.

 Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury recently completed his term as the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States of the United Nations, the post he held since March 2002.  A career diplomat, he was Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York from 1996 to 2001.  He also served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Chile, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela, as well as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to the Bahamas and Guyana.

He served as the Secretary-General of the Almaty International Conference on global transit transport cooperation in 2003 as well as of the Mauritius International Meeting on Small Island Developing States in 2005, both convened by the United Nations General Assembly.  He also spearheaded the five-year mid-term review of the Brussels Programme for the Least Developed Countries by the UN General Assembly in September 2006 in New York.

Ambassador Chowdhury served as President of the United Nations Security Council for two terms in 2000 and 2001 and President of the UNICEF Executive Board in 2000.  He also chaired the Administrative and Budgetary Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in 1997-1998.  He was Vice-President of the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations for two terms in 1997 and 1998. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at the School of Diplomacy, Seton Hall University of the United States.

He spearheaded a pioneering initiative at the United Nations on culture of peace which resulted in the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999 of the landmark “Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace”.

He also initiated the declaration by the United Nations General Assembly of the “International Decade for Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2001-2010)”.

His initiative in March 2000 as the President of the Security Council led to the adoption of the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in peace and security.

 Ambassador Chowdhury is the recipient of the U Thant Peace Award and the UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace. He is an Honorary Patron of the Committee on Teaching About the UN (CTAUN), New York.

In March 2003, the Soka University of Tokyo, Japan, conferred on him an Honorary Doctorate for his work on women’s issues, child rights and culture of peace as well as for the strengthening of the United Nations.

Ambassador Chowdhury  has been decorated by the Government of Burkina Faso with the country’s highest honour “L’Ordre Nacionale” on 18 June 2007 in Ouagadougou for his championship of the cause of the most vulnerable countries.

Ambassador Chowdhury received the first Institute for Global Leadership Lifetime Service Award on 1 May 2007 at the conference on New Leadership Models for Worcester, United States and the World in Worcester, MA.

The UN NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns conferred their first “SPIRIT OF THE UNITED NATIONS” Award on Ambassador Chowdhury on 26 October 2007.

Wayne Nastri
Regional Administrator (Region 9)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Wayne Nastri was appointed Regional Administrator for Region 9 in October 2001. Mr. Nastri has led the Region in meeting the west's environmental challenges, especially in improving air quality and protecting scarce water resources throughout the arid west. Clear communication, strong enforcement and accountability to the public for a measurable "bottom line" have been the hallmarks of his tenure. A strong proponent of partnership as the best route to environmental protection, Mr. Nastri has launched many innovative and creative collaborations to protect the health and environment of all those who live in the Pacific Southwest.

Mr. Nastri partnered with EPA's Northwest Region to launch the West Coast Diesel Emission Reduction Collaborative  which will speed voluntary reductions of diesel emissions from ports, trucks and other federally regulated sources in a significant assault on one of the west's gravest air quality problems. Mr. Nastri was also instrumental in the development and placement of EPA's Southern California Field Office in Los Angeles -- a major improvement in EPA's local presence for the region's largest metropolitan area.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Nastri held various environmental leadership positions, including membership on the Governing Board for California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (covering Southern California) , as well as participation in numerous Cal/EPA advisory boards. He has more then fifteen years of environmental consulting experience working in a variety of media. Prior to his appointment with EPA, he was President of Environmental Mediation Inc., an environmental and government relations firm.

Chris Jordan,
EcoAmbassador, National Geographic
World-Renowned Photographer and Environmental Activist

Chris Jordan is Seattle-based photographic artist who first became known for his large-scale color photographs of the detritus of American consumer culture, in a series entitled Intolerable Beauty: Portraits of American Mass Consumption. His more recent project, Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait, has established Chris as an internationally acclaimed artist and spokesperson for social change.

When Running the Numbers was first released in early 2007, it quickly went viral on the internet. Since then Chris’s website has averaged 75,000-100,000 visitors per month, and Chris is inundated daily by emails and phone calls from all over the world from individuals and organizations responding to his work. His images have been featured in hundreds of magazines, newspapers, television features, documentary films, books, school curriculums and blogs around the globe, and he has been invited to exhibit his work in art museums, festivals and public venues in the U.S., Asia, Europe and South America. He has been asked to speak at numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally, as well as at conferences such as the TED Conference, the EG Conference, the Leadership Gathering, the GEL Conference, the PopTech Conference, the Greener Gadgets Conference, and the Mountainfilm Festival.

