WEST COAST COLLABORATIVE - Key Persons
Allen Dusault Sustainable Conservation Allen oversees Sustainable Conservation's Biofuels, Dairies and Conservation Tillage projects - and is an Associate with the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program (CDQAP). Allen has over 15 years of experience in renewable energy and fuels, air and water quality issues, production agriculture, waste management and land use planning - spanning both public and private sectors. His current work involves demonstrating biofuel crops can be sustainably grown in California - generating both environmental and economic benefits for the state. Allen recently spearheaded California net metering legislation. Allen began his career as an environmental consultant in Washington, D.C., moving on to senior positions with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection where he was the Director of Special Waste Program and the Biosolids Reuse Program. He went on to Laidlaw to manage the Recycling Program for the company's East Coast Division. Additionally, he ran a 25 MW biomass power plant as Executive Director of a waste authority. Allen also consulted to corporations and government agencies in California, including International Technology Corp, Santa Barbara Public Works, Browning-Ferris and Orange County. He also has experience managing one of the first natural-gas-powered truck fleets in California. Allen received an MBA from the University of Redlands, an MS in resource management from the University of Guelph in Canada, and a BS in soil science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He also studied hydrology at University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA
Appointed August 23, 2006, Arlen Lancaster heads the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the primary agency for voluntary conservation on working agricultural lands. As the thirteenth Chief for the agency, he directs the work of 12,000 employees and manages a budget totaling nearly $3.2 billion. Before joining NRCS, Mr. Lancaster served as USDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Previously he worked for the Congress in a variety of positions including senior policy advisor for Senator Mike Crapo, staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Forestry, Conservation, and Rural Revitalization and staff member for Senator Robert Bennett. He played a key role in crafting the conservation title of the 2002 farm bill. As NRCS chief executive officer, Mr. Lancaster guides the agency in helping people help the land through locally-led, cooperative conservation programs. Under his direction, NRCS works with private landowners and partners to conserve, maintain, and improve natural resources, which supports sustainable agriculture and enhances the environment. NRCS conservation partnerships provide public environmental benefits such as a cleaner environment, clear and abundant water, increased biological diversity and a scenic landscape. A graduate of the University of Utah, Mr. Lancaster is the first Asian American Chief of NRCS. He is an avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman. He and his wife Staci live in Alexandria, Va.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, No - till on the Plains
- Program Coordinator for No - till on the Plains
Brian is the Program Coordinator for No-Till On The Plains. He has an extensive agricultural background and has farmed and ranched for many years. Brian was a member of Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership Program (KARL) Class V through Kansas State University and has served in a number of leadership capacities statewide.
Job Titles:
- Acting Chief, Business Specialty Lenders Division, Energy Branch, Rural Development, USDA
- Acting Energy Branch Chief at USDA National Headquarters
Chris Cassidy is the Acting Energy Branch Chief at USDA National Headquarters in Washington D.C. In addition, he is the Western and Pacific Region Energy Coordinator for USDA. He formerly served as Director of Business and Cooperative Programs for USDA Rural Development and was USDA Renewable Energy Coordinator for Washington State. Cassidy has been actively engaged in business, agriculture, and technology development activities for three decades. He has served the United States Government, the United Nations, the Cooperative Bank, and the World Bank in management capacities in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. He has served the indigenous people of the Native American community in economic and agriculture development and remains active in community development activities. Cassidy has a B.S. in Business and a M.S. in International Agriculture Development.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Factory Marketing for Large Row Crop Tractors, John Deere Waterloo Works
Cory Reed has worked for John Deere since June 1988 and holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Miami University of Ohio and a Juris Doctor degree from Ohio State University.
Job Titles:
- Director of Environmental Affairs, Government
Cynthia L. Cory is the Director of Environmental Affairs, Government Affairs Division, for the California Farm Bureau Federation. The California Farm Bureau Federation is a non-profit agricultural trade association that has more than 91,500 members in 53 counties in California. She has been associated with the agricultural community for over thirty years; the past seventeen years have been at CFBF working on state and federal matters including air quality, biotechnology, climate change, transportation and renewable bioenergy issues. Previously, she worked for several organizations over a ten-year period on short and long-term agronomic research projects throughout Africa. Ms. Cory has a M.S. in International Agricultural Development (emphasis Agronomy/Genetics) and a B.S. in Agronomy. Ms. Cory is a member of the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Taskforce and was appointed by the Schwarzenegger Administration to serve on several advisory committees including the Governor's Environmental Advisory Task Force, the California Energy Commission's Climate Change Advisory Committee and their Biodiesel Working Group.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Division Chief for Planning and Technical Support at the California Air Resources Board
Cynthia Marvin is the assistant division chief for planning and technical support at the California Air Resources Board. Her background includes 18 years experience with the Board developing clean air plans and regulations to protect public health, plus private sector work as a banking executive and a B.S. in Environmental Toxicology. Ms. Marvin led development of CARB's 2006 Emission Reduction Plan for Ports and Goods Movement in California. She currently manages the agency's program to implement the $1 billion approved by the voters to reduce the emissions and health risk from freight movement in California's trade corridors under the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006.
