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Portland
 Karl-Henrik Robèrt
Founder, The Natural Step Framework
Professor Karl-Henrik Robèrt, MD, PhD, one of Sweden’s foremost cancer scientists, is the founder of The Natural Step (TNS), an international NGO that promotes a scientific consensus approach for social, ecological and economic sustainability.
Founded in 1989, the TNS network of scientists has developed a unifying description for sustainability and sustainable development, and, based on this, a framework for strategic planning towards sustainable practices and organizations. TNS coaches a growing number of role models among organizations and key decision makers, and provides forums and tools to share best practices. The TNS framework is used with great success by a variety of organizations including a whole host of local governments across the globe. The so called “eco-municipalities” is a growing movement of local governments and cities mainly in the US, Canada, and Sweden where top management has endorsed the TNS framework and applies it for envisioning, sustainability analyses, planning, monitoring and for interdisciplinary, cross-sector community building. The framework is used in the same way in business organizations such as Nike, Interface, Ikea, Rohm & Haas and in a growing number of universities applying the framework within the international research program “Real Change”. The wide range or organizations using one and the same unifying framework for Sustainable Development has transformed the buzzwords “interdisciplinary cooperation” and “cross-sector cooperation” into a concrete meaning.
Dr. Robèrt has published a number of books and articles on the subject of environment and sustainability. He was also Swedish delegate to the Roundtable on “A Sustainable Project for European Society” convened by former European Commission President Romano Prodi. In 1999 Dr. Robèrt won the Green Cross Award for International Leadership, and in 2000 he won the Blue Planet Prize, the ‘Nobel prize’ for ecological sustainability, sponsored by the Asahi Glass Foundation. In 2005 Dr. Robèrt was awarded The Social Responsibility Laureate Medal by the Global Center for Leadership & Business Ethics. In 2006 he was included in the publication -100 Visionaries of the 20th Century.
In 1979 Dr Robèrt earned a PhD degree in medicine from Karolinska Institute. He has served on the faculties of many of Sweden’s most prestigious hospitals and universities, including Huddinge University Hospital, the Chalmers Institute of Technology, and Blekinge Institute of Technology. Prof Robèrt is Fellow of World Business Academy, Advisory B
Sam Adams
Portland Mayor-Elect
Elected to the Mayoral seat in a landslide election in May, 2008, Sam Adams is vocal advocate for public arts, well-planned transportation systems, economic development, urban environmental sustainability, and transparency and accountability in government.
Coming to City Council with working-class roots, Adams has been persistent in securing support within the city for Portland’s business sector. On the legislative level, Adams co-founded the Small Business Advisory Council, created the Neighborhood Business District Grant Program, and reformed the Business License Fee to be more encouraging of economic stability and development. In efforts to bring jobs to the region, he has effectively recruited many businesses, including the Banfield, Thortex, and Integra.
Looking ahead, Sam is preparing to deliver on his job creation and economic development platform. He is committed to developing Portland’s first export strategy within 6 months of taking office as mayor. Simultaneously, he is fervently working to give Portland a competitive advantage in the world market by supporting development in the sustainability industry. Already, there are key relationships being built between the public and private sector to secure Portland’s spot as an international hub of sustainable business practices, consulting services, manufacturing, and educational programs.
Sam looks forward to being the Mayor of one of the most livable cities in the United States. Always looking for avenues of improvement, he is confident in his exceptional staff and driven by an internal drive to make Portland a culturally vibrant, environmentally friendly, and economically powerful 21st century City.
Nik Blosser
President, Celilo Group Media
Nik Blosser is co-founder and president of Celilo Group Media Inc., a Portland-based media company with the mission of expanding markets for sustainable products. Nik has been a leading voice in the sustainable business arena for the past decade in the Pacific Northwest, shaping both political and business perspectives around the economic opportunities surrounding sustainability. He is an expert on green marketing, integrating sustainable business sectors, and using policy to address environmental and sustainability issues. In addition to his responsibilities leading Celilo Group Media, Nik is also co-founder of the Oregon Business Association and serves on its board of directors. He was appointed by two Oregon governors to serve on the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission, where he most recently served as vice chair. He is chairman of his family's business, Sokol Blosser Winery. Nik received his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering and English from Stanford University in 1993.
Nik is married to Deborah Kafoury, and resides in Portland with their three children.
Dave Williams
President, ShoreBank Pacific
Mr. Williams, 62, is the CEO of ShoreBank Pacific, the first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development. He came to this position after two prior careers one in academia and another in manufacturing and 14 years in commercial banking.
