting services to public agencies, foundations, business associations and other stakeholders seeking to grow thriving, healthy and vibrant communities. ELP Advisors offers a range of services, including strategic planning; design and implementation of stakeholder engagement processes; sustainable economic development; community planning; business cluster and sector strategies; business development and retention strategies; transit-oriented development planning, green workforce development strategies and project management.
Ms. Estolano, a land use and environmental lawyer, is an expert in CEQA requirements and was formerly a Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She was also formerly the Chief Strategist of State and Local Initiatives for Green For All, a national organization that advocates for broad access and opportunity in the clean-energy economy. Ms. Estolano oversaw Green For All's State and Local Initiatives and the Capital Access Program and was charged with spearheading the organization'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. Ms. Estolano previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). Under Ms. Estolano's tenure, CRA/LA was the largest redevelopment agency in California, with an annual budget of over $726 million and a work program covering 32 project areas.
Vikram Budhraja
President and CEO // Electric Power Group, LLC
Andreas Klugescheid
VP Governmental Affairs // BMW AG
Mark Ridley-Thomas
Supervisor, 2nd District // Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
Michael Allman
President and CEO
Southern California Gas Company
Doug Failing
Executive Director of Highway Projects
Los Angeles Metro
Nancy Skinner
California State Assembly Committee on Rules
Alex Beavers
Director, Commercial Ventures & Strategic Programs
SRI International
Michael Allman
President and CEO // Southern California Gas Company
Michael W. Allman is president and CEO of Southern California Gas Company. He has held this position since 2010. Prior to his current role, Mike was the president and CEO of Sempra Generation, where he led the company's growth in renewable energy. Before joining Sempra Energy he spent eight years as an international management consultant. Mike has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University.
Doug Failing
Executive Director of Highway Projects // Los Angeles Metro
Doug Failing serves as the Executive Director of the Highway Program for Los Angeles County Metro where he is responsible for Delivery of the nearly $8 billion Measure R Highway Program. Failing was chosen by the Los Angeles Times' West Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in Southern California. Failing earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton and Caltrans as a Junior Civil Engineer.
Nancy Skinner
Chair // California State Assembly Committee on Rules
Elected to the State Assembly in 2008 and reelected in 2010, Assembly member Nancy Skinner has been involved throughout her career in efforts to promote energy conservation. During the oil crisis of the late 1970s, Ms. Skinner and others lobbied the City of Berkeley to establish an Energy Office and a citizen's Energy Commission.
An early champion of integrating economic development with environmental protection, Ms. Skinner authored the legislation to establish Berkeley's Community Energy Services Corporation, which continues to provide energy efficiency services to small businesses and homeowners throughout the East Bay. During her time in the Assembly, Ms. Skinner has carried major legislation governing energy storage, net energy metering, renewable energy, and energy upgrade financing. Ms. Skinner founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. As Executive Director of ICLEI's US office, Ms. Skinner launched the Cities for Climate Protection program — the US movement of mayors and cities working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Ms. Skinner also served on the California Energy Commission's Climate Change Advisory Committee and San Francisco's Clean Technology Task Force. She also serves on the board of directors of a number of non-profit organizations involved in environmental and energy issues.
Alex Beavers
Director, Commercial Ventures & Strategic Programs // SRI International
Alex Beavers, Ph.D. is Executive Director in the SRI Ventures group at SRI International. In this role he is responsible for commercializing SRI technologies via new venture creation or licensing in the areas of clean tech, advanced materials, and systems. He is a veteran high-technology executive and entrepreneur.
Ventures that he has founded and led include Artificial Muscle, Inc., Averatek Corp, and Grabit Inc. Prior to coming to SRI, he was CEO of Thomson Industries, a global linear motion systems company based in New York. Beavers has also been CEO of ITP Systems, a factory floor systems integration company, CEO of Applicon, Inc., one of the original CAD/CAM systems companies, CEO of Schlumberger Automation Systems Asia, and General Manager of the General Electric Vision Systems Business. In addition to these CEO positions, he was a Managing Partner in the Consulting Business at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he led the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management practices. He has also served on the Board of Directors of several high-tech startup companies.
