Alicia has been developing partnerships and assisting communities throughout Colorado for over 25 years. She has excelled in private and nonprofit business management, environmental education, and research and development of various sustainability strategies. Her work experience includes alternative fuels, zero waste strategies, and sustainable procurement. Most recently she has been assisting municipalities with landfill diversion strategies, specifically in mountain resort communities. In her personal time she enjoys hanging out with her partner and grandson and loves to sing and play guitar.
Hilary Arens is Snowbird’s Director of Sustainability and Water Resources. Ms. Arens has aMasters in Watershed Science from Colorado State University, and worked at the Utah Division of Water Quality as the watershed coordinator for Utah Lake and Jordan River basins until 2015 when she joined the Snowbird team. Her focus at Snowbird is to help guide the resort towards meeting their Play Forever goals by protecting the environment and engaging the community through local relief and participation. You can learn more about the work she does at Snowbird at https://www.snowbird.com/play-forever/play-forever-at-snowbird/.
KC Becker is a passionate public servant with over 18 years of experience in both federal and state organizations. Recently, she served in the Colorado State Legislature for 4 terms, including two years as House Majority Leader and two years as the Speaker of the House – at the time, one of only seven female speakers in the United States.
During her 4 terms in the legislature, KC sponsored important and high-profile legislation including passing nationally leading climate change legislation that requires the state to meet greenhouse gas emissions goals; led comprehensive reform of state regulation of the oil and gas industry; and passed state public lands day that has become a model in other states.
Starting in 1997, KC worked as an attorney-advisor in the Solicitor’s Office at the US Department of the Interior, a role she held for over six years. She served for 4 years on the Boulder City Council, in Boulder, Colorado.
She was appointed as the Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 8 office on November 29, 2021.
KC graduated from the College of William and Mary with a with a B.A. in Government and earned her J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School with a certificate in environmental law, where she served on Law Review. She also earned an M.S. in Real Estate Development from the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Before and during law school, she worked for environmental and outdoor organizations, and camped throughout the western U.S.
Other than working to improve the quality of the environment, she likes to read, ski and hike. KC lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and two sons.
Andy is a native of Ohio but spent his summers in the West developing an early appreciation for grand landscapes. In 1991, he graduated from Miami (of Ohio) University and headed to Alaska to instruct for the National Outdoor Leadership School. Eventually, he set up basecamp in Park City meeting his wife Thea Leonard and investing in a struggling hotel called Treasure Mountain Inn. Over a decade of renovations, they transformed the hotel into a modern, eco-tique and one of the first net-zero hotels in North America. This earned them the ‘Park City Environmental Hero award’ and inspired Andy’s deeper involvement as a climate advocate, president of the downtown business alliance, City Councilor, then Mayor. While in office he spearheaded the preservation of 3000+ acres of land, the electrification of Park City’s fleet, committed to community-wide net-zero by 2030, and changes to State law (HB411) allowing the rapid conversion to 100% clean renewables. In 2019 Andy helped to create Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) to promote collective action and encourage other communities to set climate goals. Recently retired, Andy is appreciating the slower pace, learning to surf, and contemplating new avenues for climate activism.
Kayla is the Sustainability Manager for the City of Louisville, leading development and implementation of the City’s environmental sustainability programs, projects and policy initiatives for residents, businesses and the municipality. Kayla is the staff liaison to the Sustainability Advisory Board and works with the board to develop and implement projects that support the City’s adopted Climate Action Goals and Sustainability Action Plan. Kayla earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and has been working in municipal government on the Front Range for the past 9 years implementing sustainability programs and policies for residents and businesses in Boulder, Larimer, and Jefferson Counties.
Ashley’s 10+ years of expertise in energy efficiency, decarbonization and energy management with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Energy Management from Duke University. Ashley is responsible for working with clients to identify energy opportunities, promote resource conservation management and developing innovative energy and decarbonization solutions for Colorado public sector clients in Local government. Ashley was responsible for the implementation and funding strategies and strategy oversight during the Louisville decarbonization roadmap.
