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2017 Speakers

Mary Robinson — Keynote Speaker

Mary Robinson served as the first woman President of Ireland from 1990-1997, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002 and currently serves as the President of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice.

Robinson has dedicated her life to the advancement of human rights. She is the recipient of numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the President of the United States.  She sits on the advisory board of Sustainable Energy For All (SE4All), is a board member of several organizations including the European Climate Foundation, and is a member of the Lead Group of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. Between March 2013 and August 2014 Mary served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, and from August 2014 to end of 2015 she served as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Change.

A former chair of the Council of Women World Leaders she was also President and founder of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative from 2002-2010, and served as Honorary President of Oxfam International from 2002-2012.

Mary Robinson serves as Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business. She serves as Chancellor of the University of Dublin since 1998. Mary's memoir, Everybody Matters was published in September 2012.

Dr. Robert Davies - Plenary Speaker

Dr. Robert Davies is a physicist and public interest communicator whose work focuses on synthesizing a broad range of sustainable systems science ? including climate, energy, food, and economics.

Dr. Davies is also co-creator of The Crossroads Project, a performance art and communication project weaving together information, imagery and music to effect a more visceral communication of the challenges ahead.

Dr. Davies is adjunct professor in Utah State University’ Department of Plants, Soils and Climate and a past Associate of the Utah Climate Center.  He has taught on the faculty of three universities; worked as project scientist for Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory; as technical liaison for NASA’s International Space Station project;  and served as an officer and meteorologist in the United States Air Force.

John Cook - Workshop Presenter

John Cook is a Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. He founded Skeptical Science, a website which won the 2011 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for the Advancement of Climate Change Knowledge and 2016 Friend of the Planet Award from the National Center for Science Education.

John co-authored the college textbooks Climate Change: Examining the Facts with Weber State University professor Daniel Bedford. He was also a coauthor of the textbook Climate Change Science: A Modern Synthesis and the book Climate Change Denial: Heads in the Sand. In 2013, he published a paper analyzing the scientific consensus on climate change that has been highlighted by President Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

He recently completed a PhD in cognitive psychology, researching how people think about climate change, and developed a Massive Open Online Course on climate science denial.


Session and Higher Ed Forum Speakers

Emerson Andrews

Emerson Andrews is a hip-hop musician, writer, and capoeirista living in Salt Lake City, Utah. He currently works in the University of Utah Sustainability Office as the Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Coordinator, where he helps students develop implementable projects that save energy, establish bike amenities, research new facets of sustainability, and more. His love of life’s interstices continues to drive his work and his desire to write in any form be it comedy, music, or poetry. When he is not writing or working you can find him floating down the river, jumping in the roda, or walking through the desert.New speakers will continue to be added, check back often

Kate Bailey

Kate Bailey works for Eco-Cycle, which is based in Boulder, Colorado, and is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit recycling organizations in the world. Kate is the director of the Eco-Cycle Solutions project, which empowers citizens, government staff and elected officials to implement Zero Waste solutions by providing the vision, tools and support needed to take local action. Kate is a leading authority on Zero Waste best practices and has created national reports, websites, webinars, and presentations for audiences ranging from citizens to city council to state legislators.

Daniel Bedford

Dr. Daniel Bedford is a geographer and climate scientist with interests in the climate-society interface. Originally from London, England, he has been studying, teaching, and writing about Earth’s climate system for 30 years. As the scientific evidence of the reality and seriousness of human-caused climate change has become clearer, he has increasingly focused on communicating this evidence to the general public. He now teaches an introductory physical science general education class on global warming, speaks about climate change to a wide variety of audiences, and arranged a visit to Ogden by internationally-acclaimed climate scientist and communicator Dr. Richard Alley in December 2015. He has collaborated with an international team to produce a climate-change MOOC, and is Weber State institution lead for iUTAH, a statewide research effort to understand Utah’s water supply and demand in the face of population growth and climate change. His textbook, Climate Change: Examining the Facts, co-authored with John Cook, was published by ABC-CLIO in August 2016.