Deborah Jordan was named the Director of EPA Region 9's Air Division on November 3, 2003. Prior to her selection as Director, Ms. Jordan served as Associate Regional Administrator, acting as chief of staff for Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri. For the two previous years, she served as Chief, Federal Facilities and Site Cleanup Branch in the Superfund Division. She has extensive background in the air program prior to moving to Superfund, having served as Associate Director from 1995-2000. Her tenure in the Air Division includes having managed the Title V operating permits program from 1992-1995. Ms. Jordan holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, all in chemical engineering. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Air and Waste Management Association, Golden West Section.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Dennis McLerran is the Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, the regional air quality agency for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. He has led the Agency in developing a number of national award winning programs. These innovative programs include Diesel Solutions, a broad-based voluntary diesel retrofit and clean fuels program; the Puget Sound voluntary summer clean gasoline program; and developing legislation creating the Washington State Clean School Bus program, making $5 million per year available to clean up 9,000 school buses. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Mobile Sources and Fuels Committee of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies and is a past President and Board member. He is also a member of US EPA's Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and the Mobile Source Technical Review Subcommittee. He is currently helping to lead the West Coast Collaborative, a group of stakeholders promoting retrofitting of diesel engines. Mr. McLerran is also a past recipient of the Municipal League of King County's Public Employee of the Year award.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research, Iowa Soybean Association
Dr. Blackmer received his B.S. in agronomy from Iowa State University, as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in agronomy from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. While at Nebraska, Dr. Blackmer worked on incorporating remote sensing technologies into precision farming practices. After receiving his Ph.D., he was a soil scientist for the USDA-ARS at Lincoln, Nebraska. Currently, Dr. Blackmer is the director of research at the Iowa Soybean Association and the principal investigator on more than a dozen projects using advanced technologies to help improve grower profitability and reduce environmental impact.
Job Titles:
- Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10
Elin D. Miller is the Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10, which has jurisdiction in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced the appointment of Ms. Miller to serve as Regional Administrator, effective October 30, 2006. With over twenty years experience in environmental and agricultural issues, Elin brings a wealth of knowledge to the Agency. Most recently, she served as President and CEO of Arysta Life Science North America & Australasia, a crop protection company based in Tokyo. From 1996-2004, she held various positions at the Dow Chemical Company including Global Vice President of Public Affairs, Vice President of Global Pest Management and Vice President of Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Dow, Elin served as the Director of the California Department of Conservation, where she was responsible for regulating oil and gas production, as well as the state's mining, recycling and agriculture land conservation initiatives. She also served as the Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation at Cal EPA. She has served as the Chair-Elect for the Sponsor's Board of the Future Farmers America, was a member of the President's Cabinet at California Polytechnic State University, was on the board of the American Farmland Trust, and was the Chair of Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment. Elin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy/Plant Protection from the University of Arizona where she was a Rhodes Scholarship finalist and was recently recognized with their 2006 Outstanding Alumni Award in her profession. She and her husband Bill own a working farm in Umpqua, Oregon
Job Titles:
- Leader of the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Technology Development Team at the West National Technology Support Center
- Leader, Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team, West National Technology Support Center, Natural Resource Conservation Service, USDA
Since 2004, Greg Johnson has served as the Leader of the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Technology Development Team at the West National Technology Support Center of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Johnson obtained his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University in 1991. He also holds a masters degree in meteorology from the University of Wisconsin (1979), and a bachelors of science degree in atmospheric science from Oregon State University (1977). From 1997 until 2004 Dr. Johnson served as the Applied Climatologist for the USDA-NRCS, National Water and Climate Center, also in Portland. From 1979 to 1991 Greg spent twelve years as an Agricultural Meteorologist with the USDA Extension Service, on the Horticultural Science Department Faculty at North Carolina State University. Dr. Johnson has authored numerous publications in the atmospheric science and statistical climatology fields. He is a native Oregonian and enjoys hiking, golf and biking. He will celebrate his 25th anniversary with his wife Elizabeth (an avid Tar Heel fan) in October, and has two sons--one a junior at Biola University in La Mirada CA, and one a sophomore at Western Oregon University.
