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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

BIOGRAPHIES

2012 USFS National Sustainable Operations Summit Program

James D. Absher (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15) Jim Absher is a Research Social Scientist with the Pacific Southwest Research Station’s (PSW) Urban Ecosystems and So-

cial Dynamics Program. He received degrees from Stanford, San Jose State, and the University of California, Berke-

ley. After 18 years as faculty at major universities, he came to PSW in 1995. His main research foci are visitor use man-

agement and the human dimensions of wildland fire. In general, he looks at ways to better understand who uses our wild-

lands, parks and protected areas, what they expect or perceive, and how to manage so that their needs are being met. He can

be reached via email at jabsher@fs.fed.us, or telephone at (951) 680-1559.

Earl Applekamp (Presenter: Thurs. 3:30-4:30) Earl Applekamp is a 1978 Graduate of Michigan Technological University, BSCE. He has worked for the Forest Service

for 33 Years in Region 9, on the Ottawa National Forest; in Region 1, on the Clearwater, Lolo, and Flathead National For-

ests, and at the Regional Office where he is currently Director of Engineering in Region 5.

Dorothy Fisher Atwood (Presenter: Wed. 10:00-12:00) Dorothy Fisher Atwood is an independent consultant with over 30 years of sustainability and environmental consulting

experience. Over the last 10 years, she has focused on sustainability and management system implementation. Her work

includes development and deployment of effective tools, training, and sustainability, energy and environmental manage-

ment system implementation into core business systems. Ms. Atwood is an instructor for several organizations including:

University of Oregon’s Sustainability Certificate, Presidio Sustainability MBA Program, and International Society of Sus-

tainability Professionals (ISSP). She has co-authored two booklets on management systems: Developing Effective Systems

for Managing Sustainability and Embedding Sustainability into Your EMS. She can be reached via email at dat-

wood99@comcast.net, or telephone at (503) 699-7834.

Sarah Baker (Presenter: Thurs. 8:00-9:00 & 10:15-11:45) A US Forest Service employee for twenty-two years so far, Ms. Baker has worked at every level of the organization starting

at a district and including details to the Washington Office. She currently serves as the Environmental Management Sys-

tem Program Manager and Sustainable Operations Coordinator for the Southwestern Region. Ms. Baker has earned bache-

lor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas, and is a registered Professional Engineer in

New Mexico.

Jennifer Bakken (Sustainability Science Blog Track Lead; Summit Western Collective Science Panel Coordinator) Jennifer Bakken works as a Forester for the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Forest Inventory and Analysis. She is

particularly interested in expanding Sustainable Operations through leadership engagement and ethical research in order to

build capacity. Jennifer is a board staff member of the Sustainable Operations Western Collective where she participates on

three teams working to expand these efforts through collaboration, professional development and promoting sustainable

operations science.

Liz Belenis (Presenter: Tues. 2:45-4:15) As a Customer Service Director for the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Liz provides daily acquisition train-

ing and support to the federal procurement community. A major focus area is fostering best practices for the federal pro-

curement community to utilize, within GSA contract vehicles and e-Tools, to build on energy efficiency and sustainable

procurement solutions, all which greatly promote sustainability efforts and reduce the Federal Government footprint. Hav-

ing worked closely with Northern California Forestry Service offices for the past fifteen years, Liz has greatly enjoyed trav-

eling to the many remote ranger offices located in beautiful natural settings.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Emilee Blount (Presenter: Wed. 8:45-9:45)

Ms. Blount graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and from Central Michigan

University with a M.S. in Administration. She is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Licensed General Contractor in

the State of North Carolina.

She was awarded the White House Closing the Circle Award for a Model Facility, the Governors Award for Excellence in

Waste Reduction, the Carolinas Recycling Award, Honorable Mention White House Closing the Circle Award for Bio-

based Purchasing, and Senior Civilian of the Year. She co-chaired the state of North Carolina/Military Sustainable Work

Group. She attended the Advanced Logistics Management Systems course and received her Level II DAU certification in

Facilities Engineering.

In 2007, Ms. Blount accepted a promotional assignment with the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Pentagon

Renovation Office, as the Group Leader for Project Controls with an annual budget in excess of $400M. She received her

Green Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification and the WHS Award of Excellence for cost savings. Ms. Blount had the honor

and privilege to work on the Pentagon Memorial project and was an integral member of the September 11, 2008 dedication

ceremony planning team.

In 2009, Ms. Blount received a promotional assignment as the Site Director, Defense Logistics Agency responsible for a

$900M environmental, security, safety, real property and infrastructure program for over 400 sites worldwide supporting

the DOD’s Energy requirements.

Ms. Blount began her current position as the Director, Engineering National Forest Service in August 2011.

Ron Buckhalt (Presenter: Tues. 10:15-11:30) Ron Buckhalt manages USDA’s BioPreferred program, a mandatory Federal procurement program requiring all Federal

agencies to buy and use biobased products designated by USDA. In 2011 the program launched a voluntary consumer la-

bel, ―USDA Certified Biobased Product.‖ Ron has more than 40 years of communications and public policy experience,

having worked as a Congressional Press Secretary, executive branch political appointee, public relations executive, com-

munications consultant, lobbyist, radio and television newscaster, and video producer. As CEO of his own consulting firm,

he provided legislative, public relations, educational, and management services to many small business clients and the Fed-

eral government. For the last 18 years, he has been a USDA advocate for biobased industrial products. He earned a degree

in journalism from Auburn University in 1969. He can be reached via email at Ronb.buckhalt@dm.usda.gov.

Laura Castellini (Presenter: Tue. 2:45-4:15) Laura Castellini has been the Sustainability Coordinator at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since the develop-

ment of the park’s Environmental Management System in 2005. This is her 14th year working for the National Park Ser-

vice. Laura has a Master’s degree in Biology from San Francisco State University. She can be reached via email at

Laura_Castellini@nps.gov, or telephone at (415) 561-4789.

Chris Christofferson (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Chris has a Master of Science degree in Integrated Pest Management from the University of California at Davis, and a

Bachelor of Science in Biology from California State University, Chico. Chris has been employed by the U.S. Forest Ser-

vice for the past 10 years and is the acting Ecosystem Manager/ Storrie Fire Restoration Team Leader on the Mount Hough

Ranger District on the Plumas National Forest. Like many Americans, Chris has become aware of the social, economic,

and environmental consequences of foreign oil dependency. Consequently, he began to brew his own biodiesel and pro-

ceeded to power his vehicles for five years. In 2009, Chris opened a used vegetable oil collection service called Greasecy-

clers, during which time he investigated the economic feasibility of locating a commercial biodiesel production facility in

the Northern Sacramento Valley. Chris is familiar with biodiesel production, handling, storage, and equipment compatibil-

ity issues.

Mario Chocooj (Summit Communications Committee) Of Native American Mayan ancestry, Mario is a graduate from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California

where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Arts & New Media. In 2000, he started working with the U.S. Forest

Service as a student intern managing a historical photo database in Region 5, Regional Office. He worked his way up until

becoming the Forest Service Region 5 Graphic Design & Publishing Program Manager. He currently provides graphic de-

sign and publishing management services, in both English and Spanish, for the entire Region. He is passionate about digi-

tal art and graphic design. Mario can be reached via email at mchocooj@fs.fed.us.

