Matt Petersen has led Global Green USA since 1994, building and guiding the organization's innovative programs and initiatives. He also is Chair of Green Cross International's Energy Program. Matt's vision for the green rebuilding of New Orleans has led to the greening of New Orleans schools, helped educate thousands of residents to rebuild their homes more energy efficiently, and helped create the Holy Cross Project, a sustainable village in the Lower 9th Ward with 23 units of affordable housing and a community/climate action center.

Matt has been touted a ‘green all star’ by Outside Magazine, and in May 2008 he was appointed by the Sir Edmund Hillary Institute in New Zealand as the Inaugural Hillary Fellow. Previously, Matt ran local, state, and federal political campaigns as well as serving as the Executive Director of Americans for a Safe Future.

Responsible for the management of Global Green USA's finances and administration, Richard Wegman has been helping to lead environmental companies since the late 1980s. Prior to Global Green USA, he served as a consultant to many environmental and social justice organizations in the Los Angeles area, including El Rescate, Clinica Oscar A. Romero, Committee to Save Mono Lake, Coalition for Clean Air, Plaza Community Center in East Los Angeles, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Audubon Society. Prior to joining Global Green USA, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Tree People, a local community environmental nonprofit. He also served for eight years as the CFO of PS Enterprises, Inc., an environmental public relations firm that works with numerous cities, agencies, and nonprofits.

Richard is Chairman of the Board for Amazon Watch, an organization that works to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. He is also co-founder of ActiveMusic Inc., a nonprofit that produces benefit concerts to raise money for other nonprofit organizations, and is a board member of Friends of Ballona Wetlands. He holds an MBA in Finance and a B.S. in Marketing from California State Polytechnic University. Richard is also a certified Yoga teacher and Reiki healer. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Richard.

Mark joined Global Green in April, 2013. He served as Executive Director of Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust for 6 years, where he lead a $20m capital campaign and oversaw the construction of the Museum's permanent home and exhibits. Previously, Mark helped Holocaust survivors apply for reparations as Holocaust Services Advocate for Bet Tzedek Legal Services.

Mark spent 10 years as a producer, writer and director for Ness Productions, after earning an MFA from USC School of Cinematic Arts. Mark's experience in management, development and communications will strengthen Global Green's work in all these areas. Mark is thrilled to make the transition to environmental sustainability. "Working in the Holocaust arena is immensely important, yet by definition it is largely rearward facing. Now I get to re-orient my focus forward, towards reducing the self-inflicted, potential disaster of irreversible climate change."

Email Walker
As Director of our Green Urbanism Program, Walker Wells is responsible for working with building industry stakeholders, affordable housing developers, and municipalities to further sustainable development practices, primarily through developing and implementing viable and cost-effective green building practices and programs. Previously, he was the Senior Urban Designer with Gruen Associates in Los Angeles, an Associate Planner with the City of Santa Monica, and an Urban Planner for the City of Malmo, Sweden.

 

Walker is a member of the American Institute of City Planners and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He has Bachelor degrees in Sociology and Environmental Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara, and an M.A. in City and Regional Planning from California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Walker.

Email Ted
Ted Bardacke works with affordable housing developers, public agencies, school districts, and design and construction industry professionals to advance the sustainability of the urban environment. He has been involved in the drafting of numerous green building reference tools and standards, including Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems for Neighborhood Development and Neighborhood Development, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) and the Green Communities Initiative for affordable housing. A lecturer in Urban Environmental Design and Planning at UCLA, in 2005 Ted accepted the USGBC's Leadership Award for Advocacy on behalf of Global Green USA.

Ted is a former foreign correspondent based in Bangkok and Mexico City for the Financial Times, and coordinator of volunteer construction projects in rural Mexico for the American Friends Service Committee. He is a member of the American Institute of City Planners and a LEED Accredited Professional. He has a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.S. from the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Ted.

