Community ranks preferences for speakers, service on Speaker Day

The biannual Speaker Day, which takes place on Apr. 21, will bring environmentalists, lawyers, educators, and activists to the Randolph campus for the day.  In addition to selecting a service opportunity, students select two breakout sessions to attend, with selections due today.  These are the speakers:

Eric Olson (Keynote Speaker):  With more than 20 years in the consulting field, Eric Olson, SPASS ‘82, leads the global consulting practice for Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) to design and implement sustainability strategies that create business value by addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges.

In addition to advising the CEOs and senior teams of several global companies, Eric plays a lead role on a number of BSR’s collaborative initiatives, including the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, the Net Positive Project, and Future of Fuels, as well as our work with the We Mean Business coalition.

Prior to joining BSR, Eric worked with the Natural Step in San Francisco, accelerating sustainability through strategic counsel on a broad range of corporate responsibility matters that included supply chain management and sustainable development. He also has served as vice president at the Boston Consulting Group and was a partner and founding member of the global consultancy Mitchell Madison Group.

Speakers A to Z

Jeffrey Anderson:  Jeffrey Anderson is a doctor of international relations who focuses on global environmental issues. He is an assistant professor of International Relations at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s. He has appeared on several foreign policy panels and spoken on a diverse range of topics. He is comfortable addressing varied audiences as well, having spoken at youth leadership conferences as well as senior centers and school board discussions.

Betsy Daub:  Betsy has extensive experience in conservation policy, including six years at Audubon Minnesota, where she served as Forest Program Director, Acting State Director, and Senior Director for Conservation Programs. Her work at Audubon included substantial efforts regarding management of the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Most recently, Daub taught science in St. Paul schools. As Science and Conservation Director, Betsy brings strong experience in science and stakeholder collaboration to the organization and helps fulfill the Friends mission to protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the BWCAW and the entire Quetico-Superior Ecosystem.

Donna Goodlaxson:  Donna works at the Lake Country Land School educating students on environmentalism and agriculture. The Land School is a school-owned farm in Wisconsin that educates students about agriculture and environmentalism. Donna has extensive educational and farm experience.

Jim Hilbert:  Professor Hilbert, SPASS ‘85, is a former plaintiffs’ civil rights lawyer and negotiation consultant on complex, high-stakes business deals and public interest projects. He currently teaches Transactions & Settlements, Civil Rights Litigation and Policy Externship, Expert Witness Advocacy, Deals & Dispute Resolution, and International Business Transactions. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, where he taught negotiation, and a former Legal Fellow at the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota. Professor Hilbert is also the co-director of the Expert Witness Training Academy, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and provides training to climatologists on communicating in courtrooms and legislative hearings.

Sarah Hobbie:  Doctor Hobbie is a Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. She has expertise in ecosystem ecology in general with a particular focus on the impact of urban centers on the surrounding environment. To this end she has studied the effects of nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River as well as the role of informed policy in addressing environmental problems successfully.

John Baker:  John Baker is an adjunct professor and US department of agriculture research leader at the University of Minnesota. He specializes in the creation of sustainable agriculture systems which do not harm the environment. His work currently includes research into cover cropping and companion cropping to develop more effective and environmentally-friendly farming practices.

Megan Van Loh and Jason Rodney:  Megan is the manager and coordinator of various environmental non-profits preserving nature for the future. She has done work for the Minnesota Food Coalition and the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa and has extensive experience with educational initiatives and outreach efforts. She supports student and public environmental engagement.

Jason is the program coordinator for Climate Generation’s YEA! MN initiative designed to involve high school students in environmental activism. Prior to working with Climate Generation Jason had extensive experience with encouraging civic engagement. He was a founder of Cooperative Energy Futures which works to install communal solar gardens and was co-director of the USA Cooperative Youth Council, an organization dedicated to promoting racial justice and developing youth leadership.

