About the
Institute		 Education
Programs		 Research
Initiatives		 People
and Partners		 News
and Events
Home > People and Partners > Advisory Board

External Advisory Board

Search by Organization: Search by Representative:

(View a list of our Honorary and Emeritis Members)
Marc Andraca
Executive Director, Strategic Planning, Power Solutions Business
Johnson Controls

Marc Andraca is a Director in the Building Efficiency Business of Johnson Controls.   He is currently responsible for developing and executing strategies and offerings to drive global business growth through energy efficiency and sustainability.  He was formerly the Director of Service Marketing for the JCI's North American Technical Services Business.  Prior to joining JCI, Marc spent over 15 years in the energy services field, working in renewable energy program development, management consulting, and energy outsource structuring.

Mr. Andraca has a BA from Dartmouth College, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He serves on the Board of the Urban Ecology Center and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee.  In 2008 he won the United Way's "Philanthropic 5" Award for exemplary philanthropic and volunteer efforts in the Milwaukee community.  

Top of Page

Bama Athreya
Executive Director
International Labor Rights Fund
Bama Athreya is the Executive Director for the International Labor Rights Fund, a Washington DC-based nonprofit advocacy organization which is active in sweatshop monitoring, and together with other parties is suing companies like Unocal, ExxonMobil and Coca-Cola for human rights violations in developing countries. Dr. Athreya joined the ILRF in early 1998, just after returning from a two-year assignment in Cambodia as the AFL-CIO’s Country Representative. While in Cambodia she directed worker education and labor law training programs and conducted extensive research on the problems of women workers and on child labor. She is a cultural anthropologist, and received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She spent three years in Indonesia, first as a State Department official and later as an independent researcher, and wrote her thesis on Indonesia’s labor movement. She has also lived and worked in China, Taiwan and India.
Top of Page
Nancy Bacon
Government Relations
Energy Conversion Devices

Nancy M. Bacon, serves as a consultant to  United Solar Ovonic Corp. and ECD working principally in government relations and business development.  Ms. Bacon  represents ECD and United Solar on the boards of the  Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the Solar Energy Industries Association and the United States Industry Coalition (USIC) and is a member of the Management Committee of Cobasys a Joint Venture between ECD and Chevron. 

Ms. Bacon was until April 1, 2008   Senior Vice President of ECD where her responsibilities included government relations, business development including finance and presentation of business and strategic plans to major international corporations for the commercialization of ECD technologies. In 1997, Ms. Bacon was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Detroit’s Most Influential Women.  Ms. Bacon has a B.S. in Accounting and is a certified public accountant (CPA). Prior to joining ECD, she was a manager at Deloitte & Touche. 