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Bill Clark (Presenter: Wed. 1:30-2:30) William Clark is co-director of the Sustainability Science Program at Harvard University, and is the Harvey Brooks Profes-

sor of International Science, Public Policy and Human Development at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of

Government. His research focuses on sustainability science: understanding the interactions of human and environmental

systems with a view toward advancing the goals of sustainable development. He is particularly interested in how institu-

tional arrangements affect the linkage between knowledge and action in the sustainability arena. He is co-author of Adap-

tive Environmental Assessment and Management (Wiley, 1978), Redesigning Rural Development (Hopkins, 1982); and The

Global Health System: Institutions in a Time of Transition (Harvard, 2010); editor of the Carbon Dioxide Review (Oxford,

1982); coeditor of Sustainable Development of the Biosphere (Cambridge, 1986), The Earth Transformed by Human Action

(Cambridge, 1990), Learning to Manage Global Environmental Risks (MIT, 2001), and Global Environmental Assessments

(MIT, 2006); and co-chaired the U.S. National Research Council’s study Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sus-

tainability (NAP, 1999). He serves on the editorial boards of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and An-

nual Review of Environment and Resources. Clark is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a recipient of the MacArthur Prize, the Humboldt Prize, the

Kennedy School’s Carballo Award for excellence in teaching, and the Harvard College Phi Beta Kappa Prize for Excel-

lence in Teaching.

Dave Cleaves (Presenter: Wed. 8:45-9:45) Dr. David Cleaves is the Climate Change Advisor of the USDA Forest Service. In this role, he serves the Forest Service

Chief, executive leadership, and the field by coordinating activities related to climate change adaptation, mitigation, and

communication. Dave is the primary spokesperson for the Agency on the role of forests in climate change and leads the

implementation of the Forest Service’s nationwide strategy for integrating climate change response into policies, processes,

and partnerships.

Thomas Contreras (Presenter: Thurs. 3:30-4:30) Thomas Contreras is Forest Supervisor of the Angeles National Forest, headquartered in Arcadia, California. An adminis-

trator skilled in Forest Service policy and land management administration, he previous served as Forest Supervisor of the

Mendocino National Forest in Willows, California.

Mr. Contreras began his Forest Service career in 1976 as an Environmental Interpreter on the Ashley National Forest in

Utah, and has worked on nine National Forests in three Forest Service Regional Offices (ROs): the Intermountain Region

RO in Ogden, Utah, the Southern Region RO in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Pacific Southwest Region RO in Vallejo, Califor-

nia. Prior to his position on the Mendocino, Thomas served as Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Shasta-Trinity National

Forest in Redding, California where he served as the Regional Winter Sports Specialist providing expertise on Winter

Sports Management to state and Federal agencies.

Mr. Contreras has also served as a Legal Affairs Specialist at the Forest Service Washington Office, District Ranger and

Deputy Forest Supervisor at multiple forests, and Recreation Staff Officer at the Uinta National Forest in Salt Lake City,

Utah. He has extensive fire experience and has participated in numerous task forces and safety investigations.

Thomas was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He has Bachelor’s degrees in Forest Management, Outdoor Recreation

Management Administration, and Environmental Interpretation from Colorado State University and the University of Edin-

burgh, United Kingdom.

He enjoys a wide variety of outdoor recreation activities including water and snow skiing, camping and hiking, and is an

experienced horseman. He has a sense of adventure and enjoys new and challenging activities. His interests include classic

cars, aviation and travel.

Daniel Cressy (Presenter: Wed. 1:30-2:30) Daniel Cressy is a licensed landscape architect working for the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in California

and Nevada. He has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Cruz and a Master's degree in

Landscape Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona. He is interested in the quality of human experience and our stewardship of

the natural and built environment. He can be reached via email at dcressy@fs.fed.us, or telephone at (530) 543-2857.

Amanda Cundiff (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Amanda Cundiff is the Partnership Liaison for the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service. Through trainings, web

communication, and bringing people together, she helps Agency employees and external partners use our Congressionally-

granted authorities to collaborate and maximize the capacity we have to work with others to achieve the Forest Service mis-

sion. Amanda has a B.A. in Biology from U.C. Berkeley and a Master of Environmental Science and Management degree

from U.C. Santa Barbara.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Bill Dauer (Presenter: Thurs. 10:15-11:45) William (Bill) Dauer is a 1981 Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, eight years Active duty Army. He

joined the U.S. Forest Service (so I could stay in a green uniform!!) in 1989 as an Engineering Trainee on the Rio Grande

NF in Region 2. While there, he served as Facilities Engineer, Transportation Engineer, District Engineer, Forest Plan

Engineer, Assistant Forest Engineer, and "whatever is needed done engineer" from 1989 to 2000. In 2000, he moved the

family to Region 9 and the White Mountain NF in New Hampshire and Maine to serve as Forest Engineer. In 2005, Bill

was selected to assume duties as Technical Services Team Leader where he presently serves.

Heather Davis (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30 & Wed. 1:30-2:30; Sustainability Tools Blog Track Lead) Heather Davis earned her MS in Environmental Engineering from Montana State University. While completing this degree,

she worked in Sustainable Operations for the Forest Service. This work started under the Rocky Mountain Region (Region

2) Regional Office and expanded to the Sustainable Operations Western Collective. During this time, Heather worked on

projects such as; the 2007 National Environmental Footprint Report, the Greater Yellowstone Area Greenhouse Gas Inven-

tory, Regional Sustainable Microgrant programs, the Shoshone National Forest Net Zero Energy case study, Utility Bill

Cleanup Standard Operating Procedure, annual Western Collective Accomplishments Reports, the development of the Fleet

Lifecycle Expense & Efficiency Tool, and the redesign of the National Sustainable Operations website. She can be reached

via email at hadavis@fs.fed.us, or telephone at (406) 587-6729.

Michael Dimock (Presenter: Thurs. 12:00-1:00) Michael Dimock is President of the Roots of Change (ROC) Fund. The ROC Fund develops and provides resources to a

network of leaders and institutions in California collaborating in pursuit of a sustainable food system. It has invested nearly

$6.3 million directly and attracted nearly $7 million in match for its programs and projects since 2007.

Michael was a marketing executive in Europe for agribusiness, farmed organically for three years in Sonoma County, and

in 1992, founded Ag Innovations Network, where he began his work on community consensus building and strategic plan-

ning to create healthier food and agriculture. From 2002 to 2007, he was Chairman of Slow Food USA and a member of

Slow Food International’s board of directors.

Michael’s love for food systems grew from experience on an 11,000-acre cattle ranch in Santa Clara County in the late

1960s and a development project with Himalayan subsistence farmers in Nepal in the late 70s. He has worked in television

and film production and was a political advanceman for California Governor Jerry Brown. He received a BA in History

with Honors at UCLA in 1983 and a Masters in International Affairs at Columbia University in 1988.

Linda Du Lac (Presenter: Tues. 2:45-4:15) Linda Du Lac serves as a Purchasing Agent for the Forest Service Region 6 in the Eastern Washington Acquisition Group.

Linda is recognized for her leadership in the area of green purchasing throughout the agency. Linda has taken on responsi-

bilities well outside of her assigned duties to serve on the USDA Green Purchasing Committee, lead the Western Collec-

tive’s Green Purchasing Team, assist GSA with the development of green purchasing training/webinars, all while serving as

the Region 6 Green Purchasing Lead. She developed a Forest Service website to share green purchasing information and

regularly communicates about sustainable operations and green purchasing concepts throughout the Region and the agency.

In 2010, Linda received a Forest Service-wide Sustainable Operations award and a National Procurement Professional of

the Year Award. She can be reached via email at ldulac@fs.fed.us, or telephone at (509) 997-0198, ext 5.

