Board of Directors
Bonnie Monteleone
Executive Director, Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships (Wilmington,NC)
As the Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. as well as the Executive Director, Bonnie Monteleone is a researcher who has collected plastic marine samples globally including four of the five main ocean gyres, the Caribbean, and has extended this work to Pyramid Lake, outside of Reno, Nevada. Monteleone completed her first field study exploration in the North Atlantic Gyre in July 2009 in collaboration with Maureen Conte, PhD. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS). In the fall of 2009, Monteleone accompanied Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s 10-year resampling of the North Pacific Gyre, quantifying the rate of plastic marine debris growth to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, sampling a transect of 3,460 nautical miles (nm).
In 2010, she continued her North Atlantic study resampling the same region in the North Atlantic. In fall of 2010, she joined 5 Gyres Institute in a first ever South Atlantic transect sampling for pelagic marine debris traveling 4,270 nm from Brazil to South Africa. In 2012, Monteleone collected samples from the South Pacific as part of the film project, A Plastic Ocean. To date, she has five years of data sets from the North Atlantic. A total of 217 surface samples were collected from all four oceans. Monteleone collaborates with Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute, Dr. William J. Cooper, University of California Irvine (UCI), and Dr. Maureen Conte, BIOS. In 2012, Bonnie Monteleone and Paul Lorenzo co-founded the 501c3 Plastic Ocean Project, Inc.
Monteleone also works in the Chemistry Department at UNC Wilmington as an Administrative Assistant and Plastic Marine Debris Lab assistant working with student Directed Independent Studies (DIS) research. Research projects vary from fieldwork collecting beach samples to lab analysis looking at plastic leachates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) uptakes, and plastic ingestion by marine organisms. She collaborates with Pamela Seaton, Brooks Avery, Susanne Brander, and Alison Taylor.
Bonnie is also an accomplished artist, turning some of the plastic she collects on her voyages into modern artistic masterpieces. This work story boards her research and has become a traveling art exhibit - What goes around comes around.
Executive Director, Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships (Wilmington,NC)
As the Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc. as well as the Executive Director, Bonnie Monteleone is a researcher who has collected plastic marine samples globally including four of the five main ocean gyres, the Caribbean, and has extended this work to Pyramid Lake, outside of Reno, Nevada. Monteleone completed her first field study exploration in the North Atlantic Gyre in July 2009 in collaboration with Maureen Conte, PhD. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science (BIOS). In the fall of 2009, Monteleone accompanied Algalita Marine Research Foundation’s 10-year resampling of the North Pacific Gyre, quantifying the rate of plastic marine debris growth to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, sampling a transect of 3,460 nautical miles (nm).
In 2010, she continued her North Atlantic study resampling the same region in the North Atlantic. In fall of 2010, she joined 5 Gyres Institute in a first ever South Atlantic transect sampling for pelagic marine debris traveling 4,270 nm from Brazil to South Africa. In 2012, Monteleone collected samples from the South Pacific as part of the film project, A Plastic Ocean. To date, she has five years of data sets from the North Atlantic. A total of 217 surface samples were collected from all four oceans. Monteleone collaborates with Charles Moore, founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummings, co-founders of 5 Gyres Institute, Dr. William J. Cooper, University of California Irvine (UCI), and Dr. Maureen Conte, BIOS. In 2012, Bonnie Monteleone and Paul Lorenzo co-founded the 501c3 Plastic Ocean Project, Inc.
Monteleone also works in the Chemistry Department at UNC Wilmington as an Administrative Assistant and Plastic Marine Debris Lab assistant working with student Directed Independent Studies (DIS) research. Research projects vary from fieldwork collecting beach samples to lab analysis looking at plastic leachates, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) uptakes, and plastic ingestion by marine organisms. She collaborates with Pamela Seaton, Brooks Avery, Susanne Brander, and Alison Taylor.
Bonnie is also an accomplished artist, turning some of the plastic she collects on her voyages into modern artistic masterpieces. This work story boards her research and has become a traveling art exhibit - What goes around comes around.