Top of Page
Dave Berdish
Manager, Social Responsibility
Ford Motor Company
David Berdish has been at Ford since 1983 and has worked Production, Program Management, Finance, Quality, Business Planning and Organizational Learning. He received a BA from the University of Michigan and a MS from Virginia Commonwealth University. His work has been featured in several publications and he has presented at systems thinking conferences around the world. David is responsible for the development of the Ford Motor Company Business Principles. The Principles will integrate the "triple bottom line" of economics, environmental, and societal performance into current Ford operating processes. He is also leading the design and development of a Human Rights Code of Conduct and related processes. David regularly teaches courses for the Erb Institute and is also on the faculty of the Prince of Wales Business and Environment Programme.
Top of Page
Lauren Bigelow
 Managing Director
Cleantech Network
Lauren Bigelow Reed is the Managing Director for the Cleantech Network. Prior to joining Cleantech, Lauren served as the Educational Director at the Ann Arbor IT Zone, a networking and education organization that promoted the growth of the IT industry in Michigan. At the IT Zone, Lauren was responsible for over 60 annual events, including IT Forums, Entrepreneur Bootcamps, and the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance's annual venture conference. She served the IT and Biotech sectors in collaboration with a wide range of partner organizations and entrepreneurs. Lauren was the Marketing Director of the Richard Hale Shaw Group, a boutique developer training company where she created and executed marketing strategy and brand awareness. Her prime foci were to develop marketing & advertising materials and further their market position as a premium .NET training provider in coordination with Microsoft and other software companies. Lauren earned a BA in Economics (University of Michigan) and an MA in Anthropology Northwestern University), and has authored several anthropological publications. She currently serves as a Director of the Sustainable Living Company in England and on the Advisory Board of Amara Conservation.
Top of Page
Kate Brass
Ecomagination Program Manager
GE Energy
Katharine Brass is the ecomagination program manager for GE Energy. Kate leads the Energy businesses efforts with respect to defining the ecomagination product portfolio for Energy, developing strategic customer relationships and large energy and conservation demonstration projects. She represents the environmental interests of the business with respect to national and international government affairs, global research efforts, new technology commercialization and internal greenhouse gas reduction programs. Kate holds a Bachelors degree in Finance and Economics and a Masters in Environmental Management and Policy. She has 20 years of experience in sales, marketing communications and strategic marketing.
Top of Page
Meghan Chapple-Brown
Director, Office of Sustainability
George Washington University
Meghan Chapple-Brown is charged with coordinating and extending the efforts already underway across the University to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and build a commitment to environmental stewardship into the fabric of our institutional culture. The Office of Sustainability was launched in the fall at the recommendation of a yearlong Presidential Task Force on Sustainability. Chapple-Brown will coordinate operational activities University-wide under a collaborative plan that aims to maximize GW's environmental efficiency at its two campuses in Washington, D.C., and its campus in Ashburn, Va.
Top of Page
Terry Cullum
Director, Corporate Responsibility and Environment & Energy
General Motors Corporation
Terry A. Cullum is responsible for corporate responsibility issues on a global basis, as well as for supporting the staff on global environmental initiatives.
He is GM’s Liaison Delegate to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He is also GM’s key contact to the United States Council for International Business and is the current Chair of their Environment Committee.
Cullum began his career at General Motors’ Cadillac Motor Car Division as a project engineer in Materials Engineering in 1981. He held various positions dealing with selection of materials, validation testing, and specification development before joining the corporate environmental staff in 1994.
Cullum received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and serves on the following Boards: Center for Sustainable Systems External Advisory Committee at University of Michigan (Chair); ERB Institute External Advisory Board at University of Michigan; and the Center for Resilience at Ohio State University.
Top of Page
John Ehrmann, Ph.D.
 Senior Partner
Meridian Institute
Dr. Ehrmann is a founder and Senior Partner of the Meridian Institute. Dr. Ehrmann is one of the most highly skilled and sought after facilitators in the field. He has pioneered the use of collaborative processes for two decades, using it for everything from conflict resolution to creative processes like organizational planning for the future. He has led projects in national and international forums; in public policy arenas involving legislation, negotiated regulations and Federal Advisory Committees; in organizational management settings; and with stakeholder groups advising individual companies. For the most part, his work has focused on the environment, natural resources issues, and the economic and social challenges associated with developing sustainable practices for communities and industries. In addition to his extensive involvement in facilitating collaborative processes, Dr. Ehrmann also works to promote the use of collaborative decision-making. He gives lectures and has published numerous articles on collaborative decisions in public policy issues. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member for the University of Wyoming and provides advice to the Institute and School of Environment and Natural Resources on the use of collaborative problem solving in natural resource decision-making. Dr. Ehrmann received his undergraduate degree from Macalester College and his Ph.D. in Natural Resource Policy and Environmental Dispute Resolution from the University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources. His doctoral dissertation involved developing a practice-based model of the policy dialogue, which can be applied to both practice and research. Between 1983 and 1997, Dr. Ehrmann was executive vice president at the Keystone Center, Keystone, Colorado. In September 1997 he left Keystone to found the Meridian Institute.
Top of Page
Karen Flanders
Director, Corporate Responsibility
The Coca-Cola Company
Karen is Director of Corporate Responsibility at The Coca-Cola Company, responsible for leading the Company’s global CSR strategy. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Karen managed international, target-driven advocacy campaigns at the World Wildlife Fund. Karen is fluent in English, French and Dutch from her tenure with a Brussels-based, pan-European public affairs agency where she worked with corporations such as Mars, L'Oreal, and McDonald’s on European environmental and social policy matters.
Top of Page
Jim Frey
Founder,CEO and Principal
RRS, Consultants and Engineers in Resource Management
Mr. Frey's ability to find and implement practical environmental solutions began with his role in growing the award winning Recycle Ann Arbor program from a voluntary organization into a comprehensive non-profit municipal recycling service provider.  His founding of Resource Recycling Systems kicked off over two decades of consulting for thousands of municipalities, institutions and corporations successfully addressing complex and difficult implementation challenges. Skilled in strategic planning, economic analysis, program and service design, operations management consulting, system procurement and negotiations, Mr. Frey brings a long track record of success in bringing cost effective and environmentally responsible solutions to RRS clients. Mr. Frey holds an MBA with High Distinction from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Strategic Planning, Business Economics and Public Policy.
Top of Page
Peter Fusaro
Chairman
Global Change Associates
Energy consultant Peter C. Fusaro is chairman of New York-based Global Change Associates Inc. and co-founder of the Energy Hedge Fund Center. He is the best- selling author of What Went Wrong at Enron and is an energy industry thought leader noted for his keen insights in emerging energy and environmental issues. He coined the term “Green Trading” as well as created the annual Green Trading Summit held in New York each spring. His experiences and insights have lead him to the leading edge of energy consulting including carbon & emissions trading, LNG market developments, coal trading, hedge funds, and renewable energy project finance and venture capital.
Top of Page
Catherine Greener
CEO and Founder
Greener Solutions, Inc.
Greener Solutions Inc., is a network of talented people and firms; reinventing everything—creating a sustainable Future. Prior to founding Greener Solutions, Catherine was Saatchi & Saatchi S’ Vice President of Sustainability Consulting. Ms. Greener has more than 20 years of experience in the implementation of sustainability, lean manufacturing, and industrial quality management systems. She has led sustainability and resource efficiency projects for clients ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to the industrial facilities of multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, Catherine sits on several advisory boards addressing sustainability in higher education programs, for-profit companies, and the city of Denver. She has experience in the food and beverage processing, automotive, chemical, semi-conductor, facility automation (robotics), and construction industries. She combines her sustainability, quality management, and lean manufacturing experience with acute problem solving skills and an exceptional ability to uncover process waste. Catherine has given numerous talks, facilitated visioning sessions and conducted training classes in sustainability, continuous quality improvement and other disciplines, developed waste reduction programs, and led problem-solving groups for manufacturing strategy. Additionally, she has experience in ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and Six-Sigma. She holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and a MBA from University of Michigan. Catherine lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband Alan in a home featured on the Boulder Solar Home tour.
Top of Page
Kevin Greiner
President / CEO
Gas-South
Kevin Greiner is President and CEO of Gas South, one of Georgia's largest natural gas suppliers. Gas South serves over 215,000 residential, business, and governmental customers in Georgia's deregulated natural gas market, and has annual revenues of approximately $250 million. He has served as the company's CEO since its inception in 2006.
Before joining Gas South, Kevin was the Director of Marketing for Southern Company Gas. From 2002 - 2004, he was General Manager at Southern Company Energy Solutions, responsible for the division's energy asset management and energy information services business lines.
From 1998 - 2002, Kevin worked in various sales & marketing roles at Enron Energy Services, where he originated and structured energy outsourcing contracts for large commercial and industrial customers, and also helped launch a power marketing business focused on mid-sized retail customers. He spent two years in Frankfurt, Germany helping to build Enron's retail energy businesses in Europe, and is a fluent German speaker.
Kevin currently serves on the board of the Erb Institute, where he also co-taught a course on the energy industry in Winter 2003. He also holds a BA from Wesleyan University. Kevin currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and on the Board of Advisors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Top of Page
Charles Griffith
Director, Auto Project
The Ecology Center
Charles Griffith is Director of the Ecology Center's Auto Project. He has worked for almost 15 years in the area of toxic materials management and environmental policy, including the last decade on automotive issues. Mr. Griffith currently helps coordinate a coalition-based advocacy initiative called the Clean Car Campaign, which challenges automakers to produce and consumers to purchase vehicles that meet global best practices for fuel efficiency, emissions and clean production.