Jacqueline Emanuel (Moderator: Wed. 8:45-9:45) Jacqueline Emanuel has served as the Forest Service National Sustainable Operations Coordinator in the Deputy Chief for

Business Operations Office since September 2008. Jacqueline supports the development of tools, resources and best prac-

tices to improve Agency-wide performance in sustainable operations. She has 20 years of experience in the Forest Service,

serving in a diversity of jobs at all levels of the Agency. She most recently served as a National Partnership Coordinator

for the Recreation, Heritage and Wilderness Resources Staff for a total of 8 years – working on a variety of special projects.

Anne Fege (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15)

Dr. Anne S. Fege is co-founder and chair of the San Diego’s Children and Nature Collaborative, working together with

individuals and educational, environmental, business, and community groups to enhance opportunities for San Diego’s chil-

dren to learn in nature and play outdoors. Her 30 years of accomplishments in natural resources management encompasses

habitat conservation, nature education, urban forestry, wildland fire science and education, wilderness management, and

scientific research in the field of botany. Dr. Fege served as Forest Supervisor of the Cleveland National Forest from 1991–

2004 and is Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University, a lifelong Girl Scout, a quilter, and an avid bicyclist.

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Merv George (Presenter & Moderator: Tues. 10:15-11:30) Merv George Jr. is the Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Six Rivers National Forest in Region 5. Previously, Merv served as

the Regional Tribal Relations Program Manager for the US Forest Service’s (USFS) Pacific Southwest Region. Merv is an

enrolled member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe but also has family all along the Klamath River Basin. Before coming to the

USFS, Merv served as the Executive Director for the Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish & Water Commission and the Cali-

fornia Indian Forest & Fire Management Council. He is also a former Tribal Chairman for the Hoopa Valley Tribe. Merv

has a B.A. from Humboldt State University in Native American Studies.

Roland Geyer (Presenter: Tues. 2:45-4:15) Roland is Associate Professor at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California,

Santa Barbara. Prior to his move to the U.S. he worked in Germany, France, and the UK. Since 1998, Roland has collabo-

rated with a wide range of governmental organizations, trade associations, and companies on environmental sustainability

issues. Much of his research uses industrial ecology tools, such as life cycle assessment and material flow analysis, to study

the environmental performance of products and services. He has a Masters in Physics from the Technical University Berlin

and a Ph.D in Engineering from the University of Surrey, England.

Chris Gillis (Presenter: Thurs. 10:15-11:45) Christopher Gillis has 8+ years of experience in the electric utility industry and currently works as a Principal Account

Manager at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in San Francisco. He works within the Federal Government

Customer Segment of PG&E’s Service & Sales Organization. Prior to his current position, Mr. Gillis was a Senior Project

Manager for Generation Interconnection Services (GIS) at PG&E. While with GIS he worked on numerous renewable

energy interconnection projects. Chris can be reached via email at CXGL@pge.com, or telephone 415-973-3770.

Rob Griffith (Moderator: Thurs. 1:15-2:15) Rob Griffith is Assistant Director in the Fire and Aviation Management Staff, Region 5. He has 30 years of Forest Service

experience in multiple regions at the forest, district, and regional levels of the agency, in both line officer and staff posi-

tions. Rob has a B.S. degree in Forest Science with an emphasis in Soil Science from Humboldt State University, Califor-

nia.

Ashton Hargrave (Moderator: Wed. 1:30-2:30) Ashton Hargrave is a Forester with the USDA Forest Service stationed on the San Juan National Forest in Dolores, Colo-

rado. His primary duties are to manage the reforestation, tree improvement, and pre-commercial thinning programs on the

district. He is also chairman of the board of The Four Corners Recycling Initiative, a local nonprofit organization, and co-

chairman of the Western Collective net zero team. Ashton grew up in Denver and holds Masters degrees from both Colo-

rado State University and the Colorado School of Mines. Ashton can be reached via email at ahargrave@fs.fed.us.

Christine Haupt (Summit Virtual Services Committee)

Back in 1986, Christine’s primary education was towards Business Operations and Management. While attending school

she became employed by the Department of Defense (DOD) – Navy in the Information Technology department which sup-

ported 6,000 users. This opportunity essentially catapulted a federal government career which has resulted in 26+ years of

service to date. During her career, she has worked in various arenas in technology, from operations, customer helpdesk

support and system administration with various hardware platforms. While stationed in the Regional Office (RO) she also

delved into voice, network and telecommunications. She became employed with the Forest Service in 1999, joining Fire

and Aviation Management in 2005. She currently serves as the Regional Office Fire and Aviation Management Technology

Project Specialist for the Wildland Fire and Training Center in McClellan. In this position she plans and implements pro-

jects that will benefit not only the Training Center but the Emergency Dispatch Centers (ECC) on 18 forests and the Geo-

graphic Area Coordination Centers (GACCS).

Jane L. Hayes (Presenter: Tues. 8:00-8:20; Thurs.: 3:30-4:30)

Jane L. Hayes is Assistant Director of Research at the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) in Al-

bany, CA. She provides scientific and technical guidance to the four research program areas of PSW.

Dr. Hayes has more than 20 years of federal service. As a research scientist, Hayes focused on understanding the role of

disturbance processes and how their desirable and undesirable effects might be managed in forest ecosystems. Her studies

have ranged from basic biology to complex ecological interactions at the stand- and landscape-level in forests of the interior

west including Mexico. She has published more than 90 technical papers and given presentations to diverse audiences. She

began her federal career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1980 with the Agricultural Research Service and joined

the Forest Service in 1990 with the Southern Research Station working as a Project Leader and Supervisory Research Ento-

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mologist. She became a Supervisory Biological Scientist at the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW) in 1998 serving

as Team Leader for the Disturbance Ecology and Management Team of the Managing Disturbance Regimes Program. She

has had numerous leadership assignments, most recently as acting program manager for the PNW’s new Threat Characteri-

zation and Management Program.

Dr. Hayes’ education and academic training focused on ecology and management of agricultural and forest ecosystems, and

her degrees include a Ph.D. in Entomology with an emphasis on population dynamics and ecology from the University of

Kansas in 1980 and a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 1975.

Jose Henriquez (Presenter: Thu. 10:15-11:45) Jose Henriquez is the Forest Landscape Architect at the Angeles National Forest and has been working there for over 6

years. He began with the Forest Service straight out of college. He received a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Landscape

Architecture at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona. During his time at the University Jose worked and took

classes at the John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies, where the mission is to advance the principles of environmen-

tally sustainable living through education, research, demonstration and community outreach. As an employee of the Center

Jose was educated on how to maintain and develop, a wide array of regenerative strategies throughout the 16 acre site, in-

cluding low-energy architecture, energy production technology, water treatment, organic agriculture, ecological restoration

and sustainable community development. Knowledge he continues to apply in his new profession as a Forest Landscape

Architect. Jose can be reached via email at jhenriquezsantos@fs.fed.us or by telephone at (626) 574-1613 x 277.

Charles Hixon (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15) Charles started his career on the Inyo National Forest, transferred to the Los Padres National Forest, and now works on the

Cleveland National Forest as a Fire Engine Operator. He has an Associate’s Degree in Fire Sciences Technology from

Miramar Community College. Out of high school, Charles joined the US Navy Submarine Service as a Torpedoman’s

Mate for four years earning an honorable discharge. He helped establish the Palomar Ranger District Green Team to look

for ways to save on resources. After some reading, Charles came across a Presidential Act requiring Federal agencies to

use alternative energies like Biodiesel, and that’s how his idea began.

Maritza Huerta (Green Communities Blog Track Lead; Summit Communications Lead) Maritza Huerta works to coordinate communication about the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to promote Sustainable Opera-

tions within the agency and throughout the community. She provides a transparent look at the agency’s Sustainable Opera-

tions efforts through the use of digital communications. Huerta also does community outreach by working with six partner-

ship schools to help produce well-rounded citizens and future stewards.