Vicki Bennett

Vicki Bennett is the Sustainability Director for Salt Lake City, working with both city agencies and the public to create a more livable community. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California at San Diego, and an Executive MBA from the University of Utah. Vicki has over 30 years of experience with an emphasis on sustainability planning, climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy policy, food security, waste diversion and environmental management. She has led Salt Lake City’s award-winning Salt Lake City Green sustainability program for 16 years, which has integrated sustainability throughout the city and governmental operations. She is a founding member of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, and is currently a co-chair. She is also active in a group of western cities collaborating on climate planning, and helped create the Utah Climate Action Network.

Kate Bowman

Kate Bowman is the Solar Project Coordinator for Utah Clean Energy, a non-profit, non-partisan organization in Salt Lake City, Utah whose mission is to lead and accelerate the clean energy transformation with vision and expertise. Kate works to generate solutions that overcome barriers to solar market growth through successful partnerships with decision makers and leaders, including local governments, utilities, and businesses. Through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Market Pathways Initiative, Utah Clean Energy and Salt Lake City are partnering to explore the potential for solar energy combined with storage to increase community resiliency and emergency preparedness. Kate’s work on innovative programs designed to jump-start the clean energy economy create opportunities for businesses and builders who see the connection between clean energy and a sustainable future. In April 2014, Kate Bowman was recognized by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for her efforts to promote and expand solar deployment.

Jared & Jessica Bradley 

Jared Bradley has worked in the landscaping trade for over 20 years.  He started Double Diamond Lawn & Garden in 2009 doing general lawn maintenance, then obtained his landscaping contractor’s license and began Los Gringos Lawn & Landscape in 2011 with his wife, Jessica, managing the office.  Jared is a strong supporter of protecting the environment and is committed to water-wise landscaping techniques and using plants appropriate for the Utah climate.  After several years of searching, Jared finally found a company that produced commercial electric mowing equipment and with the help of the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) Grant was able to purchase electric mowers last year.  In the off-season, Jared can be found skiing with his 6 children and trying to convince his wife that skiing is fun.

Roslynn Brain

Roslynn Brain is a Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist in the Department of Environment and Society, College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. She uses conservation theory, communication techniques, and social marketing tools to foster pro-environmental behaviors in the areas of land (land conservation, reducing, reusing and recycling), air (air quality and climate change), food (consuming locally with a focus on CSA’s and farmer’s markets), water (water-wise landscaping, decreasing water contamination and consumption), and energy (energy efficiency and renewable energy). Roslynn also teaches communicating sustainability, chairs a National Extension sustainability summit and the National Network for Sustainable Living Education, and is the coordinator for Utah Farm-Chef-Fork, the USU Permaculture Initiative, and Sustainable You! kids’ camps.

Dr. Adrienne Cachelin

Dr. Adrienne Cachelin serves as the Sustainability Education Director for the University of Utah, the Associate Director for the Global Change and Sustainability Center, and holds an appointment as is Associate Professor / Lecturer for the Environmental and Sustainability Studies program in the College of Social and Behavioral Science. In her teaching and her research, Adrienne uses a critically-oriented systems lens to elucidate connections between justice and sustainability.

Jacob Cain

Jacob Cain is the Director of Operations at Weber State University. He has worked at Weber for 10 years, starting as an hourly IT analyst, becoming WSU's first energy manager, and has served as director of operations for two years.  Jake developed the financial model responsible for WSU's success in energy management and remains a driving force for sustainability in university operations.  Weber's success in energy is primarily due to Jacob's efforts. Jacob holds Bachelor's Degree in Physics and an MBA from Weber.  He has a number of industry certification related to energy and sustainability, including Certified Energy Manager, Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional, and Renewable Energy Professional.

