|
Monday Featured Speakers Kate Krebs
The California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA) named Krebs California's Recycler of the Year in 1999. Krebs serves on the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Jobs Fund and is on the advisory board of the Sustainable Jobs Venture Capital / Community Development Inc. Krebs was a member of the National Electronic Product Stewardship Dialgoue (NEPSI) and was selected as a member of the NEPSI G-12 work group. Bridgett Luther
Ms. Luther has a long history of involvement in environmental protection. While a resident of North Carolina, she helped create the first recycling program in the history of Mecklenburg County. She also led campaigns to create neighborhood parks and acquire land to protect the region's water quality. She founded the Carolinas office of the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation organization. After moving to California five years ago, Ms. Luther was the national development director for REP America (Republicans for Environmental Protection), which supports pro-environment Republicans. She was appointed Director of the California Department of Conservation in 2005. Ed Begley, Jr.
His work has earned awards from numerous environmental groups including the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay, the Santa Monica Baykeeper and the Southern California Gas Company. Currently, he is the co-star of the hit HGTV series Living with Ed, a look at the day-to-day realities of "living green" with his not so environmentalist wife Rachelle Carson. The series has currently just finished airing its 2nd season. His first book, Living Like Ed, streets nationally in February 2008 from Random House. Inspired by the works of his Academy Award-winning father, Begley became an actor. He first came to audiences' attention for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running hit television series St. Elsewhere, for which he received six Emmy nominations. Since then, Begley has moved easily between feature films, television and theatre projects. Begley has appeared in A Mighty Wind, the follow-up to the American Comedy Award-winning film Best In Show starring Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. He can also be seen in the most recent Christopher Guest film For Your Consideration. Other feature film credits include Batman Forever, The Accidental Tourist and The Inlaws. In 2008, Begley will have supporting roles in the theatrical comedy Pineapple Express penned by Seth Rogan, and the HBO feature Recount starring Kevin Spacey. On television, Begley has had recurring roles on Six Feet Under and Arrested Development. He has also guest starred on such series as The West Wing and The Practice, in addition to David E. Kelly's latest show Boston Legal. Most recently, Begley was featured in Veronica Mars and CSI: Miami. Additionally, Begley has signed on as the spokesperson for the California Department of Conservation to promote beverage container recycling. Wednesday Featured Speakers Kevin McCarthy Wesley Chesbro
Mr. Chesbro is a leader in California's modern recycling movement, founding the Arcata Recycling Center in 1971. The Arcata Recycling Center is one of California's oldest and most successful recycling operations. As a founding member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board in the 1990s, Mr. Chesbro helped lead the statewide effort to achieve a 50 percent reduction in waste going to California's landfills. In the late 1980s he helped draft California's landmark waste management reform legislation which led to the dramatic reduction in the waste stream. Prior to his current appointment to the Board, Mr. Chesbro spent eight years as a member of the California State Senate including four years as Chair of the Senate Budget Committee. As Senator, he represented California's northbay and northcoast Counties of Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte. As a member of the State Senate, Chesbro was a leader on environmental protection, education, health care access, mental health services, and strengthening local governments. Mr. Chesbro has a long background as an elected local government official. He served from 1974 until 1980 as a member of the Arcata City Council. From 1980 until 1990 he served as a member of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Chesbro holds a degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco. He and his wife Cindy have two sons, Alan and Collin. John Blue Around 17 years of experience in integrated waste management, ranging from integrated waste management planning to recycling economic development to green building. And finally, I was the Integrated Waste Management Board's point person on climate change for a few months prior to my move to the climate unit of Cal/EPA on the first of the year. Currently, I am part of a team working to coordinate all the State agencies work on climate change. Scott Smithline
Micah Lang As a Program Officer in the Oakland, CA office of ICLEI, Micah provides support to members in the Western States and California regions, as well as assistance with international programs. Micah is also developing new decision making tools for ICLEI members and working to expand ICLEI's member support in the water sector. Prior to joining ICLEI, Micah worked as a researcher on international and domestic water and wastewater services access. Micah has also worked as an advocate, policy analyst, consultant, and researcher on a broad array of sustainability issues in Latin America, the Mediterranean, Africa, and the United States. Micah has a master's degree in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Colorado College. Betsy Rosenberg
Ms. Rosenberg worked as a CBS Radio journalist for two decades; first at KCBS in San Francisco where she reported and anchored local news, and later covered national and world news as a CBS News anchor. On Earth Day 1997 Betsy launched a green feature on KCBS, becoming the first mainstream broadcaster to recognize the relevance and resonance of ecological challenges to the American public. From the outset, Betsy's mission has been to bring green content into the daily programming mix and to make environmental issues and solutions just as important and engaging as other compelling news of the day. In 2004 Betsy took EcoTalk from green minutes to an hour long interview format. The program was the nation's first syndicated environmental show on commercial radio and went on to become the only green hour to air in a prime-time daily slot. EcoTalk was heard exclusively on Air America Radio until May, 2007 when Betsy left the network to pursue wider distribution on mainstream channels. In addition to her current Green-To-Go radio features (quick tips, lasting impact!), Betsy has been in the driver's seat of Don't Be Fueled! a six-year-old national campaign aimed at increasing supply and demand for more fuel efficient vehicles. Betsy is a graduate of The Climate Project, Al Gore's training designed to better educate the public about global warming. Ms. Rosenberg has been a regular guest on local and national television programs including CNN Headline News and Fox's Hannity and Colmes. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Betsy speaks across the country to help raise America's collective Eco-IQ by connecting the dots with her unique ability to inform and inspire. Brenda Platt
She is the author of several groundbreaking reports including Beyond 40 Percent: Record-Setting Recycling and Composting Programs and the U.S. EPA's Cutting the Waste Stream in Half. Her 2000 report for the GrassRoots Recycling Network, Wasting and Recycling in the United States 2000, includes a 10-page zero waste agenda for action. Her 2003 report, Resources up in Flames outlined the economic pitfalls of incineration versus a zero waste approach. She is a co-chair of the newly formed Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative and a former board member of the national GrassRoots Recycling Network, the National Recycling Coalition, and the Container Recycling Institute. |
Executive Director, National Recycling Coalition, Inc.
As Director of the California Department of Conservation, Bridgett Luther oversees a department within the Resources Agency with more than 600 employees in 15 offices around California. The Department of Conservation has a wide variety of programs, including:
When it comes to taking personal responsibility for the environment, few individuals can match the record of actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. Known for turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, he has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He serves on the boards of organizations including the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications Office, Tree People and Friends of the Earth.
Wesley Chesbro was appointed to the California Integrated Waste Management Board by the Senate Rules Committee on January 3, 2007. Mr. Chesbro represents the public on the Board.
Scott Smithline joined CAW in 2003 and is currently the Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs. Scott is responsible for coordinating relationships with California Integrated Waste Managemebt Board and other state and local agencies with regards to greenhouse gas policies, as well as solid waste reduction and recycling issues. Before joining CAW Scott practiced law for the Golden Gate University Environmental Law & Justice Clinic and Lawyers for Clean Water. Scott enjoys wildlife photography, backpacking, and participating in triathlons in his spare time.
Betsy Rosenberg is an award-winning national broadcast journalist and a green media trailblazer. With 25 years of radio news experience and track record as a social visionary, Ms. Rosenberg has earned the distinction of being an award-winning news veteran, popular environmental talk show host, and dedicated activist for positive planetary change; a rare combination indeed!
Brenda Platt is the Co-Director of the Washington, DC-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She has worked 22 years on recycling issues.