Most recently Chris was chosen by National Geographic Channels International to serve as their Eco-ambassador for Earth Day, 2008. In April of this year they sponsored a month-long tour in Asia and Europe, where Chris exhibited his prints and gave public talks, workshops, and interviews. In May Chris traveled to Caracas, Venezuela, by invitation of the mayor, to exhibit his work and spend a week making school visits and giving public talks and workshops. The exhibition will travel around Venezuela in 2008.

Chris has been invited to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November to participate in the World Economic Forum summit, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of the New American Dream Foundation. His work recently won the prestigious the Green Leaf Award from the United Nations Environmental Programme, presented at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway. This year the Running the Numbers series was one of three finalists for the international Darmstadt Photographic Prize in Germany, and a finalist for the new Green Prix Award in the U.S.

Marine Life Artist Wyland has earned the distinction as one of America’s most unique creative influences and a leading advocate for marine resource conservation. An accomplished painter, sculptor, underwater explorer and educator, he has traveled the farthest reaches of the globe for more than twenty-five years, capturing the raw power and beauty of the aquatic universe.
He is perhaps best known for his monumental Whaling Wall mural project — an epic series of more than ninety-six life size marine life murals that spans fourteen countries on four continents and is viewed by an estimated 1 billion people every year. The artist’s efforts for conservation awareness, moreover, have been recognized by the United Nations, Sierra Club, Rotary International, the Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he is listed among its Diving Hall of Fame, and private and public institutions throughout the world.

Hailed a “Marine Michelangelo” by USA Today, Wyland’s work is sought by millions of collectors and his equally successful Wyland Foundation, in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is actively engaged in teaching millions of students around the world to become caring, informed stewards of our oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands.

Internationally recognized as an official artist for the 2008 United States Olympic Team, he has been further honored in the Guinness Book of World Records, Who’s Who in American Art, the U.S Department of Commerce / NOAA’s 200th Celebration, the Natural World Museum’s “Art In Action” Campaign, and many national and international publications. His final 100th Whaling Wall, a 24,000 square foot series of murals with student artists from 110 countries, was displayed in October 2008 at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and honored by the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The multi-faceted artist has hosted several television programs, including, “Wyland: A Brush With Giants” on the Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet Network and “Wyland’s Art Studio,” a new series for public television. Today, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the 21st Century, with artwork in museums, corporate collections, and private homes in more than one hundred countries.

Dr. Peter A. Bowler, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology UCI Arboretum and Herbarium Director UCI Natural Reserve System Academic Coordinator Co-Director of the UCI Interdisciplinary Minor in Global Sustainability University of California, Irvine

Dr. Peter A. Bowler is currently the Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Global Sustainability at UCI; and the Academic Coordinator for the UC Natural Reserve System San Joaquin Marsh and Burns Pinon Ridge Reserves. In addition to teaching and research, he is the Director of the UCI Arboretum, which curates the IRVC Herbarium.

Dr. Bowler’s research interests are diverse, encompassing habitat restoration, open space conservation, and mitigation as they relate to biodiversity loss, particularly in coastal sage scrub and wetlands; rare, threatened and endangered species, especially in wetland and sage scrub habitats; lotic and lentic freshwater ecology; the chemical ecology of lichens, particularly in the Ramalinaceae; and environmental ethics. 

He has conducted research in coastal sage scrub and wetland restoration for over 15 years.  In the UC Natural Reserve System's San Joaquin Marsh Reserve he is currently supervising the monitoring and management of a 46 acre, 11 pond complex of created freshwater marsh, and is restoring 19 acres of complementary upland habitat (coastal sage scrub) surrounding the wetland.  Under his supervision, planning is being conducted to create better hydrologic function including possible tidal influence and the removal of five acres of roads on the other 150 acres of the Reserve. His restoration work is known for pioneering the concept and demonstrating the feasibility of salvaging plants and invertebrates from areas to be developed, and for various protocols associated with salvage, transplantation and use of wild stand plants in ecological restoration.  His work has also contributed to methods of designing habitat creations using direct emulations of natural habitat models. 

Dr. Bowler has studied and helped elucidate the native and exotic freshwater mollusk fauna of the Middle Snake River Plain, including five federally listed endangered or threatened species.  And he has documented the spread of the New Zealand Mudsnail in the Middle Snake River ecosystem.  He has had an interest in the evolutionary and chemical ecology of lichens, especially the Ramalinaceae, for over thirty years and is currently preparing a revision of the genus Niebla for Volume II of Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. 

Finally, Dr. Bowler has examined the effect of doing ecological restoration upon the behavior and environmental attitudes of undergraduates, and has an ongoing interest in environmental ethics.  At present he has grant support from the California Coastal Conservancy. 