Prior to joining the Forest Service in 2008, Huerta worked with the USDA Animal Plant and Health Inspection Services

(APHIS) as a communications specialist and web developer. She has also worked as a web journalist and graphics designer

in Los Angeles, California.

Huerta earned her Master’s Degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communications at Georgetown University in De-

cember 2011. She can be reached via email at mhuerta@fs.fed.us, or telephone (202) 205-1608.

Kirsten Jacobsen (Presenter: Wed. 8:00-8:45) Kirsten Jacobsen is the Education Director for Earthship Biotecture and has worked directly under Earthship Creator

Michael Reynolds for 17 years. She managed the Earthship Visitor Center for several years receiving guests, academics,

students and media from around the world. She coordinated international Earthship education programs in conjunction

with Earthship projects in England, Scotland, Spain, France, Jamaica, Hawaii, Mexico and Canada. Most recently, she and

Michael have founded the Earthship Biotecture Academy, an international school dedicated to teaching methods of sus-

tainable living through hands-on, experiential learning, philosophy classes and independent study aimed at replicating

Earthships around the world.

Renee Jewell (Moderator: Tues. 2:45-4:15, Thurs. 10:15-11:45; Summit Co-Chair) Renee Jewell is a Regional Office Energy Manager, as well as a Contracting Officer. Prior to the Forest Service, Ms.

Jewell worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory —a Government Lab with thirteen (13) Nobel laureates—the

U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Energy. She attended the University of California at Berkeley as

an undergraduate, and the California State University, Hayward (now East Bay), and UCLA at the graduate level. The high-

light of Renee’s renewable energy career was working on both the business and technical committees for Solar One, a pilot

solar-thermal project built in the Mojave Desert. This project produced 10 megawatts (MW) before it was mothballed.

Anna Jones-Crabtree (Moderator: Wed. 8:45-9:45) Anna Jones Crabtree (P.E., Ph.D) is the first Executive Director for a Western Collective of eight Regional/Research Sta-

tion Forest Service Units working to pragmatically institutionalize and increase organizational implementation capacity for

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Sustainable Operations practices. She builds alliances that can’t be ignored, pioneering new approaches supporting the

place-based work of local champions. Anna is a Sustainability Institute Meadows Fellow. Her work as a sustainability

champion has won both an EPA Environmental Achievement award and a White House Presidential Sustainability Hero

award. She and her husband, Doug, own and operate a 1,280-acre dry land organic small grain, legume, and oilseed farm

located in north central Montana. She can be reached via email ajonescrabtree@fs.fed.us, or telephone (406) 495-3744.

Jenny Kane (Human Behavior Blog Track Lead) Jenny Kane is a Partnership Coordinator in the Public Affairs )ffice of the Tongass National Forest. She has a diverse back-

ground in science communication and organizing, as well as biological, policy, and social science research. For her mas-

ter’s thesis, she conducted a study on perceptions and behavioral indicators of reusable bag use in Panama City, Panama

and made recommendations to environmental groups on how to design improved reusable bag campaigns. She has also co-

taught a course on social marketing for sustainability for the firm Mpact Communication. She can be reached via email at

jakane@fs.fed.us, or telephone (907) 228-6273.

Julia Kelley (Presenter: Thurs. 10:15-11:45) Julia Kelley is employed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory where she has been heavily involved in supporting the Depart-

ment of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) since 1996. Ms. Kelley has more than 14 years of experi-

ence in the area of utility demand-side management. She is a member of the FEMP Utility Program’s Utility Energy Ser-

vice Contract training and technical assistance team and a member of FEMP’s Federal Utility Partnership Working Group

Steering Committee. She has also worked on utility and energy efficiency-related International Energy Agency and Asia

Pacific Economic Cooperation Programs. She can be reached via email at kelleyjs@ornl.gov, or telephone at (865) 574-

1013.

Ron Ketter (Presenter: Tues. 8:00-8:20, Thurs. 3:30-4:30)

Ron Ketter joined the Forest Service in 1999 as a Program Analyst in the Washington Office. He worked in the Program

and Budget Analysis staff on all aspects of budget, including budget formulation and presentations, congressional relations

dealing with budget and appropriations issues, and integrating budget with strategic planning and performance accountabil-

ity. He served as Assistant Director of Budget, Director of Strategic Planning and Performance Accountability, and Acting

Budget Director.

Prior to joining the Forest Service, Ron held a variety of positions in the Federal government as well as academia. He

worked in the General Accounting Office from 1983-1986, the Office of Management and Budget from 1986-1990, and the

Office of National Drug Control Policy from 1990-1991. He was a doctoral fellow at Binghamton University from 1992-

1995 and an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at El Paso from 1995-1997, where he taught environmental pol-

icy, public budgeting, American government, and research methods. From 1998-1999, he was hired by the City of Arling-

ton, Texas, under a Department of Justice (DOJ) grant to help them implement a community policing program.

Ron is originally from Topeka, Kansas. He attended Emporia State University, where he participated as a collegiate debater

(qualifying twice for the national championship tournament) and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Affairs. He has a

Master’s Degree from the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a Ph.D in Political Science from Bingham-

ton University.

Ron lives in Benicia with his wife, Janet Mackey, and their two cats. In his spare time he enjoys bird watching and nature

photography.

Sarah Kuiken (Moderator: Tues. 1:00-2:30)

Sarah Kuiken is a Sustainable Operations Program Analyst with the U.S. Forest Service. She leads and participates on sev-

eral Western Collective teams focused on communications, skill building and implementation of sustainable operations

activities. She manages all of the administrative pieces of the Western Collective including the budget, logistics and coor-

dination of teams. She previously served as Region 2 Sustainable Operations Coordinator and led the Regional Office

Green Team. Sarah can be reached via email at skuiken@fs.fed.us, or by telephone (218)326-7126.

Lenise Lago (Presenter: Wed. 8:45-9:45)

Lenise Lago, Deputy Chief for Business Operations with the U.S. Forest Service, oversees the vast administrative functions

of the agency, including Sustainable Operations. Formerly, Lenise was the Deputy Regional Forester in the Pacific North-

west Region and actively involved in the Western Collective as a champion of sustainability. Her experiences in the forest

products industry, and a variety of resource management, planning and budget positions at all levels, have positioned her to

lead the agency in innovative, sustainable management. Lenise is a Georgia native and has walked or biked to work for the

past 15 years.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Jennifer Letz (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30 & Thurs. 1:15-2:15)

Jennifer Letz is the Sustainable Operations Specialist for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests in Region 6. She has

a Master's degree in Sustainable Management from Prescott College and previously worked for the National Park Service

and in the photovoltaic industry. Jennifer is the chair of the Western Collective's Greening Fire Team. She resides in Bend,

OR.

Susan Litteral (Moderator: Tues. 2:45-4:15; Summit Speaker Liaison Committee) Susan Litteral, Registered Civil Engineer, serves as the Pacific Southwest Research Station’s Assistant Station Engineer.

She is responsible for building and site maintenance and upgrades at all PSW facilities in California and Hawai’i. Prior to

joining PSW last year she worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service implementing conservation measures on

private farm and ranch lands. Susan is enjoying learning about implementing sustainable conservation measures in build-

ings and looks forward to being able to also upgrade many of PSW’s sites. She can be reached via email at smlit-

teral@fs.fed.us, or by telephone (510)559-6329.

