WOHESC

Belinda Chin joined the Watershed Management Division of Seattle Public Utilities in August 2023 to lead the Watershed Public Programs Section at the Cedar River Watershed Education Center. Belinda has been working with the City of Seattle in multiple capacities for nearly 30 years and brings a depth of experience in environmental education and interpretation, race and social justice, systems thinking, partnership development, and leadership and supervision. Proud to work for a municipality that is equity-forward, Belinda has a deep respect for and experience with community engagement, especially in addressing policies and practices that discriminate by race, class, and place.

Running-Grass is an educator and a long-time social justice and environmental activist. His expertise spans several fields including multicultural education, critical pedagogy, and environmental education. Running-Grass led the creation of Three Circles Center for Multicultural Environmental Education in the late 1980s and published articles in its journal, Cultures, Ecologies, and Communities. www.threecircles.org. He is nationally recognized for his formative contribution to the field of Multicultural Environmental Education and Environmental Justice. Running-Grass was one of the 300 delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991, which launched the Environmental Justice movement onto the national stage.

Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Binnizá & Maya Ch'orti') is an Indigenous scholar, scientist, and community advocate based in the Pacific Northwest. She has an academic background spanning marine sciences and environmental physics. Through her scientific and community work, she advocates for climate and environmental justice. She is the author of the award-winning book Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science. She is currently working on her second book, Growing Papaya Trees: Nurturing Indigenous Roots of Climate Displacement & Justice. Forbes has named Hernandez one of the 100 most powerful & influential women in Central America.

Elin Kelsey, PhD is an award-winning author, speaker and thought-leader for the evidence-based hope and climate justice solutions movement. Kelsey’s influence can be seen through the popularity of her book, Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think Is Critical For Solving The Environmental Crisis (2020) and in the hopeful, solutions-focus of her clients, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and other powerful institutions where she has served as a visiting fellow including the Rachel Carson Center for the Environment and Society, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kone Foundation, the Salish Sea Institute, the Cairns Institute and Stanford University.

Sabah Randhawa began service as the 14th President of Western Washington University on August 1, 2016. He draws on more than three decades of distinguished service in higher education as an educator and an academic leader. Randhawa’s top priority at Western has been advancing student success and inclusive excellence. Among the many things that drew him to Western are its strong retention and graduation rates, which he sees as a foundation for advancing the success of more underrepresented students in the State of Washington and beyond. As a first-generation college student, Dr. Randhawa has witnessed the transformative power of higher education in his own life, and is committed to making it more accessible, affordable, and attainable to people in the State of Washington, the region, and around the globe.

Grace serves as Director of the Sustainability Engagement Institute at Western Washington University (WWU), which develops educational opportunities and systems-change for a more sustainable, just future that engages in initiatives that create economic vitality, promote well-being, protect the environment, and uphold social justice. As Director, she brings together Western's educational, co-curricular, and operational functions. Using different social science approaches - focus groups, key informant interviews, sample surveys and questionnaires – Grace has coordinated research which has implications for the management of natural resources, traditional ecological knowledge and the management of public lands.

Anoushka (she/her) is a project manager on the King County Climate Team where her work centers on implementing the county’s first Green Jobs Strategy that serves as a roadmap to building a skilled, diverse, and climate-informed workforce regionally. In this role, Anoushka works at the nexus of climate initiatives and workforce development to facilitate a green jobs pipeline for frontline communities, integrate workforce development into clean energy deployment, and support greening the County’s own workforce. Anoushka is a graduate of the University of Washington College of the Environment where she studied environmental science and resource management. She is fortunate to now be leveraging her background and lived experience in her role to accelerate a just transition to a green economy.

Keara Monique Alonso-Lopez (she/her) works as the Food Equity Lead for the University of Oregon Student Sustainability Center. She is originally from Lakeport, CA and is a second year student majoring in Environmental Studies. In her role at UO, Keara runs weekly produce drops with a team of volunteers, which provides free food to UO students. She and her volunteers also run and support other food-related initiatives on campus.

Tianna Renee Arredondo (they/them) is an environmental justice consultant, researcher, facilitator, and trans-disciplinary artist. The projects and commitments they maintain meet at the intersections of climate change, psycho-somatic education and narrative strategy. They support colleges, communities and organizations working to address systems change via creating: curriculums, databases, metrics, organizational change plans, programs, art projects and running climate campaigns. The majority of the work Tianna does focuses on popular education, resource redistribution and relationship management as it relates to environmental justice. They are currently supporting The Chisholm Legacy Project in building out their Resource Hub and BIPOC in EJ database, while offering their Genuinely Curious framework to support PGM One and USCAN's Black Climate Action Network as a facilitator. To learn more about Tianna visit, https://genuinelycurious.blog

As Campus Utility Manager, Jeff Aslan is responsible for contracting utilities for WWU’s campus, analyzing campus metering and energy monitoring, and coordinates sustainability initiatives relevant to the Built Environment such as energy efficiency retrofits, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and electrification of WWU’s district heating system. Jeff has been working on residential and commercial energy efficiency in Bellingham for over a decade in several different roles. He retrofitted his home in 2016 to become the first Zero Energy Certified home in Bellingham in 2016. Jeff holds a JD from Vermont Law and Graduate School in 2013 studying energy policy and focusing on reducing campus energy usage.

Julia Babcock is a Senior Project Manager for Portland State University working on international programs and sponsored projects through the College of Urban and Public Affairs and Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Through a network of universities she has leveraged over $20 million dollars since 2011 to support training, education and community capacity development programs towards sustainable development goals for the Vietnam Oregon Initiative.

Laural Ballew, Ses yehomia/tsi kuts bat soot, is the first Executive Director of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and First Nation Relations and Tribal Liaison to the President for Western Washington University. An enrolled member of the Swinomish Tribe, she currently lives on the Lummi reservation. She graduated from Western in 2002 with a major in American Cultural Studies and a minor in Native American Studies. She earned a master’s degree in Public Administration – Tribal Governance from The Evergreen State College and is studying for a doctorate in Indigenous Development and Advancement from Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Megan Banks directs the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), an internationally recognized and award-winning university-community partnership program that is part of the University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Institute, a cross-disciplinary, applied think tank focused on the design and development of sustainable cities. Prior to SCYP, Megan practiced landscape architecture and land use planning in the private and public sectors. She understands the ways in which the complex administrative structures of cities and universities can be matched to find opportunities for both while creating livable and sustainable communities.