Students are central to his research and help design, implement, monitor, and share authorship in publications.  Over two dozen of his Independent Research (199) undergraduate students have presented papers or posters at national symposia in the past several years, and he has co-authored four recent papers in restoration ecology and conservation biology with 17 of his students.  He has also collaborated in five publications with graduate students from UCI and other institutions.  Other recent collaboration includes researchers from the BLM and EPA, the Smithsonian Institution, faculty from other academic institutions, and with consultants.

Dr. Bowler has a B.A. from Bard College, Annandale on the Hudson, New York and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine.

Riley Pratt is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Irvine studying restoration ecology. His dissertation research focuses on plant-fungal interactions, specifically on the impact of different sources of mycorrhizal fungi on the performance of trees used in the restoration of degraded pasture in Costa Rica.  A major aim of the project is to provide landowners with practical steps for improving the restoration of their own land.  Riley received his bachelors degree in biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2000.  Before starting graduate school at UCI, he worked for the US Geological Survey in Hawaii on several avian conservation projects.

Jessica Pratt is a PhD student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine. She obtained a M.S. in Zoology from North Carolina Sate University in 2005 during which time she studied the conservation value of shaded coffee plantations for resident birds in Puerto Rico. Her primary interests lie broadly in the fields of habitat conservation and ecological restoration, and she is currently conducting research to assess the ability of California Sagebrush to persist in the face of climate change by testing for local adaptation in drought tolerance traits in plant populations across a precipitation gradient. Jessica is also a founding member of the Orange County Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology, for which she has served as Vice President since 2006.

Judi G. Schweitzer
Founder and President, Schweitzer + Associates, Inc.

Judi G. Schweitzer is a pioneer in creating and applying emerging green and sustainable development solutions and techniques to real estate acquisition, predevelopment, development and construction of the built environment for masterplanned communities, resorts, lifestyle and mixed-use commercial projects. Building upon Judi’s 20+ years of experience in real estate development, entitlements, underwriting and design, Schweitzer + Associates consults to portfolio managers and owners of unique legacy properties and their teams; designing and implementing market entry and development strategies for sustainable communities, creating projects that are environmentally responsible, sustainable, beautiful, livable and valuable.

Schweitzer + Associates uses a multidisciplinary and integrated systems approach which results in optimal “triple bottom line” solutions (benefiting people, profits and planet) for multiple stakeholders (investors, master developers, builders and consumers). The firm assembles and leads teams with cutting-edge expertise to create the greatest value for its clients, resulting in the highest saving/return and most sustainable business solutions for each development and design opportunity. Judi’s ongoing research contributes to the industry’s efforts to quantify green and sustainable premiums and she is developing proprietary tools that will enable total life cycle cost valuation and address the costs and benefits, both market (economic) and external (global impacts) for various stakeholders in development and design decisions.

Judi has advised corporations, banks, pension funds, developers, builders and municipalities throughout the U.S. Some of her clients include Rancho Mission Viejo, The Grupe Company, and Eagle Valley

Development LLC. She has also served CalPERS, Jones Lang LaSalle, Bank of America, IHP Capital Partners, Newland Communities, Standard Pacific Homes, William Lyon Homes, John Laing Homes, New Urban West, Warmington Land, RAND Corporation, Playa Vista Partners, Headlands Reserve LLC, First Interstate Bank, Time Incorporated and other prominent developers, builders and investors. Noteworthy accomplishments include securing the entitlements for environmentally and legally challenging projects such as the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, a 250-acre master planned golf course community with a 400-key Five-Star Resort, 238 residential units, resort tram system and botanical gardens in Dana Point, California.

Earlier in her career, Judi worked in executive positions with Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc. (CPH), Beazer Homes, Inc., KB Home Coastal, Inc, and LePlastrier Development Consulting Group, Inc. She formed and led project teams handling land acquisition, due diligence, entitlements, forward planning, development, design, construction and maintenance. She also has experience in urban design and in corporate interior design, facilities programming and relocation.

Judi is a graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design Advanced Management

Development Program in Real Estate and serves on its Alumni Advisory Council. She holds a Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Science in

Economics from Truman State University in Missouri. Judi is a member of US Green Building Council and full member of Urban Land Institute where she serves on its Sustainable Development Council.

Jorden Segraves
Managing Principal, Jorden Segraves Architects Inc
Chair of the US Green Building Council

Jorden Segraves is the managing principal of Jorden Segraves Architect: Inc. (JSA), a full service architecture and design firm in San Clemente, California and brings nineteen years of industry knowledge and experience to each project. This experience ranges from product development and onsite construction oversight and management to full service design and documentation. He holds current architectural licenses in California, Nevada and Arizona, with affiliations in the AIA and the USGBC. He holds NCARB Certification and LEED AP accreditation.