Email Hagu
Hagerenesh (Hagu) Solomon is responsible for working with local government agencies to enhance green community developments on a neighborhood scale. Working with both public and private community development institutions, she is focused on advancing Global Green USA's expertise on the United States Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development (ND) certification process. 

Hagu holds a Bachelor's degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Davis and a Master's degree in City Planning focused on Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Hagu 

Email Linda
Linda Stone is Director for the New Orleans office. In this capacity, she oversees all local projects, including NOLA Wise, the Holy Cross Project, the Louisiana Wetland Action Program, policy, and fundraising. She is also responsible for developing and managing the office budget and its staff.

Linda also maintains an active role with the Green Collaborative of New Orleans. Her professional background includes work on the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation master plan, founding The Green Project in 1994, and serving as director of Mayor Morial's Office of Environmental Affairs from 1999 to 2002. When Morial left office in 2002, Linda took a job in San Antonio as director of the Metropolitan Partnership for Energy, where she coordinated development of the city's first residential green building program. She returned to New Orleans in January 2008 to join Global Green. Linda has a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. She also studied Spanish in Mexico and Spain and is a certified hatha yoga instructor. Linda and her husband, Hugo Montero, recently completed a green historic renovation of an 1850s building on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in Central City, where they live and will soon open a Latin Cultural Center and Café. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Linda.

Email Heidi
Heidi Jensen joined Global Green USA in 2008 to contribute to the green rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. She is responsible for the everyday operation of our New Orleans Resource Center, front desk reception, and administrative support to the director and staff. Heidi coordinates Visitor's Center tours of the Global Green House in the Lower Ninth Ward, our monthly panel discussions, and community outreach events. She also organizes green building resource center materials and consultations, prepares newsletters, and works with interns.

Heidi is a native New Orleanian whose life endeavors have included the Louisiana Children's Museum, NO AIDS Task Force, childcare, voiceover, and local theatre and music.

Email Camille
Camille Pollan manages the NOLA Wise program in New Orleans, helping homeowners access home energy assessments, financing and incentives, and trusted local contractors. Before joining Global Green USA, Pollan worked on Katrina recovery projects with several organizations, including Rebuilding Together New Orleans, which focused on sustainable building practices in low-income communities.

Prior to her arrival in the Gulf, Pollan served on tsunami response teams in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, managing direct aid delivery to rural survivors. She holds an M.A. from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. Early in her career, she taught English in Romania with the U.S. Peace Corps, and is fluent in Romanian. A native of Southern California, Pollan purchased and renovated a 100-year-old shotgun-style house in New Orleans and is working on improving its energy efficiency.

Email Adrian
D. Adrian Manriquez helps connect homeowners to the education, project management, and resources necessary to weatherize their homes using the NOLA Wise program.

Adrian has a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences from Regis University in Denver, CO, and came to New Orleans to help in rebuilding shortly after he graduated. He spent five years coordinating volunteers and homeowners for various rebuilding agencies. Read our Global Green Staff Interview with Adrian.

Email Robyn
Robyn Kilman provides administrative support, including program reporting, database analysis, and vendor management, for the NOLA Wise program. She came to New Orleans to work with NOLA Wise after spending three years in the energy efficiency sector in her hometown of Chicago.

Robyn earned an M.S. in International Public Service and a B.A. in Public Policy, both from DePaul University, and has studied Spanish/Anthropology in Yucatan, Mexico, and International Aid/Health Care issues in Nairobi, Kenya.

Email Michelle
Michelle Pyne is responsible for the operations of Global Green USA's LEED platinum model home in the Holy Cross neighborhood of the Lower 9th Ward. She is also playing an integral role in the construction and LEED documentation of the Community Development & Climate Action Center in Holy Cross.

Michelle earned a B.S. in Interior Design with a minor in Environmental Policy and Planning from Virginia Tech in 2009. After graduating, the Pennsylvania native served two terms of service with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps in the Southern Region. In her time with AmeriCorps NCCC, Michelle restored oyster reefs in Georgia, worked with Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Greater Birmingham, and provided disaster relief services in Mississippi after the 2011 tornadoes.