Barbara Naramore:  Barbara is the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Assistant Commissioner, she leads conservation efforts on a variety of Minnesota water resources. She was previously the Executive Director of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMBRA). As Executive Director of UMBRA, Naramore led policy, planning, program implementation, and legislative activities related to a range of water resource issues, including commercial navigation, habitat restoration and protection, water quality, flood risk management, water supply and interbasin diversions, hydropower, and hazardous spill response. In addition to working closely with UMRBA’s member states, this involved extensive coordination with the states’ federal agency counterparts as well as private sector and nongovernmental partners.

Uma Valeti:  Uma is the CEO and founder of Memphis Meats, which focuses on the culturing of meat not involving animal cultivation and death, but rather from cell samples.A cardiologist by training, he believes that meat should not only be safe and sustainable but also good for the body and the soul. He has extensive experience in entrepreneurship and business and has invested in a variety of food, medical and tech companies. In addition to his many contributions in the health sciences, he wants his biggest contribution to be leading the development of a profitable and a world positive future food system.

Gary Reuter:  A long time hobby beekeeper and trained in technology education he works at the University of Minnesota. He maintains the research colonies, helps train and work with students in the field, designs and builds specialty equipment and speaks to beekeeping, student and civic groups. He plans the Extension short courses and together with Marla teaches beginning as well as experienced beekeepers. His humorous style of teaching helps the classes stay interested and enthusiastic about a sometimes challenging subject. He is a past president of both Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association and Wisconsin Honey Producers Association and director of the American Beekeeping Federation, and remains active in these groups. He still finds time to manage his own colonies, while learning to blacksmith, maintaining an orchard, and helping his wife raise sheep.

Elizabeth Dunbar:  Elizabeth Dunbar is a reporter for Minnesota Public Radio. She covers environmental issues and writes for the MPR News site. She has written on a range of topics from office place energy consumption (“Does your work desk use as much energy as a refrigerator?”)  to the Minnesota clergy’s response to Pope Francis’s stance on climate change (“Catholic leaders: Reaction to pope’s climate change message mixed”).

Ron Gandiza:  Ron Gandiza is an experienced public speaker and a promoter of the plant-based lifestyle movement. His talks highlight the benefits of a plant based lifestyle with regards to personal health, the environment, and protecting animals. He has often worked with PlantPure, which is an organization that holds annual summits on the merits of a plant-based lifestyle as it relates to health and the environment.  *Note: This presentation will be a skype presentation on a projector.

Gail Buhl: Gail Buhl is an Education Program Manager at the Raptor Center. The Raptor Center focuses on rehabilitating birds, specifically eagles and raptors, as well as leading conservation efforts in Minnesota. Responsible for training and maintenance of the Raptor Center’s education raptors, program development and implementation, and teaching. The Raptor Center’s education program serves 150,000 people each year.

Katrina Kessler and Paul Hudalla:  Katrina Kessler is the new director of Surface Water and Sewers in the Public Works Department. The Surface Water and Sewers Division manages stormwater and surface water in the city to protect and improve the quality of its lakes, streams and rivers and help control flooding. She often presents reports about the water quality to city officials.

Paul Hudalla is a professional engineer with nearly 20 years of consulting and municipal engineering experience. He is skilled at leading and completing challenging stormwater management projects, including policy development, drainage system planning, and project design to meet water quality and flood protection goals. Focus on communication and interpersonal skills to develop strong partnerships with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders. Expert in stormwater modeling including hydrologic, hydraulic, water quality, and water reuse modeling. Breadth of skills in civil engineering, municipal planning, surveying, and land development.

Scott Strand:  Scott is the Executive Director of MN Center for Environmental Advocacy. There he has played key roles protecting Minnesota’s waterways, retiring old highly-polluting coal plants and keeping harmful sulfide mining proposals at bay.  He previously served for 17 years with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, including as Deputy Counsel and Manager of the Natural Resources Division, and as a litigator at a private law firm.

Ted Pappenfus:  Ted Pappenfus is a Professor of Organic photovoltaics Green and sustainable chemistry, Organic and inorganic materials design and synthesis at the University of Minnesota. He has extensive knowledge of sustainability and environmental science. He is known for his ability to engage students and weave his own scientific interests into his talks.

Roopali Phadke:  Roopali Phadke is the Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Macalester.