As managing principal of Jorden Segraves Architect, Inc. he looks to incorporate an integrated “in balance” approach to design and architecture, through the application of Sustainability and LEED principles for ALL projects. JSA also offers individual project consulting and/or office education on LEED and other sustainability principles to help facilitate market adoption and transformation.

Jorden Segraves is a founding board member and current Chair of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) – Orange County Chapter and immediate past Chair for the USGBC - Pacific Coast Region (PRC). Jorden has also been elected to the USGBC National Chapter Steering Committee to represent the PRC. He is also a current Board Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Orange County Chapter.

Michael Siersema
Technical Director, CSC GBS Americas

Michael Siersema current position is working with sales to develop business solutions to challenges facing business and information technology professionals: as the Technology Director for CSC Global Business Solutions, Pacific Southwest Region. His more than 35 years of IT experience spans a variety of industries, in the financial, retail, high technology, manufacturing, ecommerce companies, multi-national aerospace, tire, telecommunications and food businesses. He has proven record of expertise and experience in development and implementation of large multi-functional systems from front end customer facing to back end supply chain systems using computing infrastructures across many technology platforms. His strong technical knowledge of infrastructure design and operations background has led to specializing in designing state-of-the-art green datacenters and greening the desktop environment for businesses worldwide.

As a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he led several successful engagements, including the sale of a client company; the development of telecommunications architecture, the development and implementation of a new enterprise-wide application systems in the retail industry; and the integration of web sites with supply chain and ERP systems. At Charles Schwab, Michael was the integral part of a major business process improvement effort.

He has held positions of CIO and CTO.  He has worked in a multitude of industries including financial, aerospace, and ecommerce; medical instrumentation, semiconductors, telephony, hi-tech manufacturing, health systems, retail, and distribution. He used that background knowledge as the North American CIO for Yokohama Tire Corporation, where he instituted a reorganization of the IT function, integrated numerous disparate systems, renegotiated key vendor contracts, and implemented cost controls. These implementations, company-wide had significant reduction in costs while responsiveness to company needs improved dramatically.

Michael directed all telecommunications and network operations for GEC, plc, a multi-national conglomerate with over 200 corporations in 56 countries at the Lear Siegler, Astronics Division. As project manager for flight control systems integration, he headed a 165 member team which completed the central project in the record time of six weeks. He directed the personal computer desktop support re organization. 

Michael was also the CEO/President of a startup high-tech marketing firm. Michael directed the growth of the company from an initial investment to over $1.3M at the end of 18 months. Company designed, built, and supported tradeshow exhibits and shows.

A firm believer in personal social responsibility;  Mike gives back to the local community as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Huntington Beach as well as lending his expertise to the boards of Net Sapiens, The Forum for Corporate Directors Orange County and Orange County Innovation.

Michael has a BSBA from the University of Phoenix and electrical engineering degree. He has been active in several industry associations, such as the Telecommunications Association, where he received the 1995 President's Award for individual contribution and was the L.A. Chapter Member of the Year for 1995.

Wendy Rogers
AIA, LEED AP, Design Principal
LPA Inc.

Wendy Rogers is a design principal at Irvine-based LPA Inc., one of the largest architectural and planning firms in California. Rogers graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, CA. She has chaired committees for the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and is currently the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED for Schools Advocate for the Orange County Chapter.

 During her 21-year career at LPA, Rogers has worked on a variety of award-winning projects that focus on the integration of design for environments within public and educational spaces. Her most recent projects include: Beverly Hills High School Science and Technology Center, Arcadia High School, the East Natomas Education Complex, and Sonoma State University Recreation Center.

In Laguna Beach, Rogers has designed the sustainable additions at Top of the World Elementary, Thurston Middle and Laguna Beach High School for the Laguna Beach Unified School District. As senior designer for the firm’s K-12 and community work, her imaginative and classic sense of design is evident. Her attention to detail and passion for eco-friendly design solutions result in meaningful spaces with community authorship and true sustainability.

Vincent Mudd, San Diego State University alumni, is the president and chief executive officer of San Diego Office Interiors, a business he has owned since 1994. Vincent, his wife Catherine and their talented staff have built San Diego Office Interiors into an award winning office interiors firm.