Luke Cartin is the Environmental Sustainability Manager for Park City, Utah and MT2030 co-founder. He oversees Park City’s goals of achieving net-zero carbon and 100% renewable electricity for city operations by 2022, and community-wide 2030. These goals are the most ambitious in North America for any municipality, and one of the most aspiring world-wide. Previous to coming to the city, he worked in ski resort sustainability and land planning for 15 years. His work has been featured in the New York Times, BBC, Outside Magazine, Powder, Newsweek, and other international outlets. He lives with his wife, three kids, and many animals just outside Park City.
Aimée Christensen is the founder and CEO of Christensen Global, a strategic advisory firm where she leverages deep expertise and a diverse network of relationships to build a just, resilient and thriving world. She develops, accelerates and scales solutions in key impact sectors, including with climate solutions innovators such as Aleph Farms, Hempitecture and RiskThinking.Ai, global impact initiatives including the Clinton Global Initiative, The Elders, Global Ocean Commission and Sustainable Energy for All, major corporations Duke Energy, FEMSA, Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, Swiss Re and Virgin, and philanthropies including Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Russell Family Foundation and the United Nations Foundation.
Christensen has three decades of climate leadership in policy, law, investment, philanthropy and business including at The White House, U.S. Department of Energy, Baker & McKenzie, The World Bank and Google. Christensen drafted and negotiated the first U.S. bilateral and regional climate change agreements (U.S.-Costa Rica, et. al., 1994-1997), drafted the first-ever university endowment climate investment policy (Stanford University, 1999) and while Climate Maven at Google, guided the company’s early climate strategy including a commitment to carbon neutrality in 2007, lobbying for the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) (2006), and developing Google.org’s first climate project, RechargeIT, advancing the electrification of transportation and vehicle to grid (2006-2007).
She advised several of Sir Richard Branson’s initiatives, The Elders, The Carbon War Room and The B Team (2007-2014), guiding the Carbon War Room from conception to launch. In 2012 she was recruited to serve as Senior Adviser to the United Nations Secretary General’s High-level Group on Sustainable Energy For All, mobilizing private sector commitments to energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy access. Since relocating to Sun Valley, Idaho, she founded and led the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience (2015-2020) and founded and curates the annual Sun Valley Forum (2015-present).
Her nonprofit service currently includes serving as a board member of Confluence Philanthropy, Food + Planet, and the National Forest Foundation as well as the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute on Sustainability at Arizona State University. She is an Aspen Institute Catto Fellow (2010), a Hillary Institute Leadership Laureate (2011), a 2017 Women in Leadership & Zions Bank laureate, and an Idaho Business Review Woman of the Year (2020). She has a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. from Smith College.
Liz went from being a volunteer with the Colorado Division of Wildlife to currently serving as the Executive Director of Recycle Colorado. She began her career in waste in the mountains and continues to champion the concerns of those communities as she works with both rural and urban waste sheds. Dr. Chapman began her journey into waste and recycling systems when waste behaviors became the focus of her dissertation. Recycle Colorado is a non-profit made up of members throughout Colorado, all of which are approaching waste diversion, reduction, and recovery from different perspectives, so her experience as an educator, regulator, researcher, and collaborator has given her the tools she needs to build consensus among the variety of people and organizations who share our mission to capture the value contained in our waste stream while reducing waste’s impact on our climate and environment.
Jill Corbin is the Deputy Director, Destination Stewardship at the Colorado Tourism Office. In her role at the CTO, she guides the efforts of the Destination Stewardship department to support a balance between quality of life for residents and quality of experience for visitors while enhancing Colorado’s natural resources and communities. Within the Destination Stewardship department, she works with a dynamic team to advance support for Colorado’s tourism industry through destination development programming, grants and funding opportunities, education, professional development and visitor services. Additionally, Jill works to strengthen strategic partnerships and collaborations across the state with groups like the Destination Stewardship Council, Inclusivity in Travel Coalition and Care for Colorado Coalition.
Kevin Frey is the Facilities Superintendent for the City of Louisville, CO, where he plays a pivotal role, collaborating closely with the Sustainability team and McKinstry consultants in advancing sustainability through the City’s Decarbonization Roadmap. With over 15 years of diverse facilities management experience overseeing 1 million sq ft of commercial space across 18 global locations, coupled with three years as a licensed General Contractor and master carpenter for film and commercial projects, Kevin brings a wealth of expertise to his role. Beyond his professional pursuits, he enjoys exploring mountain towns with his family and indulging in woodworking and photography, all reflecting his commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and community well-being.