Dawn Píchon Barrón is an Indigi scholar, educator, and writer living along the southern Salish Sea on the lands of the 5 Medicine Creek Treaty tribes and bands. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, NC and is a doctoral candidate in Indigenous Development and Advancement at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi (Aotearoa). Currently, she is director and faculty of the Native Pathways Program—an Indigenous lens, interdisciplinary, and cohort-learning bachelor’s degree program—at the Evergreen State College. Her teaching and research interests are in multi-genre and hybrid creative writing, Indigenous literature, Indigenous feminisms, identity politics, multi-cultural communication, and settler-colonial projects. She is a member of the Artist Trust Board. Dawn’s writing can be found at Yellow Medicine Review, A Socially Just Classroom: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching Writing Across the Humanities, Echoes, Pittsburgh Poetry Review, Moss, Washington State 129 Poetry Anthology, ESCAPE GIRL BLUES (Finishing Line Press, 2018), and elsewhere.

Meli is an ambassador for the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund (SEJF) and a 3rd year student at Western Washington University majoring in Environmental Studies with a focus on policy. Within the SEJF she works to advertise the grant program to the Western Washington University community as well as work with grant teams throughout the grant writing and implementation process. Meli’s interest falls within conservation and environmental justice for underrepresented communities.

Jeff Birkenstein, Ph.D., is a professor of English at Saint Martin’s University. His major interests lie in the short story (American, world) as well as food, travel, and cultural criticism. He has published seven co-edited collection of essays, including Classroom on the Road: Designing, Teaching, and Theorizing Out-of-the-Box Faculty-Led Student Travel (Lexington Books, 2020) with Irina Gendelman. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2003; he has a second MA in Teaching English as a Second/Other Language. He has been awarded two Fulbright Scholar awards.

Cody is a Masters student at the University of Washington, studying power electronics. He has worked alongside a student team to found Huskies’ Precious Plastics, an RSO dedicated to increasing education and awareness of plastic recycling through hands-on experience. In his role at HPP he has helped the group receive a 2023 Husky Seed Fund award and build out the organizations structure and equipment.

Lexi Brewer is the Director of Sustainability at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, where she oversees sustainability efforts and strategy and works to broaden investment and knowledge of sustainability on-campus and beyond. She is deeply rooted in Tacoma, where she serves on the Sustainable Tacoma Commission and Technical Advisory Group to the Tideflats Subarea Plan. She also serves on the Young Leader’s Board of the Finlandia Foundation.

Shannon Britton, employed with SU since 2009, in Facilities, is Assistant Director for Grounds and Waste Management where she facilitates integral ecology that supports the work of campus gardeners and athletic fields and recycle coordinator in their efforts to provide organic, pesticide free and sustainable operations for waste management.

Ginny Broadhurst started as the Founding Director of the Salish Sea Institute at WWU in June 2017. She has over 25 years of experience promoting stewardship, protection and restoration of the Salish Sea. She led the development of the State of the Salish Sea report published in 2021 by the Institute and has created many new Salish Sea focused programs that are bringing science and management strategies forward for a healthier Salish Sea. She led the development of a minor in Salish Sea Studies at WWU and led the successful administration of three international Salish Sea Ecosystem Conferences. Prior to this appointment, she spent 10 years as the Executive Director of the Northwest Straits Commission; and previously held staff positions at NWSC and the Puget Sound Action Team in Olympia, WA.

Dr. Erik Budsberg is the Director of Sustainability for Eastern Washington University. He is the founding staff member for the university’s Office of Sustainability and has served in the role for eight years where he seeks to make EWU a leader in sustainability. Prior to EWU, Dr. Budsberg was a research assistant in the Biofuels and Bioproducts laboratory at the University of Washington where he earned both a MS and PhD. His research was focused on the use of life cycle assessment to study the potential environmental impacts associated with the commercial scale development of biofuels and biochemicals.

Cynthia Camlin's recent paintings are inspired by unique wetlands in the coastal Southeast named "Carolina bays". These oval-shaped Sphagnum bogs, shallow lakes and longleaf pine savannas once numbered in the thousands. This work is an outgrowth of "Swamp/Garden," a series that addresses the entanglement of social and ecological history, which received a Jordan Schnitzer Foundation Black Lives Matter grant and was exhibited at Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at WSU in 2021-22. Through abstracted forms and metaphor Camlin's paintings have attempted to reckon with climate change for two decades, with imagery from dying coral reefs that recall a brain encrusted with plaque to dividing and cracking grid structures that resemble the collapse of both ice sheets and architecture. Professor at Western Washington University, Camlin teaches Painting and Drawing and two interdisciplinary courses, Art and Ecology and the international course Figure and Symbol.

Clara is a 4th year student at UCLA, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Classics. She is the State Board Chair of CALPIRG Students, as well as the Chair of CALPIRG’s UCLA Chapter. She got involved with CALPIRG in 2021, working to limit oil drilling in California by expanding buffer zones between drilling sites and homes and schools. Since then, she has worked as campaign coordinator for Beyond Plastics at UCLA, and has organized volunteers to pass local plastic reduction policies, including polystyrene bans and single-use plastic foodware limitations through the LA County Board of Supervisors, and LA City Council. Now, she is working on ocean conservation, and expanding Marine Protected Areas across California’s coastline. As Board Chair, she works to coordinate chapters across the UC system to facilitate statewide action and training.

Melissa Ciesielski is the Environmental Outreach Specialist with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection. She has a background in marine science and experience in environmental education and resource management. In her current role she bridges her understanding of science and love of education to serve the Swinomish community. Her work focuses on communicating the work the DEP does to the community through social media, educational workshops, and community engagement.

Mike is the Director of Equity at Cascadia Consulting Group, where he provides expertise in climate vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and action planning, environmental equity and justice, and facilitation and engagement. Mike also leads Cascadia’s internal racial equity initiatives, building internal capacity and skills to engender more inclusive and equitable outcomes. He has authored multiple climate reports and publications, including as an author of the 4th National Climate Assessment and a lead author of the 5th National Climate Assessment. He is also currently a co-chair of the Equity and Justice Workgroup for the National Adaptation Forum and the Rising Voices program for Indigenous and Earth Sciences. Prior to Cascadia, Mike worked as the climate adaptation specialist for the Makah Tribe. Mike holds a M.M.A. from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale University.

Stephan Classen is the Assistant Director for Sustainable Practices and manage of Cascadia College's Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Practices program. He works at the joint Cascadia/UW Bothell campus to educate on grounds management, foraging, and edible landscapes. He was the Aquaculture Education Specialist for the Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC) at the University of Hawaii at Hilo in Hawaii, and a Biological Technician for two National Parks.

Sadie Creemer (she/her) is a third-year student at the University of Oregon and is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. She is studying Economics, Public Policy, and Global Health. This is her first year at the Student Sustainability Center where she runs the Volunteer and Engagement Program. In this role, she enjoys getting to work closely with other student staff and student volunteers.