Vincent Mudd and his team created office intelligence® a turn-key process that offers a unique service, a veritable one-stop service for companies that are building new offices, lab space or bank branches.  The service includes: LEED Certified interior design and planning, tenant improvement construction, voice, data and network infrastructure, construction management; furniture and equipment acquisition and facility management services. The company has grown steadily and has shown a profit in every fiscal year of its existence. Vincent believes that there is a nexus between sustainability, profit and productivity that can be best achieved by designing and building to LEED, LEAN and Six-Sigma standards. The business case is simple; sustainable planning, design and construction can be accomplished easily; increases operational efficiency and will add money to your bottom line.

Vincent is a master of creative options, bleeding edge ideas and problem solving.  As a result, San Diego Office Interiors has a bevy of prominent local customers that include firms like Mesa Beverage, Pacific Western Bank, Corky McMillin, Seltzer Kaplan Attorneys at Law, Cymer and Barney & Barney as well as large national clients such as Capital One, Motorola, Wells Fargo Bank, L-3 Communications and Watson Wyatt.   San Diego Office Interiors is flexible enough to configure itself to meet the specific needs of each customer by delivering its unique mix of products and services.

Vincent Mudd’s deeply rooted principles of commitment, trust, and the empowerment of people shine through not only in the day-to day-operations and management of his very successful business, but in his civic leadership and community activities as well.

Gov. Schwarzenegger appointed Mudd to the 5 member State Compensation Insurance Fund Board in 2004, the largest Worker Compensation Insurer in the world.  Mudd also holds executive board positions with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, the American Red Cross, the YMCA, the Campanile Foundation at San Diego State University, the Workplace Alliance, San Diego’s Healthcare Coalition, KPBS Financial Advisory Committee, Big Brothers & Big Sisters and is a member of the City of San Diego Charter Review Committee.  Mudd is also a member of San Diego’s largest Rotary Club - Rotary Club 33.

In 2007, Vince Mudd was awarded Ernest & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year for consumer and business products.  Continuing the entrepreneurial spirit, Vincent and his wife, Catherine, recently launched a new video gaming entertainment and corporate training facility called Mudd Club.  This leading edge business represents the future of techno-centric training and entertainment.

Vincent and Catherine, CFO of the company, and their two sons live in Poway.

Scott Samuelsen, Ph.D.
Director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center
Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Samuelsen is director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center and professor of mechanical, aerospace, and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine.  His research is directed to combustion for stationary applications and propulsion, fuel cells and fuel cell systems for stationary applications, and the hydrogen infrastructure for mobile hydrogen-fueled combustion and fuel cell vehicles.  He directs anchor research on advanced coal and natural gas power plants for the co-production of electricity and hydrogen for the U.S. Department of Energy, distributed generation and information technology research for the U.S. Department of Defense in support of energy-efficient and environmentally responsible power generation, hydrogen refueling research for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, advanced energy systems research for the California Energy Commission, and hydrogen-fueled vehicle market research with the University of California Institute for Transportation Studies. He co-chairs the California Stationary Fuel Cell Collaborative, leads the collaborative standing committee on the stationary fuel cell and hydrogen vehicle interface, and serves on the Implementation Advisory Panel for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Hydrogen Highway Network Initiative.  He holds a doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Stephen M. Ellis
Manager, Fuel Cell Vehicle Marketing, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Mr. Steve Ellis is manager of Fuel Cell Vehicle Marketing at American Honda Motor Company.   Steve’s career at Honda began over 25 years ago.  He has worked on vehicle-related environmental and energy topics for many years, including alternative fuel vehicles research and creation of Honda’s Alternative Fuel Vehicle department. 

Steve was responsible for launching and selling the Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle in 1998 and has served on several South Coast Air Quality Management District and other government committees to develop incentives for clean vehicle and employee ride share programs. Steve has served on numerous industry organization boards, assisted with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hydrogen Highway Team, and is founding member of the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership. He now serves on the Board of the National Hydrogen Association.

Steve is responsible for planning Honda’s alternative fuel vehicle marketing and now deploying their Fuel Cell vehicles and Hydrogen refueling infrastructure solutions.

Steve enjoys competitive bicycling and running marathons.  He lives in Orange County California.

Shad Balch is an Environment and Energy Communications Specialist at General Motors Corporation.  Shad joined General Motors’ Western Region communications team in 2006 after serving in various high-level positions in California government, including serving in the administrations of two Governors, two Secretaries of State and the Attorney General.  Most recently, Shad was a Vice President at Manning Selvage & Lee in Los Angeles.

With more than 10 years of public policy experience, Shad is charged with engaging various stakeholder groups to communicate GM’s environmental progress and provide information about its upcoming advanced technology products.  Additionally, Shad is responsible for providing GM’s leadership in Detroit with candid feedback about local reputation and perception.