Lisa Rider
President (Sneads Ferry, NC)
Lisa is an Eastern NC native, a sailor, surfer, paddler, dive master and is steeped in the reality of the situation with plastics. She works at the Onslow County Waste Management Facility and brings the full understanding of the impacts of plastics as a waste management issue to the table. She has received her educational background from UNC School of Government Chapel Hill, North Carolina Financing Solid Waste Programs, North Carolina, UNC School of Government 2009 to 2010 · Chapel Hill, North Carolina Supervisory Management Program, Clayton College of Natural Health Class of 2007 · Naturopathy · Birmingham, Alabama, Coastal Carolina CC Class of 2003 · Associates in Arts · Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Cape Lookout Marine Science High School Class of 1997 · Morehead City, North Carolina. Her most recent work was doing global outreach as crew for eXXpedition Amazon. She received the 2014 CRA Recycler of the Year Award and has been volunteering for NCBS and Ocean Conservancy for 27 years now. "Collaboration", Lisa says, "is the key to any successful project, program, organization."
President (Sneads Ferry, NC)
Lisa is an Eastern NC native, a sailor, surfer, paddler, dive master and is steeped in the reality of the situation with plastics. She works at the Onslow County Waste Management Facility and brings the full understanding of the impacts of plastics as a waste management issue to the table. She has received her educational background from UNC School of Government Chapel Hill, North Carolina Financing Solid Waste Programs, North Carolina, UNC School of Government 2009 to 2010 · Chapel Hill, North Carolina Supervisory Management Program, Clayton College of Natural Health Class of 2007 · Naturopathy · Birmingham, Alabama, Coastal Carolina CC Class of 2003 · Associates in Arts · Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Cape Lookout Marine Science High School Class of 1997 · Morehead City, North Carolina. Her most recent work was doing global outreach as crew for eXXpedition Amazon. She received the 2014 CRA Recycler of the Year Award and has been volunteering for NCBS and Ocean Conservancy for 27 years now. "Collaboration", Lisa says, "is the key to any successful project, program, organization."
Tricia Monteleone
Vice President, Public Relations Coordinator (Wilmington, NC)
Tricia has spearheaded fundraising events since Plastic Ocean Project's inception and is responsible for successfully meeting the financial demands necessary to join Algalita Marine Research Foundation sail across the North Pacific in 2009, collaborate with Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences North Atlantic cruise in 2009, sail across the South Atlantic in 2010 with 5 Gyres Institute, and annual North Atlantic cruises 700 miles off the coast of North Carolina. She lines up venues for our What Goes Around, Comes Around science through art installation that is currently on tour across the United States and organizes speaking events for POP, Inc. to present to people of all ages and grade levels. Tricia also manages all of our social media including Plastic Ocean Project's Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts.
Backpacking around the world in some of the more remote places on the planet, Monteleone photographed rivers and beaches spoiled by marine litter. Everywhere she went she was confronted by plastic pollution even in the most beautiful and underpopulated locales. Monteleone has shared detailed accounts on the problems with plastics on the terra ferma in distant regions of the world that only fuels her commitment to POP, Inc. She believes it is from the same brilliant inginuity that created plastics that will help us come up with solutions to plastic marine pollution.
Vice President, Public Relations Coordinator (Wilmington, NC)
Tricia has spearheaded fundraising events since Plastic Ocean Project's inception and is responsible for successfully meeting the financial demands necessary to join Algalita Marine Research Foundation sail across the North Pacific in 2009, collaborate with Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences North Atlantic cruise in 2009, sail across the South Atlantic in 2010 with 5 Gyres Institute, and annual North Atlantic cruises 700 miles off the coast of North Carolina. She lines up venues for our What Goes Around, Comes Around science through art installation that is currently on tour across the United States and organizes speaking events for POP, Inc. to present to people of all ages and grade levels. Tricia also manages all of our social media including Plastic Ocean Project's Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts.
Backpacking around the world in some of the more remote places on the planet, Monteleone photographed rivers and beaches spoiled by marine litter. Everywhere she went she was confronted by plastic pollution even in the most beautiful and underpopulated locales. Monteleone has shared detailed accounts on the problems with plastics on the terra ferma in distant regions of the world that only fuels her commitment to POP, Inc. She believes it is from the same brilliant inginuity that created plastics that will help us come up with solutions to plastic marine pollution.
Sam Athey
Director of Chapters (Wilmington, NC)
Sam was one of the founding members and President of the first college chapter of Plastic Ocean Project, UNCW POP. Her leadership and passion for saving the oceans from marine debris has helped make the UNCW POP chapter extremely successful in being a role model of sustainable practices for the community, encouraging the reduction of single use plastic, and supporting local Ocean Friendly Establishments. She has also helped initiate the Hope Spot: Hatteras campaign in an effort to ensure the protection of one of the most diverse and vibrant ecosystems along the east coast. For her efforts she was awarded the Lumina News 2015 Person of the Year award.