Denni Cawley

Denni Cawley is the Executive Director of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, a public-interest, environmental non-profit dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of Utahns by promoting science-based health education and interventions that result in progressive and measurable improvements to the environment. Denni cultivated partnerships and managed programs over the last 15 years for U.S. and international organizations in the areas of environmental policy, good governance, human rights, health and education.  Prior to taking on her role in UPHE, Denni was Assistant Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of the University of California, San Francisco.  She also worked for both the Center for International Environmental Law and the World Resources Institute in Washington, DC.  Overseas, she led the rapid expansion of an executive education program at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore that provided training to Asian leaders and decision-makers. Denni began her career deeply involved in community engagement and advocacy in the Philippines.

Shawna Cuan

Shawna Cuan is the Managing Director for the Governor's Office of Energy Development where she oversees renewable energy, energy efficiency, alternative transportation, and energy education. Prior to joining OED, Shawna worked for the U.S. Navy as a research analyst, the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy Global Environmental Governance Project, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C.  Her Bachelor’s is in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and she holds a Master’s in Public Policy with an emphasis in Environmental Regulation and Policy from Georgetown University.

Greta Belanger deJong

Greta Belanger deJong is the founder, editor and publisher of CATALYST, a 35-year-old  free-circulation nonprofit magazine, website and weekly e-newsletter, with award-winning coverage of environmental issues, wellness, holistic living and the arts. Previously, she was a staff writer at Countryside, a national organic farming magazine. deJong is a recipient of University  of Utah's Service to Journalism award (youngest and first female awardee), KRCL's Stephen Holbrook Visionary Award and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Josephine Zimmerman Pioneer in Journalism award.  She has a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Jane Drexler

Jane Drexler is associate professor of philosophy at Salt Lake Community College. She earned her Ph.D. at SUNY-Binghamton, specializing in ethics and social/political theory. Her current research centers on how philosophy contributes to an integrative general education.  In her most recent publication (Teaching Philosophy, Fall 2015), Drexler reflected on the design of her Environmental Ethics course as she explored the role and value of philosophy at the community college.  Drexler earned the 2016 Teaching Excellence Award at Salt Lake Community College, as well as the 2010 Blackboard Exemplary Course award for her fully-online version of Introduction to Environmental Ethics.

Kevin Emerson

Kevin is the lead for energy efficiency programs, partnerships, and a variety of policy and regulatory activities for Utah Clean Energy. Currently, he serves as a consultant to Salt Lake City on the City’s Project Skyline initiative and recently Co-Chaired the Building Efficiency Committee for the State of Utah’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan. He is a regular participant in Demand Side Management Advisory Groups for both Rocky Mountain Power and Questar Gas, and serves on the Energy Management Program Advisory Committee for Salt Lake Community College. Kevin has spearheaded efforts to pass landmark legislation including policies to enable innovative financing for commercial energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, legislation to adopt up-to-date energy efficiency building code in buildings, and most recently expanding electric vehicle incentives and infrastructure. Kevin graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Utah and a M.Sc. in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, and holds a LEED GA designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Isaac Farley

Isaac Farley is Co-Founder and Co-Owner of O-Town Kitchen along with Nestor Robles. Issac was born and raised in Ogden, Utah. He recently graduated from Weber State with a bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Isaac is an ordained Christian minister and his faith is the basis and motivation for the work he does in the community. Isaac’s passions is using food to make a difference. He worked for a church soup kitchen for several years and in 2014 started re-imagining what a soup kitchen could be. In 2015 he co-founded O-Town Kitchen with his Weber State classmate Nestor Robles. As one of the newest benefit corporations in Utah, he helped to celebrate the second anniversary of Utah's law by sharing delicious samples from his kitchen with fellow benefit corporation owners in Northern Utah.