Mr. Griffith has served as an advisor on a variety of automotive environmental initiatives, such as the US EPA's Common Sense Initiative for the Auto Manufacturing Sector, the President's Council on Sustainable Development Auto Demonstration Project, and the U.S. Auto Pollution Prevention Project. He was also an author on a recent groundbreaking study that documented the hazards from automobile end-of-life processing and developed policy solutions to address it.
Top of Page
Erika Guerra
Manager, Government Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility
Holcim (U.S.) Inc.

Erika Guerra is the Manager of Government Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility for Holcim (US) Inc, a leading global manufacturer of construction materials. In this role, Ms. Guerra is responsible for leading and coordinating the company’s public policy advocacy efforts at the federal and state level.  In addition, she represents Holcim (US) in a variety of trade associations and environmental forums.  Ms. Guerra also develops and executes the corporate sustainable development strategy through consultation with key internal and external stakeholders.  This includes the facilitation of various programs geared toward employee education and community outreach around Holcim (US) operations.

Previously, Ms. Guerra served as the Regional Manager for Alternative Fuels and Raw Materials (AFR) Business Development in North America, where she lead efforts to improve the performance of Holcim (US) and St. Lawrence Cement in Canada. She participated in the successful implementation of an aggressive strategy to substitute more than 20% of fossil fuel consumption with waste-derived fuels for cement production in the region. During this time, she was responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of the company’s global standards related to alternative fuels usage. Concurrently, she held the position of Manager, Sustainability Programs, representing Holcim (US) in a number of sustainability-related organizations, including the US Business Council for Sustainable Development, University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change’s Business and Environmental Leadership Council. Earlier, she served as Senior Consultant for AFR Development in North and South America.

Ms. Guerra began her career with Holcim in 1997 as a member of the Ecoltec group at Holcim (Apasco) in Mexico.  Prior to joining Holcim, she worked for the Mobile Oil Corporation in the lubricants and fuels divisions.  She brings a unique international perspective to her new role, having worked throughout North and South America.

Ms. Guerra holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico, and a Diploma in Business Administration from Universidad de las Americas, Mexico.


Top of Page
Neil Hawkins
Vice President, Sustainability
The Dow Chemical Company

Dr. Neil Hawkins currently serves as Vice President, Sustainability for The Dow Chemical Company. In this global role, he is responsible for driving Dow’s sustainability performance, including implementation of Dow’s landmark 2015 Sustainability Goals, including the transformational Sustainable Chemistry goal. He is also accountable for Product EH&S, Global Regulatory Affairs, Health Services, Remediation, and the regional EH&S implementation.
Hawkins has previously held a wide range of Environment, Health & Safety, and Public Affairs roles across Dow. He has served as Vice President, Global Advocacy and Public Policy, and Global Director for Issues Management and Industry Affairs. He led Environment, Health, Safety, and Security programs for a major Dow manufacturing and R&D site and also for the largest commodity chemical business in the world. In the 1990’s, Hawkins led global issues management activities for chlorine, vinyl, and related products. Early career assignments included regulatory affairs, product stewardship, and risk assessment leadership roles. Hawkins joined Dow in 1988, and is in his 20th year with the company.
Hawkins holds masters and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech. Hawkins is an expert in environmental risk assessment and environmental policy.