Jon Goldin-Dubois understands the challenge of climate change but isn’t discouraged by the scale of the work to be done to address the climate crisis in the Interior West. His deep connection to the natural world, particularly the mountains, rivers, and deserts of the West, drives his desire to find and present opportunities to rebuild our economies and societies in harmony with the environment. Upon joining Western Resource Advocates (WRA) in 2014 as president, Goldin-Dubois set about getting the team to scale around its seven-state region and ensuring that WRA has the resources needed to influence states to decrease carbon emissions; connect and protect critical landscapes; and ensure healthy river systems. Goldin-Dubois’ three-decade career has revolved around advocating for changes that make our communities better. His background ranges from fundraising and campaign strategy to leadership and policy development to grassroots organizing, across a variety of industries, including environmental issues, youth development, and government accountability.
Brian is an experienced mechanical engineer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with expertise in decarbonizing buildings, portfolios, and campus systems over the last 12 years. Brian’s technical mindset enhances the planning process by creating innovative solutions and he led the technical component of the City of Louisville Decarbonization Roadmap.
Kathryne is passionate about making the world a better place for all people. As the vice president of equity and culture for WRA, she is poised to address diversity and inclusion within the organization and the conservation movement. She works to build a greater understanding among staff about the systemic inequities that have impacted communities’ land, air, rivers, and drinking water, in order to champion the organization policy efforts and proactively address climate change and advance equity throughout the West with our partners. Before law school, Kathryne was a social worker helping victims of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness. She then held several legal roles, including as in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 corporation and as an employment attorney for the Colorado Department of Law and in private practice, as well as served as a staff attorney for the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia. She found her path to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work while at the University of Denver, where she established the Title IX office, rewrote policies, rebuilt community trust and transparency, and implemented critical training on diversity and inclusion and anti-discrimination laws. Immediately prior to joining WRA, Kathryne served as the civil rights director and diversity officer for the Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Denver. While at RTD, she developed a first-of-its-kind compliance and diversity awareness training for the entire workforce and inclusivity training for its Board of Directors, established a DEI committee, and leveraged community outreach to promote pathways to employment.
Tom’s interest in sustainability was born from the writings of ecologists like John Janovy and Aldo Leopold. That interest grew while spending time in Western Nebraska and fully appreciating the unique beauty of the Sandhills region.
Immediately after graduating from the University of Nebraska, Tom headed west to Colorado to further pursue his interests through graduate school and working for the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Having worked at all levels of government and the non-profit sector, Tom brings a depth of experience and a passion to help clients build internal capacity while pursuing climate and sustainability goals.
Eric started his career packing paints and chemicals into drums at the Boulder County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. He eventually transitioned into a role that helped implement a comprehensive zero waste program for Boulder County offices. For nearly a decade, Eric served as a grants administrator for the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity grant program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. During his tenure, he served two terms on the Recycle Colorado Board of Directors. After a three year stint as a US Department of Energy contractor, Eric is excited to return to his roots in recycling, waste reduction, and infrastructure development. Eric has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies.
Jay Inslee is a fifth-generation Washingtonian who has lived and worked on both sides of the state. He grew up in the Seattle area where his father, Frank, was a high school teacher and coach. His mother, Adele, worked as a sales clerk at Sears & Roebuck. Jay worked his way through college and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at Willamette University. He and his wife, Trudi, then moved to Selah, a small town near Yakima where they raised their three sons. Jay worked as an attorney and prosecutor.
Jay and Trudi are now proud grandparents to six active little Inslees. Besides writing and illustrating books for his grandchildren and sketching scenes from around Washington, Jay is an avid cyclist and charter member of Hoopaholics, a youth basketball academy.
Jay first became involved in public service in 1985 when he and Trudi helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, Jay went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. He was then elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to Kitsap County where Jay was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012 when he was elected governor.
He is currently the longest serving governor in the United States.
During his time in Congress, Jay became known as a forward-thinking leader, especially on issues of clean energy and climate change. He co-wrote a book, “Apollo’s Fire: Igniting America’s Clean-Energy Economy,” about fighting climate change through clean energy innovation and job-creation. As governor, he has helped put Washington state at the forefront of climate action and is helping lead numerous subnational partnerships. Since 2013, the state has passed nation-leading policies to transition to 100% clean electricity, cap carbon pollution, electrify transportation, and more.