Sam received her B.S. in Marine Biology with honors from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is currently completing her M.S in Marine Science from UNCW, studying impacts of ingested plastics in local fish populations.
Director of Chapters (Wilmington, NC)
Sam was one of the founding members and President of the first college chapter of Plastic Ocean Project, UNCW POP. Her leadership and passion for saving the oceans from marine debris has helped make the UNCW POP chapter extremely successful in being a role model of sustainable practices for the community, encouraging the reduction of single use plastic, and supporting local Ocean Friendly Establishments. She has also helped initiate the Hope Spot: Hatteras campaign in an effort to ensure the protection of one of the most diverse and vibrant ecosystems along the east coast. For her efforts she was awarded the Lumina News 2015 Person of the Year award.
Sam received her B.S. in Marine Biology with honors from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She is currently completing her M.S in Marine Science from UNCW, studying impacts of ingested plastics in local fish populations.
Tammy Bleier
Website Editor & Membership Manager (Wilmington, NC)
A Rochester, New York native, Tammy first heard about Plastic Ocean Project through her current role as an Admissions Counselor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She graduated from UNCW in 2014 with a B.S. in Marine Biology, and has always had a passion for preventing ocean pollution. She organized her first beach sweep in 2009 (with a broken vertebrae) and is elated to take her love of ocean conservation to the next level with POP. She has participated in research on microplastics in the Cape Fear River and has gone offshore to collect plastics from sargussum mats near the Gulf Stream. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree at UNCW, and is hoping to study plankton ingestion of marine plastics, particularly in the five major ocean gyres.
When Tammy is not working, researching or volunteering, she enjoys diving, traveling, reading and spending time with her three fur-children.
Website Editor & Membership Manager (Wilmington, NC)
A Rochester, New York native, Tammy first heard about Plastic Ocean Project through her current role as an Admissions Counselor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She graduated from UNCW in 2014 with a B.S. in Marine Biology, and has always had a passion for preventing ocean pollution. She organized her first beach sweep in 2009 (with a broken vertebrae) and is elated to take her love of ocean conservation to the next level with POP. She has participated in research on microplastics in the Cape Fear River and has gone offshore to collect plastics from sargussum mats near the Gulf Stream. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree at UNCW, and is hoping to study plankton ingestion of marine plastics, particularly in the five major ocean gyres.
When Tammy is not working, researching or volunteering, she enjoys diving, traveling, reading and spending time with her three fur-children.
Scott C. Davis
Business Development & Analytics Intern (Wilmington, NC)
In his current role of the Business Development & Analytics Intern for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc., (POP) and his additional role of a Research Assistant for Dr. Peter Schuhmann, Scott Davis is an aspiring Innovator and Economist. Scott is a student at UNCW and is currently in his Junior year studying Economics and Spanish. He was one of the founding members of The Plastic Ocean Project college chapter, UNCW POP. His passion for environmental protection and sustainable technologies provides a general business understanding to POP. In addition, his research under Dr. Schuhmann has brought clarity to subjects such as: Plastic Waste in Small Island Developing States, and the correlations between environmental pollution and tourism receipts. These skill sets have built his role in maintaining and further developing POP’s partnership with PK Clean. His experiences in Haiti, Chile, and other foreign nations have exposed him to the real-world impacts felt by plastic waste in the marine environment. These experiences are the driving force behind his desire to better the globe via innovative technologies and sustainable practices.
Business Development & Analytics Intern (Wilmington, NC)
In his current role of the Business Development & Analytics Intern for Plastic Ocean Project, Inc., (POP) and his additional role of a Research Assistant for Dr. Peter Schuhmann, Scott Davis is an aspiring Innovator and Economist. Scott is a student at UNCW and is currently in his Junior year studying Economics and Spanish. He was one of the founding members of The Plastic Ocean Project college chapter, UNCW POP. His passion for environmental protection and sustainable technologies provides a general business understanding to POP. In addition, his research under Dr. Schuhmann has brought clarity to subjects such as: Plastic Waste in Small Island Developing States, and the correlations between environmental pollution and tourism receipts. These skill sets have built his role in maintaining and further developing POP’s partnership with PK Clean. His experiences in Haiti, Chile, and other foreign nations have exposed him to the real-world impacts felt by plastic waste in the marine environment. These experiences are the driving force behind his desire to better the globe via innovative technologies and sustainable practices.
