2007 Class - Aspen Institute

2007 Class

Amal Aldabbabseh	Amal Aldabbabseh, Environmental Specialist, United Nations Development Programme, Amman, Jordan Ms. Aldabbabseh is an Environment Specialist with the United Nations Development Programme in Amman, Jordan. She is currently responsible for the development, management, and monitoring of UNDP’s regional environment portfolio. She participated in the Heinrich Boll Foundation’s capacity building program for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, through which she spent two months as an intern at the World Ban Institute, participated at three WSSD preparatory committees and attended the World Summit in Johannesburg. She has also worked with the Ul-Urdun Al-Jadid Research Center in Amman and with the Human Forum on Women’s Rights in Amman. She received a B.Sc. with honors at Hashemite University in Jordan and also received an M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Management at the University of Amman, Jordan.
Raj Atluru	Raj Atluru, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Juvertson, Menlo Park, CA Raj Atluru is a Managing Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson where he serves on the boards of Great Point Energy, Konarka Technologies, mChek, Pro Quo, SeventyMM, Varolii, Ping Identity, Reva Electric Vehicle and Solicore. In addition, he led the firm's investments in EnerNOC (ENOC), Bright Source Energy, CoalTek, Deeya Energy, Live Media, Miartech, SOA Software, and Tioga Energy. Mr. Atluru currently leads the clean technology investment thesis for DFJ in addition to DFJ’s investment thesis in India. He has over 15 years of venture capital, private equity, and leveraged finance experience both domestically and in emerging markets with a specific focus on India. As an advocate for clean technology entrepreneurs and venture capital, Mr. Atluru is frequently cited in leading industry and national publications interested in the emerging clean technology sector. Previous to joining DFJ, Mr. Atluru worked in venture capital and leveraged finance in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Philadelphia. Mr. Atluru received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University where he taught the solar and wind energy lab and was a full time research assistant on the Waste Isolation Pilot Project for Sandia National Labs (Department of Defense Nuclear Repository Study). In addition, he received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Suzanne Biegel	Suzanne Biegel, Consultant, Catalyst at Large, Marina Del Rey, CA Suzanne is a successful entrepreneur, investor, board member, and consultant. She was the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year and Woman of the Year awards in Los Angeles for the training and communications firm she and her partner grew in the 1990’s. After she sold her business, she was a partner in award-winning green marketing firm, MusicMatters for several years. In 2004, Suzanne founded a nonprofit focused on engaging businesses in getting out the vote, called Voteworks, and co-managed the national nonprofit November 2 campaign. Suzanne is an active member of Investors' Circle and Social Venture Network, is Vice Chair of the Board of Liberty Hill Foundation in Los Angeles, and is on the advisory board of the Sustainable Business Council of LA. Her current consulting as a Catalyst at Large spans strategy work with the green publishing company Greenopia: the urban dweller’s guide to green living, the launch of a green restaurant in Los Angeles with one of the top organic/sustainable chefs in the country, sitting on the investment committee of a new angel venture fund focused on sustainability, acting as emcee for the Investors’ Circle venture fair, and work as a senior adjunct consultant with the sustainability consulting firm Natural Logic. Suzanne holds degrees from the Wharton School as well as the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.
Shelley Billick	Shelley Billick, Vice President of Environmental Initiatives, Warner Bros., Los Angeles, CA Shelley Levin Billick is a Mexico City native, also raised on a kibbutz in Israel and in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She pursued a liberal arts education at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, studying music, philosophy, and graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Psychology. After college, she began working at an environmental engineering firm, supporting projects focused on Assembly Bill 939, California’s waste reduction laws that were passed in 1989. This brought about the opportunity to apply for a Recycling Coordinator position at Warner Bros. studios, where for the next 15 years she grew the program from the one position within a Safety department, to a full services environmental strategy department with a staff of eleven. She is now the Vice President of Environmental Initiatives for Warner Bros. Entertainment, where she has established a wide variety of environmental programs and policies. Warner Bros. has also been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 1999 and in 2004 participated in the LEED for Commercial Interiors pilot program with the remodel of a 56,000 sq. ft. office building. Shelley lives in Encino, California with her husband and two children, and whenever possible tends to her organic garden.
Rajsekhar Budhavarapu	Rajsekhar Budhavarapu, Director, Accion Wind Energy Ltd., Mumbai, India Mr. Budhavarapu is currently Director of Development for Accion Wind Energy Ltd. in Bangalore, India, and is responsible for all aspects of wind project development including siting, design, market research and regulatory affairs. Previously, he was the General Manager of Wind and Regulatory Affairs, where he was responsible for development of wind power plants on a Build Own and Operate basis in Africa and South East Asia for Enercon India Power Development Ltd. Mr. Budhavarapu also worked at the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands as an Engineering Scientist, working on a Solar Home System Distribution Project undertaken by Shell Solar BV with support from the Government of the Netherlands. He received a Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Masters in International Finance form the University of Amsterdam.