Sheina Crystal is the Director of Communications and Campaigns at Re:wild Your Campus. While a student at UC Santa Barbara, she founded a chapter of Re:wild Your Campus and worked with groundskeepers and restoration management as she advocated for the reduction of herbicide use on campus. As one of the main UC-wide organizers, she helped achieve a glyphosate ban at all 10 University of California schools. In addition to directing communications at RYC, she helped spearhead the Green Grounds Certification, a groundbreaking ecological landscaping certification by RYC to certify school campuses. Crystal's work has appeared in The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Axios, Mother Jones, and more. Sheina works directly with students across the country, giving them resources and coaching as they advocate to make their campuses safer and healthier spaces for all living beings.

As the Director of UW Sustainability, Lisa helps lead innovative and equitable solutions around sustainability through strategic planning and partnership. Prior to joining the University of Washington in 2022, she served as Snohomish County’s Energy and Sustainability Manager for 12 years. There, Lisa led a team of eight staff in the county’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, overseeing climate action and sustainability planning, energy and resource conservation programs, including the Weatherization Program, the Energy Smart Loan Program, and the Savvy Septic Program. Prior to joining Snohomish County, Lisa worked in the private sector as a planning consultant. She also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for a Denver-based non-profit. Lisa holds a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies from Bates College in Lewiston, ME, and a master’s in Urban Design and Planning from the University of Washington in Seattle. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys spending time outdoors cycling, hiking, camping, and going on adventures with her husband and two sons.

Sonja Durr is a Senior Lecturer at Eastern Washington University in the Department of Design, teaching Typography, Global Histories of Design, and Design for Social Change. She enjoys educating folks about the various ways sustainability and systems thinking can be incorporated into design practice. Beyond teaching, Sonja has worked at a newspaper, two small design studios, in-house for a multi-national brand, as a sole-proprietor, and as the art director for two magazines.

Amy Dvorak is the Director of Sustainability at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon where she works to integrate sustainability into the life of the three Lewis and Clark schools with the aims of developing cross-school collaborations, broadening relationships with the community, promoting hands-on student learning and communicating the institution’s commitment to sustainability.

Rob is an applied cultural anthropologist with a special interest in environmental education and collaborative research with community partners. His current research is focused on children’s environmental learning both in China and in the Pacific Northwest.

Daimon Eklund has led communications for UW Sustainability since 2014, and is the point person for the office’s messaging efforts through the website (sustainability.uw.edu), social media, and print material. He enjoys fostering collaboration around sustainability on campus, and working with students who bring innovative ideas to improve sustainability at UW.

Kaitlyn Flesher is the Farm Manager for Central Washington University’s Wildcat Farm. A recent transplant from the Midwest, her previous areas of focus have included Integrated Pest Management and wholesale ornamental nursery production. Kaitlyn is passionate about feeding our community and helping students make real-world connections with the food they eat and the land it is grown on.

Dr. Aquila Flower is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University and the author of the Salish Sea Atlas. She teaches geography, climate science, biogeography, and GIS classes. Dr. Flower is a geographer whose research focuses on analyzing the roles of climatic variability, human land use patterns, and natural disturbances in shaping forest, alpine, and coastal ecosystem dynamics using a multidisciplinary suite of dendrochronological, ecological, statistical, and geospatial methods.

Sierra Garrett (she/her) is a third-year student in the Honors College at Southern Oregon University, where she studies Sustainability. She is SOU’s Zero Waste Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability and a fellow for SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability. Her academic and professional goals include increasing equity in food production and access, reducing sustainability-based fears in the general population, implementing circular agricultural economies, and Nordic sustainability practices. Sierra has experience studying and observing sustainability in five of the Nordic countries and has taken a recent interest in ecosocial art practices.

Irina Gendelman is a Professor of Communication Studies in the Department of Society and Social Justice at Saint Martin’s University (SMU) in Lacey, WA. She founded the Center for Scholarship and Teaching, the Communication Studies program, and the Native Voices concentration at SMU. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for more than two decades, designed workshops on technology and experiential learning innovations, worked on learner-engaged place-based multimedia and digital archiving projects, and co-led trips and co-wrote about place-based teaching with Jeff Birkenstein. In 2023, Gendelman was a Visiting Teaching Fellow at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Brian is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at McKinstry, where he is a member of the Zero+ Planning group. With a background in energy analysis, Brian focuses on existing building and campus decarbonization at scale, working with universities to understand how to set and meet their goals. Brian is particularly passionate about society’s move towards zero carbon power at the utility scale and may occasionally indulge in a podcast or book on the topic. His passion for educations extend throughout the greater Portland area, where he has worked with the next generation of decarbonizers thru Portland State University’s Institute for Sustainable Solutions mentor program and the Architecture Foundation of Oregon Architects in Schools program.

Lindsey Hayward serves as an assistant program manager for the Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP), a massively scaled university-community partnership that matches the resources of the University with Oregon communities to implement real change drawing directly from community-identified issues. She holds a BA in Psychology from Creighton University and MBA from the University of Oregon. Lindsey is a versatile operations professional offering more than 10 years of experience in program management for initiatives ranging from public health to education to active transportation in the public, private, and nonprofit sector. Prior to working at the University, she held several leadership roles in the local Eugene community, including as general manager of the PeaceHealth Rides bike share program and as director of education and health for the United Way of Lane County.

Susan Kaspari is a Professor of Geological Sciences at Central Washington University, and also teaches in the Environmental Studies program. She teaches project based sustainability courses, and leads sustainability in the curriculum efforts at CWU. In her research she investigates factors contributing to snow and glacier melt, and uses ice cores to reconstruct past climate and environmental change.

Tyson Kemper practices organic land care at the shared campus of University of Washington Bothell and Cascadia Community College. He came of age in the garden working for his father’s small landscape business and later went on to earn a degree in Botany from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho. This collective education provided Tyson opportunities to wander, observe, and learn from the wild spaces of the Pacific Northwest while working as an environmental consultant and later as a rare plant botanist for the Washington Natural Heritage Program. Tyson has since come full circle and found his place beside the buttercups in the garden again.

For the past 15 years, Chelsea Kimmett has developed emerging leaders by supporting and guiding initiatives, programs and organizations led by students. A PCC graduate, Chelsea is passionate about the mission of community college and believes in the power of education and experiential learning. Professionally, Chelsea began her career at Linn-Benton Community College in 2008 as the Student Activities Coordinator. In 2010, she moved to Portland Community College as the Clubs & Programs Specialist, which later developed into an Assistant Director role with Student Life & Leadership. After working with the PCC Foundation as the Events Coordinator, Chelsea returned home to PCC Student Life to lead a new student leadership program. Currently, Chelsea coordinates Sustainability Leadership & Basics Needs, a program which aims to support PCC students so they can thrive in an ever changing climate.

