Speakers

Amy Ryan is currently a Senior Engineer in the Fuel Cell Development Department of Toyota Motor North America Research and Development, specializing in high-pressure hydrogen storage systems. Amy has held several roles in Toyota North America – from strategic planning on the business side to component testing and standards development in the R&D unit. Prior to joining Toyota, Amy was a senior consultant at KPMG LLP and an aerospace engineer at Northrop Grumman Space Technologies. Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and an MBA in Marketing Strategy from the University of Southern California.

Tom Gilmore is a downtown Los Angeles-based developer of residential and commercial properties whose early projects in the city's historic core led to the largest resurgence of real estate investment and development the city has experienced in nearly a century.

Gilmore began his career by building a small architectural firm in New York and eventually relocated to Los Angeles, leading to his partnership with Jerri Perrone. In 1998, Gilmore and Perrone formed an independent development firm, Gilmore Associates, to embark upon the redevelopment of the Historic Core of Downtown Los Angeles.

His vision for Downtown Los Angeles as a thriving, self-sustaining urban community led him to purchase four abandoned historic buildings: the Continental, the Hellman, the San Fernando, and the Farmers and Merchants National Bank—all of which are located in Downtown Los Angeles and collectively renamed by Gilmore and Perrone as the “Old Bank District.” Gilmore was the first developer to utilize the newly minted Adaptive Reuse Ordinance of 1999, which enabled him to convert historic commercial buildings into mixed- use residences, ultimately catalyzing the widespread redevelopment and revival of Downtown.

His ingenuity and tenacity has been recognized through major projects he has spearheaded— notably— Vibiana, a development of the former St. Vibiana’s Cathedral as a performing arts center and event facility that also houses the renowned restaurant, Redbird. Gilmore’s most recent ongoing projects include mixed-use redevelopment in Los Angeles' Chinatown and the transformation of the historic spaces within the Hellman Building and the former Farmers and Merchants National Bank into a contemporary museum showcasing Los Angeles based art on S Main St in Downtown, aptly named the Main Museum.

Since Gilmore's first historic building opened to residents in 2000, more than 60,000 new residents now call downtown Los Angeles home and more than $5 billion in residential, business, entertainment and arts projects have been introduced to the city center.

Tom Gilmore's commitment to the civic identity of Los Angeles is evident in his roles as the former Commissioner Chair for the LA Homeless Services Authority, Chairman of Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Mayoral- appointee as Chairman of Sister Cities of Los Angeles, Executive Committee member of Central City Association, Executive Committee member of Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Bureau, and Board member of Los Angeles Parks Foundation.

Jeff Mindlin serves as Chief Investment Officer at ASU Enterprise Partners. In this capacity, Jeff is responsible for managing the Arizona State University Foundation’s investment assets to maximize risk adjusted returns. This includes the long-term endowment, SRI, and short-term investment pools. Increasingly, he is relied on to implement a mission-aligned investment framework without sacrificing returns. He provides critical support of the Investment Committee and oversight of the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) while also helping drive synergies within the other affiliates engaged in real estate and venture activities.

Jeff serves on the boards of the university’s education technology accelerator (ASU ScaleU) and angel investor network (InvestU). He acts as a trustee to the retirement plan and advises on the investment management of ASU’s operating funds. To support ASU’s emphasis on experiential learning and sustainability, Jeff helps with a student managed fund program where students are allocated endowment dollars to build a sustainable investment strategy. In addition, Jeff chairs the TIAA-Nuveen Investment Council and serves on the Intentional Endowment Network’s Executive and Steering Committees.

Jeff previously served as Tower Square Investment Management’s Executive Director and Co-Chief Investment Officer where he was responsible for the portfolio management team and its efforts, including portfolio selection, trading, proprietary money management and product development. He co-chaired the investment committee, which oversaw more than $5billion in client assets. He served as Chief Investment Officer at First Allied Asset Management. Prior to joining First Allied, Mr. Mindlin was the Director of Research and Co-Portfolio Manager of Greenbook Investment Management, Inc., where he was instrumental in the design of sophisticated, proprietary investment strategies. Before that, he worked as the Assistant Portfolio Manager and Senior Financial Engineer for Pinnacle Investment Advisors, LLC, which operated a hedge fund and a series of managed accounts for institutional and high-net-worth clients, and sub-advised a publicly traded mutual fund. Previously, Mr. Mindlin was the Manager of Financial Engineering at Camelback Research, leading the development of several successful institutional-grade quantitative products, including the popular MSN Money StockScouter system.

Mr. Mindlin earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation. He obtained bachelor’s degrees in economics and in finance from the College of Business Honor’s Program at Arizona State University, where he also received the prestigious Moeur Award.

David Kramer is the President of the Hudson Companies, Inc. (www.hudsoninc.com) which he joined in 1995 and currently runs with fellow principal William Fowler. Hudson has developed 5,600 residential apartments since 1986. Hudson’s projects range from market rate condominiums (J Condo, Riverwalk Court, Third + Bond, The Marais) to institutional housing (Cornell Tech residential tower, NYU Dormitory, staff housing for Memorial Sloan Kettering) to renovations (345 West 13^th Street, Cobble Hill Tower, The Knick) to market rate rentals (Riverwalk Crossing, Hudson East, The Crossroads, The Clinton) to affordable housing (Atlantic Center, Dumont Green, Gateway).  In 2011, Hudson was named Private Developer of the Year by the New York State Housing Conference. In 2013, Hudson was selected by the New York City Pension Funds to manage an investment fund to rebuild areas affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Prior to joining Hudson, Kramer developed affordable housing as the Housing Director of the Venice Community Housing Corporation in Los Angeles, and a project manager for the Skid Row Housing Trust.  In 1989, David was one of the founders and the first Executive Director of People for Parks, a Los Angeles non-profit coalition of parks advocates.

David has a Bachelor Degree from Yale University and graduated from the Coro Foundation's Public Affairs Program. David serves on the Alumni Council of the Collegiate School and the board of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and has served on the boards of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, the Coro Foundation and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, where he also served as Chair.  David founded the quarterly Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable to benefit the Brooklyn Historical Society.  He lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, three children and poorly trained dog. He is a long suffering New York Giants fan, has completed 5 New York City Marathons, 5 Century Bike Races and knows the lyrics to most Broadway musicals. He has finished in the money in both KenKen and Su Doku tournaments. 

Adel Hagekhalil is the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest wholesale drinking water agency in the country. Metropolitan is a state-established cooperative that delivers water to 26-member public agencies, serving 19 million people across Southern CA.
 
As General Manager, Mr. Hagekhalil is responsible for leading Metropolitan’s daily and long-term operations and planning to provide safe, reliable water to Southern California. He oversees Metropolitan’s $1.9 billion annual budget, 1,800 employees, and extensive system of conveyance, storage, treatment, and delivery infrastructure.
 
Mr. Hagekhalil is a registered civil engineer and national board-certified environmental engineer, having earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston, TX. Before joining Metropolitan, he was appointed in 2018 by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as the executive director and general manager of the city’s Bureau of Street Services. His responsibilities included oversight of the management, maintenance, and improvement of the city’s network of streets, sidewalks, trees, and bikeways. He also focused on climate change adaptation and multi-benefit integrated active transportation corridors.
 
Previously, he served nearly 10 years as assistant general manager of the Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation, led the city’s wastewater collection system, stormwater and watershed protection program, water quality compliance, advance planning, and facilities. He also helped develop the city’s 2040 One Water LA Plan, an award-winning regional watershed approach to integrate water supply, reuse, conservation, stormwater management and wastewater facilities planning.
 
Mr. Hagekhalil is a member of the American Public Works Association as well as the Water Environment Federation, which recognized him in 2019 as a WEF Fellow for his contribution to enhancing and forwarding the water industry. He also served for more than a decade as a board member on the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, including a term as president.

Takahiro Obase joined JGC Corporation in 2007 and has spent most of his tenure with the company as a process engineer, primarily for gasification and related industrial processes.

Madeline Janis is the Executive Director of Jobs to Move America, an organization that she helped to found in 2013. Previously, she co-founded and served as national policy director of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE). Under her stewardship as executive director from 1993 to 2012, LAANE became an influential leader in the effort to build a new economy based on good jobs, thriving communities and a healthy environment.

From 2002 to 2012, Ms. Janis served as a volunteer commissioner of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Redevelopment Agency.

Over the past three decades, she has led numerous economic, social and environmental justice campaigns in California.  She has provided training and assistance to community organizations and unions in dozens of cities across the country, and is widely regarded as an innovator in devising strategies to create good jobs and healthy communities.

Ms. Janis has received many honors, including being a Durfee Foundation Stanton Fellow (2014-15), a Senior Fellow at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, the UCLA Law School’s Antonia Hernandez Public Interest Award,  and commendations from the Los Angeles City Council and the California Assembly and Senate. She received degrees from UCLA Law School and Amherst College in Massachusetts and was granted an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Amherst College in 2013.

Ms. Janis also served as executive director of the Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN) from 1989 to 1993 and, as an attorney, represented tenants and homeless people in slum housing litigation, and advocated for homeless disabled people who had been denied government benefits. She also worked for two years at the law firm of Latham & Watkins on commercial litigation and land use matters, representing many large companies throughout Los Angeles.

Partner in charge of Mayer Brown’s Los Angeles office and leader of the firm’s California Government Relations & Public Law practice, Phil Recht represents clients in legislative, regulatory, enforcement and litigation matters before and involving federal, state and local governments. He also handles grants, approvals, permits and other government transactions. He has particular expertise in transportation, tribal gaming, health care, trade association, government contracts, and election law matters.

Phil also has extensive government experience. Prior to joining the firm, he served as Chief Counsel (1994-95) and Deputy Administrator (1995-99) for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US Department of Transportation. He also worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Office of US Rep. David L. Cornwell (Ind.) (1976-78), as a consultant with the Joint Center for Political Studies in Washington, DC (1975) and as a Legislative Aide with the Office of US Rep. John Moakley (Mass.) (1975).

Boris von Bormann, born in Hamburg, Germany, has been in the international trade industry for over 17 years and in the solar industry for over 8 years. 

Boris von Bormann is the CEO for Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas, LLC manufacturer of stationary storage systems for the utility, commercial and residential sectors. .

In addition Boris has ownership in SK Solar, Inc. a residential and commercial solar installation and engineering company with headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. SK Solar operates US wide with its parent company located in Germany (www.sksolar-usa.com). Prior to opening SK Solar, Boris von Bormann was the CEO for Sonnen, Inc. the pioneer and manufacturer of energy storage solutions and prior the Director for Soltecture, Inc., US subsidiary for the German CIGS solar module manufacturer Soltecture GmbH. In 2002 Boris von Bormann founded accessio an independent consulting company that focuses on cross-cultural business aspects. 

Through his position with accessio, he held various interim positions in IT, Film & Entertainment & Biotech industries. Boris founded the German American Business Association - Southern California Chapter, a non- profit organization in Southern California. 

Boris von Bormann holds a dual-citizenship (Germany and USA) and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Dennis Arriola is president and CEO of Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).

Arriola spent most of the past 20 years in a broad range of leadership roles for the Sempra Energy companies. He has served as president and chief operating officer of SoCalGas since 2012, and was promoted to CEO in 2014.

In 2008, Arriola left the Sempra Energy companies to become executive vice president and chief financial officer for SunPower Corp., a Silicon Valley-based solar panel manufacturer. He rejoined SoCalGas in 2012.

From 2006 to 2008, he was senior vice president and chief financial officer of both SDG&E and SoCalGas. Previously, Arriola also served as vice president of communications and investor relations for Sempra Energy and regional vice president and general manager of Sempra’s South American operations. He first joined the company in 1994 as treasurer for Pacific Enterprises/SoCalGas.

Arriola serves on the board of directors for the American Gas Association, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Western Energy Institute, California Business Roundtable, Latino Donor Collaborative and Southern California Leadership Council.

Arriola has a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University.

Maria G. Meleandez joined LA Metro in 2014 and is committed to transforming the world through transportation infrastructure investment & innovation.  As the head of Talent Development for LA Metro, she leads a pioneering team, who is dedicated to advancing synergy within cross-functional business units to develop the next generation of workers within Transportation Infrastructure.  Maria is most passionate about impacting the emerging workforce by creating opportunities for improvement and professional growth.

She held other roles at Metro where she was instrumental in developing the agency’s employees through nationally recognized workforce development programs such as Metro’s Career Pathways Program, Leadership Academy and leads the SEED LA partnership for the agency. Her commitment to the cultivation of an inclusive learning environment — in which all employees have an opportunity for improvement and professional growth — has made an impact throughout all levels of the organization. 

Prior to joining Metro, Maria led large scale programs for various educational institutions with a focus on leadership development, employee engagement and inclusion. With more than 15 years of experience, Maria has excelled in numerous capacities within the education, healthcare and transportation infrastructure industries. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management and is also a Licensed Registered Nurse.

Ron Kent is Advanced Technologies Manager for the Southern California Gas Company, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. In this capacity, Ron helps to develop and commercialize new low-carbon energy resources.

Current projects include the development of a variety of innovative new technologies involving solar, biological and electro-chemical renewable energy pathways, oxy-fuel power cycles for carbon capture and sequestration, and thermal energy transfer and storage.  This involves managing multiple CEC and DOE funded energy technology projects and serving as a board advisor for two start-up companies. 

Past management experience includes finance, equity investments, energy efficiency, natural gas vehicles, energy markets and regulatory affairs. 

Prior to joining the Sempra Energy utilities he was a Peace Corp volunteer and a science teacher.  He holds a B.S. degree in biological science from San Diego State University; an M.S. from the University of Kentucky; and an MBA from CalPoly, Pomona. 

With over 25 years of direct construction and real estate development experience, Kevin Harbison has worked on large development projects throughout Southern California for both public and privately held home building and real estate development companies. A graduate of the U.S.

Naval Academy, Kevin served as an Engineer Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps before transitioning into the real estate development industry. He is active with both the Los Angeles/ Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California and with HomeAid Los Angeles, having previously served as Board President for both organizations.

Kiran Srivastava is a renewable energy policy professional with over fifteen years of professional experience. Over the last ten years, she has focused on strategic development and management of federal energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Her work has included research and analysis in order to develop reports and white papers on renewable energy technologies, market assessments and policy recommendations.  Ms. Srivastava’s notable contributions include extensive support to federal agencies such as the Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office (EERE) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E).  Ms. Srivastava used her expertise to build a number of tools and resources to help Islands such as Hawaii in converting from fossil-based to renewable energy generation. She assisted in crafting a road map detailing how the State of California can convert its fossil-based hydrogen supply to a renewable supply for its transportation sector.  Kiran is a founding member of the Women in CleanTeach (WICT) diversity initiative at the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator and a board member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Young Professionals in Energy (YPE).