Job Titles:
- Smog Check Program Manager, CA Air Resources Board
James Goldstene is the Smog Check program manager for the California Air Resources Board. He is also assisting with the implementation of AB 32. Prior to coming to the Air Resources Board, Mr. Goldstene held several leadership positions at the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Most recently, he was Deputy Chief/Interim Chief of the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. For nearly 8 years, Mr. Goldstene worked at the State Treasurer's Office. He was the Director of Policy Research for the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission at the State Treasurer's Office. In this role Mr. Goldstene was responsible for monitoring trends in municipal finance and making policy recommendations to the Commission and the State Treasurer. Prior to that, Mr. Goldstene was a manager at the California Pollution Control Financing Authority (CPCFA), also in the State Treasurer's Office. Before joining the Authority, Mr. Goldstene was a senior policy advisor to Lieutenant Governor Leo McCarthy, working on environmental and economic development issues, and a legislative aide to former Assemblyman Lloyd Connelly, where he worked on insurance, education, criminal justice and health issues. Mr. Goldstene teaches part-time in the Government Department at California State University, Sacramento. Mr. Goldstene has a bachelors and masters degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento. He completed graduate work in Politics at the University of Bristol in England.
Job Titles:
- President of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
- President, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Jean-Mari Peltier is President of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Prior to joining NCFC, Peltier served in the Bush administration as counselor for agriculture policy for the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Peltier has also served as president of the California Citrus Quality Council, executive director of the California Pear Advisory Board, president of the California Pear Growers and director of public and government relations for the California Grape and Tree Fruit League. In addition, she has served as a director or board officer for a wide range of agricultural and trade organizations including the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship, Minor Crops Farmer Alliance, Future Farmers of America Foundation, Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee on Trade, Agricultural Council of California, and Capital Agri-Women.
Job Titles:
- Regional Program Manager for the Center for Irrigation Technology
Jim Tischer is a regional program manager for the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno. Tischer has a long history of successful assignments at the water/energy/resource stewardship interface having served as a well drilling and pump company president, founding manager of a large central California resource conservation district and as an executive director of a statewide agricultural advocacy organization. In the area of renewable energy and distributed generation, Tischer served as director of fuel procurement for the permitting, construction, start up and operation of four California biomass plants for a major Fortune 500 corporation. All four plants continue to be operational as of March 2007). He is the team leader for the development and implementation of the innovative Solar Initiative and Renewable Fuels Initiative for the International Center for Water Technology at CSU, Fresno. Tischer, a graduate and Fellow of the California Agricultural Leadership Program and the University of California, Davis, lives in Woodland, California and is active in the local community.
Job Titles:
- Regional Administrator, EPA Region 7
John B. Askew, a sixth generation family farmer, lives on the family's Century Farm near Thurman, Iowa. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy from Iowa State University. John is married to Lauri Askew and has three sons: John P., a junior at Iowa State University; Nathan, a sophomore at Wartburg College; and Alex, a freshman in high school. Mr. Askew was President of the Iowa Soybean Association, the largest state commodity group in the region. During his tenure, he helped develop and implement various programs that helped producers develop Environmental Management Systems and conduct on-farm research to better manage their daily operations. He served for four years as a farming industry appointee to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, which provides risk-management solutions to the farming community. Mr. Askew serves as a township trustee in Fremont County, Iowa, and is a member of various agricultural and environmental groups.
Job Titles:
- Counselor
- Administrator for Agricultural Policy, EPA
Jon Scholl was appointed Counselor to the Administrator for Agricultural Policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August of 2004. In this position, he advises the Administrator on agricultural issues and serves as a liaison with agricultural organizations and agencies. Mr. Scholl joined EPA after 25 years with the Illinois Farm Bureau where he most recently held the position of Executive Assistant to the President. Beginning in 1979, his tenure at the Farm Bureau included stints as director of public policy and director of national legislation where he worked with legislators on the state, regional and national levels. He earned a B.S. degree in agricultural science from the University of Illinois. He currently serves as the chairman of the Illinois FFA Foundation and is a member of the University of Illinois Agricultural and Consumer Economics Department Advisory Board.