Krista Laforest
POP Liaison (Wilmington, NC)
Krista is currently pursuing her Bachelors’ degree in Marine Biology and Psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She grew up on the coast in Massachusetts and has always been passionate about coastal and marine conservation. In the past, she has volunteered with New England Aquarium’s conservation group which regularly cleaned the Boston Harbor Islands and restored important habitats such as oyster beds. Currently she is an active member of UNCW’s Plastic Ocean Project and an avid diver. She hopes to combine her love of diving and conservation into a career someday.
POP Liaison (Wilmington, NC)
Krista is currently pursuing her Bachelors’ degree in Marine Biology and Psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She grew up on the coast in Massachusetts and has always been passionate about coastal and marine conservation. In the past, she has volunteered with New England Aquarium’s conservation group which regularly cleaned the Boston Harbor Islands and restored important habitats such as oyster beds. Currently she is an active member of UNCW’s Plastic Ocean Project and an avid diver. She hopes to combine her love of diving and conservation into a career someday.
Francesco (Frank) Monteleone
Treasurer (New York City)
Frank is a Senior Financial Analyst for NBC in New York, New York. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and his masters at University of North Carolina Charlotte.
Treasurer (New York City)
Frank is a Senior Financial Analyst for NBC in New York, New York. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and his masters at University of North Carolina Charlotte.
Dana Sargent
Editor (Wilmington, NC)
Dana grew up near Chicago, and moved all over the country before finally arriving home – when she and her family moved to Wilmington in 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Diego State University and a Master of Science in environmental sciences & policy from The Johns Hopkins University. She writes an environmental blog at www.greenandbluestuff.com. She serves on the advisory committee with NC Coastal Federation and is on the board of directors with Cape Fear River Watch where she also chairs the advocacy committee. She is an active volunteer with the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and has conducted citizen science for the NC National Estuarine Research Reserve. She began volunteering with Plastic Ocean Project in 2017 and is excited about supporting the team. She lives near the water with her amazing husband who builds boats and their two awe-inspiring daughters. She’s also a big fan of yoga and scuba.
Editor (Wilmington, NC)
Dana grew up near Chicago, and moved all over the country before finally arriving home – when she and her family moved to Wilmington in 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from San Diego State University and a Master of Science in environmental sciences & policy from The Johns Hopkins University. She writes an environmental blog at www.greenandbluestuff.com. She serves on the advisory committee with NC Coastal Federation and is on the board of directors with Cape Fear River Watch where she also chairs the advocacy committee. She is an active volunteer with the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and has conducted citizen science for the NC National Estuarine Research Reserve. She began volunteering with Plastic Ocean Project in 2017 and is excited about supporting the team. She lives near the water with her amazing husband who builds boats and their two awe-inspiring daughters. She’s also a big fan of yoga and scuba.
Board of Advisors
William (Bill) J. Cooper, PhD
Bill is a Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine. in 1988 I earned a Ph. D. in Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Miami.
I shifted to the University of California at Irvine in 2006 to serve as the Director of the Urban Water Research Center and as Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I retain appointments in Chemical Engineering, as well as in the Department of Policy, Planning, and Design in the School of Social Ecology.
My present research interests include carbon cycles in oceanic and fresh water, the application of free radical chemistry for the treatment and environmental photochemical fate of emerging chemicals of concern and disinfection by-products, and, the application of advanced oxidation processes for the ship-board (oil tanker) control of invasive species.
I have published over 250 papers and book chapters, and edited 8 books. In November 2011 I was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Bill is a Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine. in 1988 I earned a Ph. D. in Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry from the University of Miami.
I shifted to the University of California at Irvine in 2006 to serve as the Director of the Urban Water Research Center and as Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I retain appointments in Chemical Engineering, as well as in the Department of Policy, Planning, and Design in the School of Social Ecology.
My present research interests include carbon cycles in oceanic and fresh water, the application of free radical chemistry for the treatment and environmental photochemical fate of emerging chemicals of concern and disinfection by-products, and, the application of advanced oxidation processes for the ship-board (oil tanker) control of invasive species.
I have published over 250 papers and book chapters, and edited 8 books. In November 2011 I was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Kurt Lieber
Founder and President of Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA)
Kurt's non-profit organization is based out of Huntington Beach, CA. ODA’s lofty goal is to “work for a debris free sea” and fits seamlessly with Plastic Ocean Project’s mission. Working with volunteer scuba divers, ODA has removed 33,000 pounds of abandoned fishing nets, 28,000 pounds of marine debris, 27,000 feet of trap lines and over 300 abandoned lobster traps. The vast majority of the nets, lines and debris were manufactured with some form of plastic, mostly nylon and polypropylene.