A physicist with Masters degrees in both Physics and Economics, Williams taught Physics at both the secondary and collegiate level with a focus on energy issues. Moving to the commercial world, he has held progressive positions from MIS director through CFO, manufacturing manager and chief engineer, to CEO in companies in the Oil and Gas, robotics, boat building, and steel fabrication industries. These companies have been both local to the Pacific Northwest and international in scope including boat building in Taiwan at the early stage of its transition to an industrial economy.
In commercial banking Williams has worked primarily with small and mid-sized companies in all phases of bank services. Williams has been a speaker on sustainable development to universities and at various sustainability conferences throughout the west.
Jon Thomsen
President, Ecos
As president of Ecos, Jon oversees the day-to-day management of the organization and works in tandem with Lois Gordon (CEO) on strategic issues. Prior to being named president, Jon was the corporate development officer (CDO) of Ecos, overseeing the alignment of strategic planning and the corporate development activities. Jon also managed the launch of the Climate and Sustainability divisions of Ecos, focusing on environmental sustainability advisory and carbon mitigation activities. Prior to his position as CDO, Jon was the Vice President of the Ecos Energy Efficiency Solutions Division where he managed the strategy and operations and was responsible for energy efficiency products and services to the utility sector.
Jon has a solid business background in operations, strategy and finance, having held senior executive positions at successful startup organizations and at Fortune 500 Corporations. In addition to Jon's role as president, he serves on the Ecos board. He has a Masters in Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in economics from Willamette University.
Lynelle Cameron
Director of Sustainability, Autodesk
Lynelle Cameron is Director of Sustainability at Autodesk, a leading provider of design innovation software. Lynelle joined the company with a bold vision – to simplify and democratize sustainable design. By providing the millions of Autodesk users in many different industries with software tools that enable them to make smarter, more sustainable design decisions at every step in the design process, she hopes to transform how we are designing the world around us. Although software is at the heart of Autodesk's sustainability efforts, Lynelle is also focused on optimizing the company's environmental footprint.
Before joining Autodesk, Lynelle spent seven years building a Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) program at Hewlett Packard. She joined the private sector after seven years in the environmental nonprofit sector with The Mountain Institute, World Wildlife Fund, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance.
Lynelle is on the Board of Directors of the Biomimicry Institute and on the Advisory Board of Net Impact, a network of 10,000 M.B.A students and alumni interested in sustainable business. She holds an M.B.A from UC Berkeley, an M.S. from University of Michigan, and a B.A. from Middlebury College. She is a published author of several articles and chapters concerning business and sustainability.
Seattle
Steve Leahy
President and CEO, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Steve Leahy is the president & CEO of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, a position he has held since early 2002. Prior to that, Leahy served as the Chamber's executive vice president for 10 years.
During his tenure at the Chamber, he has overseen the organization's marketing, membership, administrative and financial operations, its public affairs and community development programs and its relationships with regional, state and federal leaders.
Leahy received his M.B.A. from the University of Puget Sound, his Masters in English from the University of Notre Dame, and his B.A. in Religious Studies from Lewis University (Illinois).
Leahy is active in a number of community organizations, and currently serves on boards including the Association of Washington Business, the Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle, Leadership Tomorrow, enterpriseSeattle, the Seattle Sports & Events Council, the Urban Enterprise Center, the Washington Health Foundation, the Washington Chamber of Commerce Executives Association, and the executive committee of American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association. He chaired the board of Family Services and the Seattle Children's Museum.
Yoram Bauman
Stand-up Economist
Yoram Bauman, "the world's first and only stand-up economist," has appeared at venues ranging from the New York Improv to the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting. He has a BA in mathematics from Reed College, a PhD in economics from the University of Washington, and spends his non-comedy hours teaching in the UW environmental studies program and researching the economics of climate change.
He has authored or co-authored three books (Tax Shift, Quantum Microeconomics, and Quantum Microeconomics with Calculus) as well as articles in popular and scholarly publications. He lives in Seattle, where he appears regularly at the Comedy Underground and runs a political comedy benefit show called Non-Profit Comedy that has raised over $40,000 for local non-profits. He also acts as the Specialized Co-Editor for Miscellany of the journal Economic Inquiry. In 2008 his Supply Side World Tour included shows at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Bank for International Settlements, and Oxford.