Joseph Byrne is an of counsel attorney in the Los Angeles office of Best Best & Krieger and is a member of the firm's Environmental Law & Natural Resources, Special Districts, Municipal and Business Services practice groups. He advises both public and private sector clients on water law, public law and government and legislative strategies, with additional experience in general business law.

Joseph has considerable experience advising public and private clients on various issues related to water, including helping clients secure water supply, negotiating and drafting many types of water-related agreements, analyzing water rights, and advising on regulatory and policy issues. He also advises a number of public entities — primarily cities and special districts — on a broad range of issues, including various contracts, the Brown Act, CEQA, conflicts of interest, personnel, public works bidding and contracts, the Public Records Act, land use and general compliance with state and federal laws. He works closely with a number of cities and districts on a daily basis.

Joseph is also very familiar with California’s legislative process as well as water policy issues. He worked on water policy issues at the State Capitol for a number of years and recently taught a water policy class at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Policy. In May 2010, Joseph was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the California Water Commission, where he serves as chair. He was re-appointed to another term by Gov. Jerry Brown in July 2014. The Commission has a number of important statewide responsibilities related to water.

In addition to his public sector work, Joseph advises private sector clients on a wide variety of general business law issues, including general litigation, corporations, employment, contracts and general counsel work. He has specific experience working with apparel and water technology companies on many aspects of their businesses, including negotiating and drafting licensing agreements, purchase and sale agreements, manufacturing and distribution agreements, and employment and settlement agreements.

Joseph worked in the government practice group at Mayer Brown, where he advised clients on transactional matters and gave strategic advice on state legislative and regulatory matters. He also worked at Burke, Williams & Sorensen for a number of years in its public law practice group. From 1998-2002, he worked in the California State Assembly, serving two years as counsel to the speaker of the California State Assembly and as the speaker's chief policy consultant on water/environment and public safety. He also served as the speaker's appointee to the California Court Reporters Board and the California Earthquake Authority.

He was born, raised and continues to lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Joseph enjoys spending time in the outdoors, sports and learning about California history.

Paul Williams is President of the Electric Infrastructure Security (EIS) Council. Mr. Williams is a Globally recognised leader in technology and operational resilience, with exceptional experience, insight, and expertise in developing operationally robust and regulatorily compliant resilience strategies, operations, and organisations. He has leadership experience in technology and technology risk, within international banking. As well as regulatory experience including leadership of UK domestic regulation development, specialist supervision of non-financial risks, and coordination of several international initiatives. Mr. Williams has participated in NATO, RUSI, and various other domestic and international conferences, and is a Commissioner on the UK’s National Preparedness Commission.

Jon Bonanno serves as the CXO of the New Energy Nexus (Nexus) and California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF). His responsibilities are in capacity expansion and financial innovation to support diverse entrepreneurs solving the Climate Crisis.  At Nexus/CalCEF, Jon is focusing on educating and enabling clean energy entrepreneurs to use and benefit from Opportunity Zone finance. Prior to Nexus/CalCEF, Bonanno co-founded and served as the CCO of Empower, a power electronics design firm focused on solar, energy storage and EV applications, which was sold in 2018 to SunGrow. His professional career includes twenty five years of entrepreneurial experience with Interbill (internet billing), Global Internet Billing (internet billing), SolidStreaming (mobile video streaming), Cool Earth Solar (concentrated solar power systems), HelioPower (solar utility), Earth Class Mail (SaaS for the postal industry), Azure Power (India solar utility, NYSE listed), Heartland Resources (soy-based adhesive for UF replacement), Principle Power (floating offshore wind foundations) and Array Power (module level power electronics).

John Onderdonk serves as the Senior Director of Facilities Services and Integrated Planning as well as the Chief Sustainability Officer at the California Institute of Technology. In this capacity, he is responsible for the executive leadership of campus planning, energy and utility services, procurement and material management, critical research logistics and sustainability programs.

At Caltech, John has led efforts to de-carbonize campus utilities, plan for infrastructure resilience and adaptive capacity, and integrate 17MW of distributed generation. He has supervised the execution of a $15M energy efficiency fund, served as the lead sustainability advisor for 12 capital projects and coordinated the deployment of a work management and asset tracking system. John also leads the Institute’s regulatory affairs with regard to energy, water, carbon and regional planning.

Prior to joining Caltech, John served as the Southwest Regional Manager for AIG Environmental where he managed environmental risk on behalf of corporate and brownfield redevelopment clients.

John holds a Masters in Corporate Environmental Management from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science and Economics from the University of Oregon. John is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design + Construction and a Certified Carbon Reduction Manager.

John is the chair of the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Officer’s Taskforce and serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.

Morgan Hagerty is a Director at CE2 Capital Partners, where she is focused on carbon and renewables markets.  CE2 Carbon Capital, a joint-venture of CE2 Capital Partners and energy private equity investor Energy Capital Partners, is building a portfolio of carbon assets in North America.  Prior to CE2, Ms. Hagerty worked for Morgan Stanley’s Commodities group in New York on the Gas & Power trading desk focused on environmental commodities.  She has also worked on the carbon desk at EDF Trading in London, and on land conservation finance at the Trust for Public Land in San Francisco.  Ms. Hagerty has a BS in Economics and Environmental Geosciences from Boston College, as well as an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business and an MEM from the Nicholas School of Environment at Duke University.

Erica currently serves as the director of the Office of the CEO.  Previously, Erica was the director of Resource and Environmental Planning and Strategy at Southern California Edison where she led SCE’s climate and electrification strategies, and integrated resource planning activities. Prior to SCE, Erica was Chief Economist of the American Petroleum Institute and Vice President of Research and Policy Analysis and Chief Economist at America’s Natural Gas Alliance. In these roles, Erica led all research and policy analysis activities while also actively engaging with utilities, regulators, legislators and other business-to-business stakeholders to aid in the understanding of the complex dynamics between energy markets, economy and public policy.  

Erica received her masters of science degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA and her bachelors of Science and Engineering degree from Princeton University in Princeton, NJ. 

Gary Breaux is the Assistant General Manager and Chief Financial Officer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  He manages all of Metropolitan’s financial programs, including financial planning, investments, debt management, the biennial budget, and accounting operations.  He is also responsible for developing Metropolitans water rates and charges.

Prior to Metropolitan, Gary was the Director of Finance for East Bay Municipal Utility District.  He has extensive experience working for local governments since 1983.  He joined EBMUD in 1994 and was responsible for all financial areas including treasury operations, debt management, rates, internal audit, accounting and reporting, risk management, and customer and community services.  Prior to joining EBMUD, he was Director of Finance for the City of Oakland, CA.

A native of Colorado, Gary received a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Colorado in 1977, and a master’s in Public Administration in 1987 from Virginia Commonwealth University.  He is on the Board of Governors for the California Municipal Utilities Association, and a member of the American Water Works Association.

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.

Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.

Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities.

During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation.

Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, and local agency plan and ordinance updates. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in lawand business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service.

Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles.

Brian Goldstein is the Executive Director of Energy Independence Now, an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution by advancing clean hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and renewable hydrogen infrastructure for transportation, renewable energy storage and deep industrial decarbonization. With a background in finance, Brian has professional experience in the alternative fuels, renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation technology and financial services sectors. He has served as CFO of a motorcycle design and manufacturing firm as well as CFO of a hydrogen transportation technology company, where he focused on public and private financing initiatives, infrastructure acquisitions, automotive technology development and fleet adoption of hydrogen technology.

Brian has worked to develop alternative fuel distribution networks in California and Colorado. He is an Eagle Scout and has also served as a technical and financial consultant to the US Department of Energy, as well as a judge for the Clean Tech Open business plan competition and the DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition.

Brian graduated with a B.S. in International Business from the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado, and earned his MBA with a focus on Finance and International Business at the Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business Management, where he received a Merit Scholarship.

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.

Brittany is a Senior Resilience Engineer in Arup’s Los Angeles office. She brings her professional experience in building envelope engineering and a background in structures, architecture, and building physics to long-term resilience and climate change adaptation projects. Her technical background includes hazard and vulnerability assessments and quantification of social co-benefits of resilience measures, with a focus on affordable housing as critical infrastructure.

Paul J. Silvern draws on over 25 years of experience to serve as the Partner in charge of HR&A’s Los Angeles area office.

In his time with HR&A, he has directed the analysis of major regional airport expansion plans, military base conversions, television and film studio expansions, hotels, office parks, high-rise office buildings, industrial developments, shopping centers, hospital complexes, university campus expansions, urban residential developments, mixed-use developments, and a wide range of planning initiatives. His work includes:

• A 5.2 million square foot Specific Plan to guide future academic facility, housing and commercial development at the University of Southern California’s University Park campus;

• Redevelopment of the Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood into a major mixed-use development including 3,000 housing units, regional retail, office and public uses;

• Two iterations of $3 billion Specific Plans to redevelop the NBC Universal entertainment studio, office, retail, theme park and hotel complex in Los Angeles;

• The addition of two new theme parks at Disneyland in Anaheim, California;

• 2.4 million sf hotel, office and retail redevelopment of the Wilshire Grand, the first new high-rise office building to be built in downtown Los Angeles in over 20 years;

• The Keck Graduate School for Applied Life Sciences, the seventh member of the Consortium of The Claremont Colleges;

• Reconstruction of Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, in the wake of severe building damage caused by the 1994 Northridge earthquake;

• Three new high-rise office buildings, and a 400-unit high-rise multi-family residential development in Century City, one of the most prestigious commercial office locations in Los Angeles;

• 10 million square feet of new commercial and residential development around Union Station in the City of Los Angeles;

• The Red Building (400,000 sf), the final phase of the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood;

• The 6.6 million s.f. Coyote Valley Research Park in San Jose, on behalf of a developer and business consortium including Cisco Systems, Inc.; and

• Master Plans and redevelopment alternatives for Los Angeles International Airport, O’Hare International Airport, and San Diego International Airport.

Paul also has extensive experience in all aspects of housing policy and housing development, ranging from design of municipal regulatory programs to design and administration of affordable housing production programs and real estate advisory work on major private housing developments.

Paul’s clients include major development organizations as well as numerous local governments, redevelopment agencies, institutions and metropolitan planning organizations.

Paul earned a Masters Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, with Honors from the University of Illinois, Urbana.

Hector De La Torre is the Executive Director of Gasol Foundation US, a national nonprofit dedicated to children’s health and wellness. He is also Chair of the board at LA Care, the largest public nonprofit health plan in the United States, and a trustee at his alma mater Occidental College in Los Angeles.

De La Torre served in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, representing the largely Latino 50th District in Southeast Los Angeles County. He chaired the Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, the Rules Committee and helped create and chaired the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee during his tenure.

De La Torre was the Executive Director of the national non-profit Transamerica Center for Health Studies.

Prior to his service in the Assembly, he served as Mayor and as a member of the South Gate City Council, Judicial Administrator in the Los Angeles Superior Court, chief of staff to the Deputy Secretary of Labor in the Clinton Administration, and a teacher at Edison Junior High in South Los Angeles.

De La Torre graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College and attended the Elliot School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. He lives in South Gate.

Since he was overwhelmingly elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012 and 2016 to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Mark Ridley-Thomas has distinguished himself as a strong advocate for more than two million Second District residents. He presently serves as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, President of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission and a member of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

He has promoted the District’s interests on a variety of fronts, including transportation, job creation and retention, and local hiring. In the area of health policy, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas has overseen the construction of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, as well as a network of cutting-edge health care facilities throughout the District. He has facilitated the use of technology and encouraged an integrated approach to wellness that includes mental health care and a prominent role for school-based clinics. His advocacy has helped secure an equitable share of funding for public-private partnership health clinics in underserved areas.

Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas served the 26th District in the California State Senate where he chaired the Senate’s Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. He served as Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus in 2008 and led the Caucus in unprecedented levels of cooperation and collaboration with counterparts in the Latino and Asian-Pacific Islander Legislative Caucuses.

Mark Ridley-Thomas was first elected to public office in 1991 and served with distinction on the Los Angeles City Council for nearly a dozen years, departing as Council President pro Tempore. He later served two terms in the California State Assembly, where he chaired the Assembly Democratic Caucus. His legislative work addressed a broad range of issues with implications for economic and workforce development, health care, public safety, education, budget accountability, consumer protection and civic participation.

He is widely regarded as the foremost advocate of neighborhood participation in government decision-making. By virtue of his founding of the Empowerment Congress, arguably the region’s most successful 24-year experiment in neighborhood-based civic engagement, he is considered the founder of the Neighborhood Council movement.

Ridley-Thomas’ political career was preceded by a decade of service as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, which followed a brief but successful five-year stint as a high school teacher.

The Supervisor is a graduate of Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles and earned a baccalaureate degree in Social Relations with a minor in Government and a master’s degree in Religious Studies with a concentration in Christian ethics from Immaculate Heart College. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas went on to receive his Ph.D. in Social Ethics from the University of Southern California focusing on Social Criticism and Social Change.

He is married to Avis Ridley-Thomas, Co-Founder and Director of the Institute for Non-Violence in Los Angeles. They are the proud parents of Sinclair and Sebastian, both Morehouse Men. Sinclair recently earned an MBA degree at USC’s Marshall School of Business, works in the investment banking industry, and resides with his wife Shaunicie, an attorney, in San Francisco. Sebastian is a member of the California State Assembly representing the 54th District, which includes Southwest Los Angeles, Culver City, Century City and Westwood.

Business Development Lead for NTT SmartCity/SmartPlatform, overseeing direct and indirect sales activities for all NTT Operating Companies and Business Units. Key founding member of startup Business Unit.

Go Takizawa is a senior official of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which is the largest Japanese public funding agency in the areas of new energy, energy efficiency, smart grid and other industrial technologies. As the Chief Representative of NEDO Silicon Valley Office, he is closely involved in NEDO smart grid projects demonstrated in New Mexico and Hawaii. He also initiates EV and energy Storage related demonstration projects in California.

Prior to the NEDO position, he was a Director in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Government of Japan (METI), where he was responsible for auditing the electricity price increase and planning the power supply and demand measures for Japan, as well as revitalizing a law concerning energy efficiency. As a government officer, he has a wide range of experiences in many policy planning fields such as global warming, intellectual property, space industry development, economic cooperation and human resorces.

He graduated from Tokyo University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Duke University.