Job Titles:
- Transportation Conformity and Air Quality Analyst, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Jorge has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry and a Masters Degree in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Idaho. After graduating Jorge worked for nine years as a Regional Forest Chief for the Honduran Forest Service. Jorge also worked as a project manager for BLM in the largest rehabilitation project in the world in 1992 and has worked for Idaho DEQ for the last seven years in different areas of air quality, including: air quality monitoring, permitting and enforcement. During the last two years Jorge has been in charge of transportation conformity for Idaho DEQ and he is the current lead for the Diesel Retrofit Program in Idaho.
Job Titles:
- Fleet Acquisition Supervisor for the Fleet Management Division of the General Services Department
Mr. Oldham is currently the Fleet Acquisition Supervisor for the Fleet Management Division of the General Services Department within the City of Fresno; a position that he has held for the past ten years. During that time, Mr. Oldham has helped the City of Fresno deploy the largest alternative fuel and low emission fleet of vehicles in the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Oldham believes that everyone can make a positive contribution to improving air quality and resource conservation. Together with his wife, Donna, and their three children, the Oldham family has made personal commitments to environmental stewardship through the use of solar power on their home in Coarsegold, CA, the exclusive use of California native plants in their landscape, and in the vehicle that they drive, a 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director in the Air Division of the EPA Region 9
Kerry Drake is an Associate Director in the Air Division of the EPA Region 9. He focuses on permitting, enforcement, and agriculture as well as general air quality issues in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento metropolitan areas of California, and in the state of Hawaii. He came to the EPA after serving for more than a decade with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Mr. Drake graduated, with honors, from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, and is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas.
Kevin Downing graduated with a B.A. in psychology from Reed College, having presented his body of work either as publication in academic journals or in colloquia and professional meetings. He moved to work on environmental policy matters as a legislative assistant in the Oregon Legislature and on political campaigns. He has worked for the Department of Environmental Quality since 1992 where he initially led the efforts of the Department to respond to the challenges of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act by meeting every one of the requisite deadlines on time. He has also been responsible for the development and implementation of multiple air and water quality programs including nonpoint source pollution reduction projects, abatement of air quality nuisances, open burning, vapor recovery from marine loading of petroleum products and air quality regional maintenance plans. In the past few years, Kevin has been leading the state's efforts to reduce the impact of diesel emissions through the promotion of advanced pollution controls on existing diesel vehicles. He has made numerous presentations on the application of clean diesel technology to citizen, business and academic groups in Oregon as well as elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. He lives with his wife and two children in a neighborhood of Portland where he had led efforts, as president of the neighborhood association, to successfully reduce the number of travel lanes on a heavily used street in order to restore balance to other travel modes, like bicyclists and pedestrians, while stimulating the development of a business community along the corridor.
Lanny Schmid is employed by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in Omaha Nebraska as a Director of Environmental Operations, and is the current chairman of the Environmental Affairs Committee for the Association of American Railroads. During his 20 plus years at UP, he has been assigned a wide variety of responsibilities in almost all geographic areas of their system covering all environmental programs. Prior to UP, Mr. Schmid spent ten years managing environmental and energy conservation programs in major beef slaughtering plants and two years at the Nebraska Department of Environmental Control. He has a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Environmental Engineering, both from the University of Nebraska, and is a Registered Professional Engineer.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District
Mr. Larry Greene is the Executive Director of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District based in Sacramento, California. The district staff of 100 operates programs in air monitoring, planning, compliance assistance, enforcement of air quality rules, public education, mobile sources, and review of local land use projects. He has twice served as President of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association, which represents air quality issues for the 34 California Districts and he serves on the Board of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), a national organization which represents air quality issues for state and local agencies. Larry has earned a Bachelors Degree in Science Education from North Carolina State University, and Masters Degrees in Logistics Management from Florida Institute of Technology and Human Resources Education from Boston University. Larry is a founding board member of Walk Sacramento, a non-profit group advocating for more pedestrian access in the Sacramento region.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director of the Transportation and Regional Programs Division
- Deputy Director, Transportation and Regional
Deputy Director, Transportation and Regional Programs Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Lori Stewart is Deputy Director of the Transportation and Regional Programs Division, in the Office of Transportation and Air Quality at EPA. Ms. Stewart's division focuses on innovative emission reductions programs such as the National Clean Diesel Campaign, the SmartWay program, and Best Workplaces for Commuters as well as working with States to incorporate mobile source reduction programs (including cleaner fuels) in State Implementation Plans and to meet transportation conformity requirements. Ms. Stewart joined the EPA transportation programs in 1995, and has been with the Environmental Protection Agency in a variety of positions for more 20 years.