Jamey Lowdermilk (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Jamey Lowdermilk is a Presidential Management Fellow on the Helena National Forest in Helena, Montana. She holds a

Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Spanish from the University of the South - Sewanee (2004), and a Master of Science in

Applied Economics and Statistics as well as a Certificate of Public Administration from Clemson University (2010). Ja-

mey’s research focuses on linking resource consumption with resource management through a pilot study in water foot-

printing. She also leads the Helena’s Green Team and works to facilitate sustainability sharing across the Forest Service

under the Sustainable Operation Western Collective. She can be reached via email at jlowdermilk@fs.fed.us, or telephone

at (406) 495-3725.

Lisa Machnik (Moderator: Wed. 1:30-2:30) Lisa started with the Forest Service in 2007 as a Presidential Management Fellow. Almost immediately, she had the good

fortune to work on that years’ Footprint report and started learning about Sustainable Operations in the agency. Currently

Lisa is a Sustainable Recreation Specialist in the Region 4 Regional Office, where she is the chair of the RO Green Team,

and serves as board staff and team member on the Western Collective. Lisa can be reached via email at

lmachnik@fs.fed.us; or by telephone (801)625-5155.

Tiffany Mattice (Former R5 Sustainable Operations Intern) Tiffany Mattice volunteered and worked for the Forest Service Region 5, Regional Office from March 2011 - November

2011 starting as a volunteer in the Public Services department and was hired as the Regional Office Sustainable Operations

Intern in July, 2011. During her time as a Sus Ops Intern, Tiffany assisted the Regional Office Green Team, contributed to

the Western Collective, did an analysis of Region 5 Units energy cost and consumption trends, and helped plan the Sustain-

able Operations Summit 2012. Tiffany's internship concluded September 30th, but she continued assisting the Sus Ops pro-

gram as a volunteer until November, 2011. Tiffany holds an M.A. in Business Administration, Human Resources from

Kaplan University and a B.S. in Social Sciences from Michigan Technological University. She can be reached via email at

ttmattic@mtu.edu.

Gareth Mayhead (Presenter: Tues. 10:15-11:30) Gareth Mayhead is based at the University of California Berkeley and specializes in woody biomass utilization technology

and marketing. He has 15 years of wide ranging experience in the global forest products and energy sector including re-

search and development, economic development and community forestry. In his position, funded by the US Forest Service,

he conducts outreach and technical assistance activities to businesses and communities to help them develop markets for

woody biomass. He has a Masters in Forest Industries Technology from the University of Wales Bangor, UK. His first

degree was in Land Management. Gareth can be reached via email at gmayhead@berkeley.edu .

Heidi McAllister (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15)

Heidi McAllister is Assistant Director, Conservation Education, Washington Office, USDA Forest Service. The Conserva-

tion Education Office staff provides agency-wide leadership for a renewed focus on conservation education reflecting

themes of sustainability of natural and cultural resources in forest, grassland, and aquatic ecosystems, and awareness and

understanding of interrelationships in natural systems and between people and the land. Heidi has a Master’s degree in En-

vironmental Management from Yale and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Education and Outdoor Leadership. She has

a long history in conservation education through her work overseas with the Peace Corps and is a recipient of the 2006 Re-

newable Natural Resources’ Foundations Sustained Achievement Award. Heidi can be reached via email at

hmcallister@fs.fed.us.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

James McGinnis (Presenter: Tues. 11:45-1:00; Summit Virtual Services Lead) A sustainability advocate within the Forest Service and within his hometown of Ashland, Oregon, Jim has worked for the

Forest Service in several jobs (33 years), the National Park Service, California Department of Forestry, the Navy, and Napa

Valley Wineries. He and his wife, Fern have two children (Brennan and Sequoya). Jim has been lead for the virtual com-

ponent of the Sustainable Operations Summits in 2009, 2010, and 2012. He can be reached via email at

jmcginnis@fs.fed.us.

Richard McGinnis (Presenter: Tues. 11:45-1:00) Richard turned 90 years old in May of 2011. He is a veteran of WWII as a pilot. Richard spent 30 years working for the

General Services Administration as an Architect and the Chief of Design and Construction. During this time, he designed

the first sustainable Federal building in 1976 in East Lancing Michigan. He and his lifelong partner (Katie) live in Clover-

dale, California and are the proud parents of 12 children. Richard retired in 1978. He can be reached through his son Jim

at: jmcginnis@fs.fed.us.

Steve McNulty (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Steve McNulty is a Landscape Ecologist, with a Ph.D. in Natural Resources from the University of New Hampshire. His

research focuses on regional to continental scale modeling of environmental stress impacts on forest ecosystems. Since

1996, Dr. McNulty has led the U.S. Forest Service Southern Global Change Program located on the campus of North Caro-

lina State University, in Raleigh North Carolina. He recently served on the State of North Carolina Climate Action Plan

Advisory Group and was a USDA Fellow in the 104th US Congress. He currently chairs the North American Forestry

Commission Climate Change Working Group, and is the U.S. chair of the United States China Carbon Consortium. Dr.

McNulty has authored more than 150 papers on environmental stress impacts on forest ecosystems. He can be reached via

email at Steve_mcnulty@ncsu.edu, or telephone (919)515-9489.

Jessica Medina (Moderator: Thurs. 1:15-2:15) Jessica M. Medina is a writer-editor for the Forest Service (FS) Chief Information Office (CIO) Communications Team in

Rosslyn, Virginia. Additionally, she collaborates as a liaison between CIO and the Western Collective. Medina helped in-

corporate new communication applications and joined efforts to improve sustainable practices within the Forest Service.

Prior to this, she worked as an Environmental Education/Communication Specialist for the Sustainable Operations Staff in

Washington, DC. Jessica has a Master of Science degree with a major in Environmental Sciences from the Inter American

University of Puerto Rico. Jessica received the Sustainable Operations Closing the Circle-Sowing the Seeds of Change

Award in 2009. She can be reached via email at jmmedina@fs.fed.us, or telephone (703) 605-5329.

Brian T. Mullis (Wed. 1:30-2:30) Brian T. Mullis is an internationally recognized expert in sustainable tourism development. He is the Founder and CEO of

Sustainable Travel International and has over 21 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. He has assisted

hundreds of travel-related companies – from micro-enterprises to Fortune 500 companies – and governmental agencies –

from small island nations to emerging destinations – in the areas of sustainable management and policy frameworks, carbon

management, and destination stewardship. He can be reached via email at brianm@sustainabletravel.com, or telephone at

(720) 273-2975.

Doug Nash (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15) Doug Nash has worked for the Forest Service since 1991. During that time he has held a wide variety of senior leadership

positions in information resources including Director of Information Resources in Region 9 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin;

Director of the Information Solutions Organization; Deputy Chief Information Officer, and his current assignment as Chief

Information Officer. Prior to coming to the Forest Service he worked as a software engineer for TRW Space and Defense

Sector, and was a senior consultant for Oracle Corporation’s Federal Services Division. He holds a Bachelor of Science

degree in Management Information Systems from George Mason University. He is a retired United States Army Officer

and lives in Washington, D.C.

Katie Newcomb (Moderator: Tues. 1:00- 2:30, Wed. 10:00-12:00, Thurs. 9:00-10:00 & 10:15-11:45) Katie Newcomb is a Sustainable Operations Coordinator for Region 6. She also supports Region 10 and the Western Col-

lective. Before joining the Forest Service in 2009, Katie earned her Master's degree in Marine, Estuarine, and Environ-

mental Science from the University of Maryland. Her research focused on the impacts of urbanization on water quality;

specifically nitrogen and organic carbon loads in an urban stream network. Through field work in Baltimore, Katie saw

firsthand the effects on watersheds if we do not reduce our environmental footprint and is happy to be working on just that,

as a Forest Service employee. Katie can be reached via email at katienewcomb@fs.fed.us; or telephone (503)808-2392.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Sarah Nichols (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Sarah Nichols is the Executive Director and founder of SAGE (Solano Advocates Green Environments). SAGE is a non-

profit cooperation dedicated to promote appreciation and awareness for the stewardship of our environment. SAGE’s intent

is to create environments that are conducive to learning, to cultivate thriving health for the local community, and to give

everyone the opportunity to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. This speaks to the fundamental sprit of sustainability. Sarah may be

reached at speony@att.net, or by telephone (707) 649-0996.