Top of Page
Alan Hecht
Director of Sustainable Development, Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Alan Hecht is Director for Sustainable Development, Office of Research and Development, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He was Associate Director for Sustainable Development at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (2002–2003) and Director of International Environmental Affairs for the National Security Council (2001–2002). He served as the White House coordinator for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development. Dr. Hecht was the Deputy Assistant Administrator for International Activities at the EPA (1989–2001). Twice he received EPA's highest award, the Gold Medal, for leading U.S. negotiations for the environmental side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement and for his innovative work on promoting nuclear waste management in Russia. He has recently published articles on sustainable development in Environmental Forum (2003) and Water Policy (2004). He earned a Ph.D. degree at Case Western Reserve University.
Top of Page
Gilbert (Gib) S. Hedstrom
President
Hedstrom Associates
Gib Hedstrom has 25 years of experience advising CEOs and board members about how to handle the toughest environmental issues of the day. Schooled in finance at GE, Mr. Hedstrom spent 20 years at Arthur D. Little, leading significant aspects of ADL's environmental auditing, strategy, and governance work. He was elected a Vice President of the firm in 1989. Mr. Hedstrom has reported to outside boards of directors of Fortune 500 companies on over 50 occasions regarding environmental governance, emerging issues, sustainable development, and audit program oversight. Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio to 2001, Mr. Hedstrom led ADL's worldwide Sustainable Development team. During this time, Mr. Hedstrom also managed ADL's EHS activities throughout Europe and Asia. From 2001 to 2003, he was a partner with PA Consulting Group (largest consulting firm in the U.K.), leading the firm's corporate environmental and sustainable development practice.

Gib holds a MBA and MS (Natural Resource Management) from the University of Michigan and a BA Economics and Geology from Hamilton College.
Top of Page
Jack Reynold ("Reyn") Hendrickson, Jr.
Associate Broker
Swisher Commercial
Reyn is an Associate Broker of Swisher Commercial and a member of the Michigan Bar Association. He has 30 years’ business and real estate experience. His real estate skill set includes site location/demographic research, mergers & acquisitions, business start-ups, taking firms public, site development and management from raw land through stabilized lease-up and permanent financing, and sustainable/New Urbanist mixed use projects. Reyn works with clients in all types of commercial property transactions, including office, multifamily, vacant land, retail, research and industrial. He has built, managed, leased and sold hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Reyn also has active projects elsewhere in the (Utah) plus a 20-suite mini-resort on Lake Rapel in Chile.

Reyn’s has lived in and around Ann Arbor since 1970. His academic background is 100% University of Michigan: undergraduate degree in location research and demographics, and Juris Doctor from University of Michigan Law School.
Top of Page
Mel Jones
President and CEO
Sterling Planet, Inc.
Mel Jones is President and CEO of Sterling Planet, one of the leading renewable energy providers in the country. As a former employee of the Southern Company and now the CEO of a successful start-up, Mel combines 20 years of utility industry experience with the perspective of an entreprenuer in the rapidly growing renewable energy sector.
Top of Page
Peter D. Kinder
President and co-founder
KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.
KLD’s mission is to remove barriers to socially responsible investing by providing institutional investors with social research, compliance services, benchmarks, performance analytics and consulting. The firm is best known for the Domini 400 Social IndexK, the first for socially screened US equity portfolios which it created in 1990.
His articles on socially responsible investing and fiduciary duties have appeared in publications in the US, Canada, the UK and India. His most recent think piece “Socially Responsible Investing: An Evolving Concept in a Changing World” is available on KLD’s website, together with a number of his essays.
Mr. Kinder, Steven Lydenberg and Amy Domini are the authors of The Social Investment Almanac (Henry Holt, 1992) and Investing for Good (HarperBusiness, 1993). He collaborated with Amy Domini on Ethical Investing (Addison-Wesley, 1984). He also co-authored Law and Business (McGraw- Hill, 1982/94). With Steven Lydenberg, he wrote “Mission-Based Investing” (1999) which is about to appear in a revised edition.
Mr. Kinder was a co-founder and principal (1997-2000) of Domini Social Investments, LLC. KLD is a co-founder of the Sustainable Investment Research International Group (SiRi) and he has served on its board. Mr. Kinder has served two terms on the board of the U.S. Social Investment Forum, the SRI trade organization, one as vice chair.
From 1973 to 1988, Mr. Kinder practiced law, first as an assistant attorney general in Ohio, then in Boston as a staff lawyer for a foundation and finally in private practice. He specialized in administrative law and corporate regulation.
Mr. Kinder received an A.B. in History from Princeton University in 1970 and was awarded a J.D. from Ohio State University in 1973, both with honors. He was admitted to the bar in Ohio (1973), the District of Columbia (1977), Massachusetts (1978) and the Supreme Court of the United States (1978).
Mr. Kinder has two sons, one at the University of London and the other at the University of Wisconsin. His spare time is spent waiting for the New England weather to accommodate his passions for biking and cross-country skiing.
Top of Page
Chris Kolb
President
Michigan Environmental Council