Passionate about building and leading teams, commercializing advanced technologies in the built environment, and managing P&L responsibility. Dynamic professional with a mix of skills and expertise spanning program management, project finance, partnerships, and GTM strategies + business development. Demonstrable success in industries including zero-emissions transportation, sustainable aviation tech, consulting, banking, and municipal government. Proven ability to plan and execute value creation strategies in the context of complex multi-disciplinary projects, while gaining consensus and alignment across diverse stakeholders, and navigating the ambiguity of new financing strategies, roles, and technologies.

Adrienne gravitates toward complex problems, partnerships and initiatives marked by even more complicated stakeholder relationships. Having had a seat at multiple sides of the table, her career has been driven by a commitment to innovative cross-sectoral collaboration. She holds a B.A. from Scripps College, where she graduated cum laude, and a master's degree in planning and economic development from the University of Southern California, where she earned high honors in her cohort. Most recently, Adrienne participated in an executive-education program in project finance at London Business School.

Melinda Hanson, Senior Manager for Sustainability, joined Bird from the National Association of City Transportation Officials, where she served as deputy director of NACTO's international programs. Before that, Melinda was a consultant for the Asian Development Bank, helping design and implement public transit projects in Pakistan and the Philippines. Earlier in her career, she was a founding staff member of the ClimateWorks Foundation where she managed the sustainable transport portfolio.

Rich Dines, a Marine Clerk with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), brings more than 15 years of experience on the waterfront to his position as a member of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, the five-member governing body for the Port of Long Beach, California. He was appointed to a six-year term in July 2011 and was elected as Vice President of the Commission in December 2013.

Together with his Commission colleagues Mr. Dines has provided policy direction and oversight for the most extensive capital improvement program in the Port of Long Beach’s history. The Port has embarked on a $4 billion, 10-year investment program to modernize its facilities and increase its competitiveness for decades to come.

Mr. Dines has been actively involved with long-range efforts to improve efficiency and productivity at the Port, and is also a passionate champion for the use of alternative energy. Under his recommendation and direction, the Port of Long Beach adopted a groundbreaking energy policy in 2013 that calls for the development and increased use of alternative energy sources over electricity and fossil fuels. With this new energy policy in place, the Port will continue to improve air quality while building a more sustainable and energy-independent infrastructure. 

Blair knows that autonomous technologies are transforming how transportation networks operate. This belief guides him as the director of business development and programs for Stantec GenerationAV™, our autonomous vehicle (AV) consulting arm focused on accelerating AV adoption. An attorney and policy expert by trade, Blair now focuses on implementing strategies to educate our clients understanding of AVs and how to use these technologies effectively.

Driven by an interest in sustainable transportation and all the benefits AVs bring, Blair regularly provides key new insights in this field through industry events and various writings, including transportation technology forums and published articles in Eno Transportation Weekly, Thinking Highways Magazine, and others. He is passionate about taking transportation issues and changing people’s lives through AV technology. When he is not working, Blair loves to hike, read, watch sports, and travel.

Ambassador Vilma Martinez, the first woman to represent the United States in Buenos Aires as Ambassador, was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners by Mayor Eric Garcetti and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on November 19, 2013.

Ambassador Martinez was previously a partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, where she specialized in federal and state court commercial litigation, advising companies on steps to enhance their equal employment opportunity policies and build diversity and inclusion initiatives into their business plans Prior to Munger, Tolles & Olson, Ambassador Martinez served as president and general counsel of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).

Ambassador Martinez's previous professional endeavors also include work as litigation associate at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel in New York, and as a staff attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Enriching Ambassador Martinez's experience is a history of continued public service on numerous nonprofit boards. She served as chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of California from 1984 to 1986, and was a regent from 1976 to 1990. She previously served as a board member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She chaired the Pacific Council's Study Group on Mexico and served on the advisory boards of Columbia Law School and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California.

Ambassador Martinez was appointed by President William Clinton to serve on his Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations from 1994 to 1996. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the United States Ambassador to Argentina from 2009 to 2013. In 2013, she was awarded the Order of May (the highest honor awarded by Argentina to a foreign national) in recognition for her tenure and for her work on behalf of improving mutual cooperation and understanding.

Catherine Dunwoody is the executive director of the California Fuel Cell Partnership. She has led the organization since 1999 when it was announced as a fuel cell vehicle demonstration program. Today the CaFCP is globally recognized as a leader in promoting hydrogen fuel cell vehicle commercialization. Catherine leads the CaFCP’s team of industry and government members in their collaborative planning, technical and outreach activities. She has long championed the cause for clean air and a better environment, having started her career at the California Air Resources Board in the mid-1980’s as a laboratory chemist, then managing teams responsible for stationary source testing and implementing clean vehicle regulations. In 2011 Automotive News named Catherine as one of the “Electrifying 100” most influential players in the move to electric drive vehicles. Catherine graduated with highest honors in Biochemistry from the University of California, Davis. 

David Narefsky has had an active role in high-profile PPP transactions, with particular responsibility for governmental and financing aspects.

David advised the underwriters of the issuance of $400 million private activity bonds to finance a portion of the cost of construction of the Denver FasTracks Eagle P3 Project. This project was named 2010 North American Transport Deal of the Year by Project Finance Magazine and 2010 Regional Deal of the Year by The Bond Buyer. David was named a “Dealmaker of the Year” by the American Lawyer for his work on the Denver FasTracks financing.  

David is currently advising the underwriters for the issuance of up to $1.75 billion in private activity bonds to support the financing of the All Aboard Florida passenger rail network connecting Miami with Orlando.  He is also advising the Chicago Transit Authority in its efforts to implement a $2 billion design-build finance-maintain PPP project for the reconstruction of the Authority’s Red Line, the City’s main north south transit line.

David led Mayer Brown’s representation of WVB East End Partners, the winning bidder for the East End Crossing in Louisville/Southern Indiana, which was named 2014 North American Transport Deal of the Year by P3Bulletin and National Deal of the Year by The Bond Buyer.

He advised the Puerto Rico Public Private Partnerships Authority on the proposed long-term concession and lease of Luis Muñoz Marín Airport in San Juan and the City of Chicago on the proposed long-term concession and lease of Midway Airport.

He is also advised the Texas Department of Transportation on the implementation of innovative financing strategy for Grand Parkway Toll Road in the Houston metro area, including successful closing of an $850 million TIFIA loan.

Prior transactions include advising the City of Chicago on the $1.83 billion concession and lease of the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge and on the $563 million concession and lease of the more than 9,000 space Chicago downtown underground parking garage system; Chambers USA 2007 referred to David as “one of the best public-sector lawyers in Chicago.”

A 1979 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he served as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of Chicago, where he managed the transactional and commercial legal work of the City, before joining Mayer Brown in 1989. His practice at Mayer Brown has included the representation of Chicago-area governments in the financing of convention center and sport stadium facilities, mass transportation projects and representation in public finance offerings.

Jeffrey Reed is the Director of Business Strategy and Development for Southern California Gas Company. In that capacity he leads development of policies and initiatives aimed at supporting the development and deployment of sustainable energy solutions. In his current and prior roles Jeff has led the natural gas RD&D, energy efficiency technology transfer, venture investment and low-emission vehicle programs and he is responsible for the company’s long-range technology forecasting and strategic planning. Jeff is currently on the Leadership Council of the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator and is a board member of the California Hydrogen Business Council. Prior to joining the Sempra utilities, Dr. Reed was a senior strategy consultant with Booz-Allen and Hamilton and Accenture, and was an officer with ABB Power Generation in Switzerland.  He holds a doctorate in engineering from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in management from Stanford University.

Carla J. Peterman is Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer for PG&E Corporation, the parent company of Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

Peterman has spent her career focused on California's energy policy and regulatory landscape. At PG&E, she oversees the company's regulatory, legislative, sustainability, and charitable strategies, all focused on delivering for the customers and communities that PG&E serves in Northern and Central California.

Prior to joining PG&E in 2021, Peterman served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Regulatory Affairs at Southern California Edison. Before that she served a six-year term as a Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

A steadfast proponent of clean energy, at the CPUC Peterman led the adoption of the first utility energy storage mandate in the country, the approval of nearly $1 billion of utility investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the adoption of utility energy efficiency goals and business plans, and the implementation of California's Renewables Portfolio Standard.

Before her CPUC appointment, Peterman served on the California Energy Commission, where she was the lead commissioner for renewables, transportation, and natural gas. She also is a former board member of The Utility Reform Network, an organization that represents consumers before the CPUC and California Legislature.

In 2019, Governor Newsom appointed her to chair the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery. She currently serves as a member of the Federal Reserve of San Francisco Economic Advisory Council. She has also served on various other boards, including the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), NARUC's Energy Resources and Environment Committee (Vice-Chair), and the external advisory board for Sandia National Laboratories’ Energy and Homeland Security Portfolio.

Peterman holds a BA from Howard University, a PhD in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley, and MS and MBA degrees from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

​Philippe P. Huneault has been the VP of Technology and Funds Management, and Head of International Business Development at Fonds de Solidarité FTQ since March 2022.

Previously  Québec’s delegate in Los Angeles and chief Officer for the representative office in Canada of B&C Plc (Bank and Clients), a London-based bank, Mr. Huneault, manager, entrepreneur and seasoned administrator, boasts nearly 30 years of experience in public and private corporate financing, business development and innovation.

From 1996 to 2004, he held several positions, including Vice-president, Strategic Opportunities, at Telesystem International Wireless (TIW), a leader in the field of cellular operators in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2006, he co-founded Echo Capital, a private investment fund manager that supports the development of small and medium-sized businesses. He served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the company. He was also a Managing Partner at Mayfair Strategic Consulting, a firm specialized in providing strategic consulting services for tech companies as well as for municipalities to implement digital strategies and develop Smart City initiatives. In this capacity, he participated in the feasibility analyses of Montreal Digital Metropolis and Gatineau Intelligent et Numérique.
In late 2007, Mr. Huneault was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Intelligence Technologies, a publicly listed company that provides mobile teleassistance solutions for the health and safety sectors.
Before joining TIW, he held management positions at a number of companies, including Cantel, Ericsson, Telezone, Vidéotron, YRH and Bell Canada International.

He has served on a number of boards of directors, including those of Montréal’s Quartier de l’innovation and the Cancer Research Society. He is also a founding member of Capital Intelligent Mtl.
Philippe P. Huneault holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a certificate in technological innovation from École Polytechnique de Montréal.

Seleta Reynolds is General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the second largest municipal transportation agency in the country. Reynolds is responsible for 1,300 employees and 52 different business lines – from parking meters to traffic signals to buses. Reynolds was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014 to implement the Mayor’s vision of safe and sustainable transportation choices for all. Under Reynolds’ leadership, LADOT has installed hundreds of data-driven safety improvements in high needs locations, launched the largest scooter program in the world, launched the largest electric vehicle car-share program in the country, and created a first-of-its-kind digital platform to manage for-profit mobility companies. 

Reynolds is a true believer that LADOT should reflect the city that it serves. Over 90 percent of her executive team are women and people of color. Reynolds has over 20 years of transportation experience in both the public and private sectors. She served as president of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) for four years, which represents cities and transportation agencies in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. She is the Board Chair and founding member of the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF), a public-private forum created to tackle technical issues surrounding emerging mobility technology. In 2019, she also joined the board of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA).

Joe Cappello began his career as a Chemical Analyst on Wall Street. After 8 years, Joe joined Praxair, now known as Linde, LLC where he spent the next 15 years. Joe’s first assignment was leading Investor Relations, followed by business roles managing the US CO2 business, Global Helium Group and Product Management. Joe also held the roles of Vice President, North America and President of Praxair Asia, based in Shanghai. Joe subsequently shifted to Private Equity and led business units in two companies that culminated in successful liquidity events. Joe’s relationship with Iwatani Corporation spans 20 years with the last two as an Executive Advisor helping the company establish a new US Platform before being named Executive Officer, Iwatani Corporation and CEO of Iwatani Americas in September, 2019. Joe earned a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from NYU, Stern School of Business.

Ed Othmer, PE, CPESC, CPSWQ, QSP/D ToR, QISP ToR, ENV SP, PMP is Vice President, North America Wet Weather Sector for Stantec and has more than 30 years of engineering experience as a stormwater practitioner. Ed is a registered civil engineer in California and maintains a variety of other certifications. Ed received his Master’s in Civil Engineering from Tufts University. During the past 10 years, Ed has focused his expertise helping clients develop ways to capture and use stormwater and urban runoff as a resource. 

Ed teaches stormwater classes for many organizations including the UCSD Extension Program. Ed also serves as the Past President and Board Member of the Industrial Environmental Association, Chair of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Sustainability & Industry Committee, a San Diego State University Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Faculty Advisory Board Member, Storm Water Solutions Magazine Editorial Advisory Board Member, and Friends of the Los Angeles River Board Member. Additionally, Ed has and continues to serve on many technical advisory committees including the Construction General Permit Training Steering Committee, and the City of San Diego Alternative Compliance Technical Advisory Committee.

Brence Culp is Executive Director of Sustainability and Legacy and oversees LA 2024's work to deliver a sustainable Games that fits the long term plans of the greater Los Angeles area. Culp was also directly responsible for the planning and development of the Athletes Village. Prior to joining LA 2024, Culp served as the interim CEO of CDO of Los Angeles County. She has over a decade of experience in public service for the city and county of Los Angeles, including time spent working within the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee and three years as Chief Financial Officer for the LA Redevelopment Agency. Culp practiced corporate tax and real estate law before her transition to local government. She received her BA for the University of Chicago and JD from New York University. 

Douglas J. Sereno, P.E., has been the Director of Program Management for the Port of Long Beach, California since August 2007 where he oversees the Port’s 5-year, $4.5B capital improvement program.  Significant current projects under his direction are the $950M Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement, the $1.2B Middle Harbor Redevelopment Program and the $600M Pier G Redevelopment Program.  Doug holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  He is a Registered Engineer in the State of California and is credentialed as a Envision Sustainability Professional by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).

Doug is involved in sustainable infrastructure initiatives with ASCE’s Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI) as the chairman of its Sustainability Committee and as the secretary of the ASCE - LA Chapter’s Sustainability Committee.  He serves on ASCE‘s Subcommittee on Sustainable Infrastructure Certification that is developing an international certification standard for the Sustainable Infrastructure Professional, ASCE’s  Committee on Sustainability as a member of the Strategic Communications Committee and ISI Envision Infrastructure Rating System Leadership Credits Sub-Committee.  He was the initial chair of the Port’s Sustainability Task Force and is a founding member of the Joint West Coast Ports Technical Committee for the Development of Sustainable Design and Construction Guidelines. He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Federation and the U.S. Green Building Council, LA Chapter.