Beavers has more than 25 papers published in technical journals and trade magazines. In addition, he authored the book, Roadmap to the e-Factory, and served as the editor for the book, Life Wins! He received a B.S. from Vanderbilt University, an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Houston, and an MBA from Boston University.
Arthur Leahy
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Aaron Klemm
Energy Project Manager
City of Huntington Beach
Celine Bak
Canadian Clean Tech Coalition
Founding Partner
Analytica Advisors
Susan Kennedy
Former Chief of Staff
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arthur Leahy
CEO // Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Arthur T. Leahy is CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Metro is the third largest public transportation agency in the United States with an annual budget of $4.2 Billion and more than 9,000 employees with an operating fleet of over 2200 buses and 5 rail lines with annual rider ship exceeding 400 million boardings.
Leahy is heading one of the nation's largest public works programs through Measure R that will, literally, change the urban landscape and shape the future of Los Angeles for generations to come.
He began his career 40 years ago as a bus operator. Having worked through the ranks, he rose to lead 3 major transportation agencies. He was recently recognized by his peers in Metro Magazine –a trade publication as being one of the country's most influential leaders in the transit industry.
Leahy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles (CSLA) in 1974 and a master's degree in public administration from USC.
Aaron Klemm
Energy Project Manager // City of Huntington Beach
Celine Bak
Co-Founder // Canadian Clean Tech CoalitionFounding Partner // Analytica Advisors
Céline Bak is an author, speaker and consultant on clean technology, innovation, and commercialization. She published and authored the 2010 SDTC Cleantech Growth & Go-to-Market Report and the 2011 Canadian Clean Technology Industry Report which builds on the 2010 baseline data set for Canada's multi-billion dollar clean technology industry. She is the co-founder of the Canadian Clean Technology Coalition that was struck to create the conditions required to make Canada's clean technology industry.
Céline is on the Clean Tech Advisory Board for the Department of Foreign Affairs and is a technical advisor to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy for Climate Prosperity. She was the co-chair of the 2011 Canadian Cleantech Summit, the Canada-Brazil Working Group for Clean Technology and Green Energy and sits on the nominations committee for the Canada Clean50.
Susan Kennedy
Former Chief of Staff // Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Los Angeles Times called Susan Kennedy "the most enduring force in [California] government of the last decade." Capital Weekly named her the most powerful non-elected person in California. Ms. Kennedy built her formidable reputation over two decades at the highest levels of state and federal government, most recently as chief of staff to Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, as cabinet secretary and deputy chief of staff to Democratic Governor Gray Davis and as communications director for California's senior U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein. Ms. Kennedy also served for three years on California's powerful Public Utilities Commission, overseeing the state's investor-owned electric utilities, telecommunications providers and private water companies. Susan Kennedy leads Alston & Bird's public policy advisory services in its California offices, where she advises clients on key areas of public policy, including energy, environment, financial services and technology, and also provides strategic approaches to navigating ever-changing California and global business and public policy climates. She also coordinates with the firm's legislative and public policy practice in Washington, D.C., on matters of national significance.
Ms. Kennedy's main area of expertise lies at the critical junction between public policy development and regulatory implementation. As top-level staff to two California Governors and a U.S. Senator, Kennedy was primarily responsible for shepherding the development of many of the groundbreaking environmental policies California is renowned for today, including California's internationally recognized carbon reduction mandate and cap & trade program under AB 32, the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard, auto emission standards and California's aggressive Renewable Energy Standard. During her tenure, California's renewable energy initiatives were so successful that one newspaper called California the new "Saudi Arabia of Solar."