An environmental champion in the legislature and a veteran of the environmental management field, Kolb was one of the legislature’s most consistent and vigorous defenders of clean water, clear air and public health during his six years as State Representative from the 53rd District. He was instrumental in important environmental legislation, including joint planning commissions, land bank authorities, lead poisoning prevention for children, regulation of dangerous polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), establishment of a fund to help clean up leaking underground storage tanks, and numerous land-use initiatives. Kolb graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Top of Page
George Kuper
President
Council of Great Lakes Industries
During the past 3 decades, George Kuper has been a recognized leader in the national effort to establish a productivity growth policy. In 1975, he was nominated by President Gerald Ford and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as executive director of then newly created National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life.
In 1978, Kuper joined the General Electric Company where he reported to the Senior Vice President in charge of operations and was responsible for company-wide productivity improvement programs.
While executive director (1983-1988) of the Washington, D.C.-based Manufacturing Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Kuper was the originator and one of the principal founders of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, a major cooperative research program among U.S. manufacturers. Under his leadership, the Manufacturing Studies Board also gained prominence for the identification of public policy issues facing U.S. manufacturing. For example, the board initiated the concept of the Engineering Research Centers program of the National Science Foundation, and contributed to the understanding of manufacturing issues through a pioneering book entitled Toward a New Era in U.S. Manufacturing: The Need for a National Vision.

Before joining the CGLI in 1994, George Kuper spent 6 years as President and CEO of the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) – a not-for –profit manufacturing research, development, and deployment organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. With a staff of over 130 professionals, under Kuper's leadership ITI became the largest organization of its kind assisting manufacturers in the United States, and became financially self- sufficient through both industrial and governmental contracts.

Kuper has also been the founding principal in four corporations and director of five additional companies. He has been executive vice president of the Boston Venture Management Co., deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Justice Administration in the City of Boston, and developed prototype productivity assessment programs for banking officers of the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York.

In the last decade, Kuper has been chairman of the Working Group on Dual Use Technology policy for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a member of the Board of the Arlington Institute, and the Technology Managerial Program Advisory Committee of the Conference Board. He has also been an advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Committee for Economic Development; chairman of the National Association of Manufactures Committee on Productivity; a founder and vice president of the American Productivity Management Association; and a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Council on Trends and Perspectives

He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from John Hopkins University and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics (International Law) and Harvard Business School (Business Administration). He has published several dozen papers and books, served on editorial boards of 4 journals, and has lectured extensively in the U.S., Europe and South Africa.

Top of Page
Mark LaCroix
Executive Vice President, Global Business Development
CarbonNeutral
Mark LaCroix is Executive Vice President of Global Business Development for The CarbonNeutral Company headquartered in New York City and London.

As a member of The CarbonNeutral Company senior management team, and a thought leader in the sustainable business movement, he is an outspoken advocate for sustainable business practices. Mark has leveraged his experience to “sell” the business case for this sustainability and provides guidance and direction to all disciplines within companies seeking to integrate sustainability in all its dimensions. At Interface, he was instrumental in the launch and creation of the Terratex brand, the most widely recognized name in increasingly sustainable textile products. Along with this experience, Mark has also developed and provided hundreds of workshops and CEUs covering a broad spectrum of sustainability related topics.

Mark is a LEED Accredited Professional and a regular speaker on sustainability related topics. He was co-chair of the Materials workgroup for the BIFMA Sustainability Assessment Standard for Commercial Furnishings, a board member of the Association for Contract Textiles and of the Joint Committee for the ACT Sustainability Assessment Standard for Commercial Furnishings Fabrics. Mark has served as President of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum. He serves on the advisory boards of Aquinas College Sustainable Business Degree program and Very Special Arts – Grand Rapids.
Top of Page
Philip LaRocco
Founder and Executive Director of E+Co
E+Co
Philip LaRocco is the founder and Executive Director of E+Co, the leading practitioner of the enterprise-centered model of investing in energy enterprises in developing countries. Since 1998, E+Co has invested in more than one hundred and fifty enterprises and mobilized more than $155 million of capital. These enterprises provide modern energy to 3.1 million people; save 204,000 tons of firewood; produce 59 million liters of clean water and offset 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

E+Co, a not-for-profit, public purpose investment company, has offices in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, the Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand and the United States. Mr. LaRocco has over thirty years of international experience. Until 1990 he served as the Director of World Trade and Economic Development for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey with responsibility for the World Trade Center (NY), a network of trade development offices and a portfolio of industrial development and waste-to-energy projects.

In addition to his duties as E+Co’s CEO, Mr. LaRocco focuses on financing structures and the creation of practical, hands-on training materials for entrepreneurs, financial professionals, development practitioners and policy makers. More than 800 entrepreneurs in over thirty developing countries have been trained through the efforts of E+Co and its partner organizations.
Top of Page
Peter Mertz
 CEO and Founder
Global Forest Partners
Peter Mertz is CEO and Founder of Global Forest Partners. GFP is headquartered in West Lebanon, New Hampshire and is one of the largest timber investment management organizations in the world. Mr. Mertz has more than 25 years of forest management, analytical and investment experience in the timberland business. Prior to co-founding GFP, he was the Managing Director of UBS Timber Investors. Before joining UBS in 1995, he was Division Manager of Acquisitions, Economics and Planning for the International Paper Company. Mr. Mertz is a University of Michigan alumnus with a BS in Forestry from the School of Natural Resources and Environment and an MBA from the Ross School of Business. He is a Certified Forester and a Member of the Society of American Foresters and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Top of Page
Paul M. Murray
Director of Environmental Affairs and Safety
Herman Miller, Inc
As Herman Miller's Director of Environmental Affairs and Safety, Paul Murray carries the message of corporate environmental responsibility to business and academic audiences throughout the country. "The Power of One," his presentation to the design community, affirms that each individual can champion environmental awareness among co-workers and clients alike, whether by promoting the use of sustainable products or through a simple commitment to "reduce, reuse, and recycle" whenever possible.