Stephen Reynolds
CEO, Puget Sound Energy
Stephen P. Reynolds is chairman, president and chief executive officer for Washington-based Puget Energy, a Fortune 1000 company, and its utility subsidiary, Puget Sound Energy. Reynolds has three decades of experience in both the natural gas and electric power business, including significant accomplishments in energy matters at the state and federal levels in North America and internationally. He was formerly CEO of Reynolds Energy International and served for 10 years as CEO of Pacific Gas Transmission Company of Portland, Oregon.
Reynolds is also committed to strengthening company relationships with customers, regulators, industry peers, employees, and other key constituencies. In addition to his responsibilities with Puget Energy and PSE, Reynolds serves on the boards of directors for: ArtsFund; The 5th Avenue Theatre; The Nature Conservancy of Washington; Washington Roundtable; Green Diamond Resources Company; Intermec, Inc.; the Edison Electric Institute; and the American Gas Association.
A California native, Reynolds has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of California-Berkeley, and a master’s in Business Administration from the University of Oregon.
Donna Shirey
President, Shirey Contracting
Donna Bade Shirey is now celebrating her 26th year of business as the president and CEO of Shirey Contracting, located in Issaquah, Washington. With her husband Riley as vice president, Donna is the company visionary and strategic planner.
Donna is also a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) which allows her company to offer remodeling services to enable people to live at home for as long as possible. In 2003, Donna expanded her business into smaller remodeling and handyman services. Now, with Shirey Handyman Service, Shirey is one of the most recognized names in the Seattle-area building industry.
Shirey Contracting has received dozens of awards including the 2006 Built Green Pioneer Award, National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Honorable Mention for the Large Kitchen category in 2006, and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) Remodeler of the Year in 2005. Recently Donna was awarded the Baldwin-Wallace College Alumni Merit Award, honoring her achievements and services in her profession.
Donna also contributes her time to many industry and community groups, such as the National Association of Home Builders, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County and the Issaquah and Bellevue Chambers of Commerce.
Dave Williams
President, Shorebank
Dave Williams is the CEO of ShoreBank Pacific, the first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development. Williams came to this position after two prior careers, one in academia and the other in manufacturing, along with 14 years in commercial banking.
A physicist with Masters Degrees in both Physics and Economics, Williams taught Physics at both the secondary and collegiate level with a focus on energy issues. Moving to the commercial world, he has held progressive positions from MIS director through CFO, manufacturing manager and chief engineer, to CEO in companies in the oil and gas, robotics, boat building, and steel fabrication industries. These companies have been both local to the Pacific Northwest and international in scope, including in Taiwan at the early stage of its transition to an industrial economy.
In commercial banking, Williams has worked primarily with small and mid-sized companies in all phases of bank services. Williams has been a speaker on sustainable development to universities and at various sustainability conferences throughout the West.
San Francisco
Van Jones
Co-founder and President, Ella Baker CenterFounder and President, Green for All
Van Jones is the founder and president of Green For All, an environmental organization based in Oakland, California. Green For All sprung from the need to build an inclusive, green economy - strong enough to lift millions of people out of poverty. Van is a tireless advocate, championing "green-collar jobs and opportunities" for disadvantaged people. He is committed to creating "green pathways out of poverty," while greatly expanding the coalition fighting global warming.
An advocate for the toughest urban constituencies and causes, Van has won many honors, including: the 1998 Reebok International Human Rights Award; the International Ashoka Fellowship; selection as a World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader;" the Rockefeller Foundation "Next Generation Leadership" Fellowship; Elle Magazine Green Award 2008; George Lucas Foundation's "Daring Dozen 2008;" Hunt Prime Mover Award 2008; Campaign for America's Future "Paul Wellstone Award 2008;" and Global Green USA "Community Environmental Leadership" Award.
Van has served on the boards of numerous national environmental organizations. Presently, he is a board member of the National Apollo Alliance, which advocates for clean energy jobs. He is also a founding board member of 1Sky, a national coalition working to avert catastrophic climate change. In 2008, Green for All partnered with the “We” organization, Al Gore’s commercial-scale effort using paid advertising, grassroots partnerships and online mobilization to build strong support for solutions to the climate crisis. The scale of “We” is unprecedented – it is on track to be the largest public policy advocacy campaign ever and expects to reach 10 million members within three years.
Van’s efforts have received attention from prominent news sources: he featured on CNN’s “Feature #1” and Steven Colbert’s “The Colbert Report”. Van has also been featured in Good Magazine, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The New York Times, and many online blogs.
In 2007, Van helped the City of Oakland pass a "Green Jobs Corps" proposal; the City allocated funds to train Oakland residents in eco-friendly "green-collar jobs."