Won-Sok Yun
Director General and Chief Trade Commissioner
KOTRA- Los Angeles
Yufu Cheng
China Country Director
R20: Regions of Climate Action
Mike Wallace
Wallace Partners
Former Director
GRI Focal Point USA
Steve Glenn
Founder and CEO
LivingHomes, LLC
Won-Sok Yun
Director General and Chief Trade Commissioner // KOTRA- Los Angeles
Yufu Cheng
China Country Director // R20: Regions of Climate Action
Dr. Yufu Cheng is China Country Director for R20: Regions of Climate Actions, Chaired by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Together with R20 team, members and partners, Dr. Cheng is working with Chinese Central Governments, Subnational Governments, Technology, Policy and Investing Partners to identify and implement the effective low carbon projects in China. He is also a visiting professor at School of Environment and Energy of Peking University. Before joining R20, he was the Senior Vice President of the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) and Dr. Cheng has over 15 years education and working experiences in the Climate Change related programs. He has worked in research, education, standards and policies, capacity building, project development with colleagues and international leading partners on effective solutions on combating Climate Challenges. He has built extensive working relationship with different stakeholders (e.g. governmental agencies, private sectors, foundations, NGOs and research communities) to work together in developing effective low carbon projects, especially in Green Energy and Energy Efficiency areas (e.g. LED lights). Dr. Cheng conducted climate change research in China, the United States, Mexico, and the Arctic Region. He is active in environmental outreach and education and has been interviewed by major Medias (e.g. Los Angeles Times and CCTV) and has been invited to speak at major international environmental conferences, such as United Nations' Global Climate Change Conferences in Copenhagen, Tianjin and Cancun, Governor's Climate Summit (2008, 2009, and 2010), and Climate Summit in China hosted by thirteen Chinese Ministries. He serves as expert committee member on several international conferences and as an associate editor for Carbon Management Journal. Dr. Cheng received his Ph.D. in Ecology from joint Doctoral Program between the University of California at Davis and San Diego State University in 2003, Master Degree of Ecology from Chinese Academy of Forestry in 1998 and Bachelor Degree of Biological Sciences from Anhui Normal University in 1995.
Mike Wallace
President // Wallace PartnersFormer Director // GRI Focal Point USA
Mike Wallace is the Director of the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) Focal Point USA. GRI is a non-profit organization that promotes economic sustainability and provides all companies and organizations with a comprehensive sustainability reporting framework. GRI is the most widely used sustainability reporting framework in the world, with over 80% of the Global 250 using GRI when they report on sustainability. GRI's Focal Point USA was officially launched in January 2011 at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and is responsible for supporting the growth and quality of sustainability reporting in the US.
Mike Wallace has almost 20-years of international experience advising corporations, non-profits and government agencies in the development and implementation of sustainability programs. He initially gained his sustainability expertise while working for ERM in Australia. This expertise was expanded during his time with BSR, and was refined while running his own advisory services firm in California. He started with GRI in the fall of 2009 at its Secretariat in Amsterdam. By the fall of 2010 he had established GRI's Focal Point USA and relocated to New York.
He is a recognized expert in the field, with a unique specialization in the intersection of sustainability and corporate governance. In addition to speaking globally on the topic of sustainability, Mike has given expert testimony to the European Commission, the US Securities & Exchange Commission, and a range of business associations like the US Business Roundtable and the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mike has been recognized for his expertise in the field by his inclusion in the NACD's 2011 Directorship 100, and in Trust Across America's 2010 Top 100 Thought Leaders. He has authored numerous articles on the topic and was a contributor to Climate Change – a Guide to Carbon Law & Practice.