Meghan Oswalt (Case Studies Blog Track Lead) Meghan is a Sustainability Consultant for the Missoula Smokejumpers at the Aerial Fire Depot (AFD) in Missoula, Mon-

tana. While at the AFD, she has had the opportunity to implement sustainable projects and programs tailored to the specific

needs of the agency and AFD employees. Her position also involves actively participating in several Western Collective

teams. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and is currently working on a dual Master’s degree in environ-

mental studies and computer science. She is available via email at moswalt@fs.fed.us, or telephone (406)552-5987.

Ashley Owens (Moderator: Tues. 10:15-11:30, Green Purchasing Blog Track Lead)

Ashley Owens is originally from Orangeburg, South Carolina. After being recruited out of an MBA program (with a

concentration in Agribusiness), Ashley moved to Wenatchee, Washington to join the Eastern Washington Acquisition

Group (EWAG). EWAG services the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests. Ashley’s current position is a

Contract Specialist with Region 6 Acquisition Management. Ashley has been in contracting almost two years now. A

member of the Green Purchasing Team, Ashley is the former Team Room Manager for the Western Collective. Ashley

can be reached via email at Atowens@fs.fed.us, or telephone (509) 664-9220.

Traute Parrie (Presenter: Thurs. 3:30-4:30) Traute Parrie is currently the District Ranger for the Beartooth Ranger District in Red Lodge, Montana. Traute’s interest in

sustainable design and operations began with her study of architectural engineering in the post energy crisis world of the

late 1970’s. She is currently serving on the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee’s Sub-Committee on Sustainable

Operations (GYCC - SOS), and has enrolled the Ranger District in Yellowstone Business Partnership’s 2-year class on

Business Leadership for a Sustainable Future. She invites you to visit the Yellowstone Business Partnership’s website:

http://www.yellowstonebusiness.org/about_ybp/ and to read the GYCC SOS Newsletter:

http://fedgycc.org/documents/GYCCNewsVol1Issue2Dec2011.pdf. She can be reached via email at tparrie@fs.fed.us, or

by telephone (406) 425-2756.

Trista Patterson (Moderator: Wed. 1:30-2:30, Thurs. 9:00-10:00 & 1:00-2:15)

Trista Patterson (PhD) is the science lead for the Sustainable Operations Western Collective. As a research economist for

Pacific Northwest Station, her work involves values and valuation of ecosystem services that support human wellbeing

(Pinchot’s greatest good, for the greatest number, in the longest run). Study focus is on public goods and ecosystem ser-

vices that don’t involve market exchange, and factors that affect their consumption. Her work in the area of systems analy-

sis involves ecosystem services, lifecycle analysis, leadership for sustainability and cost-benefit analysis of reducing the

footprint of government agency operations. She serves as a lead author on the 2012 United Nations Global Environment

Outlook (GEO5), and recently served as science advisor to the European Union State Foresters Association assessment of

ecosystem services across European Union member countries. She is based in Sitka, Alaska.

Christopher Peters (Presenter: Tues. 10:15-11:30)

Christopher Peters (Pohlik-lah/Karuk) is President and CEO of Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development a Native

lead Indigenous Peoples public Foundation. For more than 35 years his work has focused on grassroots social justice, orga-

nizing and protecting sacred sites, working for holistic community renewal and supporting cultural revitalization efforts. He

has fought on the frontlines of environmental justice struggles to protect aboriginal ecosystems from clear-cut logging, dam

development, mining, and the negative impacts that the nuclear industry and globalization has inflicted upon Indigenous

Peoples and homelands. Chris has a B.S. degree from U.C. Davis and a M.A. degree from Stanford University.

Stephanie Pickern (Summit Hospitality Committee) Stephanie is a Business Management Assistant on the Shasta Trinity National Forest. She graduated with a B.S. degree in

1996 from the University of Nevada, Reno with a Conservation Biology degree. She joined the Forest Green Team in

2009, shortly after its inception. In October 2010, Stephanie assumed the position as Forest Green Team Chairperson and

still serves in this capacity. She had the extraordinary opportunity to be part of this team when they received the 2011 Na-

tional Business Operations Award in Sustainable Operations and the 2011 Regional Forester’s Honor Award for Sustain-

able Operations. Stephanie feels they are fortunate to have such an energetic team and proactive group of employees on the

Shasta-Trinity National Forest. She can be reached via email at spickern@fs.fed.us, or by telephone (530)242-5514.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Lara Polansky (Moderator: Thurs. 3:30-4:30; Summit Co-Chair) Lara Polansky is a Sustainable Operations/Climate Change Coordinator with the US Forest Service (USFS) Region 5 Re-

gional Office in Vallejo, CA. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing Sustainable Operations programs at California's

18 National Forests, as well as serving as the Sustainable Operations liaison from the Washington Office to Region

5. Originally hired as a USFS Presidential Management Fellow, Lara has worked on Sustainable Operations initiatives

through assignments at all levels of the Agency from the Washington Office to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. During

a detail assignment to the Washington Office during the summer of 2010, Lara led the Agency's first, comprehensive green-

house gas inventory per Executive Order 13514.

Before starting work at the USFS in August 2009, Lara served as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholar and initiated a project with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the U.S. Environmental Pro-

tection Agency (EPA) Region 5 addressing the human and environmental impacts of improper pharmaceutical disposal

(2006); held a fellowship at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Marine Policy Center where she assessed the in-

fluence of harmful algal blooms on human health and medical utilization (2007); and served as a U.S. EPA National Net-

work for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) Fellow working on a Region 2 Green Hospitality Initiative

(2008).

Lara holds a dual B.S. in Biology and Ecosystem Science & Policy from the University of Miami, Florida, and a Master's

degree in Corporate Environmental Management and Political Economy of the Environment from the Bren School of Envi-

ronmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lara can be reached via email at

lpolansky@fs.fed.us, or telephone (707) 562-8820.

Chris Probert (Presenter: Thurs. 8:00-9:00) Chris Probert works for the Forestry Commission (FC) in the United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of

Chartered Surveyors and is responsible for the delivery and management of the Forestry Commission’s Environmental

Management System (EMS), which is progressively externally accredited to ISO 14001:2004. Chris has been working on

the EMS for 3 years, and prior to that, his responsibilities for the Commission have included recreational management; de-

velopment and implementation of primary and secondary Government legislation and project management in construction.

Chris lives in Scotland, and when not travelling on Commission business, works from home about 25 miles north of Edin-

burgh. He also has a ―desk‖ in the FC Head Office in Edinburgh which he tries to avoid unless absolutely essential! He can

be reached via email at Chris.probert@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.

Robi Robichaud (Presenter: Tues. 10:15-11:30) Robi Robichaud is a Senior Engineer at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he is

lead for the Federal Wind program. His team conducts wind resource assessments, economic feasibility analyses and pro-

vides technical advice for wind projects in the Federal sector. Robi has authored/co-authored numerous technical/project

reports for federal agencies (BLM, Navy, EPA, GSA, etc) in a wide range of renewable technologies. He has conducted

workshops in wind, PV, solar thermal, geothermal and biomass and has presented at conferences/workshops such as

GOVENERGY, AWEA, ACEEE, ASES, BLM Renewable Energy Summit, Army Energy Summit, and the NASA Interna-

tional Pollution Prevention Workshop. Robi holds an M.S. in Building Systems Engineering, from the University of Colo-

rado, and a B.B.A. in Business Administration / Accounting, from the University of Massachusetts. He has been at NREL

since 1999 and worked for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) for 6 years before joining Wind Powering

America. He can be reached via email at robi.robichaud@nrel.gov, or telephone (303) 384-6969.