Kurt has been scuba diving all around the world since 1974 and has witnessed firsthand the drastic reduction in bio-diversity in our underwater world. At the same time he has seen our oceans treated as a universal garbage dump. As we all know, the vast majority of this marine garbage is plastic. If there is any hope of restoring our oceans to their once vibrant state, something needs to be done with this debris. This is why Kurt supports POP - a beacon of light in an otherwise bleak looking future. He shares our belief that we owe it to ourselves, future generations, AND all the wildlife that we share this planet with, to stop putting this toxic debris in the water in the first place. We can then focus our energies on removing this plastic plague. "I feel that POP is doing a great job of searching for practical solutions to these issues. I am honored to be on the advisory board, and am in awe of this dedicated group of volunteer scientists, researchers, students and caring people. Way to go, Team POP!"
Goffinet McLaren
Voting Member at Large
A dedicated ocean and marine life conservationist, activist and author in Leitchfield, South Carolina.
Voting Member at Large
A dedicated ocean and marine life conservationist, activist and author in Leitchfield, South Carolina.
Founding Members
Paul Lorenzo
Former Treasurer
Co-founder Paul is a public accountant and owner of Cortland Bookkeeping and Tax Services in Cortland, New York. Mr. Lorenzo is a MIncludes meals and registrationember of the Board of Directors of the Cortland County Historical Society, he is a Deputy of the City of Cortland Wastewater Treatment Plant and is a Trustee of the Cortland County YWCA. Mr. Lorenzo is a Past President and Chairman of the Allocations Committee of the United Way of Cortland County and was this Organizations Volunteer of the year in 1995. Mr. Lorenzo is a 30 year Member of the National Association of Tax Professionals and has been approved for practice before the Internal Revenue Service since 1980.
Former Treasurer
Co-founder Paul is a public accountant and owner of Cortland Bookkeeping and Tax Services in Cortland, New York. Mr. Lorenzo is a MIncludes meals and registrationember of the Board of Directors of the Cortland County Historical Society, he is a Deputy of the City of Cortland Wastewater Treatment Plant and is a Trustee of the Cortland County YWCA. Mr. Lorenzo is a Past President and Chairman of the Allocations Committee of the United Way of Cortland County and was this Organizations Volunteer of the year in 1995. Mr. Lorenzo is a 30 year Member of the National Association of Tax Professionals and has been approved for practice before the Internal Revenue Service since 1980.
Rear Admiral Leendert "Len" Hering, Sr.
Champion at the Helm; Renewable Energy Integration (San Diego, Ca)
Hering (U.S. Navy, retired), is a prominent military and civilian sustainability leader with a broad background in energy and environmental issues and is currently the Executive Director of the The California Center for Sustainable Energy.
His passion is educating people on the dangers the future holds without taking responsible actions to secure the nation’s energy independence and to preserve water, air quality and other resources. A native of Portsmouth, Va., Hering retired from the Navy in 2009 after more than 32 years of service. He was noted as one of the Navy’s top experts in base operations and facility support with an emphasis on sustainability and the environment.
While in the Navy, Hering’s efforts included everything from renewable energy to responsible water use and conservation. He was responsible for building a team recognized throughout the Department of Defense as the best in environmental protection and sustainable innovation. Within three years, the team reduced energy consumption by nearly 42%, diverted 75% of Navy waste from landfills and reduced water consumption by more than one billion gallons, saving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. Hering instigated wind, thermal, photovoltaic and conversion technology at all levels in Navy facilities. President Bush awarded Hering a 2005 Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management in recognition of efforts reducing oil spills and for recycling.
In 2009, Hering joined the University of San Diego, where as vice president for business services and administration he initiated numerous sustainable measures on the campus. Within the two years he served, USD installed the largest solar system of any private campus in the country, instituted the most comprehensive water abatement project in the school’s history and reformed numerous business practices to help control costs. His efforts resulted in saving more than 3 million gallons of water per year and more than $1 million in electrical costs.
Hering’s endeavors include the founding of what is now the largest sustainability business partnership in San Diego County, the San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership, a consortium of business, government, academic and community organizations promoting practices that support a sustainable future for the region.
Champion at the Helm; Renewable Energy Integration (San Diego, Ca)
Hering (U.S. Navy, retired), is a prominent military and civilian sustainability leader with a broad background in energy and environmental issues and is currently the Executive Director of the The California Center for Sustainable Energy.