Over the past decade, Washington has consistently been among the few states to rank as one of the best states for business and one of the best states for workers. From commercial space and sustainable maritime to advanced agriculture and forest products, the growth of Washington’s key sectors is helping attract new companies and create jobs in communities all across the state. Washington has one of the nation’s highest minimum wages, paid sick leave for all workers, a best-in-the-nation paid family leave program, and one of the highest union membership rates.
Jenna Johnson leads Patagonia, Inc., Patagonia’s apparel and equipment business. Prior to this role, she was head of Patagonia’s technical outdoor category, where she oversaw a product team responsible for nearly half of Patagonia’s annual revenue and for upholding a legendary reputation of quality and excellence in the climbing, snow and trail communities.
Jenna has cultivated an intuitive understanding of Patagonia’s global customers through a lifetime of travel, rock climbing, trail sports and 20 years of experience managing several respected outdoor brands. She has worked to advance Patagonia’s mission to save our home planet by uniting technical product innovation with environmental stewardship and sensitivity to people, animals and ecosystems.
Jenna has an executive MBA from the University of Washington and a BS in business administration, marketing and international business from the University of Arizona. She sits on the board of trustees for the California chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Her roles as a wife and a mother of two keep her grounded and optimistic for a more environmentally just future.
Molly Kawahata is a public speaker, climate strategist, mental health advocate, and former Climate Advisor at the Obama White House. She is the Founder of Systemic Impact Strategies, a prominent consultancy specializing in organizational development, climate strategy, and communications. Her life story, depicted in Patagonia’s film, THE SCALE OF HOPE (2022), intimately explores her pursuit of climbing steep ice faces in Alaska, her personal struggle with mental health, and her work to transform societal narratives by infusing them with hope and empowerment. The film has resonated with audiences worldwide, amassing over one million views on YouTube, streaming on Delta Airlines, and earning a place in the permanent collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Molly has been asked to speak at institutions such as Google, Nike, Harvard, the U.S. Congress, global IMAX audiences, and the Kennedy Center presidential monument. She is an Advisory Board Member to the Environmental Voter Project and an Advisory Council Member to the AAPI Victory Fund. Outside of work, you can find Molly ice climbing in her local mountains. An introduction to the film can be viewed here.
Matthew Kireker is an aide to U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and serves as the regional staffer for the Senator based in the northern rocky mountains of Colorado. His work covers the northwest portion of the state and includes locally-led initiatives in the energy, water, climate, and rural economic development spaces. Matt is a graduate of Princeton University (2007) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Politics.
Melissa Kirr is the Senior Programs Director of Sustainability at Walking Mountains Science
Center in Avon, CO. She currently works at a local, regional, and global level on a variety of
sustainability initiatives. In her role at Walking Mountains, she is responsible for the oversight of
all the sustainability-focused programs and projects that include Energy, Climate Action,
Actively Green Sustainable Business Training and Certification, Waste Diversion and Zero
Waste programs, and Mountain IDEAL Sustainable Destinations. She has spent the past 20
years working in the non-profit sector, specifically the environmental and sustainability realms.
Currently serving as Board Chair for the Cloud City Conservation Center in Leadville, CO and.
the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board of the CO Dept. of Public Health & Environment. She
holds degrees in Forest Resource Management from Penn State University and the University
of Montana.
Kim Langmaid is in the middle of her second Town Council term after being elected to her first four-year term in 2015 and again in 2019. She was appointed Mayor following the 2021 election and will serve until the next Town Council election in 2023 in which her seat will be vacated due to term limits. She had previously served as Mayor Pro Tem.
A third generation resident, Kim’s parents and grandparents were among Vail’s early entrepreneurs with the longtime operation of their ski shops on Bridge Street and in Lionshead.
While growing up in Vail, Kim became inspired by the natural surroundings and the dreams of Vail’s founders to build a world class resort. That passion for Vail and its future led her to create the Gore Range Natural Science School in 1998 that has since evolved into the Walking Mountains Science Center. She currently serves on the Center’s board of directors. She began her career at the Vail Nature Center where she became Director and Outdoor Division Supervisor for the Vail Recreation District. Kim served on the Environment Committees of the 1999 and 2015 Vail/Beaver Creek FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Kim is currently an Associate Professor of Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College.