Gerald Robinson (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Gerald Robinson is the Program Manager for Federal Renewables at the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, Environmental

Energy Technologies Division (LBNL – EETD). In the role of Program Manager, Gerald acts as agency advocate by pro-

viding technical assistance to Federal agencies interested in developing on-site renewable systems through the Power Pur-

chase Agreement financing mechanism (PPA). Gerald is part of the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management

Program (FEMP). From site assessments, feasibility studies and through to project implementation and commissioning,

Gerald assists Federal agencies each step of the way.

Gerald graduated with an M.B.A. from the University Of Southern California’s Marshall School Of Business, Los Angeles

and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the College of The Atlantic, Bar Harbor Maine.

Christine Romero (Moderator: Thurs. 10:15-11:45) Christine Romero is currently a Public Affairs Specialist for the Boise National Forest and a videographer for the Northern

Region. She is located in Boise, Idaho. The Forest Service recruited Christine Romero under the Federal Career Intern

Program in October 2004 as a videographer for the Northern Region. Christine was chair of the Communications Team for

the Western Collective in 2009. Prior to working for the Forest Service Christine was a TV reporter/anchor for a CBS

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

affiliate. She can be reached via email at christineromero@fs.fed.us.

Robert Rummer (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Bob Rummer is the Project Leader for the US Forest Service, Forest Operations Research Unit in Auburn, Alabama. His

research group studies many aspects of forest operations including productivity, costs and site impacts in order to find a

better match between systems and modern forest management objectives. Bob has degrees in Forest Management, Forest

Products, and Industrial Engineering. A large part of his current research program focuses on biomass utilization and sus-

tainable forest management.

Mark Sajbel (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Mark Sajbel has been a Program Analyst since 2007 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and

Property Management, in Washington, D.C. He is responsible for helping to formulate Department-wide policy in the

Electronics Stewardship, Sustainable Acquisition, and Waste Management Programs. Until 2007, Mr. Sajbel worked as the

Recycling Coordinator and Green Purchasing Program Manager for the U.S. General Services Administration in the Na-

tional Capital Region. Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and Master’s degree from Colum-

bia University.

Adam Salvadalena (Moderator: Tues. 2:45-4:15; Summit Speaker Liaison Committee) Adam is an engineer with USDA supporting research facilities. His areas of interest include smart buildings and energy

information systems; facilities information management, including maintenance and spatial data; electrical power distribu-

tion retrofit; lab and greenhouse ventilation system retrofit; and distributed generation including renewable technologies to

displace imported electrical energy and heating fuels. He can be reached via email at adam.salvadalena@ars.usda.gov.

Mark Sanders (Presenter: Tues. 2:45-4:15)

Dr. Sanders is a Program Manager within the Environmental Energy Technologies Division’s Applications Team at the

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. As a member of the Applications Team, he supports the transfer of new and

emerging energy technologies from the laboratory to the real world, and stimulates the use of underutilized, high-

performance technologies through innovative deployment programs. Prior to joining the lab, Mr. Sanders co-founded a

company focused on project delivery of innovative and emerging technologies servicing the building, environmental and

energy industries. He can be reached via email at mdsanders@lbl.gov, or telephone at (510)486-6148.

Jerome Shabazz (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Jerome Shabazz is the founder and Executive Director of Juveniles Active in Science and Technology (JASTECH) Devel-

opment Services, Inc. Prior to directing JASTECH, he served as the Manager of Safety and Training for the Philadelphia

Gas Works’ Gas Processing Division – the largest municipally operated gas processing facility in the United States. He is

also an Adjunct Professor at the Community College of Philadelphia and an educator for Penn State University. Shabazz

has 20 years of workforce development and training experience, has earned his Bachelor’s degree in Organization Manage-

ment from Eastern University, and has completed his Certification in Environmental Protection & Public Safety from St.

Joseph’s University’s Graduate School. He can be reached via email at: Jerome@jastechdevelopment.org, or telephone at

(215) 519-8532.

Audrey Shuffield (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Audrey Shuffield is the Project Manager of the Oregon Project Office for VPSI, the largest private provider of commuter

vanpool transportation services in the world and provider of transportation management services. She is responsible for

overseeing the day-to-day operational activities of their Oregon operations and leading new business development, includ-

ing identification and development of productive relationships with agencies, employers, and individuals interested in inno-

vative commuter transportation solutions. Prior to working for VPSI, she spent two and a half years working as the Busi-

ness Manager at MWH Americas, an environmental engineering firm, and has more than 10 years of experience as an Em-

ployee Benefits Consultant. Audrey obtained a B.S. in Public Relations and Communications from Montana State Univer-

sity and is currently enrolled in the 2012 Association for Commuter Transportation Leadership Academy. In addition, she

is an active member of the Oregon Transit Association and sits on the Board of Directors of the Transportation Options

Group of Oregon. She can be reached via email at audrey.shuffield@vpsiinc.com, or telephone at (503) 719-5313.

Joshua Simmons (Tues. 10:15-11:30) Joshua Simmons has been working as the Director of the Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office (SYCEO) since

2007. In this position he oversees a wide range of projects and programs in the areas of water resources, waste manage-

ment, habitat restoration, energy resources, and green building initiatives. He frequently assists other Tribes, organizations,

and individuals by presenting information on grant writing, drafting environmental laws, greening tribal casinos, environ-

mental leadership, and strategic planning, as well as case studies on various SYCEO projects. Josh’s educational back-

ground includes a B.A. in Environmental Science from Assumption College, a J.D. from the University Of San Diego

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

School Of Law, and a Master’s of Environmental Science & Management from the University of California at Santa Bar-

bara. Josh is also licensed as a California attorney.

Kathie Snodgrass (Engineering Blog Track Lead) Kathleen Snodgrass graduated from Washington State University in 1974 with a bachelor of science degree in architectural

studies, then spent about 10 years in highway design and construction with the Idaho Division of Highways. She began her

career with the Forest Service in 1984. Snodgrass worked in facilities design/construction/maintenance, land line, and gen-

eral engineering on the Nez Perce National Forest for 10 years and was the forest’s facilities architect for about 7 years be-

fore joining the Forest Service Missoula Technology and Development Center as a project leader in 2001. She is the author

of over 25 publications, including Incrementally Greener—Improving Sustainability Through Operations and Maintenance

and Implementing LEED: Strategies That Work for the Forest Service.

Thelma Strong (Presenter: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Thelma J. Strong serves as Director of the Office of Regulatory and Management Services, Business Operations Deputy

Area. Thelma is a 33-year employee of the Forest Service. She began her career as an intern in the Eastern Region and

worked on two National Forests in the Eastern Region before transferring to the Southwest Region in 1984 as the Budget

Officer on the Lincoln National Forest. In 1989, Thelma transferred to the Washington Office to work in the Budget Office

focusing on budget formulation and development. She later transitioned to Legislative Affairs, where she worked for seven

years on numerous Congressional hearings and legislative issues. Between 1999 and 2003, Thelma worked as a Special

Assistant for two Chiefs before she accepted the position as the Director of the Office of Regulatory and Management Ser-

vices (ORMS). From May of 2009 to June 2010, Thelma served as acting Associate Deputy Chief for Business Operations.