Medha Kumar (she/her) is a NextGen Climate Intern for King County, specializing in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Her work intersects with various County departments, including the Executive Climate Office and the Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Throughout her internship, Medha engaged in data analysis for performance measures and priority actions included in the “Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions” Section of King County’s 2023 Strategic Climate Action Plan Biennial Report. She is also part of the Energize! pilot project, an initiative aimed at installing energy-efficient heat pumps in low- and moderate-income homes in unincorporated King County. Currently pursuing her senior year at the University of Washington, Medha is majoring in environmental science, with minors in Climate Science and Business.

Christophe LaBelle serves as the Analyst in UCLA's campus Office of Sustainability. Christophe is responsible for data reporting, program management and communications for a variety of sustainability initiatives and efforts at UCLA. Among these, he coordinates the Single-Use Plastics Policy working group, which brings together campus staff across a number of departments to support implementation of the policy. When not busy with this and other projects, Christophe enjoys sports, the arts, civic engagement and quality time with friends and family - including his cats. He is a proud graduate of the University of California (both Berkeley and Los Angeles), as well as a past exchange student at Sciences Po in Paris.

Zinta is the Grant Program Manager for the Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund, which promotes sustainability by providing grants to create and implement sustainability-focused project ideas. She is a graduate of the Urban Planning and Sustainable Development program at Western and has been at the university ever since. Her main interest lies in making the built environment a more friendly and accessible place for all.

Libby Mackin (she/her) is the Habitat Restoration Lead at the University of Oregon Student Sustainability Center. She is currently a senior studying Environmental Science and Math. In her program at the SSC, Libby takes a land-based, critical approach to sustainability through work parties and education in natural areas the UO and Eugene communities.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alyssa Macy is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon and was raised on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. She is of the Wasco, Navajo, and Hopi descent. Most recently, she served her Nation as the Chief Operations Officer where she was responsible for $33 million in tribal programming and services. Her previous experiences include working transportation, campaign management, communications and international advocacy within United Nations bodies. She is a published writer and co-authored the first ever national report on Native American voting in 2005. Alyssa has been a foster parent to 6 children and her oldest daughter is in her second year of college. In her spare time, she spends time reading, traveling, and spending time outdoors. She is a graduate of Arizona State University where she received her B.S. in Justice Studies and did her graduate studies at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis.

Kort (she/her) is a junior at UW, pursuing a double degree in Environmental Studies and Visual Communication Design with a minor in Urban Ecological Design. As the Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Campus Sustainability Fund, Kort focuses on community-building and engaging in conversations about intersectional sustainability in non-traditional spheres. She is interested in how creativity and storytelling can center BIPOC narratives within justice-centered work. At the CSF, her work is focused on redefining the sustainability narrative on campus away from mainstream environmentalism to one that integrates intersections of race, class, and gender. Kort is passionate about using design for environmental justice and exploring how participatory design processes can co-create equitable futures.

Luis currently serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for the Institute for Sustainable Practices at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon with the objective of Integrating practices that support and improve the health of systems that sustain life. In this role Luis manages all sustainability-related initiatives on campus using a continuous improvement approach.

Sean McDonald is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Program on the Environment and maintains an active research program focused on applied marine ecology in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. As the capstone instructor, he directs the internship activities and senior research of all Environmental Studies students. In this capacity, Sean has assisted nearly 1,000 students in developing independent scholarly projects that dovetail with their hands-on work at organizations ranging from local businesses to global NGOs and city, state, and federal government agencies. The goal is to prepare students for careers in environmentally related fields by aiding them in synthesizing their academic coursework and professional (internship) experience.

Darnell Metcalf is from Boise, Idaho, and has resided in the greater Seattle region for nearly thirteen years. Currently the Facilities Operations Coordinator for Sony BioTechnology, Bothell, WA, where he manages the Sustainable Waste Management program. Darnell’s academic and professional experience include active service in the United States Coast Guard. After enlisting with the Coast Guard, he joined the local hardware store, gaining experience with power tools and building materials that has helped set an excellent foundation for success at South Seattle College BAS in Sustainable Building Science Technology. SBST has guided him to educational experience in Trade-Ally Engagement with City of Seattle in the Office of Sustainability & Environment and Building Performance Standards outreach with Seattle City Light. Darnell’s academic and professional goals include continuing to apply sustainable measures to the built environment.

Todd A. Mitchell, swəlítub, a Swinomish Tribal citizen, is the Director of the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection. He graduated from Dartmouth College (BA, Earth Sciences & Film Studies) and Washington State University (MS, Geology) specializing in hydrogeology, igneous petrology and geochemistry. Todd works for Swinomish as a geologist and indigenous scientist researching the Tribe's water resources including traditional ecological knowledge and culturally used wetland plants, tidelands, surface water, groundwater, wetlands, salmon habitat restoration research, and indigenous science education for Tribal youth.

Taryn (she/they) has been teaching environmental science at Portland Community College for more than 15 years. She has a passion for addressing environmental concerns through an equity lens and she is an advocate for place-based learning. Taryn volunteers as a climate justice activist and spends her free time hiking, camping, and traversing the great outdoors.

David Ortiz has taught for 30 years in the Washington State Community and Technical College System. He developed courses in Communication Studies, Media, Film, and American Indian and Indigenous Studies. At Cascadia College, he served as the Teaching and Learning Academy Director, Department Chair for Communication Studies, and recently, Interim Chair for the Humanities Division. In the Spring of 2023, he along with members of the Washington State Advisory Board on American Indian Studies, gave a presentation at the 2023 Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education (ENCORE) in New Orleans. While teaching Communication and Media Studies courses, he recently conducted workshops on Climate Literacy, Climate Justice and Social Justice, Adaptation, Resilience, and Mitigation Strategies. "I believe in emphasizing Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom while promoting hope as a key adaptation and Resilience strategy we can all embrace to survive and thrive."

Marilyn Ostergren has worked with UW Sustainability since its inception in 2009. Since 2020, she has facilitated a working group focused on the meaningful work of finding just, equitable and thoughtful ways to air travel emissions from the University of Washington. Her other work for the office includes supporting the Energy Renewal Program to decarbonize the UW energy infrastructure and creating graphics to communicate sustainability concepts.