Paul grew up in Selby, a small farming community in north central South Dakota. He attended Northern State College in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry; he also holds a Master's in management from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Initially credentialed as a high school teacher, Paul taught math and chemistry, and served as a high school coach, before leaving his teaching career to work as a research chemist with PPG Industries and Boise Cascade Corporation.

Based on his experience developing wood coatings and finishes, Paul joined Herman Miller in 1988 as a production manager responsible for wood finishing operations. Long interested in environmental work, Paul felt a connection to the company's history of environmental stewardship. However, it was not until he sought an air quality permit for a wood finishing area that Paul discovered a growing need within Herman Miller to identify and coordinate numerous "green" initiatives underway. Paul and others soon established EQAT, the Environmental Quality Action Team, and through the group's ongoing efforts Herman Miller has earned several environmental awards, including a Presidential citation, as well as national recognition as an environmentally progressive company. Paul was named Environmental Affairs manager in 1992.

In addition to his responsibilities with Herman Miller, Paul participates in several work groups for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; holds memberships with both the Air and Waste Management Association and the National Association of Environmental Managers; and serves on the Board of Directors for both the University of Michigan's Corporate Environmental Management Program and the International Design Center for the Environment. Additionally, he sits on the boards of several non-profit environmental organizations.

Paul recently launched the Sustainable Research Group (SRG), a small environmental consulting service created to help other companies implement green initiatives similar to Herman Miller's.

Paul, his wife Rhonda, son Matthew, and daughter Renee reside in Hudsonville, Michigan.
Top of Page
Eric Olson
Vice President, Advisory Services
Business for Social Responsibility

Eric leads BSR's growing Advisory Services practice of delivering consultation on successful corporate social responsibility strategies and integrating them into the core businesses of BSR’s member companies. He joined BSR in 2005 with 15 years of work in the consulting field, including significant experience both in supply chain management and issues related to sustainable development. Most recently, Eric led The Natural Step in San Francisco to deliver advice and counsel to a broad range of companies on sustainability matters. He has also served as Vice President at the Boston Consulting Group and was a Partner and Founding Member of the Mitchell Madison Group, a global consultancy focused on strategic sourcing and supply chain management. Eric's primary expertise is in CSR and sustainability strategy development and integration, strategic sourcing and supply chain management, climate change strategies and program development. He has a Master’s degree in philosophy in Russian and East European studies from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a B.A. in chemistry and Russian from Macalester College.
Top of Page
Steven W. Percy
Chairman & CEO (retired)
BP America
Steve Percy is the former Chairman and CEO of BP America, Inc., BP's U.S. subsidiary prior to its merger with Amoco Corporation, and served in that capacity from 1996 until 1999. Prior to assuming those duties, he was President of BP Oil in the U.S. from 1992 to 1996, and since retiring from BP has also served as the head of Phillips Petroleum's Refining, Marketing and Transportation Company. He currently is Visiting Professor, Corporate Strategy and International Business, at the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business.

Mr. Percy returned to BP America from London, England where he served as Group Treasurer of The British Petroleum Company p.l.c. and Chief Executive of BP Finance International.

Born in 1946, Mr. Percy is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Masters in Business Administration from The University of Michigan and graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar.

Mr. Percy joined The Standard Oil Company in 1976 following service in the U.S. Army and several years with Babcock & Wilcox as a Senior Planning Analyst. His posts with Standard Oil included Manager of American Flagged Marine Transportation, Manager of the Eastern Crude Oil Division, Director of Operations Analysis, Director of Downstream Strategic Planning and Development, and Director of the Executive Office. In 1987, following the merger of BP and Standard Oil, Mr. Percy moved to London to become Manager, Oil Planning and Control in BP Oil International.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of Omnova Solutions Inc. and is Chair of its Audit Committee. Past corporate board memberships include GenCorp, Inc., the Tranzonic Companies, KeyBank National Association, and Transtar International.

Mr. Percy currently serves on the boards of Resources for the Future and Junior Achievement International and Chairs the Board of the Chautauqua Foundation which is a supporting organization to the Chautauqua Institution. At the University of Michigan, Mr. Percy is a member of the Ross School of Business Corporate Advisory Board and the External Advisory Board of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. He is also a member of Rensselaer's Engineering School's Advisory Board and the National Advisory Council of the Cleveland Marshall College of Law.

Previously, he has served as a member of President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development in the role of Co-Chair of its Climate Change Task Force. He has Chaired Cleveland State University's Foundation, held the position of Vice Chairman of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association and Chair of its Finance Committee and Chairman of Neighborhood Progress, Inc. He has also served as a member of the boards of University Hospitals of Cleveland, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers, the British American Chamber of Commerce and the Council on Economic Priorities.