Air Quality, Acoustics and Energy Program Manager, Washington State Department of Transportation Mia Waters has degrees in environmental science, sociology, and transportation planning. She has been working in the air quality field for over 15 years in Washington, Oregon, and oversees, and has focused on transportation related air emissions for over 10 years. Her recent work on diesel emission reductions was catalyzed in 2002, working with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and getting to know the benefits of their "diesel solutions program". Mia is here today to talk about Washington State DOT's efforts to fund public fleet vehicles using the Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program.
Michael Bowman National Steering Committee, 25x'25 Michael is a fifth-generation native of Colorado. Throughout his adult life he has been active in the development of his home community of Wray, CO (pop. 2000). He serves on the National Steering Committee for "25x'25" and on the National Council of Advisors for the Heartland Center for Leadership Development and Holistic Management International. Michael was a member of the 2005 Trans-Atlantic Dialogue on Climate Change, served as Summit Chair for the 2006 Intermountain Harvesting Energy Network Conference and is a steering committee member for the Colorado Apollo Alliance; he also served as co-chair of Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's Energy Transition Team after the November '06 election. He is a graduate of the Colorado Agriculture and Rural Leadership program and is a Bighorn Fellow.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Western United Dairymen / Western United Resource Development, Inc
- Executive Director, Western United Dairymen / Western United Resource Development, Inc
Michael Marsh is the CEO of Western United Dairymen/Western United Resource Development, Inc. A graduate of the University of Wyoming with degrees in history and accounting, Mike brings a unique perspective to the management of Western United. Having worked extensively in the areas of farm, ranch and estate taxation, Mike takes a disciplined business approach to the activities of the association. Accountability and results-oriented decision making have been key to the manner in which he addresses issues. Mike has been with Western United since 1999 after having worked with California's almond industry for the previous seven years.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ), Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Mr. Argyropoulos joined EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality's Immediate Office as a Senior Policy Advisor in February of 2006. He is responsible for providing advice and analysis to the Office Director on a broad range of transportation program issues, with a focus on fuels. For the past 6 years, Paul worked for Hart Downstream Energy Services serving as Executive Director of the International Fuel Quality Center, Director of Federal Affairs, and Executive Director of World Refining & Fuels Conferences. Prior to joining Hart, he spent two years as a Fuels Product Associate with the American Petroleum Institute, where he provided regulatory and policy coordination among API Downstream Committees on national and state fuel regulatory and policy issues. From 1980 to 1997, Paul worked for the EPA in several areas of the Agency. However the majority of his time, more than 13 years, was spent in the Office of Mobile Sources supporting development, implementation and enforcement of federal and state regulations, including both fuel quality and vehicle emissions controls.