His passion is educating people on the dangers the future holds without taking responsible actions to secure the nation’s energy independence and to preserve water, air quality and other resources. A native of Portsmouth, Va., Hering retired from the Navy in 2009 after more than 32 years of service. He was noted as one of the Navy’s top experts in base operations and facility support with an emphasis on sustainability and the environment.
While in the Navy, Hering’s efforts included everything from renewable energy to responsible water use and conservation. He was responsible for building a team recognized throughout the Department of Defense as the best in environmental protection and sustainable innovation. Within three years, the team reduced energy consumption by nearly 42%, diverted 75% of Navy waste from landfills and reduced water consumption by more than one billion gallons, saving tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. Hering instigated wind, thermal, photovoltaic and conversion technology at all levels in Navy facilities. President Bush awarded Hering a 2005 Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management in recognition of efforts reducing oil spills and for recycling.
In 2009, Hering joined the University of San Diego, where as vice president for business services and administration he initiated numerous sustainable measures on the campus. Within the two years he served, USD installed the largest solar system of any private campus in the country, instituted the most comprehensive water abatement project in the school’s history and reformed numerous business practices to help control costs. His efforts resulted in saving more than 3 million gallons of water per year and more than $1 million in electrical costs.
Hering’s endeavors include the founding of what is now the largest sustainability business partnership in San Diego County, the San Diego Regional Sustainability Partnership, a consortium of business, government, academic and community organizations promoting practices that support a sustainable future for the region.
Diana Dehm
Sustainability Visionary (Huntington Beach, Ca)
Diana is biography Host, Sustainability News & Entertainment®Radio, Multinational Sustainability correspondent & Advisor CEO, Sustainable Business Partnerships™, LLC(www.sustainabilitynewsandentertainment.com). Diana Dehm has an extensive record of success in both the public and private sectors as a public speaker, radio and TV personality, social entrepreneur & CEO, sustainability correspondent & consultant and team builder, community out-reach innovator, and educator in the of world sustainability. “She is the human dot connector for bringing the most Innovative Sustainable Solutions to the table for Planetary Sustainability”. Diana is the CEO & Founder of Sustainable Business Partnerships™, LLC. Consulting (WBE, DBE, SBE Certified Company) “Driving sustainability business innovation through strategy to implementation within Fortune 500 Companies".
She is the Host & Founder of Sustainability News & Entertainment® Radio, a platform for sharing inspiring stories and sustainable solutions for the planet. As an active public speaker and strategic visionary linking business strategy with business outcomes, she believes that people are at the heart of driving sustainable change, and “We are all in this together”. She has learned by hands-on entrepreneurialism, and creating successful, exciting, fun communication models; we can support our next generation’s needs through non-traditional economics, positive human impact, and developing innovative ways to lower our environmental footprint collectively. Prior to Founding Sustainable Business Partnerships™ and Sustainability News & Entertainment® Radio, she was a Vice President/Partner with Haley & Aldrich and ERM, both global environmental consulting firms, where her responsibilities included Fortune 500 Global EHS Consulting, Business Development, Partnership Development, Consortia Management, Communications, Media, and Sustainability Services. Prior to consulting, she was an Manager for Hewlett Packard and Waste Management (Formally Wheelabrator- Frye/Allied Signal).
Diana’s technical consulting and advisory experience includes 20 years of corporate EHS compliance, CSR, Fortune 500 consortia deployment, sustainability innovation, go to market product and service strategy, branding, and communications. She excels at building highly-effective collaborative innovation teams on the global scale for companies and partners including: Hewlett Packard, AT&T, General Electric, NBC Universal, Major League Sports, Entertainment Industry, Entrepreneurs, Military, Federal Agencies, Non-Profit Organizations, K-12 Students, and Colleges & Universities, and many others.
Today, Diana’s mission is to work collectively to bring world-wide sustainability solutions to the forefront through media, connection, and education, while continuing to connect the dots with sustainability “solutioneers” from across the nation and around the world to focus on what she calls her TOP 10 Planetary Challenges (i.e., renewable energy, clean water management, zero waste, education, consumerism, clean technology, positive human impact, clean oceans, climate change, and infrastructure/transportation).
Sustainability Visionary (Huntington Beach, Ca)
Diana is biography Host, Sustainability News & Entertainment®Radio, Multinational Sustainability correspondent & Advisor CEO, Sustainable Business Partnerships™, LLC(www.sustainabilitynewsandentertainment.com). Diana Dehm has an extensive record of success in both the public and private sectors as a public speaker, radio and TV personality, social entrepreneur & CEO, sustainability correspondent & consultant and team builder, community out-reach innovator, and educator in the of world sustainability. “She is the human dot connector for bringing the most Innovative Sustainable Solutions to the table for Planetary Sustainability”. Diana is the CEO & Founder of Sustainable Business Partnerships™, LLC. Consulting (WBE, DBE, SBE Certified Company) “Driving sustainability business innovation through strategy to implementation within Fortune 500 Companies".