Prior to General Motors, Shad was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Department of Corporations as Director of Communications.  As head of the Department’s Public Affairs office, Shad was charged with developing statewide public outreach and education programs to raise awareness about the regulatory agency and its impact on stakeholders and consumers. 

Before joining the Schwarzenegger Administration, Shad was the Press Secretary to former California Secretary of State Bill Jones.  In addition to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the communications office Shad was the agency’s primary spokesman, conducting on-the-record interviews in local and national print, radio and TV media outlets.    

Prior to his work in the Secretary of State’s office, Shad was also a Cabinet Adviser to former California Governor Pete Wilson.  In this capacity, Shad served as an Administration liaison to various state agencies and departments, and also served as an Executive Writer.

Outside of the office, Shad is an avid motor sports enthusiast, having competed regularly for more than ten years in professionally-sanctioned off-road desert races in Southern California, Nevada and Mexico.  Shad’s team has won several races and earned factory support from Nissan Motor Corporation and BFGoodrich Tires. 

William Karambelas
Vice President, Western Region
FuelCell Energy

Richard Henrikson, P.E.
President
Henrikson Owen + Yang

Mr. Richard Henrikson, P.E., Principal Mechanical/Plumbing Engineer, has 25 years of engineering experience in the educational, parking structures, municipal, and industrial sectors. Mr. Henrikson’s expertise on mechanical infrastructure and building systems encompasses HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, complex central plants, thermal energy storage, chillers, boilers, cooling towers, heat exchangers, and energy management systems. Mr. Henrikson brings extensive experience in the conceptual design and detailed design of new buildings and modernization of existing facilities. Mr. Henrikson has been awarded several honors for innovative, energy-efficient design solutions, including a national first-place ASHRAE Energy Award for a unique, integrated disposal and energy system for a San Diego medical center. He is a LEED Accredited Professional in energy-efficient and environmentally-sustainable building design.  Mr. Henrikson received a BSE Civil Engineering and M.S., Civil Engineering from Duke University.

Marc Mowrey
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Lead, Green Venues

Mr. Mowrey created EPA’s Green Venues program in 2001, and has since launched partnerships with many large venues and entities around the country, including Anaheim Convention Center, San Diego Convention Center, McCormick Place (Chicago), Wilkes University, PETCO Park and the NFL. The partnerships focus on improving performance in such areas as energy savings, water conservation, waste reduction, sustainable food and beverage service, and community outreach. Mowrey also manages a $3 million grant to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for its hazardous waste program. In addition, he has periodically served as a press officer in the EPA’s Office of Public Affairs

In 1998, Mowrey co-founded Green Home, Inc., an environmental products and services company. As Director of Certification, he developed the company’s product certification methodology, and acquired FTC approval for all certification claims. In the process, he built strategic partnerships with sister organizations, and led a team of writers and developers.

Mowrey wrote "Not in Our Backyard", a 500-page historical account of the people and events that shaped America's modern environmental movement. Published by William Morrow in 1993, the book continues to be used in colleges and universities as a text for environmental studies. In addition, he has had environmental articles appear in numerous publications, including the Los Angles Times, Playboy, Omni, Sojourners, and the San Francisco Bay Guardian

Mowrey received a BA in music from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. 
 

Alina Aguilar
Assistant General Manager
Hines Facility Management, PETCO Park

Alina has worked for Hines since March of 2005 and is responsible for overseeing all service contracts essential for Fundamental Systems Management at PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres.  In particular, she is responsible for identifying cost savings and monitoring preventative maintenance for the ballpark maintaining the property's like-new <<...>> condition. She oversees the waste removal contract which includes recycling efforts and has lead to the development of a Green Committee that involves all ballpark partner companies. With a focus in reducing waste, some of the key recycling programs she manages are food waste composting, commingled recycling, eWaste, wood pallets, green waste, cardboard, and cooking oil, and uniform recycling. Alina also oversees several maintenance contracts for the ballpark, including vertical transportation, pest control, bird abatement, janitorial services, window washing, exterior building maintenance, capital projects, and surface refinishing. Alina holds a Bachelor's Degree in both Business Management and Marketing.

Dawn MacFadyen
Senior Engineer
Syska Hennessy Group

Dawn MacFadyen has over 10 years of experience as a consulting electrical engineer. Working within Syska Hennessy’s Sports & Entertainment Market Focus Group she is familiar with the needs and requirements of the entertainment marketplace. Dawn’s contributions of technical expertise have resulted in increased reliability and maintainability for her clients. As Lead Electrical Engineer, Dawn will assure appropriate staffing and resources of the firm are available to the client to meet design, budget and schedule commitments and lead the design of the electrical systems. She will focus design efforts to achieve energy efficiency, reliability and flexibility.