Jeremy Farner

Jeremy Farner is a professor in the Design Engineering Technology department at Weber State University.  He teaches Architectural Engineering and Green Building Science.  He wanted to have a living laboratory to showcase the latest and greatest innovations in green building, passive solar design, net zero strategies, and functional tiny home design.  He mentored a senior project to design and construct the Net Zero Tiny Studio in Ogden, Utah.  Jeremy uses the project to teach sustainable living, design, and energy efficiency.  The project is situated behind WSU and students run energy and life-cycle analysis using it as a case study they can visit as often as needed.  With the help of interior design students, the interior was designed and finished using the most environmentally friendly finishes.  With a budget of $20,000 it is truly amazing how beautiful the Net Zero Tiny Studio is.  The goal of the project was to encourage energy efficient & sustainable design and how they can be used on existing and new construction projects. You can visit the website for the project at http://net-zerostudio.weebly.com

David Griffin II

Trained in both architecture and building science, Mr. Griffin II has focused on the integration of the built environment and energy conserving/consuming systems. A focus on whole building energy simulation allows him to provide investment grade financial analy­sis to all parties involved proving the business case for sustainabil­ity in both new construction and existing buildings. David’s energy experience includes over 2 million square feet of healthcare, higher education, commercial, federal and municipal buildings boasting over 8.8 MkWh saved/year. Applying his experience, he continues to push the envelope and diligently seek out opportunities to save the world – one building at a time.

Jeffrey P. Hill

Jeff Hill is an Associate Professor of Botany in the Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University. He received a BS in Biology at SUNY Binghamton, graduate degrees from the University of California, at Davis (MS) and Riverside (PhD), and a USDA Fellowship at the University of Georgia. His expertise is in plant development and evolution, including the biology of alternation of generations in non-seed plants. With NSF support, he conceived and directed a program to integrate discovery research into the freshman biology curriculum. His current instructional interests include engaging students in the biology of edible plants in the broader context of food system resilience, diet and human health, and rethinking the under-designed transitional spaces at the interface of the human-built environment and nature.

Dr. Tiffany Ivins

An international development consultant addressing social justice and inequality, Tiffany holds 22 years living and working in Asia, Africa & Latin America. Together with her husband, Mitchell Spence, she is Principal/Founder of Living Zenith, a net zero movement focused on energy efficiency, sustainable development, and health. Tiffany earned a BS in Humanities & Intl. Devp. from BYU, an MSC in Intl. Ed. from Oxford Univ, & a PhD from BYU in Instructional Psychology & Technology. She is a Developer with Redfish Builders, has served as Director for the Community Development Network since 2001, and is President-Elect of the United Nations Assn of UT.  She is passionate about self-reliance for vulnerable groups, refugees & immigrants.

Jacie Summers Johnson

Jacie Summers Johnson has been teaching Interior Design at Weber State University for 13 years.  She is NCIDQ Certified and a LEED GA.  Her areas of expertise are Sustainability, Building Codes, Curriculum, Historical Furnishings and Culture.  Her Sustainability II Class (Hard Materials) partnered with Jeremy's classes to design the interiors of the Tiny Studio.  Students were given a hands-on opportunity to not only design, but to program with the end users and problem-solve real life situations.  It was a wonderful learning tool with a beautiful end result.  Other cross-degree programs that both IDT and DET have worked on include charettes focusing on creating real-life building projects for focused cultural groups utilizing 72 hour solutions.

Lara Jones

Lara Jones has spent her 30-year career helping others tell their stories. Her résumé includes stints as a teenage disc jockey, a business reporter, a public radio producer/reporter, the first civilian public relations director for the Salt Lake City Police Department, and now the manager of community content at 90.9fm KRCL. The Salt Lake City-based community radio station is home to RadioActive, a community affairs show for the local and global community builder. Jones was part of the group of civic and business communicators that wrote The Utah Compact, a declaration of five principles to guide Utah’s immigration discussions.

Steve Jones

Steve Jones has more than 15 years of experience working on master planning and design of gravity and pressurized drinking and secondary water systems, storm drain systems, sanitary sewer systems, and the analysis of drainage run-off, water source, and water rights. He is a recognized expert in extended-period hydraulic modeling and water system optimization. He has helped many water systems identify inefficiencies and develop sustainable solutions that provide substantial savings. Steve is often asked to give presentations and training on hydraulic modeling. Steve is a member of the American Water Works Association and currently serves on the Annual Conference Program Committee. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University. For over ten years, Steve has played the cello in the Orchestra at Temple Square. He is a recipient of the HAL Service with Integrity Award and the HAL Technical Excellence Award.