Mr. Percy is married to Barbara, a math educator, and has two daughters, Amy, a graduate business student at the University of Michigan and Sarah who is an environmental consultant.
Top of Page
George Pilko
Founder & Chairman
Pilko & Associates
George Pilko co-founded Pilko & Associates in 1980 with a simple idea: Do high quality consulting on EHS issues, keep clients “thrilled,” and attract staff who are committed to the same principles. The success of this philosophy shows in the numbers – to date the firm has assisted high profile chemical and energy clients in 48 countries on deals worth a combined total of $350+ billion.
Well known in the industry, George has published articles in Directors & Boards, and Mergers & Acquisitions, and he has been quoted in publications that include The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Petroleum Economist, and Chemical Week. In 1993, the University of Michigan named him Chemical Engineering Graduate of the Year.
George and his wife have two sons, one at the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the other working for JPMorgan Chase in New York, NY. Away from the office or client meetings, you’ll probably find George on a sailboat in scenic locations or behind a book.
Top of Page
Lana Pollack
President
Michigan Environmental Council
Michigan Environmental Council President Lana Pollack grew up in Ludington, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Education. In 1997, she was a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

An active political organizer and former dance teacher, Pollack was elected to the Ann Arbor School Board in 1979. In 1982, the voters of Washtenaw County sent her to the Michigan State Senate, where she served until 1994 on the Appropriations, Finance, Education, and Criminal Justice and Urban Affairs Committees.

The Senate's only Democratic woman for eight years, Pollack became a leading advocate for the environment, children and women's rights. She also earned praise as the architect of Michigan's landmark 1990 polluter pay statute which, before it was repealed in 1995, saved taxpayers $100 million by forcing polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic waste. Pollack also established statewide coalitions to prevent gun violence and teenage pregnancy.

In 1994 Pollack narrowly lost the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate and retired from public office. She founded Michigan Monthly and served as the magazine's publisher until selling it in 1996. More recently she has taught at the University of Michigan and served on the boards of directors of national, state and local nonprofit organizations. In 2002 Pollack was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

Lana Pollack has been a student of music throughout her life. She has lived in the United States, England and Zambia and traveled in Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and Antarctica. She is married to Henry Pollack, a Professor of Geophysics at the University of Michigan, and they are the parents of an adult son, John, a writer.
Top of Page
Gwen Ruta
Director, Corporate Partnerships
Environmental Defense
Gwen provides strategic direction for Environmental Defense's Corporate Partnerships Group, which develops innovative, business-based solutions to environmental problems. The Corporate Partnerships Group develops and implements policies to leverage the corporate supply chain, increasing the demand for, and supply of, environmentally preferable products. Ongoing projects involve reducing corporate paper use and increasing recycled content, improving emissions and fuel efficiency in corporate vehicle fleets and incorporating design-for-environment principles into corporate product development.

Prior to her role at Environmental Defense, Gwen served as Vice President and Director of Environmental Sustainability for Metcalf & Eddy (1998); Director of Executive Program Planning and Operations, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, (1995-1997); Director of External Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England Region (1984-1994); Chief of Marine & Estuary Protection for Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound; and Chemical Engineer, Texaco Inc. (1984 1987).

Gwens other service includes Innovations in American Government (evaluation team leader for Harvard University) (1997 and 1998); Robert C. Seamans Fellowship in Technology and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government (1994); U.S. House of Representatives Merchant Marine & Fisheries Committee, loaned executive (1991); and Water Environment Federation, Watershed Management Committee Vice-Chair.

Gwen is the author of numerous articles on watershed protection, coastal development sustainability, and point and non-point source pollution management.

Gwen earned a M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.S., Chemical Engineering from University of Virginia.
Top of Page
Haig Sakoian
Global Director, Environment, Health and Safety Operations Audit
Alcoa

Haig joined Alcoa as an industrial hygienist in Pittsburgh in 1978.  He then began a series of EHS management positions in Tennessee and Pennsylvania, before being named environmental manager in 1994 for Alcoa’s Rigid Packaging business, based in Tennessee.  In 1997, Haig returned to Pittsburgh as manager, EHS Audit.  In 2005 his accountability was expanded to include Operations Audit, responsible for global assessment of the Alcoa Business System.

A Pittsburgh native, Haig received a bachelor's of science in biochemistry in 1975 and master's degree in industrial hygiene in 1979 from the University of Pittsburgh.  In 2004, Haig received an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, where he received the honor of class valedictorian. He and his wife, Theo, have five children.

Top of Page
Helen Taylor
State Director, Michigan
The Nature Conservancy
Helen Taylor is the State Director of The Nature Conservancy's Michigan Chapter. She joined the Chapter in 1999 to lead their efforts to protect the natural heritage of Michigan, a beautiful and ecologically significant state on a regional and global scale.