What you should know about Thelma is that, like you, she loves the mission of the Forest Service and wants this Agency to

be the model agency in the Federal Government. She believes that we already have what it takes to make us a great agency

if we are committed to making the change.

James L. Sweeney (Presenter: Tues. 8:30-9:00) Professor Sweeney, Stanford University, is Director of the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center and Professor of Manage-

ment Science and Engineering. His professional activities focus on economic policy and analysis, particularly in energy,

natural resources, and the environment. He currently is Senior Fellow of: the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Re-

search; Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace; Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; Woods Insti-

tute for the Environment; and the Precourt Institute for Energy. Prof. Sweeney is a Senior Fellow of the U.S. Association

for Energy Economics, a lifetime National Associate of the National Academies, a council member and senior fellow of the

California Council on Science and Technology, a member of the External Advisory Council of the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory. Prof. Sweeney earned his B.S. degree from MIT in Electrical Engineering and his Ph.D. from Stanford

University in Engineering-economic systems.

Laurie Tippin (Presenter: Thurs. 3:30-4:30) Laurie Tippin has served as the Director of State & Private Forestry for the Pacific Southwest Region since 2007. In this

position, she has championed engaging the Region in sustainable operations actions such as the microgrant program, envi-

ronmental footprint report, early membership in the California Climate Action Registry, and the creation of the Region’s

Ecosystem Service Leader position. Laurie’s Forest Service career spans more than 33 years with assignments in the Pa-

cific Southwest Region, Intermountain Region, Eastern Region, and the national headquarters in Washington, D.C..

Emrys Treasure (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00) Emrys Treasure is a biological scientist with the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC) lo-

cated in Raleigh, NC. Emrys is the project coordinator for the Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Man-

agement Options (TACCIMO), recently honored with the 2010 Regional Forester Award for Excellence in Technology

Transfer. TACCMO is a web-based tool designed to assist with the integration of climate change science into forest plan-

ning, including potential direct and indirect sustainability science considerations. Emrys graduated valedictorian of his 2008

North Carolina State University class with a B.S. in Natural Resources.

Daniel Tunnicliff (Presenter: Thurs. 1015-11:45)

Dan has 20 years of utility experience and has worked for Southern California Edison since 1999.

He is currently leading SCE’s Account Management team that serves Federal, State, Schools, Institutions and San Joaquin

Valley Agricultural and Business customers as well as the Hydraulic Services Team within the Government and Institutions

(G&I) segment of BCD. Overall, these customers are responsible for $900 million in annual revenue. In addition, the Hy-

draulic Services Team annually performs about 5,000 tests of customer equipment throughout SCE's Service Territory for

energy savings opportunities. Prior to his current role, Dan was a Senior Project Manager responsible for managing regula-

tory matters and issues involving Commercial, Industrial and Governmental & Institutions.

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America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

He is a Registered Professional Engineer and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees of Science in Civil Engineering, both

from California State University, Long Beach.

Prior to joining SCE, he held positions with the Orange County Sanitation District and the Los Angeles Department of Wa-

ter and Power, primarily in Environmental, Health, and Safety –related functions.

Mary Wagner (Presenter: Tues. 9:00-9:30) Mary Wagner assumed her current position as Associate Chief for the Forest Service in January 2011. She has spent 28

years with the Forest Service in a variety of positions. Before becoming Associate Chief, Mary served as Regional Forester

for the Pacific Northwest Region. In addition, she spent more than 20 years in key leadership positions in the Intermountain

West, as Deputy Regional Forester, Forest Supervisor on the Dixie National Forest; Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Hum-

boldt–Toiyabe National Forest; District Ranger on the Carson Ranger District, Carson City, NV; and District Ranger on the

Vernal Ranger District, Vernal, UT. At the national headquarters level, she was the Forest Service’s first Director of Wil-

derness and Wild and Scenic Rivers and served as Assistant Director for Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness Resources.

Mary was born in Monett, Missouri, and raised in southern California, where her love for the outdoors grew in the San Ber-

nardino and San Jacinto Mountains. She graduated from Humboldt State University with a degree in Forest Management

and received a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah.

Mark Wiersma (Presenter: Thurs. 9:00-10:00)

Mark Wiersma is the Capital Asset Program Manager for the Washington Office of the Forest Service. He holds a Bache-

lor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and served 10 years in the U.S. Navy. He is a Certified Energy Man-

ager and registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. His many responsibilities include developing

engineering policy for sustainable buildings and coordinating Forest Service reporting requirements in accordance with

Federal mandates and Executive Orders concerning sustainability and energy. He can be reached via email at mew-

iersma@fs.fed.us

Tim Williams (Moderator: Tues. 1:00-2:30) Tim Williams serves as Natural Resource Interpretive Specialist and the program lead for Special Areas, Conservation Edu-

cation, and Volunteer Services. Tim is a graduate of the University of California with a degree in Timber Management (a

Cal Forester). He has been working for the Forest Service for 32 years. He can be reached via email at twiiliams@fs.fed.us,

or telephone (707) 562-8838.

Patricia L. Winter (Presenter: Thurs. 1:15-2:15; Summit Speaker Liaison Committee) Pat Winter is a Research Social Scientist and Team Leader with the Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program, Pa-

cific Southwest Research Station (PSW). She has been with PSW since 1992. She holds degrees in psychology from the

University of California at Irvine (BA) and Claremont Graduate University (M.A. and Ph.D). Her work is focused on in-

creasing environmentally responsible actions, managing natural resource recreation opportunities for a diverse public, sus-

tainable recreation and tourism, sustainable operations, trust between the public and managing agencies, and perceptions of

and reactions to risk. She is a returning sustainable operations summit speaker and is pleased to be involved again this year.

Pat can be reached via email at pwinter@fs.fed.us, or telephone (951) 680-1557.

Scott Wolf (Presenter: Thurs. 10:15-11:45) Scott Wolf is a Federal Finance Specialist for the western states. Mr. Wolf provides contracted technical and outreach sup-

port to the Office of Federal Energy Management (FEMP) within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Mr. Wolf has

over 25 years of energy technology and engineering experience, including performing technical analysis and energy pro-

gram development in the government sector.

Mr. Wolf is responsible for assisting a variety of Federal agencies implement alternatively financed energy projects. In this

capacity, Mr. Wolf provides expert advice and guidance to all levels of an organization responsible for completing multi-

million dollar energy project deals through Energy Saving Performance Contracts and other mechanisms. Scott can be

reached via email at scott.wolf@ee.doe.gov, or telephone (360) 866-9163.

15

America’s Working Forests – Caring Every Day in Every Way

Additional Contributing Individuals or Groups:

Ervin Castle (RO Print Shop Manager, R5)

Mario Chocooj (Public Affairs Specialist, Publishing Program, R5)

Pamela Greenwood (Wildland Fire Training & Conference Center Manager)

Ray Mooney (R5 Public Affairs & Communications, Deputy Director)

Mery Najarro (Procurement Technician, R5 Regional Office)

Sherry Reckler (R5 Public Affairs & Communication, Director)

Roxane Scales (Writer/Editor, R5 Regional Office)

Robert A. Taylor (Assistant Building Manager, R5 Regional Office)

Winifred (Wini) Weber (Printing Specialist, R5 Regional Office)

Western Collective Sustainable Science Team (only those not listed above):

Erica H. Lindgren, Recreation Specialist, Region 1, Flathead NF, Bigfork, MT

Rachelle S. Meyer, Tech Info Specialist, Missoula Fire Lab, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT

David L. Nicholls, Research Forest Products Technologist, Wood Utilization Center, Sitka, AK

Marie Zanowick, Federal Land Management Agency Coordinator, EPA

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