Peter works in the Office of Air Waste and Toxics (OAWT) in Region 10. Until recently Peter also worked for the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) in the national air toxics program and as part of the agriculture/forestry air quality team. Peter is the Team Lead for the EPA Region 10 diesel team and Coordinator of the West Coast Collaborative. Beyond EPA, Peter has worked with the World Health Organization and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization on water quality management in developing countries and with the US/Canada International Joint Commission on ecosystem management of the Great Lakes. His education and work has focused on the impacts of environmental stressors on public health and developing collaborative approaches on mitigating environmental health problems. He has a Masters of Public Health and a Masters of Science in Natural Resources Management from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Knight has been in school transportation for 38 years. As Director of Transportation for the Napa Valley Unified School District, he has led the District in many uses of alternative fuels. Napa Valley is the only school district in California that operates a 100% CNG transit fleet, and they are the only school district today still operating three electric school buses. Napa Valley Unified School District will be the first district in California to operate a new diesel-electric hybrid school bus.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Principal
- Principal Biochemist, BioSolar
Randall von Wedel is the founder and principal biochemist for CytoCulture International, an environmental microbiology laboratory and consulting firm on the San Francisco Bay. More recently he also created the BioSolar Group of technical consultants working to develop renewable fuel strategies for corporations, government fleets and other countries. Dr. von Wedel pioneered environmental research (including the first marine toxicology studies ever performed on biodiesel), marketing and distribution of biodiesel in the Bay Area since his first experiments were conducted over 12 years ago in November, 1993. Dr. von Wedel is a graduate of Dartmouth College (BA 1974 in biology and chemistry) and received his Doctorate in Biochemistry (Ph.D. 1981) from the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. After 5 years of research in neuroscience and cell culture, he founded CytoCulture in 1986 as an environmental biotech research and consulting firm to address public health issues associated with water, soil and air pollution. Dr. von Wedel worked under grants from the United Soybean Board and USDA to develop an oil spill cleaner "BioSolvent" made from soybean oil methyl esters similar to biodiesel. The "CytoSol" process proved to be effective in removing spilled crude oil from shorelines, marshes, beaches and ships in field studies and oil spill simulations conducted at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi. Dr. von Wedel has been the Principal Investigator managing biodiesel research contracts, the development of marine biodiesel programs under an NREL grant, and the establishment of the first B-20 fleet in California at the University of California Davis campus. In 2000, CytoCulture was awarded the contract to provide biodiesel to the Channel Islands National Park Service as the first B-100 fleet of research vessels and shore-based diesel equipment to run continuously on pure biodiesel. Earlier that year, CytoCulture launched the first B-100 truck fleet in California at the Curbside Recycling Program of the Ecology Center in Berkeley. After 17 months of running all its city diesel vehicles on B-20 as a pilot study set up by CytoCulture, the City of Berkeley became the first municipality in North America to dedicate all 192 diesel powered vehicles to run entirely on B-100. A year later, Kyoto, Japan followed this example. Dr. von Wedel has been involved in the start up and operation of retail B-100 fueling stations including the first B-100 station on the continent opened with World Energy in May, 2001. New stations are now being developed around the Bay Area to replace the original San Francisco station. He has served for three years as a consultant on technical and regulatory affairs for the NBB. Dr. von Wedel is currently completing a Feasibility Project for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to evaluate the potential for local production, distribution and use of biodiesel in fleets, ferries, generators and other applications of the Bay Area that would significantly lower exhaust emissions. He is a technical advisor and consultant to the City of San Francisco and several corporations.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Marketing Services, John Deere Power Systems
Randy S. Swanson has worked for John Deere since 1979 and holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from University of Minnesota.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Emissions Compliance, John Deere Power Systems
Richard has worked for John Deere since June 1978 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Iowa and a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Office of Air
- Director, Office of Air, Waste and Toxics
Director, Office of Air, Waste and Toxics, Region 10, Rick Albright is the Director of the Office of Air, Waste, and Toxics in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Region 10 office. He has worked at the EPA for over 21 years. His previous work experience with the EPA includes the Director of EPA's Office of Waste and Chemicals Management; Director of EPA's Alaska Operations Office and Unit Manager of EPA's Superfund Program, as well as various experience in EPA's water programs (such as permitting, water quality standards, and TMDLs). Previous work positions outside of EPA include applied research at Washington State Department of Game and serving as a Staff biologist at University of Washington at the School of Fisheries. Mr. Albright's educational background includes a BA in Zoology from the University of Washington and a MS in Fisheries, also from the University of Washington. Personal hobbies include gardening, kayaking, skiing, reading, camping, hiking, various home projects, and spending time with his family.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Northwest Environmental Business Council
- Interim Director, Northwest Biofuels Association
Robert is Executive Director of Northwest Environmental Business Council, which is acting as the host for the Northwest Biofuels Association during its startup phase. Before joining NEBC, Robert ran Stirling Power, which focused on renewable energy projects using waste gas from landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Prior to that, he spent 12 years as a business consultant doing research and business planning for a wide variety of clients, ranging from utilities and government agencies, to technology startups and non-profits. Earlier, he managed special projects for a PacifiCorp subsidiary and the Port of Portland.
Job Titles:
- Vice President & Director of Technical Services for the California Cotton Ginners
- Vice President and Director of Technical Services, CA Cotton Ginners and Growers Association
Roger A. Isom is currently the Vice President & Director of Technical Services for the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, and have been since 1992. Prior to that, he worked for the Fresno County and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control Districts. In addition, he is a member of the Executive Board of the Ag Energy Consumers Association. In 2000, he was appointed to the USDA-NRCS Agricultural Air Quality Task Force as an agricultural organization representative specializing in air quality. He is a member of the Dust Emission Joint Forum appointed by the Western Governors Association. He is also a Registered Environmental Assessor with the State of California, and graduated from California State University, Fresno in 1988.