Kim is an active founding member of the Climate Action Collaborative for the Eagle County Community, the Eagle County Community Wildlife Roundtable, and the National Forest Foundation and Vail Resorts’ Eagle Valley Ski Conservation Fund Advisory Committee. She was part of the team that created the Mountain IDEAL Standard for Sustainable Destinations that led to Vail becoming the first certified sustainable destination in the United States in December of 2017. She is a trainer for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
Kim holds a B.S. in Biology from Colorado State University, an M.A. in Environmental Studies from Prescott College in Arizona, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England.
As a community leader on the Vail Town Council, Kim is following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Joe, who was elected to Vail’s first Town Council in 1966. She is the second woman to hold the mayoral position, following Peggy Osterfoss who served from 1991 to 1995.
Kim and her husband Peter Casabonne are avid outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy skiing, biking, hiking and observing the wildlife and natural wonders of the mountains around Vail.
A global citizen, Charlotte has lived in Taiwan, Canada, Scotland, and Japan before settling in beautiful Colorado. Charlotte serves as the Sustainability Coordinator for the Town of Avon, Colorado, where she oversees the town’s climate action plan goals. Her work on Avon’s recycling program earned her the prestigious Outstanding Outreach Award from Recycle Colorado. Additionally, she is a member of the Sustainability Faculty at Colorado Mountain College, teaching state-wide courses on Careers in Sustainability and Fostering Sustainable Behaviors.
With a diverse background encompassing ecology research, international media studies, and positive psychology coaching, Charlotte brings a unique blend of expertise to the field of sustainability. In 2019, she founded Green Growth Coaching, dedicated to helping changemakers from various backgrounds develop their climate careers, leadership skills, and emotional resilience.
As a passionate advocate for climate mental health, Charlotte also serves on the Executive Committee of the Climate Psychology Alliance North America, where she addresses the psychological and emotional dimensions of climate change.
Charlotte’s unwavering commitment to nurturing sustainable behavior and empowering others to lead in the fight against the climate crisis drives her work. She is dedicated to cultivating climate action leaders and harnessing their potential for positive change in an era defined by environmental challenges.
Currently, Charlotte resides in Avon with her husband, the artist Max Rowe.
Beth Markham is the Environmental Sustainability Manager for the Town of Vail and implements programs to achieve goals established in the Town of Vail Environmental Sustainability Strategic Plan and the adopted Climate Action Plan for the Eagle County Community. Focus areas include waste diversion, sustainable transportation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, climate adaptation and resiliency, and sustainable business and tourism. Education and outreach are at the heart of her work. Prior to her current role, Beth spent 15 years in environmental education, connecting youth of all ages to the natural world through experiential outdoor science education. Fueling her passion for teaching youth and adults, residents and visitors, Beth is guided by the Baba Dioum quote, “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” When not implementing sustainability programs for Town of Vail, Beth can be found skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and exploring the Rocky Mountains with her family.
Jason MacMillan is mayor pro tem for the Town of Crested Butte Town Council and sits on various boards including CC4CA and two local transportation agencies. Jason holds an MA in Environmental Management and has been working on the Colorado Energy Office’s Energy Code Board developing model electric and solar ready codes. If you want to kill a few hours at the bar, ask him about living and surfing in Scotland or building a net-zero house in the mountains.
Rachel was born and raised along the shores of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes while spending her summers exploring the mountains of Colorado. While in college, Rachel studied for a semester in New Zealand and she quickly became invested in climate change mitigation and adaptation (and Hokey Pokey ice cream).
After graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies and Geography at Gustavus Adolphus College, she wandered out West and jumped right into pursuing a Masters of the Environment degree at the University of Colorado-Boulder, focusing on Sustainability Planning and Management.
Rachel spent time in the conservation non-profit world creating maps and doing spatial analysis before joining Lotus, and she is excited to help clients understand where their greenhouse gas emissions are coming from and what to do about it, make data visualizations, and come up with creative ways to make messy datasets easier to work with.