Her project experience includes: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Dodger Stadium, UCLA Pauley Pavilion Concept Design, ESPN, West Coast Broadcast Facility, CBS Radford Broadcast Center, MTV Networks, Office/Technical Space, Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, Kenneth Hahn State Park, Cedar Sinai, 8th Floor Galley Remodel, Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Los Angeles Valley College, UC Irvine, UCSD, Shangri-La, Hotel Renovation, El Segundo High School, Modernization,  Los Angeles Clippers, Training Facility, Rose Bowl, Locker Room Renovations and Media Room.

Dawn has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, and is a PE – California

Stephanie Pacheco has been working as an environmental activist in various ways starting from when she was first inspired by the Sierra Club on one of their hikes in Marin County.  She is currently the Vice-Chair for the Orange County Sierra Club Political Committee and Chair of the Environmental Committee of the Democratic Party of Orange County. She also leads hikes for the Sierra Club.

Stephanie formed the Environmental Coalition for the Orange County Great Park and Great Park Communities, an organization of 22 groups to encourage environmental choices at the Great Park, such as supporting the Wildlife Corridor from Laguna Beach to the Cleveland National Forest.

She was President and volunteered 70 hours a week to turn the Friends of Shipley Nature Center in Huntington Beach into a non-profit, and during her year-and-a-half term built the group from around 20 people to almost 1000, raising $70,000 with the help of the community for the Nature Center.  The group opened the Center for the community, restarted the education program, and worked with the community to restore the native habitat. She received a “letter of commendation” from Sea and Sage Audubon for her work with the Friends.

Stephanie also received an award from the OC League of Conservation Voters for “Environmental Activists of the Year” in 2008, and was voted twice as the “most dependable docent” for the Nature Conservancy.

Among her other activities, she worked on committees such as the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and the Orange Coast River Park, and was on the board with the Orange Coast League of Women Voters. She was formerly on the board of Women For: Orange County, and works to support peace issues as much as possible, including helping with setting up “Arlington West” with groups such as Veterans for Peace.  Stephanie has organized or worked with others on fundraiser events for the Sierra Club, Starr Ranch, and League of Conservation Voters.

She belongs or contributes to approximately 90 groups in both environmental and social issues.

Stephanie has a Master’s of Science is in Environmental Studies: Environmental Policy and Planning from California State University, Fullerton.

Her garden has been on the California Native Plant Society home native garden tour, where she has both natives, plus some edible landscaping, and is currently looking at improving the garden for storm water management.  Her home with Ed has such features as solar panels, energy efficient windows, and she especially loves her new dual-flow toilets using only .8 or 1.6 gallons per flush! And she tries to use her bike when she can for errands.

Joanne Tawfilis
Co-Founder/Executive Director, Art Miles Mural Project

Joanne Tawfilis is a retired UN Diplomatic Level Executive and former Director of Human Resources for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya and Head of Management Services, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Austria. She is the currently the Founding Executive Director of an internationally recognized the Art Miles Mural Project and Art Miles Shoes of Hope and works on a consultative basis with the World Federation of United Nations Association in New York City. Joanne was honored by the International Committee of Artists for Peace, an organization headed by Herbie Hancock and Carlos Santana. She is also known for her activities as a peace activist, and environmentalist. Her involvement in peace activities has always a constant factor in her life, but was ignited in her soul while working as the Director of the Women of Srebrenica Project in the Balkans, her life changed and most of her activities are directed toward creating global harmony through the arts.

Dr. Mark Bernstein
Managing Director
USC Energy Institute
University of Southern California
Dr. Joshua Newell,
Research Assistant Professor, Center for Sustainable Cities, USC

Dr. Josh Newell is Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Sustainable Cities, University of Southern California. Educated at Brown University (History) and the University of Washington (Geography), Josh’s research areas include trade and environment, industrial ecology, urban ecology/sustainable cities, environmental certification and corporate social responsibility, and supply chain theory and modeling. From 1991–2000, Josh lived in Tokyo and Vladivostok (Russia), serving as Program Director for Friends of the Earth, a large international environmental nongovernmental organization. His geographic areas of expertise include the Russian Far East, northeast China, and Japan. Josh has written numerous academic journal articles, contributed chapters to edited book volumes, and has had two books published, including The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development (2004). Josh speaks Russian and Japanese.