Erin Carlson	Erin Carlson, Manager, Social Responsibility, Yahoo!, San Francisco, CA As Senior Manager of Yahoo! for Good, the company’s Social Responsibility department, Ms. Carlson is responsible for leading Yahoo!’s environmental strategy and corporate social responsibility programs. Her primary focus is inspiring Yahoo!’s audience of over 500 million people to be more “green” in their daily lives through use of Yahoo! products. She helped guide the development of a new Yahoo! Green site to encourage people to take eco-friendly actions and has driven the creation of Yahoo! Earth Day sites since 2005. She also spearheaded Yahoo!’s worldwide initiative to become carbon neutral and rallied grassroots efforts by launching a Green Team of hundreds of employees across the globe. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Ms. Carlson worked at Nike Inc. in Apparel Sustainability and at Business for Social Responsibility as Environment Program Manager. She began her career at the environmental engineering consulting firm Tetra Tech EM Inc. She holds a BA in Human Biology/Environmental Management from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
Helen Gichohi	Helen Gichohi, President, African Wildlife Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya Dr. Helen Gichohi is responsible for directing the African Wildlife Foundation’s African Heartlands Program in eight massive landscapes throughout central, eastern, and southern Africa. Dr. Gichohi works with a wide variety of scientists, community officers, government officials, lawyers, donors, and partners to ensure the future for Africa’s wildlife. She designs and manages conservation strategies which will reduce threats to wildlife in the Heartlands and improve socioeconomic conditions for the people living there. During the 42nd Independence Day celebrations, the President of the Republic of Kenya awarded Dr. Gichohi the Order of Great Warrior of Kenya Award in recognition of her sterling contribution to conservation. She received a B.S. from Kenyatta University, an M.Sc. from the University of Nairobi, and a Ph.D. from the University of Leicester, UK.
Mark Gold	Mark Gold, Executive Director, Heal the Bay, Santa Monica, CA Shortly after Heal the Bay was founded in 1986, Mr. Gold began volunteering to help the organization fight coastal pollution. Two years later, he became the organization’s first employee, serving as its staff scientist. In 1994, he was hired as the organization’s executive director. During his time at Heal the Bay, he has helped author and pass nine statewide environmental laws and garner hundreds of millions of dollars for coastal protection. In 2006, he was one of the first recipients of the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. He also was awarded the Durfee Foundation's Stanton Fellowship 2006-07. Mr. Gold has also instituted a variety of educational programs to provide public school students with a comprehensive environmental education. He holds a doctorate in environmental science and engineering from UCLA and is considered one of the state’s leading environmental advocates.
Lindsey Holmes	Lindsey Holmes, Alaska State Legislature (D), House of Representatives – 25th District, Juneau, AK, Anchorage, AK Rep. Holmes currently serves in the Alaska State Legislature, where she is a member of the Administration Regulation Review and Fisheries Committees, the Judiciary Committee, and an alternate on the Select Committee on Legislative Ethics. Prior to her service in public office, she worked as an attorney in private practice specializing in real estate and energy law and clerked for Alaska Supreme Court Justice Warren Matthews. She serves on numerous boards including the YWCA of Anchorage and The Nature Conservancy Alaska Chapter, and was a 2003 recipient of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s “Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40” Award. She holds a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Middlebury College, an MA in Latin America Studies from Stanford, and a JD with honors from the University of Chicago Law School.
Ian Kim	Ian Kim, Director, Green-Collar Jobs Campaign, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland, CA Ian Kim works at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights as Director of the "Green-Collar Jobs Campaign". He coordinates a coalition that advocates for policies in the city of Oakland to create "green-collar" jobs (quality jobs in industries like renewable energy, alternative fuel, and green building), especially for low-income young adults and those with barriers to employment. Ian holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management, and has a background in communications, media strategy and Internet-based organizing. Ian successfully led a campaign for the City of Oakland to fund an Oakland Green Jobs Corps training program, and helped craft key portions of the federal Green Jobs Act (authorizing funding for green job training demonstration programs nationwide), which passed the House of Representatives in August 2007. The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights runs cutting-edge, solutions-driven campaigns for justice, peace and opportunity in our cities. The Green-Collar Jobs Campaign works to leverage the explosive growth of the new green economy to provide pathways out of poverty in struggling urban communities, starting with Oakland, CA. Ian and his wife, Sunjung, are often laughing at the antics of their two-year-old daughter, Minju.