She came to Michigan after directing the Conservancy's Great Lakes Program for three years. While there, she led the program's work with Conservancy state programs, public agencies, private institutions, government, industry, and environmental organizations to develop and implement a concerted science- based strategic approach for protecting the biodiversity of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Prior to joining the Conservancy in 1996, Helen spent nine years working in the environmental policy field with a concentration in Great Lakes issues, pollution prevention, waste, and public involvement. Her project work focused on designing, facilitating, and mediating environmental initiatives, partnerships, and decision-making processes involving multiple stakeholders. Prior to entering the environmental field, Helen spent several years in the field of social services working with youth; the arts; as well as teaching overseas. She holds a degree in philosophy from Northwestern University.
Top of Page
William Thomas
Counsel
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP & Affiliates

William Thomas is counsel in the firm’s Environmental and Climate Change practices. He advises companies, financiers, developers and other enterprises on all aspects of environmental law, including issues arising in connection with transactions and projects, formulation of management and legal compliance strategy, and litigation and disputes involving environmental, health and safety (EHS) matters. Mr. Thomas regularly counsels clients on matters with a foreign or global environmental dimension, including risks and opportunities arising under regional and international environmental agreements, emerging EHS legal regimes and related international standards and codes of conduct, and legal aspects of sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Mr. Thomas appears frequently at national and international conferences, and is a widely published author on environmental law, policy and related matters of corporate strategy. In 2007, he served as chair of ABA SEER’s annual Conference on Environmental Law in Keystone, Colorado. His body of published work includes contributions to the Cross-Border Environment Handbook (PLC 2008/09), Stumbling Toward Sustainability (John Dernbach ed., ELI 2002), and Environmental Law and Enforcement in the Asia-Pacific Rim (Terri Mottershead ed., Sweet & Maxwell 2002). His articles on environmental issues have appeared in the National Law Journal, Natural Resources & Environment, Review of European Community & International Environmental Law, The International Lawyer, International Financial Law Review, Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, BNA’s Environmental Law Reporter, European Environmental Law Review, Corporate Environmental Strategy, Project Finance International, Carbon Business and Environmental Finance, among others. He also serves on several editorial advisory boards, including those of BNA’s Environmental Due Diligence Guide, Carbon & Climate Law Review, Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law & Policy, Sustainable Development Law & Policy, and Environmental Liability.

Mr. Thomas is listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2009 (Environment), Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2008 (Environment and Climate Change), The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers 2008 (Environment), and PLC’s Which Lawyer? Handbook 2008 (Environment).
Top of Page
Robert J. (Bob) Tierney
Director, Sustainability & Government Programs
United Technologies Power
Bob Tierney has worked for UTC/Pratt & Whitney since 1979. Currently, he directs sustainability and government programs for UTC Power. Previously, he was Director of Health and Safety for Pratt's global operations. Prior to that, he was manager of green business solutions in the Specialty Materials &: Services organization and prior to that he was manager in the engineering division leading the green engine program. Within UTC, Bob founded and leads the companiy's sustainability network.

Bob obtained a BS in environmental engineering from Florida Institute of Technology, an MBA from Florida Atlantic University, and a Masters of Environmental Studies from Yale University.
Top of Page
Christine Vujovich
Vice President, Marketing and Environmental Policy
Cummins, Inc.
Christine M. (Tina) Vujovich became Vice President – Marketing and Environmental Policy for Cummins in October 2002, after serving as Vice President – Environmental Policy and Product Strategy since 1999. Ms. Vujovich earned her Bachelor of Science in Earth Science in 1974 and her Master of Science in Environmental Engineering in 1978, both from the University of Illinois. She graduated from the Executive Management Program from the Yale School of Management in 1986. Ms. Vujovich joined Cummins in 1978 as a Facilities Engineer and has held various technical and marketing roles for the Company.

Ms. Vujovich serves on the boards of Kimball International, Inc., the Engine Manufacturers Association, and the Diesel Technology Forum. She is also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and serves on EPA's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and its Mobile Source Technical Review Subcommittee. In 2000 Ms. Vujovich was named one of the 100 most influential women in the automotive industry by Automotive News. Ms. Vujovich is married with 3 children.
Top of Page
Ryan Waddington
Director
ZBI Ventures
Ryan is a Director at ZBI Ventures, the private equity arm of Ziff Brothers Investments, LLC (ZBI). ZBI is a multi-billion dollar private investment firm that manages the assets of the Ziff family, formerly of Ziff-Davis publishing. ZBI Ventures invests in energy assets and technology companies with a primary focus on unconventional oil and gas, biofuels, solar and other carbon-favored energy sources. Before joining ZBI, Ryan was Director of Venture Services for NextEnergy, a non-profit corporation founded to advance the alternative energy technology industry in the State of Michigan . There he developed and managed Michigan's only business accelerator program and seed fund focused exclusively on alternative and clean energy technologies. Prior to joining NextEnergy, Ryan spent over six years at DTE Energy Company (NYSE: DTE) where he identified, evaluated and managed clean energy technology investments in DTE Energy's $100 million corporate venture capital fund (DTE Energy Ventures), as well as managed several advanced energy technology demonstration projects. Ryan has also worked as an environmental engineer, and co-founded a start-up company, GetOutdoors.com.

Ryan earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He also earned an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, where he participated in the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise.

Ryan currently serves on the Board of ZBI Ventures' portfolio company Advent Solar and the External Advisory Board for the Erb Institute. Ryan has lectured and taught courses on energy and energy technology at the University of Michigan.
   
 

  © 2009 Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute

Contact Us

  
  School of Natural Resources & Environment Stephen M. Ross School of Business University of Michigan