Steve Glenn
Founder and CEO // LivingHomes, LLC
Steve Glenn is the founder and CEO of LivingHomes, LLC (www.livinghomes.net), a premier developer of modern, prefabricated homes that combine world-class architecture with an unparalleled commitment to healthy and sustainable construction. The first LivingHome, designed by Ray Kappe, FAIA, was installed in eight hours. It became the first home ever to receive a LEED for Home Platinum rating and was the only home to win the AIA's top sustainability award in 2007. The second LivingHome was named Green Home of the Year by Green Home Builder Magazine. Nine LivingHomes have been certified LEED Platinum. Before LivingHomes, Glenn worked with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI) and managed the development of a $220 million program in Mozambique, the first program CHAI launched in Africa. Glenn is founder and former Chairman and CEO of PeopleLink, a leading provider of enterprise ecommunity solutions, which raised $35 million from AT&T Ventures, GE, Goldman Sachs, idealab and others. Glenn was a founding partner of idealab, a business incubation firm that raised $1 billion and that founded or invested in a number of successful companies including GoTo/Overture (OVER), NetZero/United Online (UNTD), CitySearch (TMCS), Tickets.com (TKTS), eToys and CarsDirect. Glenn worked for Walt Disney Imagineering as co-director of the Virtual Reality Studio. Glenn co-founded Clearview Software, which was sold to Apple Computer where Glenn later served as a marketing specialist. He holds a bachelor's degree with honors from Brown University, and was a Coro Fellow. Glenn is a co-founder and chair of the Sustainable Business Council (www.sustainablebc.org, the Kaia Parker Dance Fund (www.kaiaparker.org), and a co-founder and former board member of Hope Street Group (www.hopestreetgroup.org). He is a member of the board of directors of the Brown University Entrepreneur Forum (www.brownep.org), and Watts House Project (www.wattshouseproject.org). Glenn has taught courses at Pepperdine Business School and California State University, Long Beach and is a regular lecturer at universities and conferences. He was named the Clean Tech CEO of the Year by Clean Tech Week, and Environmental Entrepreneur of the Year by LA City Council/Faith2Green.
Jonathan Dogterom
Practice Lead, Cleantech
Angelina Galiteva
Board Member
California ISO
Richard Katz
City of Los Angeles Planning Commission
V. John White
Executive Director
Jonathan Dogterom
Practice Lead, Cleantech // MaRS
Jonathan leads the Cleantech Practice at MaRS Discovery District where he assists Ontario based Cleantech companies in growing their business and raising capital. He has an extensive background in early stage and high growth alternative energy companies. Prior to joining MaRS, Jon led Business Development for Hydrogenics Corporation where he focused on strategic partnerships, product development, and sales and marketing. During his time with Hydrogenics he was involved in the introduction and launch of both the company's fuel cell and hydrogen generation divisions.
Jon was also previously with the Pembina Institute where he led corporate consulting services on low-impact renewable energy and energy policy. In 1997, Jon co-founded Sustainable Energy Technologies, which is a leading Canadian provider of power electronics for the solar power industry.
Angelina Galiteva
Board Member // California ISO
Richard Katz
Commissioner // City of Los Angeles Planning Commission
V. John White
Executive Director // CEERT
V. John White has been a writer, commentator, advocate, and leader of the green energy movement in California for 35 years. He is executive director of CEERT, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies in Sacramento, and principal of the environmental and energy lobbying practice, V. John White Associates, representing public interest environmental and local government organizations, and new energy technology companies.
White's career has been devoted to air quality improvement and clean energy development. As chief consultant to the California Assembly Subcommittee on Air Quality, he became the leading legislative expert on air quality technology and regulation, helping to draft the California Clean Air Act and subsequent clean air and energy statutes.
In 1990 he co-founded CEERT, which has become the premier energy advocacy voice for key environmental public interest groups and clean energy technology companies. He played a central role in the passage of the Pavley Clean Car bill, AB 32, and many of California's renewable energy incentive and regulatory programs.
He serves on a number of nonprofit boards and organizations.
John is a graduate of U.C. Riverside – Political Science
Bill Allen
President and CEO
Mike Levin
Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs
Bill Rouse
General Manager
Yellow Cab of Los Angeles
Bill Abolt
Sustainability National Practice Leader
Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc.
Bill Allen
President and CEO // LAEDC
Bill Allen is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and its subsidiary, the World Trade Center Los Angeles – Long Beach. Under his leadership, the LAEDC helped facilitate the first-ever, consensus-built Strategic Plan for Economic Development for L.A. County, which brought together over 1,080 stakeholders and was unanimously endorsed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Allen is also guiding LAEDC towards its upcoming milestone of 200,000 jobs saved in L.A. County.
Mr. Allen is also Vice Chair of the Valley Economic Alliance, and the Board Secretary for the Valley Presbyterian Hospital, and the immediate past Board Chair of Film LA. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Weingart Foundation, International Economic Development Council, California Stewardship Network, Regional Economic Association Leaders of California Coalition, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy and Jobs, Unite L.A., and the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.