Sasha K Petrenko (she/her) is an earthling, artist and storyteller. Her interdisciplinary practice blends, sculpture, theater, video and sound. Rooted in eco-feminism, rock n’ roll, and post-apocalypse studies, Sasha’s work functions as an invitation for audience members to collectively creative soma sonic experiences. Petrenko has received residencies, and fellowships from Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle, the Headlands Center for the Arts, The De Young Museum, The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, University of California’s Sagehen Field Station, The Djerassi Foundation, CA, Oberpfälzer Künstlerhaus in Germany, Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, NY. Recent performances include Northwest New Works Festival at On the Boards, Seattle, Power of Language, Wesleyan College, CT, We Will Not Be Silent, Western Gallery, Bellingham, and Your Anomaly is my Normal at the Bellingham Alternative Library, a collaborative performance with students in Dance, Art and Music. Sasha is Associate Professor of Sculpture and Expanded Media at Western Washington University in Bellingham. www.sashapetrenko.org

Makerusa 'mak' Porotesano (he/him) is climate activist with the Pacific Climate Warriors (PCW & 350 Pacific) and the Director of Multicultural Services at Portland Community College. Connecting his experiences in Oceania and the Pacific Northwest, mak combines indigenous framework and multicultural services to engage BIPOC students and Climate Justice. Mak is also the founder of the Pacific Islander Student Alliance (www.pisanw.org) and Conference, which hosts the only multi-campus/state student conference for Pacific Islander students in American Higher Education. Using his experience and networks, mak has been able to connect Pacific Islander Students from the diaspora to local and international climate campaigns. Makerusa is a 2nd generation American Samoan from the Village of Fogagogo and a product of Portland, Oregon. He is a member of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) planning committee and the Second Nature BIPOC Climate Action group. Makerusa has an Associates Degree from American Samoa Community College, Bachelor's Degree from Portland State and Masters in Education from Chaminade University of Honolulu.

Daryl Pierson is the Director of the Planning and Sustainability Office for Portland State University. In this role, he leads planning, sustainability, energy management, and materials management services in support of the University’s strategic objectives. Daryl utilizes a transformative leadership lens to guide efforts in sustainability, planning, activation, interdisciplinary and multi-functional interactions, optimizing space for educational value, addressing health & wellbeing within space planning, preservation of open space, sustainable operations, and community engagement. He partners and collaborates with the campus and community to develop, initiate, and operationalize plans that guide the institution’s future direction while also working to achieve sustainable efficiencies across numerous Portland State work streams. His professional interests include growing leadership capacity to confront societal challenges related to sustainability. Personally, Daryl enjoys exploring the great outdoors. He currently serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Daryl received a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with a research focus on sustainability leadership. He also has a master’s degree in urban planning.

Victoria Piñeiro (she/her) is a third year at the University of Oregon studying Political Science with a minor in Philosophy. At the UO Student Sustainability Center, Victoria leads the Environmental Justice Program, which aims to educate and immerse students into aspects of environmental justice that pertain to critical sustainability. Victoria is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Heather is a climate scientist, climate justice activist, chemistry professor and researcher. She earned her PhD in chemistry and conducted her postdoctoral research with the UW Program on Climate Change. Her current research focuses on improving undergraduate STEM education through the integration of climate justice, equity, and civic engagement across the college curriculum. She is also co-founder of TalkClimate.org and on the leadership team for Seattle's 500 Women Scientists organization.

Dr. Joan Qazi is the Geography professor and Sustainability Coordinator at Wenatchee Valley College where she has been teaching about climate change and sustainable food systems for 27 years. Joan earned her PhD from UW with a dissertation about women’s work in North Central Washington’s apple industry. On campus, she collaborates with the Sustainability Committee and Facilities towards the goal of everyone having access to the benefits of a clean environment, a just society, and an equitable economy. Joan is a working board member of the non-profit Sustainable NCW and is involved with several community-based organizations focused on climate change mitigation and resiliency.

Timothy Randazzo (he/they) is the Green Building Program Associate in King County, Washington State, and brings over 5 years of dynamic expertise in the biological, climate, and sustainability sectors. With a focus on Green Building technical know-how, Climate Action Plan implementation, and effective grant/contract management, Timothy is a catalyst for positive change. Graduating with honors from California State University, Monterey Bay, he holds a B.S. in Environmental Science, Technology, & Policy with a focus on Environmental Data Analysis and a Minor in Biology. Timothy is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of youth and eco-consciousness. His commitment to youth inclusion in the climate sector sets the tone for his impactful contributions. Beyond the conference, Timothy is deeply invested in natural history and sustainable living, reflecting this commitment through a lifestyle focused on zero waste and locally grown food. Join Timothy at the conference as he shares his insights and experiences, offering a unique perspective on youth inclusion and driving positive change in King County's climate workforce.

Dana Reason, Ph.D., a Canadian-born composer, recording artist, and musicologist, documented on over 20 commercial recordings. Formerly part of The Space Between trio with electronic music pioneer Pauline Oliveros, Reason collaborates across disciplines, working with microbiologists and other scientists, artists, technologists, poets, and engineers. Her work explores sonification of data, graphic scores, field recordings, and music, resulting in innovative interactive sound-music compositions and site-specific experiences. Certified as a Deep Listening practitioner, Reason promotes intentional listening practices for sustainable sonic environments, reduced noise pollution, and global acoustic health. In 2020, she initiated the first Sound Ecology Honors College Colloquium at Oregon State University, fostering sonic activism and emphasizing the importance of listening in various disciplines. Reason holds degrees from McGill University, Mills College, and the University of California, San Diego, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Contemporary Music at Oregon State University.

Dr. Sonya Doucette is a sustainability leader at Bellevue College (BC), where she is Chair of the Sustainability Curriculum Committee, the Sustainability Concentration Coordinator, and manager of the Climate Justice in the Curriculum (CJC) Project. She is currently PI of a 3-year NSF IUSE grant that funds the C-JUSTICE project and co-led an effort by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges to spread the CJC project (co-developed by BC and North Seattle College) to all 34 CTCs in WA state. She authored an introductory sustainability textbook Sustainable World: Approaches to Analyzing and Resolving Wicked Problems (2017, 2nd edition). Prior to BC, she was a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University (2010 – 2013).

Mateo Reynaud (he/they/elle) is an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon studying Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies with a minor in Creative Writing and Environmental Humanities. He lives in Eugene, Oregon, where he works at the University of Oregon’s Student Sustainability Center as an Environmental Justice Lead. In their work at the SSC, Mateo has created and steered the Trans BIPOC Garden Collective, a free garden space for people identifying as both Trans and BIPOC to create a community space and connection with the land, and he is currently planning, with the help of volunteers, a Collaging Alternate Futures event and a Climate Leadership Workshop.

Mari Rice is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Internship Coordinator for the Environmental Studies Program at Boise State University. She also serves as the Experiential Learning Faculty for the School of Public Service and coordinates the campus tree project. Mari has worked in the field of education for over twenty years, serving in a range of positions that have included leading outdoor/environmental education courses throughout the US and abroad, serving as coordinator for TRIO Upward Bound, and K-12 classroom teaching. She is passionate about creating opportunities for students to engage with the local organizations and the campus community to address environmental needs. Her research interests lie in experiential learning, sustainable agriculture, urban conservation, and campus sustainability.