Rick is President and CEO of UV Pure Technologies, a Canadian environmental technology company that develops and manufactures advanced UV water disinfection technology. It has an installed base of over 14,000 applications in North America, LATAM and ASEAN countries, and the EU. 

UV Pure is a global award winner: Frost and Sullivan Best Practices, an Artemis Project Top 50 Company; Going Green Global 200, and the Canadian Drinking Water Association award for innovation. 

An aerospace version of UV Pure’s technology was chosen by Boeing onboard its new 787 Dreamliners. 

Rick is a Director of WaterTAP, Ontario’s Water Technology Acceleration Project.

Prior to UV Pure, Rick founded several public and private companies and was a member and Director of the Young Presidents’ Organization, in Toronto.

He has a degree in Astro-geophysics from Colgate University, a Masters of Education from St. Lawrence University, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business’ Institute of Corporate Directors program. 

Dan Carol is a Director in the Center for Financial Markets, expanding our work with local governments and stakeholders to foster best practice implementation of the Opportunity Zones Initiative and accelerate community and regional innovation.  Prior to joining Milken, Dan worked for Governors Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom of California directing the state’s Opportunity Zones working group and serving on the Executive Committee of the US Climate Alliance, a bi-partisan alliance of 24 states implementing the Paris agreement.   Before that, Dan served the Obama Administration as a member of the U.S. DOE State Energy Advisory Board and led efforts to create the West Coast Infrastructure Exchange, a 2015 winner of the Harvard Ash Center award for government innovation.  Outside of government, Dan co-founded two clean energy acceleration groups (The Apollo Alliance and the Clean Economy Network) and founded CTSG, a 70-person online civic engagement company and software company, sold in 2004.  Dan has also served as a U.S. Presidential Management Fellow, a senior campaign advisor to the Clinton-Gore 1992 and Obama-Biden 2008 campaigns, and as adjunct professor at Georgetown University.  Carol holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MRP from the University of North Carolina. 

Marcie is a former General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and was the first woman to lead the nation’s largest municipality. She previously managed Anaheim Public Utilities for 13 years, and was tapped to serve as the Anaheim City Manager in 2013. She also spent 25 of her earlier years working her way up the ladder at LADWP. Marcie is a former governor on the California Independent System Operator Board, and served as interim CEO of that agency during a portion of the energy crisis. She now sits on the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board.

Ryan Altoon, as the Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Cities, spearheads the firm's development vision, leveraging over two decades of experience in real estate development, finance, and strategic planning. His leadership has been instrumental in steering projects totaling over $500 million in new construction across California.

Among his notable achievements are the development of prominent projects such as "Shoreline Gateway," a luxurious 315-unit, 35-story residential tower, "The Current," a 223-unit, 17-story multifamily project, and "Hercules Bayfront," an expansive 18-city block waterfront Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) featuring 1,500 units, 200,000 square feet of commercial space, and an intermodal transit center. Notably, "Hercules Bayfront" stands as one of the Nation’s pioneering LEED-ND Gold projects.

Prior to establishing Sustainable Cities, Ryan served as Executive Vice President at AndersonPacific, LLC, where he led investment, entitlement, and development efforts for sustainable mixed-use infill projects. His tenure saw the entitlement of over 2,700 residential units, 150,000 square feet of commercial space, and the creation of over 20 acres of public open space, collectively valued at over $1 billion.

Before his tenure at AndersonPacific, Ryan held roles at George Smith Partners, Inc., where he facilitated structured debt/equity packages for diverse real estate assets, and at Managing Director of GFX Center, a design and graphic reproduction firm catering to international real estate clientele.

Ryan's dedication extends beyond his professional roles. He serves as Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Los Angeles District Council, where he leads the Advisory Board and Management Committee, and leads initiatives with member-leaders aimed shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. He has also been actively involved in mentoring programs and spearheaded numerous Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) projects.

Furthermore, Ryan chairs the Long Beach Economic Partnership, collaborating with stakeholders to drive economic growth. His involvement with nonprofit organizations such as Linc Housing Corporation and Toluca Lake Beautification Partners underscores his commitment to affordable housing and sustainable community development.

His civic engagement includes serving as Chair of the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, President of the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council for a decade, and as a former Long Beach Commissioner. Ryan's multifaceted contributions have left an indelible mark on various communities, fostering sustainable growth and enhancing public spaces. He received his MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, a Certificate in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and his Bachelor of Arts in Business/Economics and Art History from UCSB. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional.

Dr. Gil Crozes, Ph. D. has been involved in water treatment for 30 years, leading various planning, water resources, applied research, and engineering projects. He is a senior vice president with Carollo and is serving clients in the greater Los Angeles. His background includes extensive water and wastewater treatment process work, pilot- and demonstration-scale testing, as well as full-scale facilities planning and design. His areas of focus include groundwater treatment, surface water treatment, wastewater treatment, and solids and biogas utilization, as well as reuse of wastewater for irrigation, groundwater recharge, and various industrial applications such as power plant cooling water and boilers. His experience includes projects in more than 12 states.

Mike Stone is partner and Chief Investment Officer of Sunstone Management, Inc., a private credit and venture capital investment firm in Irvine, CA focusing on applying resources of public sector, private enterprises, and universities to help founders succeed at early-stage startups. Prior to joining SMI in 2022, he was first vice president at Morgan Stanley advising high net worth clients on governance and portfolio construction, including venture, ESG, and impact investments. Prior to that he was vice president at Alliance Bernstein serving institutional and high net worth investors. Prior to joining Bernstein, Stone held account executive roles from 1996 through 2005, at Oracle and Siebel, advising Fortune 500 and midsize companies on automation in support of strategic initiatives. He also served on the technology advisory group of US Congressperson Jim Davis. Before that he worked in consulting and engineering roles, including two startups, and published articles on information technology; he began his career as an officer in the Marines Corps working in software development. Mr. Stone has a Master of Science form University of Southern California and is a CFA charterholder.

Captain Gregory Nelson is a 34-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He currently commands the Bureau of Labor Relations and Compliance, and is the Department’s Sustainability Project Manager. He is leading a number of initiatives to enhance the Sheriff’s Department’s operational and fiscal sustainability and resiliency. Captain Nelson holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Long Beach and a Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School, and is a member of the State Bar of California and the Federal Bar of the Central District of California. 

Dr. Lei He is a professor at UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and the founding director of clean energy research center, Los Angeles. The center is a US-China EcoPartner awarded by the Department of State.

Dr. He obtained several technical awards from ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). He also has consulted a number of IT companies including Cisco, Hewlett-Package, and Intel, and was a founding technical adviser to two VC-supported software startups. He is now the chief scientist for Pride Power Systems and DB New Energy.

Dr. Joshua Schank is a Managing Principal at InfraStrategies, a transportation and financial advisory firm, where he leads a practice focused on innovation, strategic planning, and technology. He is also a Senior Fellow in the Institute for Transportation Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Prior to joining InfraStrategies and UCLA, Dr. Schank was the first-ever Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). Dr. Schank joined Metro in 2015 to establish the agency’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation (OEI), which is responsible for fostering innovations that improve mobility, equity and environmental outcomes across LA County. Dr. Schank led an office that shapes Metro’s high-level strategic vision, serving as a liaison to the academic community, designing, piloting and implementing innovative programs and policies, and engaging entrepreneurs and businesses to develop public-private-partnerships. Dr. Schank helped create and lead numerous transformative Metro projects including the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan, Metro Micro, Mobility on Demand, Metro’s Traffic Reduction Study, Better Bus, two Pre-Development Agreements for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor, a Public-Private-Partnership for the West Santa Ana Branch, and an aerial tram from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.

Dr. Schank previously served as President and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, a leading national transportation policy think-tank based in Washington, D.C. Prior to that he led the National Transportation Policy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center and has worked as a consultant for Parsons Brinkerhoff (now WSP) and ICF International. Dr. Schank served as Transportation Policy Advisor to Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) during the authorization of SAFETEA-LU and is the co-author of All Roads Lead to Congress: The $300 Billion Fight Over Highway Funding. Dr. Schank holds a Ph.D in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and a Master of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began his career working on behalf of the riders of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City and has never lost that spirit. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

Jeff Joyner is Co-Founder of Uscooter and the e4 Mobility Alliance and has been on the Leadership Council of the Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI), Board of Directors for CleanTech Los Angeles, Advisory Board of the U.S.-China CleanTech Center, among other CleanTech ventures and organizations.

Jeff has been very active in serving as a co-founder, advisor and outside general counsel at Greenberg Traurig to CleanTech businesses whose goals are start-up funding, operations, intellectual property protection, licensing, incentives, grants, strategic partnerships, acquisition, public offerings, among others. In this role, Jeff uses his vast experience in venture capital, government affairs, intellectual property, licensing, enforcement and litigation.  Jeff advises and is a limited partner of one of the first clean technology venture funds that focuses on clean energy, water, agriculture and materials.  He also advises other companies using technologies for transit, solar, wind, biomass, solar thermal, waste-to-energy, green building material, transportation, infrastructure and smart grid projects, among others.

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, selected by Forbes as one of "America's Premier Lawyers," and listed IAM Magazine’s "The IAM Patent 1000 – Litigation" and World Trademark Review’s "WTR 1000."

Rita joined the County of Los Angeles’s Chief Sustainability Office in June 2017 as a Sustainability Program Director for the office. She supports development and implementation of the County’s first sustainability plan, in addition to providing policy support for other County sustainability-related initiatives. In May 2022, she was appointed Acting Chief Sustainability Officer.  Prior to joining the County, Rita was the Science and Policy Director of the non-profit Heal the Bay where she oversaw advocacy and research projects related to water quality and water resources, and guided the development of Heal the Bay’s positions on a wide range of policy issues. Before joining Heal the Bay, Rita worked for Geosyntec Consultants on a range of water quality projects, primarily focusing on stormwater. Rita received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Columbia University, and an M.S. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering from UCLA. 
 
 

Mr. Hiroaki Ishizuka was appointed chairman of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) effective as of April 1, 2018.

 Mr. Ishizuka held a series of senior executive management level positions within Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Japan's largest chemical company, between 2009 and 2018. From June 2009 to March 2011 he served as Managing Executive Officer and Executive Officer. Following this, he served as Senior Managing Executive Officer from April 2011 to March 2012. He then served as President and Chief Executive Officer from April 2012 to March 2017. He also served as Senior Corporate Advisor from April 2017 to March 2018.

Mr. Ishizuka graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Science of the University of Tokyo in March 1972.

Jeffrey Kightlinger is general manager and chief executive officer for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The Metropolitan Water District is the largest municipal water provider in the nation delivering an average of over 2 billion gallons of water a day to 19 million customers across Southern California.  Metropolitan serves one out of every two Californians in the six counties of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego.

Kightlinger was appointed general manager in February 2006.  Prior to that, he served as the general counsel for the agency.

Lisa was the CEO of US SIF and the US SIF Foundation from 2006 to February 2023, and was responsible for strategic planning, developing a robust policy presence, expansion and diversification of funding, launching our national conference and creating the Center for Sustainable Investment Education.    

Prior to US SIF, Lisa was executive director of the International Women's Media Foundation, an organization focused on press freedom and expansion of women’s role in the media.  During her tenure, the IWMF played a significant role in re-orienting the way journalism training was carried out on the issues of HIV-AIDS, malaria and TB in several African media organizations. Lisa also spent a decade working on children’s human rights.  She was the director of the first international study to look at the impact of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and directed the Washington, DC office of Save the Children. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.

Lisa's early career focused on domestic social policy and began in the New York City Human Resources Administration as an Urban Fellow and the US Congress as a legislative assistant.  Lisa is the founder of Suited for Change, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization that provides professional clothing and ongoing career education to low-income women who have completed job training programs and are seeking employment. She was a founding board member and former president of the board of The Women's Alliance, a national membership organization of community organizations that increase the employability of low-income women. She was also Board President of Women’s Voices for the Earth, a national environmental health organization based in Montana. She has written and spoken widely on human rights and development, as well as leadership. She is a board member of the Children's Environmental Health Network and the founder, with her teenage son, of Advantage Ethiopia: Kids' Tennis and Education Initiative.

In 2018, Lisa was honored to be included in Barron's list of “The 20 Most Influential People in ESG Investing”. She was also pleased to accept the SRI Service Award and the inaugural Forbes Impact Award. Previously, Lisa was named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in recognition of her pioneering role with Suited for Change. She has received numerous other awards and has volunteered on other nonprofit boards and commissions. Lisa holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in public policy and women's studies from George Washington University. She was a Fulbright Fellow in Melbourne, Australia.
Lisa is energized daily by the opportunity to be part of the leadership team advancing the vital work of sustainable and responsible investors.
 

Ryan is the Science and Technology Policy Advisor to the Chair at the California Air Resources Board (CARB).  He is a leader in shaping California’s efforts to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote zero emission vehicles, and reduce emissions of methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.  Prior to his appointment at CARB by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011, McCarthy was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the office of California Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter.  Ryan received his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil and environmental engineering from UC Davis and bachelor’s degree in structural engineering from UC San Diego.

Mr. Hoyle leads Terra-Gen’s wind and solar development initiatives.  Over the past three years his team has successfully developed and constructed 1,320MW of wind energy composed of nine projects and represents a $2.8 billion investment in California.  In 2011, Terra-Gen was recognized as the #1 wind developer in the United States based on installed capacity during the year.  Prior to joining Terra-Gen, Mr. Hoyle was Managing Director at Edison Mission Energy, the unregulated affiliate of Edison International, responsible for business development activities related to a national wind energy platform. From 1994 to 2005, Mr. Hoyle was employed by NextEra Energy Resources, the unregulated affiliate of NextEra Energy, Inc. (formerly FPL Group). He last served as Director, Development accountable for originating and developing an industry-leading wind franchise in the southern Mid-Continent region. Previous to that assignment at NextEra, he provided leadership in natural gas development, mergers and acquisitions, and financial analysis roles. Mr. Hoyle earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Miami (FL) and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance from Iowa State University.

Mike Hopkins is the CEO of Ice Energy (www.ice-energy.com). Ice Energy is the leading provider of thermal energy storage for the grid, with its award winning Ice Bear system deployed in more than 40 utility service territories. Ice Energy’s most recent win was an award of 16 contracts from Southern California Edison for 25.6 MW of thermal energy storage capacity.

Prior to joining Ice Energy, Mike practiced law for 18 years as a partner with Bennett Jones LLP, a pre-eminent Canadian law firm recognized internationally as a leader in the fields of energy and climate change. He specialized in the development and financing of power projects around the world, served on the firm's Executive Committee and led their Utilities Group, International Group and Independent Power Group. Mike left Bennett Jones at the end of 2002 to lead the workout of a private data center developer that resulted in its sale. After the sale of that company, Mike co-founded a geomatics company and assisted several other startups.