Mr. Allen was the first CEO of the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, and under his guidance the Alliance launched successful programs to recover from the Northridge earthquake, improve local education and work force development, and develop solutions to regional transportation challenges (including regional transit planning summits which led to the creation of the highly successful Orange Line in the valley).
Mr. Allen has served as a trustee of the University of Southern California, chair of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, co-chair of the National Council for Families and Television, and co-chair of the "Shaping Tomorrow" capital campaign for the Valley Presbyterian Hospital.
Mr. Allen is also a veteran television network and studio executive with more than twenty years experience in entertainment production and management. From 1991 through 1995, Mr. Allen was President of MTM Television, and oversaw production of such television classics as Remington Steele, St. Elsewhere, and Newhart.
A cum laude graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, Mr. Allen also received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a certificate in 21st Century Management from the Graziadio School of Business & Management at Pepperdine.
Mike Levin
Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs // Ener-Core
Mike Levin is Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Ener-Core, Inc., an Irvine, CA based clean technology company. Ener-Core (www.ener-core.com) designs, develops, and manufactures products and technologies that aim to expand power generation into previously uneconomical markets. Mike is responsible for Ener-Core's legal, regulatory, government, communications, and public relations efforts, as well as a variety of administrative and business development matters.
Mike previously served as an attorney at Bryan Cave LLP, where he assisted clients with environmental and energy regulatory compliance, project development, and government advocacy. While at Bryan Cave, Mike also co-founded CleanTech OC and served as the organization's first Executive Director.
Prior to Bryan Cave, Mike was Vice President of Better Energy Systems, a clean technology startup company. Throughout the last decade, he has worked on a variety of local, state, and national political campaigns. He maintains relationships with targeted elected officials, senior staff, and political appointees of concern to the clean technology industry.
As an undergraduate, Mike served as Stanford's student body president. In 2002, he completed the CORO Fellows Program in Public Affairs. During law school, he was Articles Editor and Staff Editor of the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum.
Bill Rouse
General Manager // Yellow Cab of Los Angeles
As the fourth generation of his family in the taxicab business, William J. Rouse serves as General Manager of five taxicab fleets in the greater Los Angeles area, including Yellow Cab of Los Angeles, Long Beach Yellow Cab, United Checker Cab, South Bay Yellow Cab and Fiesta Taxi. ASC is the largest taxicab organization in the Western United States with over 1200 vehicles in its combined fleet.
Mr. Rouse is also affiliated with the management of San Diego Yellow Cab, with 330 vehicles in service; California Yellow Cab, in Orange County, California, with over 200 vehicles; as well as the largest taxicab fleets in Nashville, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mr. Rouse graduated from the University of Southern California in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Finance and Business Economics. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California and was admitted to the bar in 1992.
Mr. Rouse is currently the President of the international taxicab trade association, the Taxicab Limousine Paratransit Association (TLPA), and he is a past President of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC), the industry's statewide trade association. He is also the current Chair of the Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Jobs PAC.
Bill Abolt
Sustainability National Practice Leader // Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc.
Bill Abolt is a Vice President of Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure and leads its Sustainability, Energy & Carbon Management National Practice. Prior to joining Shaw, he served as Environment Commissioner, Director of the Office of Budget and Management and Chief of Management, Office of the Mayor, for the City of Chicago, where he was responsible for developing Chicago's strategy to become one of the greenest cities in the United States.
Mr. Abolt has over 28 years of experience managing complex energy, environmental and public issues including energy planning, sustainability program design, multi-stakeholder budget processes and enterprise-wide analysis of critical infrastructure and electrical system performance. As a part of his responsibilities at Shaw, he manages and directs specific consulting projects for corporate and public clients including but not limited to assignments involving renewable energy, energy efficiency, green infrastructure and sustainable design.
He is a member of the Green Ribbon Committee of the Chicago Climate Action Plan, the Midwest Advisory Council of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Civic Consulting Alliance Leadership Council and has served as an adjunct instructor in Public Policy and Administration at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University.