Roberta Richards (she/her) has worked as a librarian at Portland Community College for more than 20 years, currently at the Southeast Campus. She also co-coordinates SPARC, the college's sustainability curriculum council, and serves on the college's Climate Action Plan Education and Outreach team. Outside of work, Roberta is a climate activist and avid explorer of the wonderful forests, mountains and beaches of the Pacific Northwest.

Sue played a pivotal role in proposing, designing, and implementing two new sustainability classes, forming the core of the IT Management Department’s Sustainable Practices in IT minor/certificate. The classes were designed in collaboration with many stakeholders, including ITAM's Industry Advisory Board. Classes are offered in four different multimodal capacities to enhance equitable access to sustainability education. Rivera also served as CWU’s first Sustainable Living Learning Community faculty lead in AY 2022 – 2023. Her research centers on developing applied sustainability curriculum for the IT practitioner.

Jordan Spradlin (She/Her) is a recent graduate and former Pac-12 athlete from the University of Arizona and Oregon State University. Graduating in June 2023 from the MPH program with an emphasis in Environmental and Occupational Health at Oregon State University. While in her master’s she worked with the Green Sports Alliance and the Beaver Athlete Sustainability Team (BAST) to further sustainability efforts in the sports industry. Jordan aims to continue advancing the intersection of sports and sustainability with her work.

Emily Salzberg is the Managing Director for the Building Standards and Performance Unit at the Washington State Energy Office within the Department of Commerce. Emily currently oversees a range of building decarbonization standards and programs, including Washington State’s Clean Buildings Law. Emily has over 20 years of experience administering, evaluating, and providing technical assistance for energy efficiency programs in the Northwest.

Hey there! My name is Jasmine Shaheen. I’ve always had a passion for social work and social justice issues. I am currently working on attaining a double major in Psychology and Social Sciences, with a minor in Communications. Aside from my position with PCC as a Student Ambassador of Basic Needs and Sustainability, I also work a second job at a homeless shelter.

Brady Smith is the Wildcat Pantry Coordinator at Central Washington University. He oversees the Wildcat Pantry, the on-campus food pantry, and additional programs to reduce food insecurity at CWU. Brady graduated from Central in 2023 with his bachelor’s degree in communication studies. He has been involved in the food pantry since it opened in the academic year 2021 – 2022. Brady’s work is deeply rooted in reducing stigma around basic needs insecurities and ensuring that all students have the resources they need to achieve holistic success and well-being.

Makenna Smith (she/her) is a second-year Psychology and Business double major at the University of Oregon. She is from San Jose, California. At UO’s Student Sustainability Center, Makenna holds the position of Climate Anxiety Program Coordinator, where she helps organize events and climate anxiety resources for students.

Jordan Spradlin (She/Her) is a recent graduate and former Pac-12 athlete from the University of Arizona and Oregon State University. Graduating in June 2023 from the MPH program with an emphasis in Environmental and Occupational Health at Oregon State University. While in her master’s she worked with the Green Sports Alliance and the Beaver Athlete Sustainability Team (BAST) to further sustainability efforts in the sports industry. Jordan aims to continue advancing the intersection of sports and sustainability with her work.

Hattie Sterns (she/her) is one of the Grove Garden Leads at the UO Student Sustainability Center. Hattie is a third year studying landscape architecture and art at the University of Oregon. She is originally from Corvallis, Oregon and is passionate about using ecology to inform design and art.

Kayla is an Architect and Associate at Integrus, where she focuses on higher education projects in eastern and central Washington. With a broad range of experience with sustainability at the building scale, she works with clients and project teams to work towards their decarbonization goals. She brings her technical expertise with construction documents and construction administration to help balance those goals with the other demands of a successful building. This passion for sustainability extends beyond the office where she spends her weekends with her partner building their eventually off-grid home.

Kristi Straus is an Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Washington Program on the Environment - which is UW's environmental studies major. She is deeply invested in sustainability education and works to help students understand current social-environmental challenges and how to make changes that matter in their own lives and in the world around them. In addition to teaching in Environmental Studies, she leads a study abroad program focused on sustainability and development in Morocco. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Program on the Environment and mentors other faculty in effective, evidence-based teaching. In 2017, she was the proud recipient of the University of Washington’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2018, she had the pleasure of presenting a TedX Talk at UW.

Amy is an MBA student with a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering. She was awarded the Husky Seed Fund to start a project on access and education to plastic recycling tools. By educating her community on how plastic can be transformed, she hopes to shift people's perspective on plastic being more than just waste.

Matteo Tamburini was born and raised near Florence, Italy. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in International Studies at the University of Washington, and a M.S. in Mathematics from Western Washington University. He has been teaching Mathematics at Northwest Indian College for over a decade.

MikeTerrell has over 30 years of experience as a landscape architect and planner creating master plans and designing sustainable landscapes of all scales for universities, schools, cities and countries. He has led the design of campus landscapes, athletic facilities, parks, trails and recreation facilities. He was Spokane County's Sustainable Landscape Project Director responsible for developing a range of materials to promote sustainable landscapes through use of native and adapted plants. Most recently, Mike and the MT-LA team worked closely with Eastern Washington University to develop EWU's Climate Resiliency Landscape Master Plan. He also directed the development of Spokane Community College's Landscape Master Plan that included sustainability strategies for reduced maintenance and water use. Through the years, Mike has designed, managed and coordinated construction on projects ranging from pocket parks to community parks and sports complexes. He has extensive experience leading community engagement processes for all types of projects.

Marina Thompson (she/her) is from Portland OR, and currently studying Environmental Science at the University of Oregon. She is also the Waste Reduction and Reusables Lead for the UO’s Student Sustainability Center. Her favorite part of the SSC is the creative license the staff has to tackle sustainability projects. This year, her program is growing its free store for students and faculty, through organizing donation events, implementing effective outreach strategies, and creating a community in which other students can get involved. Their goal is to connect the resource trail from campus member to campus member, which cuts down on material waste and provides people helpful items for free.

Dr. Laurie Trautman is the Director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. She engages in a range of research activities focused on the Washington State - British Columbia region and is considered an expert on issues related to the Canada – U.S. border. In addition to working with faculty and students, she collaborates with the private sector and government agencies to advance policy solutions and promote cross-border collaboration. Laurie participates in numerous working groups that are actively engaged in the U.S. – Canada relationship. She is a Global Fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and serves on the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. Dr. Trautman holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Oregon.