Kenner Kingston

Kenner Kingston is an architect and the President of Architectural Nexus, a JUST-labeled firm with a practice reaching throughout the Western US. In addition to being the only Living Future Accredited Professional in the Great Basin, Kenner volunteers his time as an Ambassador Presenter for the International Living Future Institute. Kenner is inspired by nature and is interested in regenerative design strategies such as material and building reuse, on-site renewable energy and water independence.

Steve Klass

Steve Klass has been the Executive Director of P3 Utah since October 2012, when the Board was formed. He has led business sustainability education and networking activities in Utah since 2006 as founding president of the Net Impact Utah professional chapter. Steve is one of Utah’s most experienced community service capacity builders, having served as Deputy State Planning Coordinator, SCORE start-up counselor, nonprofit board development consultant, socially responsible business plan judge and leader on nonprofit boards. He has operated a management consulting practice, Klass Strategies, since 1993, focusing on strategic planning, fund raising and project management for small nonprofit organizations. Steve's professional work began in program planning and budget analysis for public health, environmental quality, and community and economic development programs for the state of Utah. He has an MPA and an HBA in organizational communication from the University of Utah.

Lindsey Kneuven

Lindsey Kneuven is the Chief Impact Officer for Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear company with a social mission. Lindsey formerly directed global grant making, strategic planning, and large-scale employee engagement programs for companies such as Oracle, Juniper Networks and Singularity University at Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF), the largest community foundation in the world with over $6.5 billion in assets under management. Lindsey also has extensive experience in international development and nonprofit management, having spent a number of years working in East Africa to develop and implement a primary school literacy model with Nuru International as their Senior Education Program Director. Before Nuru, Lindsey served as the Global Grants Manager for the Salesforce Foundation where she oversaw the strategy, programming and success of multimillion dollar granting initiatives for four years. She has been active in international and domestic poverty alleviation initiatives for 15 years.

Leia Larsen

Leia Larsen is a reporter for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden, Utah. She covers issues related to water, air quality, health and the outdoors. She recently completed a yearlong multimedia project, "Losing the Great Salt Lake," which explored the environmental and economic impacts of Utah's famous saline waterbody that's on the brink of a record low. She has undergraduate degrees from the University of Utah and a master’s in journalism from the University of Colorado Boulder. Before becoming a reporter at the Standard-Examiner, she worked as an environmental assessor, investigating more than 200 sites throughout the West. She also formerly reported for a small newspaper at the headwaters of the Colorado River. She enjoys climbing, skiing, mountain biking and sleeping in tents.

Wendy Lee

Wendy has years of experience working as a building energy efficiency engineer in the Salt Lake Valley and across Utah. She graduated from Brigham Young University with her BS in Mechanical Engineering and received a Master of Engineering from the University of British Columbia. For the past two years she has been working with Salt Lake City as an employee of Institute for Market Transformation to help the City accelerate energy efficiency in the commercial buildings sector. She volunteers as a k9 Search and Rescue team in her spare time and enjoys wandering the great backcountry wilderness of Utah.

Kate MacLeod

Americana musician Kate MacLeod is an award-winning songwriter and violinist. Her original music has been recorded and performed by other artists from California to eastern Europe in Bluegrass, Celtic, and other roots music genres. Originally from the Washington DC area, she moved to Utah as a student and has made Salt Lake City her home. Kate incorporates landscape and stories of people into her song and instrumental compositions. Currently, she is in the process of recording a collection of music inspired by the Utah region.

Meaghan McKasy

Meaghan McKasy is a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah. Upon completing her MA in Environmental Humanities, she spent four years working in alternative energy in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Through her work in renewable energy, Meaghan noticed the array in social perceptions of alternative energy and how people respond to certain language and messaging. Her academic research broadly focuses on theory in environmental, science and policy communication from a quantitative perspective. Specifically, she is interested in the relationship between political affiliation, emotions and information processing for energy related issues.

