ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Kristen McIvor is an urban ecology Ph.D. student at the University of Washington; Alicia Lawver is a community relations specialist with the City of Tacoma - Environmental Services; Sarah Garitone is program coordinator for agricultural assistance at the Pierce Conservation District; and Whitney Rhodes is project manager for Exit133.com.

Anna Thurston obtained a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Horticulture/Design, while pursuing advanced training in Landscape Architecture and Planning at Kansas State University, the University of Colorado at Denver, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design.  After educating and promoting water and resource-efficient landscapes with public utilities for nearly 20 years in Colorado and Washington, Anna has re-invigorated her love of Nature via Advanced Botanical Resources, a landscape and habitat restoration company that integrates science and sustainability.  In addition to her business, Anna has lead the development and contract implementation of the Native Plant Salvage Alliance serving Pierce County and the Washington Native Plant Society’s South Sound Chapter and Stewardship Training programs. She is also a member of the Steering and Outreach committees for the Green Tacoma Partnership, and is a Trustee to the Cascade Land Conservancy in Pierce County.

Lisa Paribello, Chapter and Government Relations Coordinator In September 2004, Lisa began volunteering with Audubon's policy office in Olympia. She helped design and produce the Bird's Eye View legislative newsletter, and assisted with the annual legislative reception on Lobby Day. Exactly one year later, she joined our staff. She continued her role with the policy team and added the tasks of organizing grassroots advocacy efforts. Before coming to Audubon, Lisa spent three years working for the Arc of Washington State, a non-profit group where she served as statewide advocacy coordinator for people with developmental disabilities. She received her bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University; her degree is in business administration with a focus on marketing and information systems.

Lind Simonsen has been with Pierce Transit for more than seven years. He is responsible for community relations and coordinating transit service in support of large community events. Lind is well versed in local and regional transportation services and issues. He led the agency though a successful ballot measure in 2002 that increased local sales tax support for public transportation.  Lind tries to ride the bus to work at least twice a week – it’s much less expensive than filling up his 5-liter Mustang!

Krystal Kyer is the Conservation Coordinator for Tahoma Audubon Society, and co-coordinates the Green Tacoma Partnership. She is a Puget Sound native, and graduate of The Evergreen State's College's Master of Environmental Studies Program.  Leslie Batten joined Cascade Land Conservancy in 2004.   She has a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and GIS and recently completed the UW Wetland Certification program.  Prior to joining CLC, Leslie analyzed regional development growth as a Planning Technician at the Puget Sound Regional Council.  Leslie is also a former Wildlife Biologist from the Bureau of Land Management where she specialized in GIS and endangered species field assessments.  At CLC, Leslie combines her interests in wildlife science with community design and planning as Director of the Green Cities Program.

Bill Smith has served as the Senior Environmental Specialist for the City of Tacoma’s Solid Waste Management Division since July of 2001. Prior to coming to the City, Bill worked for 8 years in the Waste Reduction and Recycling section of the King County Solid Waste Division. Bill’s responsibilities include overseeing the Resource Conservation programs of the City and supervising two program assistants.  Bill also leads the City’s efforts in sustainability, green building and product stewardship. Bill worked with the local chapter of the Master Builders Association to bring a Green Building program to the City, initiated the residential demonstration project at the landfill called the EnviroHouse and is one of several staff working on the City’s climate change initiative.  Bill is actively involved with several professional organizations.  He serves on the advisory board of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, and is a member of the steering committee of the Northwest Product Stewardship Council and the local chapter of the United States Green Building Council.  Bill holds the Certified Recycling and Composting Manager designations from the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA).  The City’s recycling and resource conservation programs received the Washington State Recycling Association’s 2004 award for Best Government Recycling Program.

Paul Steucke, Jr., received a Bachelors of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1985 from Oregon State University. He has worked for the Army over the past 20 years at three different installations and, since 1997, has served as the Chief of the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of Public Works at Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was recognized in both 2000 and 2004 as the Army’s Support Engineer of the Year.  In September 2000, the Fort Lewis Public Works became the first Army organization to be 3rd party certified to the ISO 14001 standards.  A year later, in September 2001, Fort Lewis forests became the first and to date are the only public lands to be certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council.  Since February 2002, Fort Lewis has been on a quest to achieve a sustainable Fort Lewis by the year 2025.

Adam Martin is currently president of Biointegra Building & Insulation, Ltd., a Tacoma firm specializing in Green, Sustainable, Health-centered and Highly efficient building envelope systems for both new and retrofit residential and commercial structures.  Adam believes strongly that healthy, enduring, environmentally sound homes and commercial buildings are essential for the development of enduring, sustainable and productive local communities.  His hope is to help coordinate solidarity throughout the Green community in order to facilitate the use of today's best available technologies; by so doing individual lives will be bettered, and others in related fields will be encouraged to further develop products and technologies that contribute to enduring building practices and progressively healthier lifestyles.

Karin Van Vlack is the South Puget Sound Outreach Coordinator for the Northwest Earth Institute, a Portland-based nonprofit that inspires individuals and organizations to take responsibility for the health of our planet by engaging in personal reflection and group conversation. Transplanted from the Midwest, Karin came to the Puget Sound region in 1996 while working for REI. A graduate of Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, she has worked for federal, state and local governments in the areas of environmental education and policy. She enjoys spending time with her family, walking, reading, tending her community garden patch, and participating in her faith community. She is also the volunteer organizer of Tacoma Green Drinks, a monthly social gathering for individuals interested in sustainability and conservation.

Amy Vavak, Northwest SEED's Development Director, is responsible for developing and implementing fundraising and operations activities for the organization. Before joining Northwest SEED, Ms. Vavak served in a financial, fundraising and administrative capacity with two non-profits in the Midwest, and with the University of Washington Business School. She has a B.A. from St. Olaf College, and a Master's Degree in Whole Systems Design-Organizational Systems Renewal from Antioch University.

 

SPONSORED BY:

MORE INFORMATION:
Jim Gawel, University of Washington Tacoma
(253) 692-5815 or jimgawel@u.washington.edu