Email Jeff
Jeff Supak is the program coordinator of the Louisiana Wetland Action Program. Since 80% of Louisiana's wetlands are privately owned, Jeff's role is to connect wetland owners to restoration opportunities offered by federal and state government and philanthropic organizations and to sign up wetland owners interested in launching a carbon offset pilot project.

 

Jeff comes from a family of rice farmers in Texas and developed his interest in the environment from living off the land and spending quality time fishing in the bays with his family. His passions include environmental justice, environmental education, and the coastal environment. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, fishing, gardening, cooking, and playing dominoes.

Email Monica
Monica Rowand is the community outreach coordinator for the NOLA Wise program. The Glendora, California, native graduated from UCLA in 2011 with a Bachelors degree in Geography/Environmental Studies and minors in Environmental Systems and Societies and Middle Eastern and North African Studies. She lived in Denver, Colorado before moving to New Orleans for an Americorps VISTA term with Global Green USA. She is happy to be able to work to protect the environment while living in her favorite city.

 

Monica's passions are green sports, sustainability, and environmental education. In the fall of 2013, she will begin the Masters program at the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment, where she will study Behaviour, Education, and Communication while working towards improving the environmental and educational capacity of athletics organizations and their stadiums.

Email Jacob
Jacob Dilson is an AmeriCorps VISTA working on our Louisiana Wetlands Action Program and Grants. In his role, he finds funding opportunities for an up-and-coming carbon credit system across several parishes and prepares outreach materials and writes reports, with the hope of informing communities on the importance of wetland conservation.

 

The New York native graduated from Goucher College in May 2012. His growing interest in the environment led him to a communications internship with the Gulf Restoration Network in the summer of 2012. Jacob plans to continue supporting the Coast through writing and art. He enjoys long bike rides by the water, foods with peanut butter, and science fiction (but he hates the Oxford comma). 

Email Kimberly
Kimberly Ellis is an AmeriCorps VISTA working on our Holy Cross Project in the Lower 9th Ward. The native Philadelphian earned a B.A. in Geography and Urban Studies from Temple University. Kimberly has worked on projects with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Department and local neighborhood groups. Her interests include local history, sustainable design, and historic preservation.

Email Mary
Mary Luevano oversees policy and legislative initiatives related to green building, clean energy and climate change in addition to advising on a range of other policy issues for Global Green USA. She and the Policy staff work to educate decision-makers and champion model policies in the areas of green affordable housing, green schools, green municipal buildings, climate solutions for low-income communities, and solar and other renewable energy technologies. Much of the work focuses on the needs of low-income communities and crafting policies that engage new constituencies in the fight against climate change.

Prior to joining Global Green USA, Mary worked as a Congressional staffer serving in the offices of U.S. Senator Alan Cranston, US Reps. Augustus Hawkins, Calvin Dooley and Jane Harman. Her legislative duties included work on environmental, defense technology, and business issues. She has also worked on numerous political campaigns. In 2004, Mary was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn to serve on the City of LA's Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners, where she was elected Vice President. In that capacity, she also served as the alternate representative to the LA Coliseum Commission. Mary also served for three years (one as President) on the City of LA's Environmental Affairs Commission and on the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors as Chair of the Government Relations Alumni Advocacy Committee. Mary holds a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations from UCLA and has completed the Congressional Research Service's Graduate Legislative Institute in Washington, D.C. In her spare time, she is a Masters Swimmer and loves watching her beloved UCLA Bruins. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Mary.

Email Gina
Gina's responsibilities include supporting the development and implementation of policy and legislative initiatives related to green buildings, energy efficiency and climate change.
 