Skippy Mesirow is a lifetime public servant whose mission is to heal our politics. He is a professional coach and the founder of the ELC, a mental fitness coaching company for public sector leaders. Through this work, leaders and organizations improve their mental health, find joy, and build a trusted community in their work. The downstream effects are reduced polarization and more effective governance.
As a member of Governor Polis’s Natural Medicine Advisory Board, he is one of 15 members creating the regulatory framework for the therapeutic, healing, indigenous, and religious use of psychedelic medicines in Colorado. As a co-producer of “Mobilize the Movement,” he is training 100 leaders in 100 cities to pass one hundred new citizen-led laws this year.
He previously served on Aspen’s City Council, where he passed generational affordable housing and zoning regulation, an expansion in mental health service, new net zero carbon and waste goals, managed COVID effectively, and advocated hard for governance and campaign reform and improved citizen involvement.
He has served in various high-level roles as a staffer, campaign manager, organizer, and activist at the federal, state, and hyperlocal levels of politics and policy over the past 16 years. He has sat on numerous non-profit boards ranging from entrepreneurship to competitive skiing and mental well-being.
Skippy lives with his partner Jamie in Aspen. They travel as much as possible with backpacks and a motorcycle to unconventional places. Skippy is an ultra-marathoner, burner, skier, biker, driver, and cook w/ “Citizen” tattooed on his right arm.
A proven systems thinker and reformer, Paul specializes in creating and implementing groundbreaking solutions to the systemic problems driving the environmental crisis. After more than a decade championing environmental progress as a senior congressional aide and campaign strategy consultant, Paul founded TOPO, an innovation hub that specializes in developing breakthrough solutions designed for seismic impact. As TOPO’s Executive Director, Paul has established TOPO as a leader in the responsible finance space and is spearheading numerous finance initiatives, including The Carbon Bankroll Report, which Bill McKibben has called, “the most important set of climate numbers I’ve come across in decades.”
Julia hails from Cleveland, Ohio, where she grew up exploring the region’s metroparks and watching the sunset over Lake Erie. After taking a post-undergrad trip to work and learn on organic farms across the country, she earned a graduate degree in Urban Planning from Cleveland State University.
Her interest in local food, urban agriculture, and how these tools can be used to engage and educate people on broader equity and sustainability issues inspired her to work directly in the sustainability field and manage an urban farming and environmental education non-profit program for several years in Cleveland.
Upon relocating to Colorado in 2014, Julia managed sustainability programs for a local government, where she collaborated across local jurisdictions to provide access to sustainability resources and implement policies that would drive change. Julia was thrilled to join the Lotus team in 2017 and support our diverse clients through projects that create meaningful change towards climate action and community equity within their organizations and operations.
Jason Parkin is a passionate advocate of business as a force for good, prioritizing climate crisis and social justice issues. Since founding Compose[d] in 2010, the company has become a standout among purpose-driven agencies. It is an active, Certified B Corp®, 1% For the Planet member, a brand alliance partner with both SeaTrees and Protect Our Winters. Recently, Compose[d] signed fixed-price Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) with Evergreen in order to facilitate the creation of utility-scale renewable energy in Texas where the grid is still predominantly powered by fossil fuels.
Professionally, Parkin has more than 25 years of experience specializing in creative strategy, interactive/user-centered design, and animation. He is a founder and former Design Director of Motionbox, a personal video-sharing company that was acquired by HP Snapfish in 2010, where he helped create a then new, and now widely used interface for viewing online video. His work has been recognized with numerous awards including the Webby’s, the MIN Best of the Web Awards, OMMA, and the One Show Interactive Awards.
Before founding Compose[d], he was the Creative Director for Maxim Digital, where he led creative for both advertising and editorial content, and the Art Director for CondéNet’s Creative Services division. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jason lives in Harlem with his wife, Nicky, and their dogs Shiloh and Ryder. He’s a former USCF Category 3 bicycle racer and now enjoys a slightly more leisurely approach to cycling, snowboarding, ice hockey, hiking, and climbing.