She is the Host & Founder of Sustainability News & Entertainment® Radio, a platform for sharing inspiring stories and sustainable solutions for the planet. As an active public speaker and strategic visionary linking business strategy with business outcomes, she believes that people are at the heart of driving sustainable change, and “We are all in this together”. She has learned by hands-on entrepreneurialism, and creating successful, exciting, fun communication models; we can support our next generation’s needs through non-traditional economics, positive human impact, and developing innovative ways to lower our environmental footprint collectively. Prior to Founding Sustainable Business Partnerships™ and Sustainability News & Entertainment® Radio, she was a Vice President/Partner with Haley & Aldrich and ERM, both global environmental consulting firms, where her responsibilities included Fortune 500 Global EHS Consulting, Business Development, Partnership Development, Consortia Management, Communications, Media, and Sustainability Services. Prior to consulting, she was an Manager for Hewlett Packard and Waste Management (Formally Wheelabrator- Frye/Allied Signal).
Diana’s technical consulting and advisory experience includes 20 years of corporate EHS compliance, CSR, Fortune 500 consortia deployment, sustainability innovation, go to market product and service strategy, branding, and communications. She excels at building highly-effective collaborative innovation teams on the global scale for companies and partners including: Hewlett Packard, AT&T, General Electric, NBC Universal, Major League Sports, Entertainment Industry, Entrepreneurs, Military, Federal Agencies, Non-Profit Organizations, K-12 Students, and Colleges & Universities, and many others.
Today, Diana’s mission is to work collectively to bring world-wide sustainability solutions to the forefront through media, connection, and education, while continuing to connect the dots with sustainability “solutioneers” from across the nation and around the world to focus on what she calls her TOP 10 Planetary Challenges (i.e., renewable energy, clean water management, zero waste, education, consumerism, clean technology, positive human impact, clean oceans, climate change, and infrastructure/transportation).
Martha Lyons
Director of Technology and Innovation (Palo Alto, Ca)
Martha is a Silicon Valley Technology and Business Strategist and has over 25 years of experience leading the initiation and development of innovative capabilities in collaboration with Fortune 500 companies. While at HP Labs and HP Services, she led multiple demonstration projects aimed at incubating solutions at the intersection of emerging technologies, business models, and customer needs resulting in numerous technology transfers. Projects spanned domains such as experimental economics, prediction and forecasting, residential and commercial energy management, document categorization and automated classification, and advanced visual analytics of data sets. Martha also led the HP Services CTO Innovation Program while advising customers on innovation best practices in corporate environments. While in HP Services she drove the Services Innovation agenda and led emerging R&D projects to bring new electronic support, remote sensing and monitoring, predictive analytics, automated assessment, and energy management services to market and improve HP’s delivery of services. Martha has also held a variety of technical, management, and strategy positions in HP’s Office of Strategy and Innovation and in HP’s Global Operations.
Martha is passionate about environmental sustainability and using analytics to automate and improve the delivery of services. She is also dedicated to designing services and products which combine and address business, technology, and customer experience innovations holistically throughout the project lifecycle.
Martha also volunteers at Sustainable Silicon Valley helping to design the EcoCloud collaboration and innovation portal. Martha grew up in New York City and attended Duke University as an undergraduate and the University of Texas at Austin as a graduate student in Computer Science. She has two boys, 18 and 15 and enjoys all outdoor activities, socializing with friends, reading, and speculating about the future.
Director of Technology and Innovation (Palo Alto, Ca)
Martha is a Silicon Valley Technology and Business Strategist and has over 25 years of experience leading the initiation and development of innovative capabilities in collaboration with Fortune 500 companies. While at HP Labs and HP Services, she led multiple demonstration projects aimed at incubating solutions at the intersection of emerging technologies, business models, and customer needs resulting in numerous technology transfers. Projects spanned domains such as experimental economics, prediction and forecasting, residential and commercial energy management, document categorization and automated classification, and advanced visual analytics of data sets. Martha also led the HP Services CTO Innovation Program while advising customers on innovation best practices in corporate environments. While in HP Services she drove the Services Innovation agenda and led emerging R&D projects to bring new electronic support, remote sensing and monitoring, predictive analytics, automated assessment, and energy management services to market and improve HP’s delivery of services. Martha has also held a variety of technical, management, and strategy positions in HP’s Office of Strategy and Innovation and in HP’s Global Operations.