At the national level, Van worked successfully in 2007 with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-MASS) to pass the Green Jobs Act of 2007. That path-breaking, historic legislation authorized $125 million in funding to train 35,000 people a year in "green-collar jobs."
Van is also a co-founder of a new national coalition that promotes the idea of a national "Clean Energy Jobs Corps." This multi-billion-dollar federal initiative would put hundreds of thousands of people to work rewiring and retrofitting the energy infrastructure of the United States.
A 1993 Yale Law graduate, Van is a husband and father. He is proud to champion some of the most hopeful solutions to America's toughest challenges.
Dan Geiger
Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council
Northern California Chapter
Dan Geiger is the Executive Director of U.S. Green Building Council – Northern California Chapter (USGBC-NCC). USGBC-NCC is one of the largest and most innovative USGBC Chapters in the United States, and is a national leader in LEED certification, training and policy advocacy. The Chapter encompasses the San Francisco Bay Area and Branches in Monterey, Silicon Valley and Sacramento.
Mr. Geiger, in cooperation with the Board and volunteer Committees, manages and oversees Chapter strategy, growth and operations. His areas of responsibility include planning, educational programs, public policy work, finance, membership, staff management, and volunteer and branch support.
He is a highly experienced social entrepreneur with more than 25 years of start-up, executive and consulting experience spanning the nonprofit, for-profit and philanthropy sectors. Recent executive experience includes: the Executive Director of Groundspring.org, an organization providing Internet services to nonprofits, and Co-Founder and CEO of OpNet, a program recognized by former Vice-President Al Gore that prepared low-income people for the digital economy.
Mr. Geiger’s consulting practice specialized in business and strategic planning, organizational development, fund raising, and technology and internet strategy. His business experience includes Marketing Manager and Account Executive for Wang Laboratories, Inc. Mr. Geiger holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
Susan Mac Cormac
Partner, Morrison & Foerster
Susan Mac Cormac is a partner in the Corporate Group of Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office. She currently serves as a co-chair of the Venture Capital/ Emerging Companies Group and the Cleantech Group for the firm worldwide.
Ms. Mac Cormac has extensive experience representing start-up to late-stage private companies primarily in the Cleantech or Sustainable space. She provides corporate and finance advice in connection with mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases and sales, reorganizations, joint ventures, and equity and debt financings. She regularly advises boards of private and public companies, special committees, and CEOs on corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (“CSR”) issues. Ms. Mac Cormac also represents nonprofit corporations involved with Sustainability and CSR, providing advice to their boards on fiduciary issues, conflicts of interest, and other corporate matters.
After working in New York for three years, Ms. Mac Cormac joined the firm as an associate in 1997 and became a partner in 2001. Ms. Mac Cormac was born in Davidson, North Carolina, and graduated in 1988 from Williams College with a degree in Political Economy. She received her J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Duke University School of Law in 1993. Ms. Mac Cormac lives in the Presidio National Park with her husband and two young boys (Eddie and Alex).
Ms. Mac Cormac is admitted to practice in both California and New York.
Don Shaffer
President and CEO, RSF Social Finance
Don Shaffer is President & CEO of RSF Social Finance, a nonprofit financial services organization at the center of a growing movement to support place-based, local economies that value human beings and the environment. Prior to joining RSF, Mr. Shaffer served as Executive Director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) developing it into an alliance of 52 local networks of independently-owned businesses across the U.S. and Canada. In the past year, he has also served as Interim Executive Director of Investors' Circle. His experience includes over 12 years in senior management positions building social mission companies including Comet Skateboards, a designer and manufacturer of premium skateboarding products committed to local and sustainable business practices. He has served and led sales, marketing, business development, and general operations teams in the education and software sectors. Mr. Shaffer graduated with a degree in American History at Cornell University, and lives in Oakland, California, with his wife Jennifer and their daughter Sabine.
Kevin Surace
President, Serious Materials
Mr. Surace, a noted speaker and writer on climate change and the built environment, is on a mission to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels and their effect on the environment. As CEO of Serious Materials Kevin leads the company in its mission to reduce energy usage and CO2 generation of the world’s largest contributor, our buildings.
Before joining Serious Materials in 2002, Mr. Surace held executive and technical positions with Perfect Commerce, General Magic, Air Communications, National Semiconductor and Seiko-Epson. He received his degree in electrical engineering technology from Rochester Institute of Technology where he serves on the Board of Trustees. Mr. Surace has been awarded multiple patents. He serves on the boards of FreeLight, Array Converter, Zeta Communities and Integrity Block.
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