Dr. Brian Moench

Dr. Brian Moench is President of the Board of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. He is a former faculty member of the University of Utah Honors Program, teaching public health and the environment. He was the former chairman, Dept. of Anesthesia, Holy Cross Hospital and has been in private practice anesthesia at Holy Cross Hospital, LDS Hospital, and Intermountain Medical Center since 1981. Over the last eight years he has given hundreds of community and academic lectures and power point presentations, written about 90 Op Eds for newspapers throughout the country, and has helped communities in Utah, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Alaska, Nevada and British Columbia organize opposition to polluting industries. He has been an expert witness and written court briefs for pollution lawsuits, has met with top EPA officials, and was nominated by the Obama Administration at a Washington, DC conference as one of 50 finalists to receive the award “Champion of Change” for his work on global warming.

Justice Morath

Justice Morath is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Salt Lake Community College and the Associate Director of SLCC’s Community Writing Center. Much of his work focuses on scientific literacy in the greater community as a means of increasing civic engagement and empowering underrepresented groups. These tools can and should be available to all regardless of educational background. Understanding scientific discovery and knowing how to effectively write about it is a key tool in making positive social change.

Justin Owen

Justin Owen is the Energy Manager at Weber State University. He began working at Weber in 2011 as a student hourly in the Sustainability section, after which he pursued his graduate education and then returned to Weber where he has been the energy manager for one year. Justin is responsible for the day to day management of Weber's energy program - maintaining and improving on the success Jacob achieved while finding new opportunities for energy efficiency and cost reduction. He holds Masters Degrees in Environmental Science and Public Affairs from Indiana University and a Bachelor's in Geography from Weber State University. Justin recently earned his Energy Manger in Training certification.

Dave Pacheco

Dave Pacheco bio Dave is SUWA’s Utah Grassroots Organizer, a fifth generation Utahn from Salt Lake City. He’s in his second stint with SUWA, having held similar positions with the organization from 1994-2004, rejoining the staff in 2014. His focus is educating and bringing together individuals and groups in support of protecting the remaining wild lands at the heart of the Colorado Plateau. In his own time, Dave prefers hiking, paddling, bike touring and quiet recreation in the Western U.S., especially the redrock country of southern Utah.

David Proffitt

David Proffitt is a doctoral student in the Metropolitan Planning, Policy & Design program at the University of Utah. He specializes in urban environmental policy, with an emphasis on transportation planning to reduce local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. In addition to his work at the U, David holds a master’s degree in urban & environmental planning from Arizona State University and was a Fulbright scholar in India, where he did research on development strategies to combat the urban heat island effect. David’s presentation today is based on work he did as part of a National Science Foundation grant. This work will soon be published in the journal Urban Studies.

Jörg Rügemer

Jörg Rügemer graduated with an M.Arch. from SCI-Arc in Los Angeles and has worked for renowned architectural firms such as Frank O. Gehry in Los Angeles, Anshen & Allen in San Francisco, and Bothe Richter Teherani in Hamburg. Between 2004 and 2008, he maintained an architectural partner practice in Shanghai, where he was in charge of designing large master planned developments and densified housing projects. He taught as a professor of architecture at several universities in Germany and the US. 2006, he is a professor for sustainable design at the School of Architecture, University of Utah, where he focuses on resilient and cost-effective high-performance buildings. Rügemer has received numerous international architectural awards and scholarships, including 16 placements in international architectural and urban design competitions, and many awards for his completed work.

Michael Shea

Michael Shea is a the Senior Energy Policy Associate for HEAL Utah. His work consists of three primary areas: grassroots, political, and regulatory. The grassroots component is focused primarily in translating complex political, technical and regulatory information for the public and media. During the legislative session Michael is at Utah's Capitol full time, lobbying for progressive energy policies and is in charge of HEAL's political energy agenda. Michael's regulatory work is concentrated at Utah's Public Service Commission and Rocky Mountain Power's Integrated Resource Planning process. He works with allies on creating and pushing more renewable friendly rate design.