Martha is passionate about environmental sustainability and using analytics to automate and improve the delivery of services. She is also dedicated to designing services and products which combine and address business, technology, and customer experience innovations holistically throughout the project lifecycle.
Martha also volunteers at Sustainable Silicon Valley helping to design the EcoCloud collaboration and innovation portal. Martha grew up in New York City and attended Duke University as an undergraduate and the University of Texas at Austin as a graduate student in Computer Science. She has two boys, 18 and 15 and enjoys all outdoor activities, socializing with friends, reading, and speculating about the future.
Kellie Johansen
Director of Operations and Outreach (NH)
Kellie had been the Director of Community Based Services for Easter Seals NH with over 23 years of experience in non-profit management. At Easter Seals, she managed the delivery of a wide array of services, including; employment, residential, and clinical for adults with special needs throughout the state of NH. Kellie is responsible for pioneering program models that have become the standard for service delivery in NH for adults with developmental disabilities, one of these programs received a Service Innovation Award from our National Affiliate. Along with adults with special needs, she has initiated programs for Seniors and was part of an implementation team for our Veterans Count program that provides support to our nations Veterans and their families. The Easter Seals NH customer service program was developed by Kellie which addresses both the organizational culture and training aspects of service excellence.
Kellie led a team of 30+ managers and 150+ direct service staff who are responsible for delivery of $17M of services throughout NH. She oversees an extensive training and quality assurance program and is a member of several internal and external collaborative teams. Kellie is most known for her visionary thinking and leadership. She has an ability to motivate staff teams and create synergistic environments where staff can work with shared purpose and are mission-minded. She is a certified DiSC trainer and uses this as a platform for mentoring and working within programs on team building and interpersonal and communication issues.
Kellie has a life-long love of the ocean and all of its gifts. She and her four children spend most of their recreational time along the seacoast. They can be found surfing, splashing, walking, tidal pooling and playing on the beaches. Their appreciation of the ocean, beaches and marine life enlists her passionate concern for its future and desire to contribute to its preservation. Kellie also believes that taking care of our planet is essential our physical and spiritual wellness.
Kellie grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and has lived in the Seacoast of NH for the past 20 years. She has a BS in Human Services with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Springfield College and is currently enrolled in their graduate program for Organizational Leadership. She is a coach for Girl on the Run, an international program that teaches girls to run a 5k, while focusing on wellness. She is a fitness enthusiast, loves being outdoors, especially cycling.
Director of Operations and Outreach (NH)
Kellie had been the Director of Community Based Services for Easter Seals NH with over 23 years of experience in non-profit management. At Easter Seals, she managed the delivery of a wide array of services, including; employment, residential, and clinical for adults with special needs throughout the state of NH. Kellie is responsible for pioneering program models that have become the standard for service delivery in NH for adults with developmental disabilities, one of these programs received a Service Innovation Award from our National Affiliate. Along with adults with special needs, she has initiated programs for Seniors and was part of an implementation team for our Veterans Count program that provides support to our nations Veterans and their families. The Easter Seals NH customer service program was developed by Kellie which addresses both the organizational culture and training aspects of service excellence.
Kellie led a team of 30+ managers and 150+ direct service staff who are responsible for delivery of $17M of services throughout NH. She oversees an extensive training and quality assurance program and is a member of several internal and external collaborative teams. Kellie is most known for her visionary thinking and leadership. She has an ability to motivate staff teams and create synergistic environments where staff can work with shared purpose and are mission-minded. She is a certified DiSC trainer and uses this as a platform for mentoring and working within programs on team building and interpersonal and communication issues.
Kellie has a life-long love of the ocean and all of its gifts. She and her four children spend most of their recreational time along the seacoast. They can be found surfing, splashing, walking, tidal pooling and playing on the beaches. Their appreciation of the ocean, beaches and marine life enlists her passionate concern for its future and desire to contribute to its preservation. Kellie also believes that taking care of our planet is essential our physical and spiritual wellness.
Kellie grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and has lived in the Seacoast of NH for the past 20 years. She has a BS in Human Services with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Springfield College and is currently enrolled in their graduate program for Organizational Leadership. She is a coach for Girl on the Run, an international program that teaches girls to run a 5k, while focusing on wellness. She is a fitness enthusiast, loves being outdoors, especially cycling.