Mike is a member of the Board of Chancellors of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, a member of the Board of Chancellors and Past Chairman of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada, a member of the Board of Trustees and Past Chairman of William Sansum Diabetes Center, a member of the Board of Directors of Integrated Marine Education and Research Expeditions and a member of the Board of Directors of Orthoshop Geomatics Limited, a spin-off of the geomatics company he co-founded. He holds a BA and a law degree from the University of Ottawa, an MA (Law & Economics) from the University of Miami and an MBA from the University of Alberta.

Bill Gross is a pioneering renewable energy entrepreneur who has created 7 billion-dollar-plus exits. Starting with creating a company called Solar Devices in High School, he has created more than 150 companies with more than 50 IPO’s and acquisitions over the last 30 years.

Bill is the creator of one of the first, and now longest-running technology incubators – Idealab – which he founded in 1996 and still runs as the world’s premiere startup studio.

Bill is a frequent speaker on entrepreneurship, climate change, renewable energy, and more at TED, DLD, Davos, and college campuses around the world, including Caltech, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, and where he serves on the board of trustees.

Three of Bill’s most impactful recent energy companies include Energy Vault for low-cost energy storage, Carbon Capture, for low-cost direct air capture of CO2, and Heliogen, pioneering high temperature solar concentration to both replace fossil fuel and create green fuel from the sun.

Bill is committed to showing that while climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time, using technological innovation to address it can make it one of the biggest economics opportunities at the same time.

On April 3, 2023, Jay Ziegler was appointed to a four-year term as Delta Watermaster for the State Water Resources Control Board.

Prior to being appointed, Mr. Ziegler was the Director of External Affairs and Policy for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). During his 12 years at the conservancy, he led the agency’s policy engagements on water, climate strategies, biodiversity protection and environmental funding initiatives. Prior to joining TNC, he was a partner in the interdisciplinary public affairs firm, Ziegler Associates, where he focused on land use, water policy, renewable energy, and permitting and mitigation matters. Previously, he served in multiple roles at state and federal natural resource agencies, including intergovernmental affairs with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, where he focused on endangered species, public lands, water, and natural resource management issues across the West. 

The position of Delta Watermaster was created by the 2009 Delta Reform Act. The Delta Watermaster is an independent office of the State of California reporting jointly to the State Water Resources Control Board and the Delta Stewardship Council. The Watermaster has statutory responsibility for administering water rights within the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta and the Suisun Marsh. Additionally, the Delta Watermaster advises the Board and the Council on matters relating to water rights, water quality, habitat and land use across this vital estuary, agricultural and recreational area, and the hub of California’s water conveyance infrastructure.

He is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, serves on several non-profit boards, and resides in Davis, California with his wife, Carri. 
 

Mr. Maloni is a public affairs specialist with seventeen years of professional experience in media relations, and government advocacy, crisis communications, and national and local political campaigns. He is responsible for corporate public affairs and managing project development in the State of California. Mr. Maloni attended school in Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy.

As Great Streets Program Director, Nat Gale oversees the coordination and collaboration across City Departments and with community stakeholders related to Great Street Projects. In the near-term, project implementation will focus on temporary treatments, including plazas and parklets, as well as robust community partnerships and programming. Outside of the project specific role, Nat will be overseeing the development of citywide policy guidance to help change burdensome regulations or promote innovative solutions that help create and sustain vibrancy on our streets.

Nat has an undergraduate degree from Columbia University in Civil Engineering with a minor in History, and a dual Master’s degree from USC in Urban Planning and Public Administration. He is an avid cyclist, dedicated transit-user, and a proud pedestrian. Nat previously worked as a transportation planner in NYC, a geotechnical engineer in Portland, OR, and an environmental engineer in LA.

Barry Gluck is the Head of Business Development in North America for Triple Plus, where he is responsible for promoting the company’s brand and establishing partnerships.

Gluck and his family moved to Israel in June 2021 and then joined Triple Plus. Before his move, Gluck served as Senior Marketing Associate for Sysco Food Service, the largest food distribution company in the world. He earned many awards including the Chairman’s Club Award for being one of the top 1% performers. 

On a mission to save water, he is focused on exporting a unique Israeli High-Tech solution to solve current environmental issues such as water shortages, by providing solutions to detect and prevent water waste and leaks. Gluck believes that Triple Plus technology can save millions of gallons of water per year. As a hockey player, who had a chance to play on a line with Wayne Gretzky who said “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” Gluck holds that success lies in anticipation. 

When Gluck is not in the Company office, he is in his home office working American hours, otherwise you can find him learning, running and skiing.

Christopher Cannon is the director of environmental management for the Port of Los Angeles, a position he has held since October 2010. In 2015, he was named chief sustainability officer of the Port.

In this role, Cannon is responsible for balancing commerce and growth with ecological sustainability and social responsibility at the nation’s busiest container port. The Environmental Management Division provides full environmental services related to water, soils and sediments, air and biological resources, and is responsible for preparation of environmental impact assessments mandated by state and federal law; special studies involving dredging, noise abatement, water quality and air quality; site restoration, remediation and contamination characterizations; wildlife management; and establishment of policies regarding environmental quality issues.

Cannon first worked at the Port of Los Angeles as a consultant, starting in 2004, where he worked with the Port Environmental Management Division’s Air Quality and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) groups, supporting the development of key air projects such as the Clean Air Action Plan as well as the Harbor Department’s efforts to complete critical environmental impact reports for Port-related projects. In 2008, he helped to develop and served as the Project Manager of the Port’s highly successful Clean Truck Program.
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 Government 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.

Jonathan Peress serves as Senior Director of Business Strategy & Energy Policy for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas).  Mr. Peress leads SoCalGas’ Energy & Environmental Strategy to encourage and support sensible energy policies and regulations to advance SoCalGas’ efforts to decarbonize the gas system as California moves towards carbon neutrality. Mr. Peress has extensive experience and understanding of electricity and natural gas markets, state and federal utility regulation of those markets, and environmental and climate change policy. He has worked collaboratively with utilities to advance climate solutions that are commercially and technically feasible, without putting a financial burden on customers.

Prior to joining SoCalGas, Mr. Peress served as Senior Director of Energy Markets and Utility Regulation for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).  During that time, he worked closely with federal agencies and state public utility commissions on issues related to wholesale and retail energy regulation. In that role, Mr. Peress focused particularly on natural gas and electric system coordination issues. Mr. Peress has a bachelor’s degree in management from C.W. Post College, Long Island University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School.

Charles Wilson serves as principal owner of PC Consulting Services Inc. A consulting firm dedicated to providing strategic counsel, public affairs, government relations and communications to public agencies, private sector business clients and non-profits.

Wilson has been a leading public affairs professional in California for more than 30 years and is a recognized leader in the industry. Wilson has spent the past 25 years in the electric utility industry with Southern California Edison, where he led the development and implementation of third-party strategic planning and communication efforts and aligned company interests with local, state and federal government officials and agencies.

Wilson is recognized as an organizational leader, consensus builder and strategic communications specialist who can develop high performance teams, which produce results. Wilson also serves as Executive Director and CEO of the Southern California Water Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public education partnership between cities, counties, business, industry, agriculture and water agencies dedicated to securing reliable, affordable, quality water for Southern California.

In addition, Wilson also served as an elected board member of the Santa Margarita Water District for over 19 years and as a member of the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission until 2018 where he was an active and dynamic force in providing leadership to the second largest and fastest growing retail water agency in Orange County. 

Through his Santa Margarita Water District affiliation, Wilson also currently serves as the Chairman of the Association of California Water Agencies, Energy Committee, the statewide professional association of public water agencies.

Prior to his tenure in the utility industry, Wilson served as director of community and media affairs for State and U.S. Senator John Seymour.  He has also worked in sports radio and television with ABC, ESPN, and the Netherlands Broadcast Company. 

A frequent lecturer and university level instructor, Wilson was invited to provide advanced political campaign and communications seminars to train candidates and political parties in Novosibirsk, Russia. Wilson has also hosted and produced “Orange County Outlook,” a locally produced television show highlighting current events, political debate and economic development activities in Orange County.

A graduate of UCLA, Charles earned his BA degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations and public administration. He also completed his post graduate studies in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University.

Charles and his wife, Pam, live in Orange County.  
 

Michael Patrick George was appointed to a four-year term as Delta Watermaster beginning in January, 2015; he was re-appointed for a second four-year term through January of 2023.  The position of Delta Watermaster was created by the 2009 Delta Reform legislation.  The Delta Watermaster is an independent officer of the State reporting jointly to the State Water Resources Control Board and the Delta Stewardship Council.  The Watermaster has statutory responsibility for administering water rights within the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta and the Suisun Marsh.  Additionally, the Delta Watermaster advises the Board and the Council on related water rights, water quality and water operations in and affecting the Delta, which is, simultaneously, a critical estuarine habitat, a vital agricultural area, and the hub of California’s water infrastructure.

Prior being appointed, Mr. George was active in western water law and policy as a water lawyer, as the CEO of a publicly traded water resource management company, as a senior executive of an investor owned water utility and as an investment banker serving both public and private entities in the water industry.  He is an honors graduate of The University of Notre Dame where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and of the Georgetown University Law Center where he was an editor of Law and Policy in International Business.  Mr. George has lectured on California water resource issues at the University of California San Diego, the University of Southern California and the University of California at Berkeley.  He is a member of the California Bar.

Samantha Bricker was named the Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in September 2020. She is responsible for overseeing Commercial Development, Mobility Strategy, Sustainability and Environmental Programs, as well as a new Procurement Center of Excellence. Commercial Development will consolidate and manage all key revenue-generating activities, including real estate, concessions and Non-Exclusive License Agreements, or NELAs, as well as all parking and ground transportation. Mobility Strategy will include the Rideshare group and will focus on developing and directing the implementation of new initiatives and policies designed to improve airport access for employees and passengers. The Procurement Center of Excellence Team will develop and implement a consolidated and consistent procurement process for the entire organization. Ms. Bricker will continue to oversee Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Programs, including all noise initiatives.

Ms. Bricker was named Chief Environmental and Sustainability Officer in August 2019 with responsibility for overseeing environmental and sustainability programs for LAWA including air quality and conservation initiatives, noise programs, environmental planning, regulatory compliance as well as transportation and mobility strategy. Ms. Bricker also oversaw the third party coordination with external agencies and stakeholders in support of LAWA’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) and Capital Improvement Program. Ms. Bricker joined LAWA in July 2016 as Deputy Executive Director for Project Management and Coordination and in November 2016 was named Deputy Executive Director for the Environmental Programs Group.

Prior to joining LAWA, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority. In that role, she coordinated the design and construction of Metro’s Expo rail line, where she managed a budget of $2.5 billion and directed the Authority’s environmental planning, third party and external agency coordination, procurement, contract compliance, real estate program, as well as community and government relations.

Before her position with the Expo Construction Authority, Bricker served as a senior legislative deputy to former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky from 1994 to 2006. In this role, she developed policy and worked on environmental and transportation projects including the Orange Line busway in the San Fernando Valley and the Red Line subway to Hollywood and North Hollywood.

Bricker earned a Master of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University.

Angela George-Moody is a Deputy Director with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.  She has been with the County for over 24 years.  She has extensive governmental experience in water resource planning, construction management and transportation planning.

Angela currently manages the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, which is responsible for providing regional flood risk management and stormwater conservation and recharge in the County; the Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts, which provides water supply to over 250,000 people; and implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Permit for both the Flood Control District and Unincorporated County Areas.  Over the course of her career, Angela has been instrumental in many major water initiatives dealing with flood risk management and stormwater quality.

Angela is a registered civil engineer with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis.

Member of Tata's North American leadership team, Ram is responsible for Tata Elxsi's overall presence, business and operations in the America's region. As the Geo-Head of Tata Elxsi and P&L responsible, Ramaseshan's role is building, leading and directing strategy, revenue growth and profitability, through an engaged team of business leaders. Responsible for business and growth for the region in all the industry sectors that Tata Elxsi focuses on viz., Automotive, Broadcast & Media, Communications, Consumer Products, Healthcare and Semiconductors.

Director for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office and coordinates activities across offices for the U.S. DOE Hydrogen Program, Sunita Satyapal is responsible for more than $1.6 billion in hydrogen and fuel cell research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities within the office and for coordinating more than $9.5 billion in hydrogen activities across DOE.  In addition, she led the development of the national clean hydrogen strategy and roadmap and serves as the Director for the Hydrogen Interagency Taskforce, which includes a dozen agencies and is co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Energy and the White House Deputy National Climate Advisor. She has more than two and a half decades of experience across industry, academia, and government, including at United Technologies managing RDD&D and business development, and as a visiting professor. 

Dr. Satyapal also coordinates international hydrogen activities as Vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, a partnership among over 25 countries to accelerate progress in hydrogen, and is the U.S. co-lead for hydrogen efforts within the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation.  She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University and did postdoctoral work in Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University.  She has numerous publications, including in Scientific American, 10 patents, and several recognitions including a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2015, a Distinguished Presidential Rank Award in 2022, and selected as an Ambassador for C3E, the Clean Energy Education & Empowerment Initiative, to advance the leadership of women in clean energy. 

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 more than 1200 vehicles in its combined fleet.

Mr. Rouse is also affiliated with the management of San Diego Yellow Cab, with 330 vehicles in service, and California Yellow Cab, in Orange County, California, with over 200 vehicles.

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 the past President of the Taxicab Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA), his industry’s international taxicab trade association.  He is also serving his second term as President of the Taxicab Paratransit Association of California (TPAC), the industry’s statewide trade association.  He also recently completed a two-year term as Chair of the Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Cory has worked extensively on environmental and clean tech policy in multiple states, advising all levels of government and multiple industry associations on progressive climate, EV and EV charging policies, among others. Cory leads FLO’s west coast and national policy work to reduce barriers to and increase consumer confidence in EVs and charging station technology. Cory currently serves as a board member of the EV Charging Association.

Praful [prūh-full] has dedicated his career to sparking change within the AEC industry. As a young architect, he recognized the fragmented nature of traditional design and construction and the inefficiencies that came with it. He founded his own integrated firm in response—gkkworks—to unite design excellence and construction innovation. In 2018, gkkworks merged with CannonDesign, strengthening one of the most progressive integrated design firms in the world.

Praful is a champion for single-source collaborative design and delivery methods that help ensure certainty in project cost, schedule and quality outcomes. He has a pulse on the latest innovations within the industry— specifically, he is a tireless advocate for progressive design-build and its ability to foster heightened levels of collaboration across owners, designers and builders.