Pat Horan, USC

Patrick Horan is a third year graduate student at the University of Southern California. He is working towards a PhD in Paleoclimatology with an expressed research interest in stable isotope reconstructions from tree-rings of precipitation variability over the last millenium. His current projects involve investigating historical climate in east and southeast Africa, to add to an understanding of past natural variations in regional climate that can potentially aid policy making to promote a more sustainable future for east and southeast Africa. He has been involved with the non-profit organization, Invisible Children, promoting awareness for the people of northern Uganda. Invisible Children taught him that "changing perceptions and lives in the Western world is just as important as changing lives in war-torn regions." Ultimately, he hopes his research activities will make a meaningful contribution to the ongoing discussion on global climate change that is empowering a new generation of leaders and citizens to take an active role in pursuing sustainability.

Chris Prelitz, LEED a.p.
Prelitz + Partners

Chris Prelitz has been an environmental activist specializing in green and solar buildings for over 20 years. He co-designed and built the first permitted solar electric home in Orange County and recently consulted with Mercedes Benz on the first solar powered LEED certified auto dealership in the U.S. At the Prelitz home in Laguna Beach they typically receive a credit from Edison, because their solar system makes more power than they use.

He and his projects have been featured in numerous books along with Natural Home, Riviera, Sunset and Coast magazines. Last year, Chris was the keynote presenter on Earth Day for the Orange County AIA (American Institute of Architects) and the USGBC (US Green Building Council). He also did a ‘green flip’ in Laguna Woods featured on Discovery Channels’ “Greenovate” show, and his new book “Green Made Easy” will be published next year.

Chris Prelitz is a graduate of Duke University’s environmental leadership program as well as being a L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Environmental Design) accredited professional.  He lives in Laguna Beach, CA with his wife Becky and can be reached at www.PlanetGreenGuru.com

Dr. Robert W. Sears, M.D.

Robert W. Sears, MD, is a father of three, board-certified in Pediatrics, and a co-author in the Sears Parenting Library. "Dr. Bob", as he likes to be called by his little patients, earned his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1995. He did his pediatric internship and residency at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, finishing in 1998. Dr. Bob is the proud father of three active boys, Andrew, age 15, Alex, age 12, and Joshua age 6. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Dana Point, CA. In his spare time Dr. Bob enjoys surfing the California waves, mountain biking, playing bass guitar with his teenage son guitarist, and trying to keep up with his three children.

Dr. Bob enjoys a very unique approach to pediatrics by providing a combination of alternative and traditional medical care. He has a passion for healthy natural living and incorporates this knowledge into a style of disease treatment and prevention that you won’t find in most doctors offices. By limiting antibiotic use, using science-based natural treatment approaches whenever possible, and focusing on good nutrition and immune system health, Dr. Bob takes preventative medicine to a whole new level. His commitment to breastfeeding success for all his patients also helps babies get a right start in life.

Dr. Bob has a particular passion for helping parents understand childhood vaccines and the options open to them in choosing the safest possible vaccine schedule for their child. As the solo author of The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child, his in-depth knowledge of vaccines and the diseases they prevent has helped parents nationwide get a better understanding of this complex and confusing issue.

Having had the privilege to help raise three active boys, Dr. Bob has grown fond of the "parenting" side of pediatrics. He especially enjoys talking to parents in his practice about the joys, and trials, of watching their little babies and toddlers thrive through the first several years of life.

Dr. Bob is committed to enjoying a slow-paced, casual atmosphere in the office, providing long checkups, giving parents the flexibility to ask for house calls at home when needed and being one of the very few Orange County pediatricians to be available after hours, overnight, and on weekends for phone calls and home visits. Because he is not contracted with any insurance companies he is able to focus his attention 100% on just being a doctor without having to worry about the business side of running an insurance-based office. His patients take care of billing their own insurance themselves and find that once they learn the process it is very easy.

Dr. Bob has appeared on the Dr. Phil show to offer advice on child behavior and parenting issues. He has also appeared on the Ellen DeGeneris show, CNN's House Calls with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CBS Early Show, and PBS’s "A Place of Our Own".

Dr. Bob is a frequent speaker at La Leche League conferences, including Colorado, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, California/Nevada and the International LLL Conference 2007 as well as various parenting health Expos. He has written for Contemporary Pediatrics, Newsweek Japan, and dozen’s of regional parenting magazines across the nation. Dr. Bob is co-author of The Updated Baby Book, The Premature Baby Book, The Baby Sleep Book 2005 and Father's First Steps: 25 Things Every New Dad Should Know and author of The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for your Child and an active contributor to the content of AskDrSears.com and several other parenting websites. He is also a regular contributor to Working Mother magazine.