Kira provides guidance and support in cultivating partnerships and building capacity within the growing Institute. As a dedicated alumna, Kira’s journey in Southern Oregon began at SOU, where she instilled a foundation in leadership and a passion for sustainability and inclusivity. She has expanded on these throughout her career while she developed her skills in project management, program development, and communication. Collaborative by nature, Kira looks forward to working with the community, faculty, staff, and students to propel the Institute to new heights.

Yen-Chu Weng is a lecturer in the College’s Program on the Environment. As a geographer, she has always been interested in exploring the connections between human societies and the environment. She received broad training in both the biophysical sciences and the social sciences, and has integrated quantitative, qualitative and GIS methods into her research projects. Her research focuses on the politics of participation in environmental volunteering programs. By comparing perspectives of multiple stakeholders, she examines the role of science, nature and participation in ecological restoration. Weng enjoys teaching and experimenting with innovative pedagogy in her courses. Through the UW’s Center for Teaching and Learning and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, she has been contributing to evidence-based teaching strategies and case study pedagogy. As an affiliate faculty at the UW’s Taiwan Studies Program, Weng also teaches a course on Environmental Issues in East Asia and leads a study abroad program in Taiwan. Weng advises students on various capstone projects on the topics of environmental education, sustainability design, community outreach, and many others.

Eli Wheat is faculty in the Program on the Environment at the University of Washington. Eli is also core faculty member of the Food Systems Nutrition and Health Program. He is passionate about regenerative food production systems and teaches many courses in food production and sustainability. As co-chair of the Farm Advisory Committee Eli works closely with Dr. Yona Sipos and Farm Manager, Perry Acworth to support the UW Farm. Eli has a Ph.D. from UW, an M.A. Education from New York University, and B.S. in biology from Union College. He’s won numerous awards for his teaching and sustainability work including the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award, 2018 Husky Green Award, and the College of the Environment’s Outstanding Teaching Faculty award. In addition to teaching sustainability and agriculture courses at UW, he owns and operates SkyRoot farm, a 20-acre, certified organic, integrated animal and vegetable farm on South Whidbey Island. In his spare time, Eli enjoys playing guitar, reading, and hanging out with his family.

Luke Williams is a Senior Lecturer and Competency-Based Education Program Coordinator at Central Washington University. Within the IT-Management Dept. at Central, he teaches business and technology classes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During the past 8 years, he has taught 27 different courses for 4 separate college and university programs. He is the third generation of a family of real estate investors/entrepreneurs. Collectively, the family has remodeled over 150 residential and multi-family properties throughout the United States and recently sold a multimillion-dollar commercial real estate enterprise after three decades of ownership/operation. Mr. Williams’ studies included a semester abroad at the University of Oxford, UK, where he was taught by some of Britain’s top experts in computer science, foreign policy, and international business. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and shortly thereafter completed an MBA degree from Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Mr. Williams currently resides near the Seattle area with his wife and 3 children.

Jen Willup is the Environmental Education Specialist with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, and the instructor for the Between Two Worlds Indigenous Science Program. She has worked on creating Indigenized and Swinomish-centric curricula and content for our Swinomish high schoolers. The program is implemented at La Conner High School, with time spent in the classroom, and out in the field with hands-on experiences. In addition to the Between Two Worlds program, Jen also helps with other projects in the department, including a camas revitalization project, supporting the publication of traditional books, and community workshop. Jen loves that her work keeps the community strong and preserves the Swinomish culture, traditions, histories, and values. She wants to continue to pass those relationships and knowledge along where she can to help keep us Swinomish strong. Her position at the Department of Environmental Protection allows her to connect her love of science and her culture with her community.

David Woodson is the Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations at the University of Washington. David spent most of his career at the University of British Columbia where he had been responsible for the Energy and Water Services group prior to leaving to join the UW in November 2021. David’s primary role at the UW is to decarbonize the steam plant and recapitalize energy infrastructure. David is a UW Alumni with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and also has an MBA from the University of British Columbia.

Mary Voves was appointed Vice President for Business and Finance and University Treasurer at Eastern Washington University in 1999. With over 30 years of experience in higher education Ms. Voves served in similar roles in Oregon and Arizona. As Vice President for Business and Finance, she is responsible for the university’s financial management, human resources, facility planning and maintenance, real estate, purchasing, public safety, emergency management, environmental health and safety, risk management, information technology, auxiliary services, capital construction and sustainability. Ms. Voves has an MBA from Virginia Tech and a degree in economics from the SUNY Brockport and is active at a national level in professional organizations such as the National Association of College and University Business Officers. She is passionate about sustainability and finding viable low carbon solu􀆟ons that drive innovation in the built environment.

Nicholas Zaferatos, Ph.D., AICP, is a professor of urban planning and sustainable development at the College of the Environment, WWU. He served as the program director for the Urban Planning program, co-directs the minor in Sustainable Design, and directs WWU's faculty-led program in Mediterranean Sustainable Development in Greece. His professional planning practice spans over 40 years and includes positions with local planning agencies, tribal governments, consultancies, and appointments on planning commissions, boards, and regulatory commissions. He served as planning director and general manager for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in the Pacific Northwest for two decades and is the CEO of an NGO promoting sustainability education in the Mediterranean region. His research emphasizes tribal sovereignty empowerment as a pathway toward reservation sustainability.

Paige is currently the project manager for the Kaiser Borsari Hall project. In her role, she provides vital oversight and guidance to our project team to ensure work is completed safely and of high quality, and coordinates daily with all project team members. She has been instrumental in implementing the Contractor's Commitment to green building practices on the project site to meet requirements for waste, water, wellness, material, and carbon tracking and reporting. Paige is also a key team member who ensures that the team meets construction-related targets for the ILFI certifications. She is passionate about improving practices and standards across Mortenson's job sites to reduce the built environment's impact on our planet.

Zoë serves as Museum Educator for Western Washington University’s Western Gallery & Outdoor Sculpture Collection. She received her MFA in Art Education with a Museum Focus from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research investigated the intersections of critical theory and diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI) in art museum education and programming; areas of study that continue to shape her approach to art education today. A WWU Art History alum, Zoë is excited to rejoin the campus community and is driven to foster interdisciplinary, cross-campus connections through the Western Gallery and Sculpture Collection. She carries the foundational belief that– regardless of the environment in which it exists– art offers an empathic means to navigate the spectrum of human similarity, difference, and lived experience.