Bharat Patel, Director Energy & Sustainability at Jacobs, over 30 years in Design and Construction in sustainable development. Past chair of the US Green Building Council – LA chapter, registered engineer.Worked in Europe, Asia and America with world- renowned: Sir Norman Foster, Sir Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano. His unique experience allows him to examine and provide unique solutions balances energy, environmental sensitivities, security, and costs.

Past adjunct professor at UCLA for 18 years and at USC where he taught sustainable development. Presented at numerous conferences, including UN climate change conference Bali Indonesia,World conference on Advanced Building Skins in Bern Switzerland.

Gideon Kracov is a lawyer in Los Angeles, where he represents clients in environmental and land use cases. His practice includes high-stakes litigation and complex regulatory matters. Mr. Kracov has worked for diverse business, labor and non-profit clients, and as a government lawyer. He served for more than fifteen years as General Counsel of the California Waste and Recycling Association. Mr. Kracov was appointed to the California Air Resources Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020. He also serves as the Governor’s appointee to the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board responsible for improving air quality in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Mr. Kracov’s career includes roles as a Deputy Los Angeles City Attorney, and practice at law firms such as Rose, Klein & Marias LLP and Weston, Benshoof LLP (now Alston & Bird LLP). He is also the former Chair of the State Bar of California Environmental Law Section Executive Committee, former Governor's appointee and Chair of the California Mining and Geology Board, former Chair of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control Independent Review Panel, and former Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles Proposition O Bond Committee. Mr. Kracov teaches land use law and regulation at Loyola Law School, where he led a winning team in the 20th Annual California Lawyers Association Environmental Law Student Negotiation Competition in 2019.

Jill Anderson is vice president of Customer Programs and Services at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. She is responsible for leading SCE's energy efficiency, demand response and clean self-generation program portfolios as well as customer strategy, marketing, e-commerce and strategic alliance functions.

Previously, Anderson was executive vice president and chief commercial officer at the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the country’s largest state power organization. She directed all wholesale and retail operations. She was responsible for sales, marketing, new products and technology, and energy efficiency programs. In this role, Anderson also oversaw the marketing of NYPA’s generation assets, trading, fuel operations, hedging and business development for new transmission and generation activities. Prior to serving in this position at NYPA, she led energy policy, sustainability, corporate communications, regulatory affairs and government relations departments at the organization.

Before joining NYPA, Anderson worked for Hess Corporation, leading global process improvement projects focused on revenue enhancement, cost reduction and environmental excellence, including greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts.

Anderson has also worked for Consolidated Edison Company of New York, leading teams responsible for natural gas and electric substation construction and operation, redesign of the distribution system to improve efficiency and integrate new technologies, and electricity and natural gas procurement.

Anderson received a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Boston University.

David Hochschild was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown in February 2013. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission where four of the five members by law are required to have professional training in specific areas - engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics, and law.

Commissioner Hochschild’s career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a Special Assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where he launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He went on to co-found the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state and federal level. He served as executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. In 2007-2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

For his work to advance clean energy, Commissioner Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club’s Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association’s Clean Air Hero Award and the Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Commissioner Hochschild holds a B.A. degree from Swarthmore College and a Masters of Public Policy degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.

Jean Lachance is Chief Assets Officer at EVLO Energy Storage Inc.

A seasoned executive, Jean has a strong background in operations, large-scale project management and engineering. In his role, he oversees the strategic activities, including supply chain and quality assurance, operations, IT and cybersecurity, as well as program management and manufacturing. Recognized for his customer focus and leadership, his pragmatic spirit, and his team-oriented approach to achieving results, Jean is steering the integration of these activities with our experts who contribute every day to reinforcing the support to our strategic suppliers to ensure the success of our industrialization phase.

Prior to joining EVLO, Jean has accumulated 30 years of operations management & development experience in the Advanced Technology and Telecommunications sectors with leading companies such as Videotron, Solvision Inc, MindReady Solutions Inc, CAE Inc and ATS Aerospatiale Inc. 

Jean has a proven track record in high growth markets, an important asset given the rapid growth expected in the energy storage systems sector. Throughout his career, he has been involved in more than 9 M&As, one IPO and several dozen product launches.

Jean studied mechanical engineering at Université de Laval and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. Based in Montreal, he has served on several boards of directors - including Microtech-10 and the Product Development Institute.

Doug Otto has served on the LBCC Board of Trustees since 2004 and the CCCT Board since 2009.  In 2010 he co-chaired the CCLC’s Commission on the Future of Community Colleges and was instrumental in bringing the ACCT Governance Institute for Student Success to California. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and helps community colleges address issues through the IEPI Program.  He is immediate past president of the CCCT Board and immediate past chair of the CCLC Board of Directors. He has been very active in his community of Long Beach serving as chair of both the Long Beach Strategic Plan 2010 and the Planning Commission as well as many other organizations and boards.  He is a founding board member of the Aquarium of the Pacific, architect of the Aquarium Campus Master Plan and currently is vice chair of the Board of Directors. 

Professionally he is a successful trial attorney with more than 100 jury trials to verdict. He was named Long Beach’s Lawyer of the Year in 2015 and Small Firm Lawyer of the Year by the California State Bar in 2011. 

He received his B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. jointly from Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University in New York and a J.D. from the University of Chicago.

Emily Cloke is British Consul General in Los Angeles. She is the senior representative of the UK government in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii. In this role, she promotes trade and investment, scientific cooperation, tackling climate change, creative and media collaborations and educational partnerships between the UK and the southwestern United States. She also oversees delivery of essential consular services to a 600,000-strong British resident community and British visitors.

Emily has a range of policy, commercial and international experience working for the British Government. Her recent roles include as Deputy CEO for the UK-Africa Investment Summit hosted by the Prime Minister in 2020, and as a senior leader in the Department for International Trade’s Sectors Group, overseeing export and investment promotion for industry sectors including aerospace, advanced manufacturing and education. She has worked overseas as Trade Director for the British Embassy Tehran, setting up and leading the UK’s trade section and strategy following the re-opening of the British Embassy in 2015, and as Head of Trade at the British Embassy Sweden. Her wider experience includes advising on the creation of the world’s first Green Investment Bank, and leading the Ministerial private office for the Minister of Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs/Minister for Women & Equalities. Emily started her career as a lawyer in the City of London and studied law at Cambridge University.

Laura Genao is the Managing Director of State Regulatory Affairs for Southern California Edison. In that role, she leads the company’s San Francisco office, which advocates on issues pending before the CPUC, including rates, transmission siting, safety, and procurement policy.  Prior to taking the position in San Francisco, Laura was based in the company’s Rosemead office and was the manager of Regulatory and Legislative Matters in the Renewable and Alternative Power group. There she coordinated the development of the company’s policies with regard to renewable electricity and alternative power.  An attorney by training, Laura began her career at Southern California Edison as a regulatory attorney working on issues such as long-term procurement planning, issues surrounding cost recovery for new generation, cost of capital, and development of a regulatory framework for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. 

Laura received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and an undergraduate degree in History and Literature from Harvard College. Before becoming an attorney, Laura was a member of Teach for America, where she taught middle and high school English, Spanish, and Journalism in Pasadena, California. She also spent a few years as a newspaper reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she was part of a team of reporters nominated for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize.

Eiji Ohira is the Strategy Architect of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)’s Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology Office.
In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall strategy, execution and coordination of NEDO’s research, development and demonstration project on fuel cell and hydrogen.

He has also coordinated fuel cell and hydrogen activities with international stakeholders, through International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Program (IEA TCP: Advanced Fuel Cell & Hydrogen), and International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE).

He joined NEDO in 1992, just after graduation from the Tokyo University of Science. He served as a visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997-1998.
Before taking up the current position in April 2013, he served in several positions, including Representative at NEDO Asian Representative Office, Director of the Energy Storage Technology Division.

Janet Clayton is senior strategist at VectisDC, a public relations and public affairs agency headquartered in El Segundo. She also was senior vice president of communications for Edison International/Southern California Edison. Previously she held key positions at the Los Angeles Times, including editor of the editorial pages.

Prior to joining Edison International, Clayton was president of ThinkCure, a community-based nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research and was the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Prior to ThinkCure, Clayton had a distinguished career at the Los Angeles Times as a key member of its leadership team. She represented the largest media organization in the West during live television presidential and gubernatorial debates and public affairs news programs. She held numerous positions, including editor of the editorial pages, where she determined the Times’ official opinions, and California section editor, where she managed the largest news staff at the Times. She also was a vice president of the Times Mirror Corporation, the original parent company of the Times. She started her career as a general assignment and politics reporter.

Clayton has received many accolades for excellence in her profession, including recognition as the editor of two Pulitzer Prize-winning series. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the boards of Town Hall, United Way Los Angeles and the Lincoln Club, a nonpartisan organization that honors the legacy of President Lincoln.

In his role as Director of Innovation for the LAEDC, Chris Rico leads the continued development of an innovation program for LA County, where he works to build broad external support and provide thought leadership and strategic direction for the mission of the Innovate LA program, as well as its goals and priorities. In October he produced the 160 event Innovation Week(s). Chris has extensive experience creating, producing and executing projects. He honed his creative skills during a successful career in film and television development and production in Hollywood. This experience, along with his passion for social change, led him to the political arena where he worked with Arianna Huffington as a state organizer, Moveon.org as a lead organizer, and as campaign director for a ballot initiative to promote water conservation and sustainability. Recently, Chris consulted for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on ActivateED, a campaign of leading education organizations to positively impact student achievement. Chris’s campaign experience and innovative approach to digital and social media have precipitated exponential growth in visibility for every project he leads. Chris is a graduate of Duke University, He is also a licensed special needs educator in California. www.innovate.la

Councilwoman Traci Park is already hard at work for the residents of  Council District 11!

The values of family and hard work were instilled in the Councilwoman at a young age. Her mother was a school secretary and president of the California School Employees Association. Her late father was a US Army veteran and longtime member of the Communication Workers of America Union. 

Park was the first person in her family to attend college, earning degrees at Johns Hopkins University and Loyola Law School.  She worked two jobs and borrowed heavily to finance her education.

Park had a successful 20-year legal career as a municipal attorney before being elected to the LA City Council. She doesn’t come from a political background, but knew that she had to step up when she saw what was happening on the Westside.

As a Councilwoman, Park is committed to being a voice for all CD11 residents at City Hall.  She has promised that her office will be responsive to everyone in the district. In her role on the Council, she knows it’s essential to think critically, ask hard questions, evaluate data, and do what is best for the community.

Driven to achieve results, Park champions what’s important and never takes no for an answer.  She is working to implement urgent and compassionate solutions that get people off the streets and into safe settings. Park has also pledged to keep CD11 communities safe.  She’s fighting to ensure that kids can safely walk to school, seniors can safely visit senior centers, and families can safely visit local parks, beaches, and libraries.

Park is an advocate for the Westside business community and its vital workforce, including the need to increase affordable housing for employees.  She has built a strong partnership between the City of Los Angeles and local businesses to revitalize communities and ensure that the Westside retains its appeal as the number one tourist destination in the city.

Across the board, Park supports innovative, data-driven practices linked to measurable and successful outcomes. She prioritizes sustainable policies that mitigate climate change, protect our natural surroundings, and improve our economy. She is a champion of investment in workforce development that supports careers in green and clean-tech industries.

Council District 11 has many competing priorities and its residents have many opinions about how to improve life on the Westside. Park is committed to hearing from, and learning from, all residents and business owners in the district so that together we can build a sustainable, resilient, and vibrant future.

For the last 5 years, Sohinaz has served as Director of Power Marketing in the Valuation and Transactions Team at EDF Renewables, one of the nation’s leading renewables developer. In this position, she is the commercial deal lead for contract negotiation, acquisitions, divestures and all aspects of power marketing for North American renewables and battery projects for the company. Previously, Sohinaz served as vice president of Business Development for Ogin-New Dimension Energy Company, a start-up wind development company where she was in charge of wind development strategy and acquisitions. She also served as board member on the board of CALWEA for two terms.

Sohinaz started her career at GE Capital's Equity Capital Group where she was in charge of capital investment in energy technology start-up companies for GE. She has a BA in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA with Honors from Columbia Business School. Sohinaz currently lives in Los Angeles with her two children.

Guanbin Zhang joined the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles in February 2012. In his current capacity as a Commercial Consul, Zhang observes trade issues, serves and provides guidance for Chinese companies in Southern California, promotes investments and exhibitions between China and the Consulate area of Southern California, Hawaii, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Prior to his appointment as Commercial Consul in LA, Mr. Zhang worked in the Department of Foreign Trade of Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM). As Vice Director of his sub-section, Mr. Zhang was in charge of import policy on some important industrial products and foreign trade structural adjustment.

Mr. Zhang received his Ph.D. in economics from China Central University of Finance and Economics, and his Master in International Trade from the China Agricultural University.

Playing a key role in growing our global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) advisory services, Marca helps our clients put their ESG goals into action. Partnering with practitioners across our service lines, Marca’s role as principal ESG consultant supports our clients with innovative solutions, green finance, and strategic advice, facilitating resilience and long-term value creation.   

A global economist for over 30 years, Marca has conducted research for international agencies such as the International Energy Agency and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. An advisor to governments on environmental policy and utilities on decarbonization, she continues to support private companies as they measure their environmental footprints and disclose their ESG risks. 

Marca is an avid outdoor enthusiast—often on her splitboard exploring snow-covered mountains. She enjoys volunteering with global organizations to support refugees, Indigenous, and tribal peoples.

Jeff Addison is an experienced finance professional and award-winning entrepreneur who has founded and successfully exited multiple startups within the CleanTech space. Prior to joining Subterra Renewables, he acted as Managing Director of Kiko Water Systems, which grew to become a leading CleanTech company with operations across North America and was named the 2017 Product of the Year by the Canada Green Building Council under his leadership.

Ms. Aura Vasquez was appointed to the Board of Water and Power Commissioners by Mayor Eric Garcetti and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on May 3, 2017. Her term continues through June 30, 2020.  Ms. Vasquez is an organizer, advocate, and activist for environmental and social justice issues with more than 10 years of experience in New York, Washington D.C, and California. A native of Colombia, she brings her experiences as a Latina immigrant, woman of color and successful environmental leader to many issues concerning frontline communities.

Ms. Vasquez is the Climate Justice Director for the Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) where she oversees the 14 organizations that carry out CPD’s national climate justice efforts. She also represents CPD on national committees such as the Ready for 100% campaign, the People's Climate March, and the U.S. Climate Action Network. 