Derek Place is the Chief Building Official, Plans Examiner, and Combination Residential and Commercial Inspector for the Town of Avon. He has 40 years of experience in the Construction, Inspection and Code Enforcement Industry. He has been a certified Code Official and a licensed S-3 Water Distribution Systems Operator since the early 80’s. Derek was also the CEO of an S-3 Corporation, The Inspection Place, for 13 years before moving to Colorado 15 years ago. While in Michigan where Derek was born and raised, he also worked as a Construction Superintendent building over 200 homes a year for a company called, Welcome Homes. Derek has also been a Building Official for 10 different municipalities over the past 40 years. He is responsible for updating and adopting above code requirements for IECC, Green and Net Zero building codes while employed for Avon. He has provided Insite and support to the Climate Action Collative and Building Cohort programs that other members started and helped bring it to the finish line by presenting and having it adopted by the Avon Council. Derek hosted and organized the first Avon Net Zero Green Building Expo at the Westin two years ago where Kim Schlaepfer was the keynote speaker. He is currently inspecting and officiating over $300,000,000 dollars in construction valuation daily for Avon.
Bill Ritter, Jr. is the founder and director of the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) at Colorado State University, which launched on February 1, 2011.
Governor Bill Ritter was elected Colorado’s 41st Governor in 2006 and was the District Attorney of Denver from 1993-2005. During his four-year term as Governor, Ritter established Colorado as a national and international leader in clean energy by building a New Energy Economy. After leaving the Governor’s Office, Ritter founded the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, which works with state and federal policymakers to create clean energy policy throughout the country. Governor Ritter authored a book that was published in 2016 entitled, Powering Forward – What Everyone Should Know About America’s Energy Revolution.
Governor Ritter is the current Board of Dierctors chair for The Climate Group North America and former chair of the Board of Directors of the Energy Foundation and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy. Ritter is a member of Blackhorn Venture Capital and serves as an advisor to Green Alpha and Project Canary, among others. Ritter earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado State University (1978) and his law degree from the University of Colorado (1981). With his wife Jeannie, he operated a food distribution and nutrition center in Zambia.
Nick grew up in the Central Valley in Northern California, surrounded by fields of sunflowers, corn, and tomatoes. While in college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Nick stumbled into a geography class and immediately became enthralled with understanding human-environmental interactions.
Prior to Lotus, Nick completed his M.A. in Applied Geography and Geospatial Science at CU-Denver where he studied political ecology and honed his skills in GIS, data analysis, and data visualization. Additionally, he worked both in the non-profit world, conducting research for electric vehicle projects, and in the public sphere, quantifying air pollution impacts on plants in national parks.
Nick believes in a holistic approach to environmental issues and is passionate about applying GIS and data analysis to create equity-focused solutions. He is excited to help clients understand the sources of their greenhouse gas emissions and to develop innovative ways to communicate results to clients and the public.
Kim is a Senior Associate with Lotus Engineering & Sustainability. She has a broad range of experience in the sustainability field from managing mitigation and resiliency programs to working with communities to develop community-specific GHG reduction sustainability plans, policies, and energy codes. She excels in engagement and facilitation for large and small clients, across multiple stakeholder groups, and through an integrative process to identify sustainability goals and actions. Kim is a LEED-accredited professional and has worked with clients to achieve LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge certifications to name a few. Her project experience ranges from community-level education and outreach to facilitation of technical stakeholder groups and developing building code and policy recommendations. Kim has technical expertise in design and construction best practices for new construction and has a proven track record of implementing sustainable building strategies on projects across the Colorado Front Range and beyond. She received her B.S. International Relations at Rollins College.
Tessa Schreiner serves as the Sustainability Manager for the City of Aspen, Colorado. In her role, she leads the team’s strategy and delivery of the Aspen Sustainability Action Plan, drives sustainably-focused policy development, and works cross-departmentally to integrate climate action into city operations.
Jacob joined CC4CA in 2017, becoming executive director in the following year. His professional experience has centered on climate and conservation advocacy in Colorado and around the country. Jacob lived in Washington, D.C. during his stint as a Congressional staffer in the U.S. Senate, and also served on the City Council and as Mayor of Golden, Colorado.
Beatriz Soto has been at the intersection of community building, social justice and working towards a stable climate for the past two decades. She is an award winning architect with a LEED certification, who has worked on a variety of high performance and sustainable projects; Beatriz has also developed and led professional and workforce development workshops in US and Mexico, that center climate and environmental justice.