Julie Sieving

Julie puts her 17 years of engineering experience to work for a wide range of clients in the local government, utility and education sectors. Julie has led numerous energy and water efficiency projects, including leadership in Brendle Group projects that have developed and implemented unique student engagement approaches. Julie focuses on collaboration to keep sustainability accessible and rewarding for her clients. Julie is known for her direct community involvement and facilitation experience, helping clients navigate complex issues while focusing on project implementation and performance monitoring. Her expertise is informed by hands-on experience facilitating integrated green building design, as well as operational and systematic sustainability strategies. Julie holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, supplemented by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation. While leading up Brendle Group’s 2016 opening of a Utah office, Julie is enjoying her deeper introductions to Utah and its scenic beauty.

Bina Skordas

Bina Skordas is the Sustainability Program Manager for Park City, working primarily in the Public Utilities department. Bina spearheaded the Water and Energy Program for Park City, which is a fully funded 10-year program designed to leverage the nexus between water and energy to realize the significant opportunity of reducing water utility impacts. This program fully supports Park City's ambitious goal to be net zero carbon and 100% renewable electricity by 2022.  Bina has a B.S. in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of British Columbia where she focused on energy policy and hydrology. In her spare time she teaches avalanche safety courses and mountain bikes with her dog.

Ryan Stolley

Ryan Stolley is the Program Manager for the Utah Climate Action Network. In this role he is responsible for the organization, strategic vision and day-to-day operations of network activities and public outreach. Prior to UCAN, Ryan was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the SunShot Initiative at the United States Department of Energy where he worked on numerous activities to drive down the cost of solar technologies. Prior to that he was a post-doctoral research associate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where his research focused on new and innovative clean energy technologies. Ryan has his PhD from the University of Utah and his BS from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.

Tenneson Woolf

Tenneson Woolf (tennesonwoolf.com) is a facilitator, workshop leader, speaker, and writer based in Lindon, Utah. He posts a daily blog, Human to Human, in which he offers reflection on varied aspects of participative leadership practices, insights, and human to human depth. Tenneson designs and leads meetings in participative formats. To help people be smarter together. To get people interacting with each other — learning together, building relationships, and focused on projects. To get deeper to the heart of what matters. From strategic visioning with boards to large conference design. He has been a practitioner of Circle and other participative forms for 20+ years. Lately he has been working with faith communities, educators, public health leaders, and alternative energy leaders. His lineages include The Berkana Institute, The Circle Way, and The Art of Hosting.

Devin Thorpe

Devin Thorpe is a new-media journalist and founder of the Your Mark on the World Center, an established champion of social good. With 350 Forbes bylines and over one million unique visitors, he has become a recognized name in the social impact arena. Previously, Devin served as the CFO of the third largest company in the 2009 Inc. 500 list. He also founded and led a NASD-registered investment bank. After completing a degree in the finance at the University of Utah, he earned an MBA from Cornell University. Having lived on three continents and visited over 30 countries on six continents and with guests from around the world on his show, Devin brings a global perspective to audiences around the world, empowering them to do more good and to drive positive change within their organizations. His four books have been read nearly one million times!

Judd Werner

Judd Werner is an Engineer/Project Manager retired in 2016 from a domestic and internationally experienced career in the Oil & Gas Industry. He lives in Summit County where he leads the Park City & Wasatch Back Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, is active in Democratic Party politics and participates in the Lay leadership of his church. Judd has Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah and Stanford University respectively. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of California and holds PMP credentials from the Project Management Institute. When not engaged in his volunteer causes Judd and his family enjoy the multitude of outdoor recreational and community opportunities in the Park City area.

Sara K Yeo

Sara K. Yeo (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Utah and a faculty affiliate with the Global Change and Sustainability Center and the Environmental Humanities Program at the U. Her research interests include science communication, public opinion of STEM issues, and information seeking and processing. Her work has been published in journals such as Public Understanding of Science, Risk Analysis, Energy Policy, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, and Materials Today. Originally from Malaysia, Dr. Yeo is trained as a bench and field scientist and holds a M.S. in Oceanography from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her training in ecology and the life sciences has been invaluable to her research at the intersection of science, media, and politics.