Since moving to California to continue her career in advocacy, policy, and social change, Ms. Vasquez has advocated for state and federal immigrant rights with the PICO Network, helped spearhead the ban of single use plastic bags in Los Angeles, pass the California Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act (SB 350), and establish the Feed-in Tariff Initiative – the largest rooftop solar program in the country. As an organizer with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, Ms. Vasquez was instrumental in securing an announcement by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to make Los Angeles the largest U.S. city to go coal-free by 2025. Ms. Vasquez also serves as board member of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters.

Through her appointment on the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Ms. Vasquez will focus on policies that make the municipal utility more equitable, inclusive and sustainable.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Lehman College in New York City and recently graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education’s Leadership, Organizing and Action program.

Ms. Vasquez is a thorough world traveler and enjoys learning about diverse cultures. Growing up, she trained as a professional dancer and to this day continues to dance and appreciates music and arts festivals.

Carl Muhlstein, International Director, is based in JLL's Downtown Los Angeles office. Active in Los Angeles commercial real estate for more than 30 years, Carl's background includes all forms of tenant, landlord, and investment related assignments with a special emphasis on the entertainment industry, creative office and development.  Carl has served in senior positions with Cushman & Wakefield, Cushman Realty Corporation, Insignia/ESG Capital Advisors and Tishman Speyer Properties.

Mr. YANO is the General Manager of Energy Systems Div. in Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. He is engaged in the Smart Energy Systems Business, incl. Redox Flow Battery Systems. Prior to his current role, he was the R&D manager for Network Systems products, where he successfully led the launch of Connected-home Services for telecom carriers and Vehicle-to-Grid (VGI) systems for OEMs. He received the B.E. and M.E. degrees from Kyoto University and joined Sumitomo Electric in 1985.

Dr. Cris B. Liban, P.E. is LA Metro’s Executive Officer, Environmental Compliance and Sustainability.  Cris oversees LA Metro’s internationally recognized Environmental, Sustainability, and Energy initiatives.  A published author and national speaker, he is also very involved with transportation and environmental industry and research activities particularly as Chair of several American Public Transportation Association sub-committees; Member of the Transportation Research Board ADC60 Resource Conservation and Recovery Committee; Chair of two National Academies’ Transportation Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) studies related to Climate Change Impacts to transit; and a Member of the National Cooperative Highways Research Program (NCHRP) study to determine a lifecycle and cost framework to determine climate change solutions implementation.  He is also a Commissioner in the City of Los Angeles Board of Transportation Commissioners.  This past year, he was also appointed to the Los Angeles County Beach Commission, which oversees all LA County Beach activities including environmental, transportation, and construction issues.  Cris has degrees in geology (magna cum laude), civil and environmental engineering, and environmental science and engineering.

Gilbert Cedillo has proven himself as a public servant who brings people together to make strong public policy. In May 2013, Gil Cedillo was elected to the Los Angeles Council, representing the First Council District. He was re-elected in 2017 with an overwhelming margin to continue serving the people of CD1.

Councilmember Gil Cedillo brings 15 years of legislative experience to the City Council.  Having served as a member of the State Assembly and Senate, he authored over one hundred bills that were signed into law by four different Governors including Pete Wilson, Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jerry Brown. Most were groundbreaking and innovative that included cleaning up California’s brownfields, state oversight and fair share zoning for transitional and emergency homeless shelters (SB 2), workers’ right to organize (AB 1889), Downtown Rebound (AB 2870), and the California Dream Act (AB 130 and 131). His long running legislation to grant drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants (AB60) was finally signed into law by Governor Brown on October 3, 2013, nine months after he was termed out of state office.

Councilmember Cedillo’s advocacy on behalf of underserved communities is legendary. His causes have ranged from becoming a formidable counterweight to the inhumane crusade against undocumented families, to his unwavering support for Filipino American World War II veterans, the uninsured, low-income, and working families, the homeless, and AB 540 “dream” students. He has worked diligently to mainstream all of their agendas, one community at a time.

As Chair of the Housing Committee, Councilmember Cedillo continues to advocate for equity while expanding tenant rights. He was the first to declare a ‘Housing Crisis’ in Los Angeles, citing decades of neglecting to build the housing necessary to meet demand. He is committed to building 100,000 units of housing over the next ten years, promoting smart growth to help revitalize our neighborhoods and create jobs, while stabilizing neighborhoods with the creation and protection of affordable housing.

Cedillo exceeded the City Council’s pledge to build 222 units of permanent supportive housing and has built 902 units—680 over the goal, in addition to the 810 existing permanent supportive housing units, being second highest among 13 other districts in this effort.

Councilmember Cedillo’s commitment to tenant protections is evident by updates he has made to the City’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), making it one of the strongest ordinances in the nation in defense of tenant rights. To protect from increasing rents and displacement, Councilmember Cedillo has clarified tenant buy out agreements (Cash for Keys), implemented a Rent Registry to track rents and prevent illegal increases, made 14 amendments to protect tenants and clarify the role of landlords, and made Ellis Act amendments to avoid abuse of the law and stop illegal evictions.

Councilmember Cedillo’s legendary defense of immigrant rights earned him the top position on the newly created Committee on Immigrant Affairs, Civil Rights and Equity. As Chair of this committee, Councilmember Cedillo has led the charge to create the LA Justice Fund—providing resources to defend Angelenos in immigration proceedings, advocated for a just street vending ordinance that moves away from criminalization, worked with LAPD to strengthen Special Order 40—which limits the City’s relationship with ICE enforcement, and helped create a Civil and Human Rights Ordinance, which will create a new commission to deliberate violations.

Councilmember Cedillo is also a member of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Police Reform, where he is doing what is right as we are considering the changes we need to make, as we redefine and reimagine the police in our City. He was also selected as a member of the Ad-Hoc Committee on COVID-19 Recovery and Neighborhood Investment because of the tremendous resources he provided his constituents during the first three months of the pandemic including delivering 500,000 pounds of produce, 150,000 hot meals, 10,000 face coverings, 7,000 diapers, 2,770 pounds of salmon, 1,000 food truck meals, 2,460 gallons of hand sanitizer, 1,000 baby product packages, 40 gallons of surface disinfectant, and 25 newly activated food distribution programs.

Councilmember Cedillo grew up in the Boyle Heights community of Los Angeles and attended Roosevelt High School. He graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology in 1977 and received a Juris Doctor degree from the Peoples College of Law in 1983. Prior to his public service, he worked for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 660, Los Angeles County's largest union, where he served as general manager from 1990 to 1996. He has a son and two lovely granddaughters. 

Terry Tamminen is Chief Executive Officer of AltaSea. From his youth in Australia to career experiences in Europe, Africa, China and across the United States, Terry has developed expertise in business, farming, education, non-profit, the environment, the arts, and government. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and later Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor, where Terry was the architect of many groundbreaking sustainability policies, including California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, the Hydrogen Highway Network, and the Million Solar Roofs initiative. In 2010 Terry cofounded the R20 Regions of Climate Action, a new public-private partnership, bringing together sub national governments; businesses; financial markets; NGOs; and academia to implement measurable, large-scale, low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects that can simultaneously solve the climate crisis and build a sustainable global economy. He also provides advice through 7th Generation Advisors to Pegasus Capital Advisors, the Green Climate Fund and numerous global businesses on sustainability and “green” investing, as well as assisting governments and philanthropists with climate solutions, including Fiji, India, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. An accomplished author, Terry’s books include “Cracking the Carbon Code: The Keys to Sustainable Profits in the New Economy” (Palgrave Macmillan). In 2011, Terry was one of six finalists for the Zayed Future Energy Prize and The Guardian ranked Terry No. 1 in its “Top 50 People Who Can Save the Planet.

Hilary Norton is the Chairwoman Emeritus of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA, the Transportation Management Organization for Downtown Los Angeles. 

Hilary was appointed to the CTC by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2019, and elected Chair of the CTC in August 2020.  Hilary concluded her second term as Chair on February 28^th, 2022.  She brings over 30 years of experience in transportation and community development to her Commission role.  Ms. Norton’s primary goals as CTC Chair include investing over $5 billion in annual SB1 gas tax and other funds into California’s transportation infrastructure system in order to improve outcomes in equity, mobility across numerous modes, safety, environment/climate change resilience, and economic growth.

As the Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA – a new Transportation Management Organization (TMO) for Downtown LA (DTLA)– with a goal of reducing single occupant vehicle (SOV) trips in DTLA by 75% by 2030.  To achieve this goal, FASTLinkDTLA TMO connects employers and residents to transit, micro-transit and on-demand shuttles, AVP parking, walking and biking options and advocates for new mobility options to be funded to travel to and within DTLA.  Through FASTLinkDTLA, Ms. Norton launched one of the first ever in LA County micro-transit systems, connecting travelers through the flexLA multi-mobility app, and connecting new on-demand wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV), transit, vanpools, carpools, scooters, bike share, biking and walking.  FASTLinkDTLA enthusiastically supports the proposed LA Streetcar for DTLA, as well as new Metro rail and bus service planned for DTLA such as the Regional Connector, West Santa Ana Branch and Sixth Street/Arts District Station on the Metro Red/Purple Line.

As Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic (FAST)’s founding Executive Director since 2008, Ms. Norton mobilized a diverse coalition of business, labor, civic groups, educational institutions and transit organizations to support policy and infrastructure improvements to LA’s mobility, livability and economic prosperity.  FAST’s primary focuses: 1) Mobility Hubs – carshare, bikeshare, bike parking, EV charging and traveler services at transit stations, job and education centers; 2) comprehensive arterial improvements to improve travel time, encourage mode shift, and promote safety and transit connectivity; 3) Metro ExpressLanes expansion throughout LA County, creating the Metro ExpressLanes Business Roundtable to support the I-110/I-10 pilot corridors;  4) Expanding LA County’s bus rapid transit (BRT) network, especially in her neighborhood of Eagle Rock; and 5) Revitalizing the Arts District in DTLA with new mobility options: the Sixth Street/ Arts District Metro Station, and Sixth Street Viaduct / Sixth Street Park -- the largest bridge reconstruction project in LA’s history, adding bicycle and pedestrian lanes, and connections to the LA River and the Metro Red/Purple Line.

Ms. Norton is President and Managing Partner of Effect Strategies, a full-service strategic communications firm, with clients ranging from biotech/life sciences to innovations in service delivery, clean buildings, and mobility.

Ms. Norton served as 2018 Chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed), and is on the Board of Directors of the Central City Association. She co-chairs the Transportation Committees for BizFed, the LA Chamber of Commerce, and the LA Business Council (LABC). 

Ms. Norton is a member of the UCLA Institute for Transportation Studies (ITS) Advisory Board and a member of SCAG’s GLUE Council and its TDM Working Group.

Ms. Norton holds a BA from Wellesley College and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  She is the mother of two adults, Xavier and Eva Orozco.

Kimberlina Whettam, Founder and Principal of Kimberlina Whettam & Associates (KW&A), has an excellent track record managing real estate developments from conceptualization through completion. Specializing in due diligence research and project analysis, management of the entitlement, public hearing, and development permit and expediting process, Kimberlina leverages her strong governmental and industry relationships to facilitate project approvals in a timely and cost-effective manner. She draws on her public service background to bring more resources to bear as she coordinates and negotiates with community-based organizations, elected officials, and government agencies to help move development projects through the regulatory process. 

KW&A provides comprehensive development consulting and overall permit expediting services in the City of Los Angeles, the 88 incorporated cities in Los Angeles County, and unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. These projects range from residential, including single family dwellings, condominiums, townhomes, market rate multi-family and affordable housing to large scale commercial projects, including office, high-rise, adaptive re-use, hotel and hospitality, mixed-use, retail, sports and entertainment, film studios, educational and religious to public infrastructure, including municipal improvement projects. KW&A is currently managing the approvals for 6,000 new residential units, both market rate and affordable units; managing the approval process for several LAX projects including the Automated People Mover, Delta Terminals 1 & 2 and the Consolidated Rent-a-Car Facility (CONRAC); Millions of SF of mixed-use projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area and some of the most exclusive homes in the city. 

Prior to entering the private sector, Kimberlina was Chief Planning & Environmental Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Jack Weiss. In a district which included Los Angeles’ Westside and parts of the San Fernando Valley, Kimberlina managed publicly funded capital improvement projects and conducted community outreach on both public and private development projects throughout the district. While with Councilmember Weiss, Kimberlina created the Los Angeles Department of Building & Safety’s Green Building Incentive Program, and she negotiated and secured local community support for the Van Nuys Airport Masterplan, allowing for the modernization of the world’s busiest general aviation airport. Kimberlina is a graduate of the University of Arizona. 

Outside of work, she is a lover of the outdoors, and an advocate for community health and well-being. She serves as the California State Commissioner Vice Chair for the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, is a founding member of the non-profit La Charla, serves on the board of the Burbank Community YMCA, is the Chair of the Burbank YMCA Facilities Committee and is a Co-Chair of the Los Angeles 50/50Women on Boards Committee.
 

Tim DeMoss has served at the Port of Los Angeles for 15 years. Currently, DeMoss serves as the Environmental Affairs Officer. Previously, he held positions as Marine Environmental Supervisor, Clean Truck Program Manager, and Environmental Specialist III spanning from 2007 to 2019. 

He acquired his Civil Engineering degrees of Master of Environmental Science and Bachelor of Science in Loyola Marymount University. 

Kathy is responsible for developing, organizing and managing a nationwide environmental initiative for Kaiser Permanente, a leading health care provider and not-for-profit health plan/hospital system serving more than 10 million members in the United States. Under her leadership, Kaiser Permanente has become widely recognized as an environmental leader. Kathy has testified twice to the U.S. Congress on the need for federal chemical policy reform. Her book Greening Health Care, How Hospitals Can Heal the Planet examines the intersection between health care and environmental stewardship. Kathy is also responsible for eliminating workplace injuries, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and reducing health risks for the organization’s 200,000 employees and physicians. She is on the boards of several non-governmental organizations focused on safety and environmental sustainability in health care.  