She is former Director of Defiende Nuestra Tierra for The Wilderness Workshop, co-founding member of Voces Unidas de las Montañas, and is currently the Director of Protegete, a statewide initiative from Conservation Colorado, who has the mission to elevate Latino driven solutions to protect our lands, water, air and fight for environmental and climate justice.
In 2021 Beatriz was appointed to serve on the Colorado Environmental Justice Action Task Force, representing Disproportionately Impacted Communities in Congressional District 3. She co-chaired the Cumulative Impact Analysis working group; the recommendations set forward by the taskforce have currently been endorsed by Gov. Polis and is currently working to ensure the recommendations are being implemented across state agencies. She was also a proud member of the US delegation at the World Forestry Congress in Seoul, South Korea in 2022, where her work elevating diverse, historically excluded voices in conservation and the future of the US mountain west resort economies was shared at a global scale. She is currently representing the environmental community in the Resources Advisory Commission for the Northwest region for the Bureau of Land Management.
Chris Southwick is the Mobility Innovation Coordinator for the Town of Vail where he assists in many different aspects of transportation including transit, parking, micromobility, TDM, EV adoption, and overall transportation and climate action planning. When not working Chris is often skiing, trail running, hiking, or exploring new places.
Julie Sutor is the West Slope Regional Director for the Office of Congressman Joe Neguse. She represents the congressman’s office in Routt, Jackson, Eagle, Summit, Grand, and Clear Creek counties. Julie previously served as Director of Communications for Summit County and Chair of Summit Public Information Officers. She has also held communications positions with the Electrification Coalition, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities program, and the Town of Frisco. Julie has a Master of Arts degree in International and Intercultural Communications from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Harvey Mudd College.
Jerry Tinianow operates Western Urban Sustainability Advisors, LLC. WestUrb (westurb.com) assists local governments in creating and improving sustainability and climate action programs.
Jerry’s work at WestUrb reflects the successes he achieved as Denver’s first Chief Sustainability Officer (2012-19). Under his leadership Denver won Platinum-level certification in the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Cities program. Denver met its ambitious 2020 goal for community greenhouse gas reduction in 2018 – two years ahead of schedule. Denver’s record in battling climate change won it a place on the “A List” of top-performing cities issued by the international climate change organization CDP.
Jerry previously served as a national officer of both the Sierra Club and the National Audubon Society, and directed the Center for Energy and Environment at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. As Audubon’s executive director in Ohio, he conducted the largest capital campaign in Audubon’s history and developed the nation’s most urban nature education center, the LEED-Gold “Grange Insurance Audubon Center.” The Sierra Club designated him a national “Environmental Hero” during its centennial celebration.
Jerry received his undergraduate and law degrees from George Washington University. He was the 2018 winner of the Wirth Chair Sustainability Award, given by the University of Colorado on recognition of his climate action planning work.
Rollie Williams is a Brooklyn-based comedian, video editor, and guy with both student debt and a Climate Science & Policy degree from Columbia University. He is the creator and host of Climate Town, a comedy series about climate change. It sounds kinda depressing, but I promise it’s fun. Climate Town’s YouTube channel has amassed 380,000+ subscribers, millions of views, several awards, and has spawned a Discord community of climate-focused-yet-delightfully-regular people. Rollie is also the former creator and host of the monthly comedy show ‘An Inconvenient Talk Show‘ doing sketches and comedic deep dives by pairing comedians (SNL, The Daily Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, etc) together with climate scientists (NASA, MIT, Harvard, etc). When he’s not doing climate stuff, Rollie plays an unhealthy amount of billiards and recently achieved his dream of commentating for the World Cup of Pool in England.
Mel Yemma is the long-range planner for the Town of Crested Butte. Through this role, she facilitates the development of small area plans, transportation plans, special studies, and regulatory updates, as well as manages the development and implementation of the Town’s comprehensive plan, the Crested Butte Community Compass, an award winning plan from the Colorado chapter of the American Planning Association. She is passionate about engaging Crested Butte’s community in local policy processes to address complex challenges in ways that embrace a more sustainable future while retaining the community’s quirks and rough edges. Mel is an AICP certified planner, holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Colorado College, and she attended the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In her free time, you can find Mel skiing, mountain biking, gardening, and experimenting with sourdough.