Heather Lauver	Heather Lauver, Assistant Director, International Philanthropy Program, Division of Corporate Affairs, Pfizer, Inc., New York, NY Heather Lauver is Assistant Director, Corporate Affairs, in charge of Global Operations, International Philanthropy Programs at Pfizer Inc. Pfizer is a research-based global health care company that is consistently ranked as one of the top global givers. Pfizer’s global outreach programs involve fighting blinding trachoma, HIV/AIDS, malaria and cancer. Ms. Lauver joined Pfizer in 1998 to further develop the International Trachoma Initiative and provide consultation on philanthropy and public health initiatives. She currently leads global operations for international access programs and collaborates on related global policy. Prior to joining Pfizer, Ms. Lauver worked and consulted on a wide range of US and international healthcare topics including Medicaid Managed Care, physician practice and hospital management, and infectious diseases. Ms. Lauver received her B.A. from Grinnell College, Iowa, M.P.H. from the Yale University School of Medicine, Connecticut and M.B.A. from Baruch College, New York.
John Morton	John Morton, Senior Officer, Planning & Evaluation and Project Director, Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC John Morton, Senior Officer, Planning & Evaluation and Project Director, Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington, DC Mr. Morton is a Managing Director at the Pew Charitable Trusts where he oversees programmatic planning and economic policy. His responsibilities involve developing overall strategy design for key institutional projects, assessing potential major new initiatives, and monitoring the development of the institution’s programmatic portfolio. He also manages Pew’s growing economic policy portfolio. Prior to joining Pew, Mr. Morton served as Director of National Security Policy for the John Kerry Presidential campaign where he coordinated the development of campaign policy toward Afghanistan, Russia and the former Soviet states, Africa, and on issues relating to democracy, human rights and economic development. Before the campaign, Mr. Morton was an Investment Officer with Global Environment Fund, an international investment management fund with $800 million in private equity holdings in the U.S. and in emerging markets around the world. Mr. Morton received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance and an MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies. He graduated from Harvard College with a BA in Russian History and Literature. Mr. Morton lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and daughter.
Rebecca Nadel	Rebecca Nadel, Sustainable Development and Social Performance Manager, Shell Oil, Houston, TX Ms. Nadel is currently the Sustainable Development and Social Performance Manager at Shell Exploration and Production Company in Houston, Texas. At this position, she serves as a liaison to the US Business Council on Sustainable Development, works with a steering team to develop Shell’s climate change strategy and action plan, as well as collaborating with Shell Group biodiversity experts and Business for Social Responsibility on Ecosystem Services and Market initiatives. Previously, Ms. Nadel worked for the National Park Service and the National Academies National Research Council. She received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, an MS in Engineering from Penn State University, and an MBA/MS from the University of Michigan.
Ebenezer Emmanuel Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri	Ebenezer Emmanuel Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri, Regional Manager, E+Co Africa, Centurion, South Africa Mr. Nketsia-Tabiri’s most recent position is Regional Manager of E+Co Africa. His duties included oversight of E+Co Africa operations in nine African countries and implementation of a five year strategic business plan, 54 enterprises and a portfolio value of over $4.7 million. E+Co’s underlying purpose is to stimulate long-term, institutionalized channels of investment in environmentally superior forms of energy production and use in developing countries. Currently, he is on academic leave to pursue a Masters in Corporate and International Finance from the Durham University Business School in the United Kingdom. Before joining E+Co, Mr. Nketsia-Tabiri was a project investment officer with KITE, a Ghanaian NGO engaged in energy policy. He received his BSc with honors in Mechanical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.
Trip Pollard	Trip Pollard, Land and Community Director, Southern Environmental Law Center, Sewanee, TN Trip Pollard is a Senior Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, a non-profit environmental organization that works in six southern states. He is the director of SELC's Land and Community Program, which uses public education, policy reform, and legal advocacy to promote transportation and land use decisions that protect the environment and enhance the quality of life of this region. Trip previously worked on SELC’s Energy Project to reduce the environmental impacts of power production, with a primary emphasis on promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy resources. Trip has written dozens of reports and articles on energy, transportation, land use, and environmental issues, including pieces for Planning, Urban Land, American Journal of Health Promotion, Fordham Urban Law Journal, Environmental Law Reporter, and The Virginia Environmental Law Journal. He has lectured widely, taught courses and served on numerous state and local governmental commissions and advisory bodies, and served on the board of many organizations. Before joining SELC, Trip served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia. He received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Virginia. Trip, his wife Elizabeth, and their two children reside in Sewanee, Tennessee.