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 was the first home in the nation to be certified LEED Platinum. Thirteen LivingHomes have been certified LEED Platinum and one LEED Gold, making the company one of the most experienced designers of homes at the highest level of LEED certification. LivingHomes are available in standard or customized configurations to builders, developers and individuals. LivingHomes have garnered significant industry recognition including the AIA’s top sustainable award, Green Builder Magazine’s Home of Year, Business 2.0 “World’s 11 Coolest Products”, and Business Week’s “Architectural Wonders of the World.” LivingHomes are available in standard or customized configurations to builders, developers and individuals. In addition to design, LivingHomes is current in production on our first development, a community of six single family LivingHomes and a commercial space in Los Angeles, and we’re working on affordable housing communities for Make It Right, at the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation in Montana and for an East LA non-profit in Los Angeles. 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, studied Urban Planning at Harvard Graduate School of Design, and was a Coro Fellow. Glenn is a co-founder and chair of the Sustainable Business Council, www.sustainablebc.org, co-founder of the Kaia Parker Dance Endowment, www.kaiaparker.org, and a co-founder and former board member of Hope Street Group, www.hopestreetgroup.org and the Brown University Entrepreneur Forum, www.brownep.org. He was a a Judge for the US Energy Department's 2013 Solar Decathlon competition, www.solardecathlon.gov. Glenn was named the Clean Tech CEO of the Year by Clean Tech Week; Environmental Entrepreneur of the Year by LA City Council/Faith2Green; and Greatest Person of the Day by Huffington Post. Glenn holds two patents and wrote the treatment, produced and acted in a small part in the critically panned but commercially successful “Good Luck Chuck”, which starred Jessica Alba and Dane Cook.

Susan Moulton is a successful executive for Waste Management, the leading provider of comprehensive waste and environmental services in North America.

She has a long track record of helping businesses and communities achieve their challenging environmental goals. Susan understands the issues the public and private sector face in meeting various government mandates and private sector environmental goals. She has nearly two decades of experience working in the waste and recycling industry.

Charlie Woo is an entrepreneur with a passion for public policy and civic engagement.

He is a co-founder and CEO of Megatoys, an international toy manufacturing company headquartered in Los Angeles. He also turned the once run-down industrial area in downtown Los Angeles into a thriving toy wholesale district by attracting hundreds of immigrant entrepreneurs to start toy businesses there. Charlie is also a developer of housing and commercial mixed- use projects in Downtown Los Angeles.

He chairs the Workforce Development Board for the City of Los Angeles, a commission that oversees the nation’s second largest workforce development system. Known for his innovative approach to workforce development, he was appointed and re-appointed by five successive mayors of Los Angeles to chair this board.  He is also a former Chairman of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the California Economic Development Commission as well as the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.

Charlie, an immigrant from Hong Kong, received both his M. S. and B. S. degrees in Physics from UCLA.

Kevin is a registered civil engineer and traffic engineer with the state of California with over 16 years of experience working in transportation and street improvement.  Kevin currently oversees various advanced planning functions for City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services (StreetsLA) including the integration of new innovative technologies into current operations, the deployment of a new enterprise asset management system, the procurement and management of over $200M in various federal, state, and local grants, and management of bureauwide IT systems.  Prior to this role, Kevin oversaw StreetsLA’s design-build program which included the delivery of capital street improvement projects with in-house engineering and construction staff.  Kevin currently also serves as a voting member on LA Metro’s Technical Advisory Committee and serves as a Public Works Commissioner

Eva Pauly-Bowles, born in Poitiers France, graduated in 2010 with a double MBA, MSc in Business management from the Bordeaux (KEDGE) Business School in France and the Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, UK.

She initially worked for a French gas and energy company, Europlasma developing new biogas renewables known as CHO Power. In June 2010, she Joined Ciel et Terre group developing floating PV projects in over 10 countries including the largest worldwide floating PV power plant grid connected in Japan. 

She started the Japanese subsidiary, Ciel et Terre Japan in Tokyo, and was their Representative Director from June 2013 to December 2014 developing an autonomous Japanese team. Thereafter she accompanied the UK subsidiary in developing Floating Solar UK ltd, which developed 11 MWp of floating PV projects within a year.

Since February 2016, she has been managing the new US subsidiary group, Ciel et Terre USA Inc, which is fully dedicated to the US market. With more than 7 years of experience in the specialized field of floating solar, she has provided technical and financial expertise to the achievements of more than 85 MWp of grid connected floating PV plants worldwide, and more than 200 MWp worldwide of floating PV projects under development.

Marty Borko is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute Los Angeles.  Borko left his post as Principal at Gensler in Los Angeles to command the day-to-day workings and long-range planning of one of ULI’s largest and most active regional chapters. As Executive Director Borko pilots the organization as it confronts the most critical land-use challenges in the city, including the homeless and housing affordability crisis, as well as city planning, infrastructure, transportation, open-space and historic districts.

In his tenure at Gensler’s Los Angeles office, Borko grew the firm’s Planning and Urban Design, Entertainment, and Mixed Use practices and had been principal-in-charge on numerous international and Los Angeles projects.

In addition to being a Sustaining Member of ULI’s Entertainment Development Council and member of the USC Price School Planning Program Advisory Board, Borko is: Associate Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA); Member, American Planning Association (APA); Member, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC); Member, International Association of Amusement Parks (IAAPA); Dean’s Council, University of Oregon College of Design; Board Member, Los Angeles Downtown Breakfast Club; Member, Southern California Development Forum; and Member, Central City Association.
 

Jack is the founding executive director of a boutique executive management advisory firm focused on healthy cities, Corporate Responsibility, environment and resource sustainability, safety & health @ work, and environmental protection.   Jack is the PI for an ‘energy-water’ nexus project in Tulare County and a ‘urban forest management master plan’ for the City of Colton.  Jack also co-founded the Friends of the Angeles Forest, a California Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to working with the diverse Southern California community on the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.  Jack is a former executive at Southern California Edison, where he led the Corporate EH&S and Sustainability functions.  Jack is an Adjunct professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in the Epidemiology department.  Jack serves on the Board of Sequoia Riverlands Trust, supporting agricultural and environmental conservation easements in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, Syzergy, the Global Technical Advisory Board for Lloyd’s Registry Quality Assurance, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Advisory Board for Occupational Health and Safety.

Antonio R. Villaraigosa was 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.

Diarmuid joined Tesla in 2006, and currently serves as the Vice President of Business Development in which capacity he manages commercial relationships and all aspects of government affairs. Before joining Tesla, Diarmuid served as Chief of Staff for Political Military Affairs at the US State Department, where he was involved in policy and operational support to the U.S military in various theaters of operation. 

Before his tenure in Washington, Diarmuid worked in corporate strategy as a management consultant for Accenture, as a founder of educational software developer, Real Time Learning, and as a senior executive with both McCann Erickson Worldwide and Young and Rubicam. Over the course of his career, he has managed international operations, projects and marketing for such brands as Coca Cola, Gillette, and AT&T, among others. 

Diarmuid has earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, a master's degree in Foreign Policy from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from Kellogg. 

Larissa De La Cruz, an esteemed leader in urban development and community revitalization, currently serves as the Director of Community Development for the vibrant city of Lancaster. With a rich history of dedicated service to the city, she has been recently elevated to this pivotal role, acknowledging her invaluable contributions to Lancaster's economic prosperity and sustainable development.

As Director of Community Development, De La Cruz spearheads a dynamic team of traffic engineers, city planners, and economic development, orchestrating the successful execution of numerous transformative projects. Her leadership has been instrumental in realizing several pivotal initiatives, ranging from essential zoning text amendments to the meticulous planning of master-planned developments. She has also been at the forefront of crafting specific plans tailored to Lancaster's unique needs, ensuring a harmonious balance between growth and preservation.

Notably, De La Cruz has played a pivotal role in implementing Lancaster's progressive cannabis ordinance, alongside other innovative measures to modernize the city's regulatory framework. Her astute guidance has facilitated the seamless integration of these initiatives, fostering an environment conducive to sustainable urban development and economic vitality.

With an unwavering commitment to community engagement and collaboration, De La Cruz has forged enduring partnerships with stakeholders across diverse sectors. Her profound insights into the local economy and keen strategic acumen have enabled her to navigate complex challenges with finesse. By fostering dialogue and cooperation with the development community, she has championed initiatives that promote smart growth while safeguarding Lancaster's unique character and heritage.

As she continues to shape the future trajectory of Lancaster's development, Larissa De La Cruz remains steadfast in her commitment to fostering inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant communities. Her visionary leadership is a beacon of inspiration, illuminating the path toward a more equitable and resilient future for all.

Dr. Carol L. Folt serves as the twelfth president of the University of Southern California. She is a highly experienced leader, internationally recognized life scientist, and award-winning teacher. In leading USC, Dr. Folt brings broad executive and leadership experience across the academy, including arts and sciences, professional schools, and academic medicine.

Throughout her career, Dr. Folt has earned a reputation for always placing students at the center, advancing academic excellence and innovation, setting ambitious goals, prioritizing shared governance, and focusing on the future.

Prior to her appointment at USC in July 2019, Dr. Folt led the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – one of the nation’s most distinguished and research-intensive universities – from 2013 to 2019. At UNC, she set a bold course for the university’s future by spearheading a historic capital campaign, raising billions of dollars; building the school’s first-ever strategic plan in collaboration with every school and department; fighting to make college education accessible and affordable; and inspiring thousands of Tar Heels to embrace the arts and sustainability. Under her leadership, UNC was repeatedly named the No. 1 value in public higher education, surpassed $1 billion in annual research expenditures for the first time in school history (No. 5 in the nation overall), and set admissions records every year.

Prior to her tenure at UNC, Dr. Folt served in various leadership roles at Dartmouth College, including as interim president, provost, dean of faculty, and Dartmouth Professor of Biological Sciences.

James Villeneuve was appointed Consul General of Canada, Los Angeles in February 2014. He is Canada's senior representative in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Villeneuve worked for Anheuser Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewing company and the parent company of Labatt Breweries, for more than 27 years. He started with Labatt in Toronto in sales and marketing and was later transferred to Vancouver, where he was regional director of government affairs for Western Canada.

In 1995, Mr. Villeneuve returned to Toronto to manage Labatt’s rebranding initiative and to run the company’s corporate and sports properties. He later became director of corporate affairs and then vice-president of corporate affairs for Canada. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Villeneuve worked in Brussels to lead InBev’s global corporate affairs practice. After InBev purchased Anheuser Busch in 2009, Mr. Villeneuve moved to St. Louis to lead the company’s North American corporate affairs department.

Mr. Villeneuve has served on many boards during his career, including the Toronto Economic Development Commission, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the 2008 Toronto Olympic Bid, the Granville Island Trust, the Association of Canadian Advertisers, Carleton University, the Canadian Club, Teach for America, the United Way and the Regional Chamber and Growth Association in St. Louis. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton University in 1985. 

Mr. Villeneuve is married to Kim Walker-Villeneuve and they have two children, Grace and Andrew.

Shana Bonstin is the Deputy Director for the Community Planning Bureau, and oversees Community Plan Updates and targeted geographic policy initiatives at the neighborhood and community level in Los Angeles. She has worked on a range of assignments within the Department of City Planning, since 2001. She is also the Department’s Chief Sustainability Officer. Her educational experience includes a BA from UCSC in Environmental Studies and MA from Harvard in Urban Planning.  

Rear Adm. Yancy B. Lindsey is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of California at Berkeley where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds a Master of Military Science from Marine Corps University and a Master of Science in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego. In addition, he completed a Federal Executive Fellowship at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Lindsey was commissioned through Aviation Officer Candidate School in October 1986 and designated a naval aviator in December 1987.

Lindsey's sea duty assignments have included Antarctic Development Squadron (VXE) 6 flying LC-130 aircraft and twice with Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113 flying the E-2C Hawkeye. During these tours of duty, he completed three deployments to Antarctica and two deployments to the Arabian Gulf aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

Ashore, Lindsey served on the Joint Staff (J6); at Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; with the U.S. European Command staff in Stuttgart, Germany; as chief of staff to the Commander, Navy Region Southwest; and most recently as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment.

Lindsey commanded the VAW-117 Wallbangers, earning the Battle Efficiency Award and completing an Arabian Gulf deployment aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also commanded Naval Base Coronado, a consortium of eight Navy installations. Lindsey was the 89th Commandant of Naval District Washington, June 2015 to August 2016. He assumed command of Navy Region Southwest in September 2016.

His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Legions of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, four Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Achievement Medal and three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals.

David Libatique is the Deputy Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement for the Port of Los Angeles, a position that oversees and manages all communications on behalf of America’s Port® via the Community Relations, Media Relations, Government Affairs, Trade Development, and Labor Relations and Workforce Development Divisions.

In this role, Libatique works with diverse stakeholders, including local communities, organized labor, beneficial cargo owners, terminal operators, international customers, shipping and cruise lines, railroads, the trucking industry, media, and regulatory agencies to advance the Port’s goals and initiatives. He also interacts on a broader scale with an array of local, regional, statewide, and national elected officials and stakeholders.

Working alongside Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, Libatique helped to spearhead the Logistics Victory Los Angeles (LoVLA) COVID-19 response effort in March 2020 to assist in getting critical personal protective equipment (PPE) into the hands of healthcare workers. Throughout the pandemic, Libatique has worked to build relationships with public and private sector partners and further guide the initiative’s efforts.

Libatique first joined the Port in January 2011 as Senior Director of Government Affairs, where he led the Port’s intergovernmental advocacy at a critical time of increasing engagement with local, regional, state, federal, and even transnational and international levels of government.

Prior to joining the Port, Libatique served as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Director of Energy Policy, where he was responsible for advancing the Mayor’s environmental policies at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Before assuming that role, he served as the Mayor’s Senior Policy Analyst and acted as a liaison with the Port of Los Angeles, where he advanced priority initiatives, including the Clean Air Action Plan and Clean Truck Program.

Before joining the Villaraigosa Administration, Libatique served as Senior Deputy for Los Angeles City Councilmember Martin Ludlow, where he led policy development and legislative strategies to reform the City’s gang prevention and intervention efforts.

Libatique has conducted extensive experience in economic research, including working as a Research Analyst at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. There, he was a part of Working Group VI of the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health that analyzed the economic impact of investment in improved health outcomes for poor and middle-income countries.

Libatique holds a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of California, Berkeley and a master of public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Bob Foster has spent more than 40 years in the energy policy arena in California.  He began his career working on energy efficiency for the State Senate and then led the energy efficiency program for the California Energy Commission.  He then joined Southern California Edison working his way up in the company, eventually serving as its President from 2002 to 2006.  After retiring from SCE, he ran for and was elected Mayor of Long Beach, Ca., serving for 8 years from 2006 to 2014.  He also served as Chair of California’s Independent System Operator (CAISO) from 2011 to 2014.  He now operates Prometheus Advisors, providing consulting on energy, water, entitlements, and public policy issues. He serves on the boards of EPCOR in Edmonton Canada, the American Transmission Company in Milwaukee, and Port Solutions in Los Angeles.  Bob is an ardent baseball fan and in 1983 coached a team from Sacramento to the Little League World Series in Williamsport Pa.