She has a Master’s Degree in South Asian Studies, a Bachelor’s Degree in political science, and a PhD in Environmental Studies. She has researched water development in India, as well as the social and political developments of American wind energy. She looks at both the science and the civics behind topics.

Alex Gast:  Alex graduated SPASS​ ​‘06,​ ​Northwestern University​ ​‘10,​ ​University​ ​of Cambridge​ ​‘12,​ ​Harvard​ ​Medical School ​​(5/2017​ ​expected). She is a Research​ ​Investigator​ ​with​ ​Center for​ ​Health​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Global Environment,​ Harvard​ ​School​ ​of Public​ ​Health:​ ​“What​ ​Does Fracking​ ​Mean​ ​for​ ​Healthcare?’ and​ ​“The​ ​Impact​ ​of​ ​Climate Change-Driven​ ​Sea​ ​Level​ ​Rise​ ​on Hospitals?”​ ​National​ ​Institute​ ​of Health​ ​Academy

John Stine and Alexis Donath:  John Linc Stine was appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency by Gov. Mark Dayton effective May 14, 2012.

John Linc Stine joined the MPCA in March 2011 as Deputy Commissioner. Prior to joining the MPCA, John served as Assistant Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health where he was responsible for overseeing the department’s public health emergency preparedness, environmental health, infectious disease prevention/control and the public health laboratory functions.

John also worked for 25 years with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a hydrologist and administrator specializing in shoreland, flood plain, and wild and scenic river programs, water resource management and regulation. John also served as Assistant Director of the Trails and Waterways division.

John received a Bachelor of Science degree in soil and water resource management from the University of Minnesota.

Marcy Bean:  Marcy Bean is the Capital Projects and Stewardship Specialist with the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, an organization that works to protect and improve water quality in urban environments where water drains directly into the Mississippi River. As a part of her job, she works on designing MWMO capital projects such as the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction, as well as manage grants and stormwater water best management practice selection. Bean has a degree in architecture from Iowa State University, is a certified arborist, and has previously worked for the Kestrel Design Group, Westwood Professional Services, and Prairie Restorations.

Cordelia Pierson:  A graduate of Princeton University and the University of MN Law School, Cordelia brings more than twenty years of nonprofit, financial management, public agency, and partnership experience serving as a nonprofit executive director, board president, program director, and collaborative leader. As the first executive director for the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, Cordelia led fundraising, organizational development, and Mississippi riverfront land protection and revitalization with corporate, elected and citizen directors. With the Trust for Public Land and other MEF environmental members, she helped form and contributed to private-public partnerships to protect and advocate for metro greenways, urban park access, clean water, natural lands and our Minnesota heritage.  She represents the metropolitan region on the state’s Mississippi River Parkway Commission, leads two Minneapolis initiatives to connect urban neighborhoods with the Mississippi River, and serves on several nonprofit boards.

Tracy Twine:  Tracy is the lead researcher on the project and an associate professor in the Department of Soil, Water and Climate: Her research focuses on understanding and predicting how the use of land surfaces affect the cycle of various resources, such as water, carbon and energy between the land and atmosphere. Her work includes developing models to predict how vegetation responds to changes in climate.

Jessica Treat:  Jessica is the Executive Director of the Transit for Livable Communities. She is a specialist in urban planning a leads the development of local travel demand management. Prior to her work at Transit for Livable Communities, she served as the founding Executive Director of St. Paul Smart Trips for eight years. Under her leadership, the organization developed a local and national reputation for their innovative approach to travel demand management.

Anthony Taylor: Ultra-Cyclist Anthony Taylor seeks to provide access and promote enthusiasm for biking as a mode of transportation in Minneapolis and beyond. He works as the Adventures Director for the Loppet Foundation. He is also the co-founder of the Major Taylor Bicycling Club of Minnesota and has worked on several initiatives to improve the representation of communities of color in outdoor activities.

Bob Simonet: Bob Simonet is a member of the Capitol Region Watershed District’s Citizen Advisory Committee.  Simonet will present about the formation, purpose, and goals of a watershed district, particularly the Capitol Region Watershed District, which includes the City of Saint Paul.