Prior to joining Global Green USA staff, Gina spent three years as an environmental advocate and organizer for Environment California working on ocean and land preservation. She worked on issues such as oil drilling, plastic pollution, national park preservation, marine protected areas. and hardrock mining. She has been quoted in various news publications, including the Los Angeles Times, NPR, MSNBC, the Sacramento Bee, the San Diego Union Tribune, and the San Jose Mercury News. She has also worked on several political campaigns, such as the 2008 Presidential election, for which she directed offices throughout Nevada for the Progressive Future organization. Gina graduated magna cum laude from USC with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Studies. Read our Global Green Room Interview with Gina.

Email Marc
As the Stephen Schneider Senior Fellow, Marc is responsible for assisting with policy and legislative initiatives that include green buildings, climate change, and renewable energy. He is continuing to develop strategies that will ensure proper investment of California’s Cap and Trade funds in the areas of green affordable housing and transportation.
 
Marc has extensive policy and advocacy experience through his prior work with nonprofit organizations, political campaigns, and local government. He is also a licensed attorney in California, and previously worked with a Los Angeles based-civil litigation firm. Marc holds a J.D. from Southwestern Law School, and a B.A. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Email Paul
Paul Walker is the International Program Director of the Environmental Security and Sustainability Program of Green Cross International and Global Green USA. He has been with Green Cross/Global Green for more tha 16 years and is responsible for direction and management of both the international program and the Washington, D.C. office.

Paul is a former Professional Staff Member of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as a senior advisor to the Chairman and full committee. He is also former Acting Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA; and former Research Director with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Paul has been an expert in international security, arms control, nonproliferation, and environmental policy for more than 25 years. He has lectured and published widely, most recently on the demilitarization of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and has appeared on numerous TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News, CNN, NPR, Christian Science Monitor, Voice of America, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Paul holds a Ph.D. in political science and defense studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies; a Russian Honors Certificate from the Defense Language Institute of the West Coast; and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. He is also a Vietnam-era Army veteran.

Email Finn
Finn Longinotto's responsibilities include supporting the overall international program, focusing primarily on the development and implementation of Global Green/Green Cross projects related to underwater munitions as well as Russian outreach efforts, community and regional assessment studies, and community development projects. Finn is also involved in the Green Cross Water Program and coordinates outreach to Washington, D.C.'s foreign diplomatic community on threat reduction initiatives and weapons destruction programs.

 

Finn studied at the University of Geneva, Switzerland; he has a B.A. in Political Science and an M.B.A. specializing in International Management from Monterey Institute of International Studies, as well as an M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from New York University (internship at The American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation). In his former career, Finn was a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase Bank. Finn is also a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board on Underwater Munitions and sits on the Chairman's Council of Conservation International.

Email Robert
Robert came to Global Green in November 2011 from the local government sector. After more than 30 years of experience as an Executive Assistant, Program Director, Assistant City Manager, and City Manager with the Los Angeles Redevelopment Agency and the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and Azusa, Robert decided to pursue a second career in the nonprofit sector, where he could use his skills for a good cause. Robert has lived in the Los Angeles area most of his life and recently moved to the Capitol District. His hobbies include reading, writing, cooking, eating and drinking wine, and enjoying the cinema scene. Robert has a bachelor's degree in public administration.

Email Lily
Lily Kelly became Interim Director for the Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) in September 2012, after serving as a program associate. Prior to joining Global Green USA, she contributed to various environmental and social stewardship projects with both for- and non-profit agencies, including the Environmental Law and Justice Project, the Majora Carter Group, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and The Earth Institute. 

Originally hailing from north Florida, Lily earned a dual BA in Economics and Environmental Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she also spearheaded the campus’ first comprehensive Sustainability Assessment.  In 2009 she moved to New York City to study Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University, and graduated in 2010 with an MPA from the School of International and Public Affairs. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Lily.