Shanni Hanein is a technical coordinator with the Seattle office at Perkins&Will. With over 11 years of experience, Shanni has focused on higher education and science & and technology buildings, working with teams from conceptual design to programming through project completion. She finds particular fulfillment in the design and development of these higher education lab facilities, where she can play a pivotal role in bringing these innovative research environments to life. Working directly with the end users and university stakeholders allows her to gain valuable insights and ensure that every project aligns seamlessly with their vision and objectives

Adam is a Project Director who has been with McKinstry for 7 years and in the construction industry for over 13 years. Adam has deep experience in commercial office and life sciences tenant improvement projects, where he has built a breadth of knowledge and ability to deliver excellence in fast-paced, occupied environments. He oversaw the mechanical construction for Western’s Kaiser Borsari. When he’s not running projects on-site, he is happily in the mountains skiing and hiking. Adam is also a new father and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

As a Design Phase Executive at Mortenson’s Seattle office, Keith provides advanced project leadership related to customer experience, schedule, scope, budget, design, and planning, resulting in a smooth transition to construction. He dove into the goal, budget, and scope alignment process for the WWU project and played a key role in writing specs and coordinating mass timber procurement. Keith continually advocates for mass timber/CLT construction and is a member of the AIA Mass Timber Committee, Woodworks Association, and Advancing Mass Timber. He most looks forward to innovation within the field by challenging the norms and pushing people to be creative and think outside the box.

Lyle manages and leads the Building Performance Group in Affiliated Engineers’ Seattle office, with project experience in building performance simulation, building systems engineering, and high-performance building design. His experience with energy, carbon, and cost analysis of building systems for laboratories, hospitals, and campuses has led to implementing advanced heat recovery systems, radiant heating and cooling systems, and energy-conserving operational strategies. He enjoys transforming simulation output into useful graphics and metrics that support informed decision-making by project teams.

With over 20 years of experience as a practicing architect, Devin is the Director of Regenerative Design leading sustainability for the Seattle office of Perkins&Will. As an Associate Principal and member of the Research Board, Devin is a firmwide knowledge expert for deep green design, occupant wellness and innovation across the country. He has worked on a diverse range of sustainable projects, receiving awards including the Committee on the Environment (COTE) Top 10, International Holcim Award for Sustainability, AIA Seattle Energy in Design Award, AIA Washington Civic Design Awards, the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), and the Living Building Challenge competition. In addition to leading the “Living Design Team” in his local Perkins&Will office, Devin is involved in regional and national organizations outside of the office including the Seattle 2030 District and the Labs2Zero program for I2SL (International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories). He has also led community training workshops including the “Integrated Design Process” for developers, contractors, city officials, and design professionals.

Curtis Lawyer is currently the Capital Projects Director at Bellingham Public Schools. Prior to their current position, they worked as a Project Manager for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. from June 2006 to October 2011. There, they worked on projects such as the Kaiser Oakland Medical Replacement Project and the San Francisco Unified School District. From October 2011 to April 2014, they were the Business Manager for Post Point Seafood. In this role, they were responsible for the financial, office, and business management of the company. Prior to working at Post Point Seafood, they were a Project Engineer for dck worldwide, LLC from January 2002 to May 2006. There, they were responsible for estimating and on-site management of projects such as the United States Courthouse in Miami, Florida and the Southwest Florida International Airport.

Ethan Martin is a problem solver by nature, willing to challenge the status quo in order to design better and more efficiently. His career started in Houston, oil and gas country, where he designed offshore platforms, including the first of its kind to resist ice flows in the North Sea. His passion for the sustainability of wood design was engrained in his wood-first policy of a company he owned for 10 years, where if it didn’t pencil out structurally, then the option for less environmentally friendly products like steel or concrete would be considered. He continued pushing for wood design with his work at WoodWorks where he served as the Northwest Regional Director and in his spare time, started the International Mass Timber Conference with Forest Business Network.

Dylan has 16 years of design and project management experience, with duties that have included experience through all phases of a project, including concept development, load calculations, system selection, construction documents, code compliance, and construction administration. His experience includes higher education, life science, health care, commercial and high-rise projects. Dylan excels at thinking outside the box to provide innovative engineering solutions and improve energy efficiency.

Jason arrived at RMC in 2006 bringing a wealth of large-firm knowledge on complex projects to the office. His ability to look ahead and find efficiencies in design and documentation has enabled the firm to extend beyond traditional approaches to projects, creating greater success. Jason is tenacious in the high standards he sets for his work and is respected by his colleagues, peers, and the RMC staff as a true leader. He possesses that rare combination of determination and confidence, and his collaborative ethic is coupled with good humor and personability. From mixed-use commercial to historic adaptive reuse or educational spaces, Jason strives to incorporate sustainable design strategies to reduce the carbon impact of his projects. He sees RMC as a community-based architectural firm and as such, understands the importance of remaining accountable to clients who live and work in our region.

Julia Babcock is a Senior Project Manager for Portland State University working on international programs and sponsored projects through the College of Urban and Public Affairs and Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. Through a network of universities she has leveraged over $20 million dollars since 2011 to support training, education and community capacity development programs towards sustainable development goals for the Vietnam Oregon Initiative.

Suneeta is Founder & Executive Director of Whatcom Waves, women’s empowerment organization that seeks climate, racial & social justice through sports. They have a vision to create the First HEMP community land trust of Washington using a ‘just transition’ framework (www.nwllcc.com). Past educational work history intersects with K-12, former foster youth serving as a coach at higher institutions and athletic coaching. Currently, Suneeta sits on the Climate Impact Advisory Board to Whatcom County and is a former honorable mention U.S. Dept of Energy’s “innovation” award. Her graduate degree focused on early childhood education and outdoor learning experiences through garden immersion. She lives on an acre of regenerative/permaculture near Lummi lands.

Kayshish Pichette-Cline is currently a student at Western Washington University. She is currently pursuing a Mathematics (BS) and is also a proud graduate of Northwest Indian College. Kayshish has been a part of NWIC’s Math and Writing Center for a few years and has been able to view students' thoughts and understandings of NWIC’s Indigenized mathematics. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she plans to apply to graduate school to further her knowledge and understanding of mathematics and progress to a career of teaching at Northwest Indian College.

For the last four years Zoe Slabodnik has been attending Portland State University and is enrolled in the Honors College. She is from the Skagit Valley and has close ties with Bellingham, especially the state parks, and is very passionate about sustainability, and specifically waste reduction. In her last year at Sedro-Woolley High School she restarted the Earth Club and implemented composting in the cafeteria, in coordination with the City of Sedro-Woolley. At Portland State University she volunteered and then worked with the Planning and Sustainability Office where she worked as Reuse Coordinator for a year. The Reuse Coordinator position included managing the Reuse Room on campus which is a free room where students can take household items, kitchen items, clothing, and much more, and also donate items as well. She is in her final year at PSU and is writing her thesis on the benefits of reuse rooms for the University Honors College. After graduation, she intends to look for a job related to waste reduction that is related to educating and helping whichever community she stays in, whether it be the Skagit Valley or Portland.