Sharon Banks is actively involved in reducing diesel exhaust in Oregon. She is the newly appointed CEO of Cascade Sierra Solutions or (CSS). She spent 16 years managing finances for the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency - a little local agency with big ideas in Lane County, Oregon. She works in partnership with a variety of government, schools, and private enterprise stakeholders to improve air quality and sustainability in Lane County, Oregon. Her passion is designing programs using collaborative processes and market-based approaches to improve air quality and energy efficiency. Her educational background is in business and transportation logistics. She also serves one weekend a month as a transportation officer in the Oregon Army National Guard. She is a team member of the Oregon Clean Diesel Initiative; an active member of Clean Cities Coalition; a member of Oregon Environmental Council and on the Board of Clean Air Northwest (CAN); and member of EPA's Smart Way Transport and West Coast Collaborative. Recent Projects include:
The Lane Clean Diesel Project - a program started in 2004 that facilitated many fleets in implementing ultra low sulfur diesel and biodiesel blends prior to the 2006 mandate
The Oregon Clean School Bus Program - a program to currently installing diesel retrofits, replacing old buses and using clean fuel in Oregon school districts
The Clean Fuel for Bridges Program - a program to use ultra low sulfur diesel in the highway construction equipment used on the I-5 corridor
The Everybody Wins Program -a program to install APUs on trucks with sleeper cabs that operate on the I-5 corridor
E85 Distribution Network - A project to bring retail access of E85 to Washington and Oregon.
Job Titles:
- Taylor Director, Public and Governmental Affairs, Deere and Company
Taylor Davis has worked for Deere for ten years and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Houston Baptist University and a Juris Doctor degree from South Texas School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Market Planning for Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls
Tim Taylor is the Director of Strategic Market Planning for Cleaire Advanced Emission Controls with responsibilities for integrating products, technologies and new product development with regional air quality, transportation and toxics programs. Taylor is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Physical Anthropology. Taylor has worked in management capacities in a number of fleet operations including the University of California Fleet Services, U.S. Fleet Leasing, and the City of Sacramento Public Works. Taylor began working at the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District in 1991 and became the Manager of the Mobile Source Division in 1995 where he developed several emission reduction programs including the Sacramento Heavy-duty NOx Program (which was used as a model for the statewide Carl Moyer Program) and the Sacramento Emergency Clean Air and Transportation or "SECAT" Program. Taylor has served as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Public Equipment Managers Association (PEMA), an association of public agency and utility fleet managers in the Sacramento area. Taylor is the current Vice President of the Greater Sacramento Regional Clean Air Coalition, the Department of Energy affiliated Clean Cities Coalition in the Sacramento region. Taylor is also a member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Community Air Risk Evaluation (CARE) Task Force, a program that is investigating the health risk from toxic air contaminant emissions in the Bay Area and assessing opportunities for risk reduction measures to improve air quality in more highly impacted communities.
Job Titles:
- Regional Administrator, EPA Region 9
Wayne Nastri, a lifelong westerner, was appointed Regional Administrator for Region 9 in October 2001. Mr. Nastri has led the Region to real progress in meeting the west's environmental challenges, especially in improving air quality in the Central Valley and Southern California and in protecting of scarce water resources throughout the arid west. Clear communication, strong enforcement and accountability to the public for a measurable "bottom line" have been the hallmarks of his tenure. A strong proponent of partnership as the best route to environmental protection, Mr. Nastri has launched many creative collaborations to protect the health and environment of all those who live in the Pacific Southwest. Most recently, Mr. Nastri partnered with EPA's Seattle region to launch the West Coast Diesel Emission Reduction Collaborative which will speed voluntary reductions of diesel emissions from ports, trucks and other federally regulated sources in a significant assault on one of the west's gravest air quality problems. Mr. Nastri also created EPA's Southern California Field Office in Los Angeles -- a major improvement in EPA's local presence for the region's largest metropolitan area. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Nastri held various environmental leadership positions, including Board membership for California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (covering Southern California), as well as participation in advisory boards for California's state air quality and waste management agencies. His fifteen years of environmental consulting experience culminated in his presidency of Environmental Mediation Inc. before accepting his position at EPA.