Heather Quinley	Heather Quinley, Director, EH&S National Stewardship Strategy, Duke Energy, Cincinnati, OH As Director of EH&S National Stewardship Strategy at Duke Energy, Ms. Quinley manages external stakeholder strategy with non-profit organizations and academia; develops and communicates Duke’s national environmental stewardship strategy; and identifies and implements selected initiatives both internally and externally to enhance Duke Energy’s environmental leadership commitment. She has previously worked at Economists Incorporated as a research assistant and has taught English through the Central European Teaching Program in Hungary. Ms. Quinley is a member of Women Executive Peer Exchange Network, a former board member of Family Nurturing Center of Northern Kentucky, and an executive mentor with the Xavier Executive Mentoring eXchange. She received a BA in Environmental Science form the University of Virginia and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard.
Eben Schwartz	Eben Schwartz, Marine Debris Program Manager, California Coastal Commission, San Francisco, CA Mr. Schwartz serves as the Marine Debris Program Manager for the California Coastal Commission, the agency charged with protection and regulation of the state’s 1,100-mile coastline. In this capacity, he has served as the technical expert for the agency, advising state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and members of industry on actions and programs that can reduce the causes of marine debris. Mr. Schwartz served as advisor and author for the California Ocean Protection Council’s Resolution on Marine Debris. The resolution, passed in February 2007, is the most comprehensive policy statement on marine debris in California’s history. He also serves as the primary media liaison for the program, responsible for over 400 news, radio, and television placements each year, as well as assisting in raining over $150,000 annually from corporate partners for the program’s budget. Prior to the Coastal Commission, Mr. Schwartz worked with the Sierra Club as a local Coordinator, Development Associate, and Grant Proposal Writer for the National Organization, where he was responsible for winning over $1.5 million in grant awards. He attended Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Film Studies.
Susan Short	Susan Short, Founder and CEO, Deep Green Living, New York, NY Susan Short is a naturalist, artist and entrepreneur based in New York City. She is founder and CEO of Deep Green Living, a consulting business that provides an expert support network to individuals who want to live in closer alignment with their environmental values. Susan is also the founder, along with her husband John Johnson, of the Harmony Hotel, a surfers’ get-away in Costa Rica. The Harmony attracts artists, writers, and other creative practitioners in part due to its environmentally and socially sustainable practices. As part of the Harmony Hotel’s sustainable community program, Susan is an active member of the Nosara Master Plan Committee with a special commitment to the Solid Waste and Wildlife Protection efforts. She is a founding trustee of the Pacific Foundation, a private charitable foundation that funds innovation in education, the environment and the arts. This current work has evolved out of her experience as a naturalist and program developer at the Biscayne Nature Center in Miami, FL, and as an associate producer, sound technician and writer on natural history documentaries, most notably on the films “Everglades, Home of the Living Dinosaurs” and “Sea of Sharks”, both from Disney’s New True Life Adventures series. Susan was born in Clarksville, Tennessee and graduated from Centre College in 1990.
Plato Yip	Plato Yip, Strategy Development Manager, CK Life Sciences, Hong Kong, China Plato joined the CK Life Sciences Int’l., Inc. in September 2001 and has served as an advisor to the Cheung Kong Group on corporate environmental affairs since then. Apart from searching for renewable energy investment opportunities, one of his focuses is promoting organic and sustainable agricultural practices. He has coordinated partnership programs to help improving quality of life in China’s farming community, where he also advises regulators, industry leaders and farmers on standards, market information and business strategies. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China and has regularly appeared on media as a commentator of regional environmental affairs. Plato is the former Assistant Director of Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong) and the Founding Director of the Centre for Environmental Management Education and Development of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong People’s Council for Sustainable Development. Plato graduated from the National Taiwan University with a Bachelor Degree of Science in Agricultural Economics and earned his Master of Philosophy in Environmental Management from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Jil Zilligen	Jil Zilligen, VP of Sustainable Business Practices, Nau Clothing Company, Portland, OR Ms. Zilligen currently serves as Vice President of Sustainable Business Practices at Nau, Inc. In that position she is responsible for creating a brand, customer experience, and product line that minimizes or eliminates negative environmental impacts, maximizes equity for all, and sets new benchmarks for corporate responsibility and philanthropy. She also responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans to minimize the company’s negative environmental impact in products, offices, stores, and within the manufacturing and distribution processes. Ms. Zilligen was previously Executive Director of 1% For the Planet, an alliance of over 100 companies committed to conservation work and corporate philanthropy. She has also worked at Patagonia as Director of Environmental Programs and later Vice President of Environmental Initiatives. She has held positions on the Board of Directors of the Conservation Alliance, Environmental Grantmakers Association, and Wildlife Damage Review. Ms. Zilligen holds Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University and has completed the Executive Education program at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.