Email Matt
Matt de la Houssaye serves as a program associate for Global Green USA's New York Office & Coalition for Resource Recovery. In this role, Matt's responsibilities include managing the food waste recovery initiative. Prior to joining Global Green, Matt worked as a project developer and manager to implement recycling projects for large corporations and conduct New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) funded feasibility studies for biomass, composting, and solar technologies. Matt began his career at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, where he coordinated representatives from local government, the public, and the tourism industry in advocating municipal and regional policy. He holds a Master of Science in Environmental Management and Policy from the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University, Sweden, and a dual B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies from Emory University. Read our Global Green Room Staff Interview with Matt.

Email Adrian
Adrian Guerrero, Global Green USA's Director of Online & Social Media since June 2011, is responsible for developing and managing the web and social media strategies critical to educate and activate individuals as well as to build support for Global Green USA's local, national, and international efforts. He is tasked with providing online solutions across the entire organization, leading the efforts to engage our supporters and serve our mission via web and social media platforms. Adrian is a Los Angeles native with extensive background in online and social media and previously worked as the Director of Content at MySpace.

Email Nina
Nina Storm joined Global Green USA in 2006 and manages the planning and production of events all over the country. A lifelong environmentalist, Nina was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. A Los Angeles resident for the past 10 years, she held positions in entertainment, education, public relations and for other nonprofit organizations before joining Global Green USA. Nina holds a B.A. in Communication from Lewis and Clark College and currently resides in the legendary neighborhood of Laurel Canyon. A community and political activist, Nina has an ongoing romance with the City of Angels, and is thrilled each day to have the opportunity to help make a contribution to protecting the environment through her work with Global Green USA.

Email Karl
As Database Administrator, Karl is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the records of Global Green USA’s supporters. Beyond importing and exporting thousands of bits of data, he helps us to sharpen our capacity to be responsible stewards of these vital relationships by tracking constituents' unique interests and contributions. Karl honed his skills with increasing complexity at the Los Angeles Times, the Colburn School, and the Alliance For Children’s Rights.

Email Manette
Manette started at Global Green in April 2012 as Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the COO. Prior to Global Green, she worked for Pepsi-Cola, Inc., Allann Bros Coffee, Inc., and Starbucks, where she opened new stores with the Urban Development team. Manette is passionate about volunteering with Special Olympics, furthering our youth’s education in sustainable living practices, and helping to make a contribution to protecting the environment. Manette was born and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, and has been a Los Angeles resident for the past 25 years, spending time in Oregon and California. She is the proud mother of five children and wife of 20 years. She spends her free time enjoying family, friends, and gardening.

Email Linda
Linda Wilson joined Global Green Accounting Team in 2010 and works closely with the COO and the Program Directors as Accounting Manager. Linda was born in New Orleans but now calls Los Angeles home. She has a B.S. in Accounting from Woodbury University and brings with her years of knowledge from a variety of industries, including entertainment, construction, small business, and tax service. Linda is especially proud to be a new grandmother.

Email Sarah
Sarah started interning at Global Green in February 2009, and was hired in January 2010 to help support the Executive Assistant to the CEO & COO. Prior to Global Green, she worked for Daily Variety, coordinating and producing the Variety Screening Series, screening Academy Award contending films in LA, NY and San Francisco.

 

Sarah graduated with high honors from UCSB with a B.A. in Communication, and currently resides in Santa Monica. When she is not working or traveling, she devotes herself to her family, sports, creative endeavors and volunteering. She was Captain of both the 2007 US Pan American Women’s Volleyball Team as well as the 2009 US Women's Maccabiah Volleyball Team. Sarah is passionate about and dedicated to sustainable living practices, projects, and education and hopes her enthusiasm and dedication will contribute to the success of GGUSA's mission.

Email Sharon
Sharon joined Global Green in 1999 as the office receptionist and takes pride in assisting the staff members in making sure administrative needs are met and that everything runs smoothly in the office. The Los Angeles native worked previously in film production and for the LAUSD school board. She has always been environmentally conscious and feels blessed to live in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, where she doesn't have to travel far to dip her toes in the sand. During her time off, she especially enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren.