Speakers Confirmed to Date

Andrew Arnold

Andrew Arnold has been with Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) since 2012 and is currently the Sustainability Program Manager within the Utility. Andrew serves as the subject matter expert for climate change and emission forecasting and integration of Utility sustainability initiatives with Enterprise ESG strategies.

Andrew has held multiple management positions while in the Utility and has broad technical knowledge of: ESG climate change and emissions forecasting, Corporate Environmental Policy and Energy matters, and Environmental Compliance and Regulatory expertise.

Andrew is a certified project manager. Prior to joining PSE&G, he held multiple management positions within the consulting engineering industry with a focus on technical, environmental, and sustainability matters.

Andrew holds a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Zoe Baldwin

Zoe Baldwin is New Jersey Director of Regional Plan Association (RPA). Zoe leads research, planning, and advocacy activities in New Jersey, where she works to advance RPA programs that facilitate equitable, vibrant, and resilient communities through sustainable infrastructure and development. She draws on her considerable experience in public policy and community engagement to build diverse support for policies that promote a stronger, more connected region.

Zoe works to implement key components of RPA’s Fourth Regional Plan – a blueprint for the region’s growth, sustainability, good governance, and economic opportunity for the next 25 years. This includes building support for the Gateway Tunnel project and more NJ Transit funding, diversifying and expanding affordable housing through legalization of accessory dwelling units, and advancing policies that support climate change adaptation and clean energy.

Prior to joining RPA, Zoe was the Director of Government Affairs for the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association and served U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Frank Lautenberg. Zoe got her start in infrastructure policy as the New Jersey Director for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign and began her career as the Legislative Director for NJ State Senator Loretta Weinberg.

Raymond A. Brandes

Ray Brandes is the Chief Operating Officer of the New Jersey Hospital Association, a nonprofit trade association representing New Jersey’s hospitals, health systems, behavioral healthcare systems, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, assisted living, nursing homes and other healthcare providers that provides leadership on quality and patient safety, education and advocacy in both Washington, D.C. and in Trenton.

Prior to this role, Brandes most recently worked at University Hospital in Newark, NJ, as its VP of Public Affairs & Population Health, and had the honor of managing the hospital’s communications throughout its time at the global epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to his hospital experience, Brandes worked in the New Jersey Governor’s Office for Governor Christie, serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, responsible for oversight and management of the State Budget. Brandes also practiced as a private attorney for the law firm of Wolff & Samson (now known as Chiesa, Shahinian & Giantomasi). He served a clerkship for the Honorable Helen E. Hoens of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Brandes is a double Rutgers graduate and lifelong New Jersey resident, who resides in Somerset County with his wife and daughter.

Jon A. Carnegie

Jon A. Carnegie, AICP/PP is executive director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and an adjunct member of the faculty at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers. Mr. Carnegie has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of land use and transportation planning and policy at the municipal, county and regional level. Since 2007, many of Mr. Carnegie’s research and planning projects have focused on emergency management, sustainability and resiliency planning. He is currently leading a team of Rutgers researchers developing a GIS-based climate hazards visualization tool for NJDOT and he recently completed a study for the USDOT Region 2 University Transportation Center investigating leading practices for incorporating resilience in transportation capital planning processes. Mr. Carnegie was one of the lead authors of a guidebook for the National Academy of Sciences, Transit Cooperative Research Program entitled Improving the Resilience of Transit Systems Threatened by Natural Disasters. The stand-alone guide presents an actionable, stepwise approach to help transportation agencies meet the challenges created by extreme weather events and a changing climate. Mr. Carnegie was also the lead author of four regional emergency mass evacuation plans in New Jersey. The plans include a comprehensive concept of operations, detailed decision timelines, responsibility assignments and a series of guidebooks outlining the operational strategies and tactics available to responsible agencies for managing multi-modal evacuation, sheltering, and public communication during disasters. Mr. Carnegie holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of City and Regional Planning Degree from Rutgers University.

Jane Cohen

Jane Cohen is Senior Advisor to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, where she handles the environment and energy portfolio, leading work on the Governor’s clean energy agenda, environmental justice, and climate resiliency, among other key initiatives. Prior to joining the Governor’s office, she was the Policy Director at Isles, Inc, where she led strategy for a broad portfolio of policy issues including lead poisoning prevention and healthy housing, urban air pollution and electric vehicles, and workforce development in the green jobs sector.

Prior to her work in New Jersey, Jane was a Senior Researcher for Human Rights Watch, where she helped launch the organization’s environmental policy and human rights program and authored their first report on climate change. A specialist on China, she also led extensive field research on health, environmental and political issues in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Japan. Jane conducted international advocacy with governments, international organizations, and the United Nations and has published extensively on global environmental issues. Jane holds a Master of International Affairs and a Master of Public Health from Columbia University. She speaks Mandarin Chinese and French.

Tim Dillingham

Tim Dillingham has led the American Littoral Society as its Executive Director since 2003.
His work has led to expanded advocacy regarding the restoration of Barnegat Bay and other coastal areas, a comprehensive program of habitat restoration and resiliency on Delaware Bay, new partnerships to promote community-based restoration projects, expansion of marine education programs in underserved communities throughout New Jersey, increased public access to the coast, and the use of nature-based approaches to increasing coastal resiliency in the face of a changing climate

He is currently the co-chair of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee on Aquaculture and Red Knots, co-chair of the Coastal Resiliency Collaborative, and a founding Board member of Restore America’s Estuaries. He serves as a member of the Steering Committee for the NJ Climate Change Alliance.

Joseph L. Fiordaliso

Born and raised in Newark’s Ironbound section, President Fiordaliso served as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) since 2005 when he was nominated by Governor Richard Codey and confirmed by the Senate. In 2011 and 2013, President Fiordaliso was re-nominated by Governor Chris Christie and confirmed by the Senate to continue as Commissioner of the NJBPU.

President Fiordaliso is a Cabinet Member in Governor Murphy’s administration. On January 15, 2018, he was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy to serve as President of the NJBPU.

He was appointed as a member of the State Planning Commission on December 21, 2018 and serves as Co-Chair on the NJ Council on the Green Economy. He also serves on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ (NARUC) Committee on Critical Infrastructure and Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, is a member of the Executive Committee for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. (RGGI) and RGGI’s Strategic Communications Team (SCT), is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Conference of Regulatory Utilities Commissions (MACRUC), is a member of the National Council on Electricity Policy (NCEP), is on the Board of Directors of the Organization of PJM States (OPSI), and is also a member of the Advisory Council to the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).

Pam Frank

Pam Frank is a Vice President at Gabel Associates, an energy, environment, and public utility consulting firm. Ms. Frank has over 25 years of experience in sustainability issues. She works on projects and policy in the areas of solar energy, offshore wind, storage, and electric vehicles. She is a leading participant and contributor in current EV market development efforts underway in the Northeast and MidAtlantic regions and serves on the Executive Board of the national EV organization Plug In America. Ms. Frank also serves as the CEO of ChargEVC-NJ and ChargEVC-PA, where she has built meaningful and trusted relationships with coalition members (market participants, environmental and labor activists, dealership associations, utilities, etc.), state agencies, municipal and county-level officials, and other stakeholders. She also serves as the Sustainability Officer for a woman-owned cannabis company, Valley Wellness, operating in New Jersey.

Previously Ms. Frank spent a decade working in solar energy. Prior to that, she was the founding Executive Director of the not-for-profit GreenFaith, which educates and inspires leadership across diverse faith communities. She also worked for a decade as a community organizer for the United Jewish Federation of MetroWest.

Ms. Frank received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Vermont, attended law school at the University of Pennsylvania, and received an MPH from Rutgers University. She lives in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Robert Freudenberg

Robert Freudenberg is vice president of RPA’s energy and environmental programs, leading the organization’s initiatives in areas including climate mitigation and adaptation, open space conservation and park development, and water resource management. Rob has been with RPA since 2006 and most recently served as New Jersey director, where he managed the state program with a focus on sustainability planning and policy. Prior to joining RPA, Rob served as a coastal management fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he focused on policies for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Rob holds a master’s of public administration in environmental science and policy from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s in environmental biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Russell Furnari

Russell Furnari is currently retired, spending time as an environmental policy consultant and volunteer. Prior to his retirement, he spent 42 years with the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), working in a variety of operating and technical support positions. He most recently held the position of Manager of Environmental Policy Enterprise, where he was responsible for managing the analysis, interpretation and position development on regulatory and legislative issues facing PSEG’s operating subsidiaries. He has a B.S. in Industrial Administration from NJIT and an M.A. in Environmental Management from Montclair State University. Passionate about public service and sustainability, Russ is active with several organizations working to promote climate mitigation/adaptation, sustainable communities, and habitat restoration throughout the state and the region. These include the NJ Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, NJ Climate Change Alliance, Conserve Wildlife Foundation, American Littoral Society, Center for Aquatic Sciences, Hackensack Riverkeeper, the NJIT College of Science & Liberal Arts Board of Visitors, the MU Urban Coast Institute Advisory Committee, and PSEG Institute of Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University.

Kim Gaddy

Kim Gaddy is the founder of the South Ward Environmental Alliance, a grassroots environmental justice organization of residents and community-based organizations whose mission is to create healthy and vibrant neighborhoods by ensuring residents’ voices are heard and are active participants in decision making regarding policies that impact their neighborhood.

In addition, Kim Gaddy is the National and New Jersey Environmental Justice Director for Clean Water Action. She has been advocating for communities impacted by industrial pollution and the goods movement system in Newark and across the country for 21 years.

Kim develops and implements Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund’s grassroots environmental justice campaigns and coalition-building efforts in New Jersey. She is a former Newark School Board member, first City of Newark female chief of staff for Councilwoman Mildred Crump, New York/New Jersey regional representative for the Moving Forward Network, Governor Phil Murphy’s appointee as vice-chair of the NJDEP’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council, member of the New Jersey Green Jobs Council, former chair of both the Newark Environmental Commission and the Essex County Environmental Commission, and a founding member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.

Kim’s awards and distinctions include the 2021 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Honoree for New Jersey; 2021 International Black Women’s Congress Oni Award, 2021 Weequahic High School Hall of Distinction; 2020 UUFaith in Action Environmental Justice Award; 2020 New Jersey Governor’s Richard J. Sullivan Environmental Excellence Award; 2018 Newark Women from Suffragettes to the Statehouse; 2017 selection as 100 People of Newark; and 2007 Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Environmental Community award.

Tom Gilbert

Tom Gilbert is co-executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and has served since 2015 as Campaign Director for Energy, Climate and Natural Resources. In this role he has led the statewide “Rethink Energy NJ” campaign to stop unneeded fossil fuel infrastructure, including the PennEast pipeline, and to advance landmark new clean energy and climate policies. Previously, he served as Senior Conservation Finance Director with the Trust for Public Land where he chaired the NJ Keep It Green Coalition and led successful campaigns to secure approval of a $400 million bond measure in 2009 and constitutional amendment in 2014 that created a stable source of funding for New Jersey’s land and historic preservation programs. Previously, Tom also served as Director of Eastern Forest Conservation for the Wilderness Society, and Executive Director of the NY/NJ/PA/CT Highlands Coalition, where he led successful campaigns to pass both federal and New Jersey state legislation to protect critical lands and waters in the Highlands region. Tom earned his B.A. in History and M.S. in Natural Resources Planning from the University of Vermont. He was a founding board member of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and currently serves on its board.

Elkins Green

Elkins Green has been an employee of the NJ Department of Transportation for more than 40 years. He has served for the last 16 years as a member of the Department’s Senior Executive Service as Director of the Division of Environmental Resources, which ensures Department actions and activities comply with applicable federal and state requirements and is the central point of contact for environmental policy. Elkins also serves as the Department’s representative on the Interagency Council for Climate Change Resilience and the Environmental Justice Interagency Council. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and is a Certified Public Manager. A true team player, Elkins values teamwork and building lasting relationships with his coworkers as well as striving to make a positive difference in the functions of the Department.

David A. Henry

David Henry is the former Health Officer for the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission #1, where he directed all governmental public and environmental services and activities for 16 municipalities in Monmouth County. He graduated from Cook College, Rutgers University, with a Bachelor in Environmental Science and has a Master in Public Health from UMDNJ (Rutgers) School of Public Health. Mr. Henry has many years of public health experience in suburban and urban local health departments. He is a former president of the NJACCHO and was a volunteer adjunct instructor at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He led his department to national public health accreditation in 2022. He was inducted into the Alpha Eta Chapter of Delta Omega at the Rutgers School of Public Health in 2022.

Alex Ireland

Alex Ireland is an ecologist by training and serves as the President and CEO of New Jersey Audubon. Alex earned a BS in Biology from Clarion University and a PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Lehigh University. Alex gained additional ecological research experience at the Harvard Forest and through postdoctoral training at Pennsylvania State University. Prior to Joining New Jersey Audubon, Alex worked in industry and advanced through roles of increasing responsibility focused on design and implementation of ecological restoration, research to improve performance, financial planning and budgeting, and leading a global team of environmental scientists. Alex is a US Army veteran and father of two wonderful children.

James Kennedy

James Kennedy, of Rahway, was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly on November 3rd, 2015. He currently serves as the Chair of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee and as Vice-Chair of the Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources. He is also a member of the Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee, and the Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee.

Prior to serving in the assembly, Mr. Kennedy served as mayor of Rahway from 1991 to 2010. He currently serves as an Ex Officio Member for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and as a Board Member for WorldWater & Solar Technologies. He also served on the Board of Directors at ArtPride, as Commissioner on the Rahway Senior Housing Corporation, on the Board of Directors at RWJ University Hospital Rahway, as well as a panelist/delegate to Istanbul, Marseille, and Mexico City for the World Water Forum. He currently is the Principal of Skye Consulting, which focuses its efforts on community development, world water issues, and cultural arts. He is also the former owner of Kennedy Jewelers in Rahway.

Mr. Kennedy represents the 22nd Legislative District, which includes the Middlesex County municipalities of Dunellen and Middlesex; the Somerset County municipalities of Green Brook and North Plainfield; and the Union County municipalities of Clark, Fanwood, Linden, Plainfield, Rahway, Scotch Plains, and Winfield.

Ashley Kerr

Ashley Kerr has been a research associate with New Jersey Farm Bureau for the last six years. In this role she is responsible for attending meetings of the State Board of Agriculture and SADC (farmland preservation) and county boards of agriculture in Mercer, Burlington and Ocean. She works on climate issues, urban ag, aquaculture, and wineries/breweries/distilleries as well as other more traditional commodities. She also serves as a member of the NJ Climate Change Alliance as well as an advisory member of the NJ Clean Water Council.

Ashley received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Hawaii Pacific University and a master’s degree in natural resource and environmental management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She worked for a decade for the global environmental consulting firm ERM, both in Hawaii and New Jersey, doing permitting, monitoring, and remediation. She grew up on a 400-acre working farm in Mercer County and is part of the fourth generation in her family growing grains and sweet corn.

Shawn M. LaTourette

Appointed by Governor Philip D. Murphy, Shawn M. LaTourette became New Jersey’s Commissioner of Environmental Protection on June 14, 2021. He had served as Acting Commissioner since January 16, 2021. Commissioner LaTourette is responsible for formulating statewide environmental policy while directing programs that protect public health and ensure the quality of New Jersey’s air, land, water, and natural and historic resources.

A lawyer and policymaker with more than 20 years of experience in environmental protection, Commissioner LaTourette began his career defending victims of toxic exposure, including organizing and advocating for the needs of vulnerable New Jersey communities whose drinking water was contaminated by petrochemicals. Throughout a career shaping environmental law and policy, he has served in executive roles and as a trusted adviser to governments, community and non-profit organizations, and leaders in industry and infrastructure, while also litigating high-stakes lawsuits involving environmental, energy and public health concerns.

Guided by a deep commitment to equity and a professional philosophy that uniting economic development and environmental improvement promotes the public good, Commissioner LaTourette has been regarded as a consensus builder adept at achieving balance among competing priorities. His diverse background — in protecting vulnerable communities, facilitating the development of infrastructure and public works, managing business risk, promoting conservationist policies and advocating for equity — has made him a leading force in policy, program and project development, especially those at the complex juncture of economic development, energy and environmental protection.

Mariana Leckner

Mariana Leckner has worked in emergency and disaster management for over 30 years, including planning, response operations, outreach, training, and exercise for municipal, county, state, federal, and non-governmental partners. Mariana has also taught emergency management and geography at several universities, worked for the American Red Cross, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, and consults for a variety of clients. She has responded to dozens of events over the years including 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19, and other emergencies. Mariana specializes in hydrologic and atmospheric hazard planning and response, geographic analysis of hazards, and planning with diverse stakeholder groups to improve response capabilities to hazardous events. Mariana has a B.A in International Relations, a minor in Latin American Studies, and an M.A in Marine Affairs from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in Geography from Rutgers University.

Tom Lewis

Tom Lewis is WSP USA’s senior executive in charge of Climate, Resilience & Sustainability for WSP USA, which includes the firm’s Future Ready innovation program. In this role and across his 30-plus year career, he has developed specialized experience in complex program management, technology innovation, renewables and clean energy, climate adaptation and resilience, sustainability, civil, geotechnical and transportation engineering, waste to energy, environmental protection and ecosystem restoration, groundwater and sediment remediation, brownfields redevelopment, industrial hygiene, disaster management and infrastructure recovery, water services, and construction management. Tom has served on a variety of boards and committees promoting sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure, Resilience First, and the Zofnass Program’s Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Board at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Tom holds a BS and MS in Civil Engineering and a JD with focus on environmental law/regulation. He is a licensed professional engineer and passed the bar in multiple states.

Tony MacDonald

Tony MacDonald is director of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI). The UCI’s mission is to serve Monmouth and the public as a forum for research, education, and collaboration in the development and implementation of science-based policies and programs that support stewardship of healthy, productive, and resilient coastal ecosystems and communities. The UCI was founded by MacDonald in 2005 as one of Monmouth’s Centers of Distinction and maintains a principal focus on the interactions between humans and the coastal and ocean environment, and support for resilient and sustainable coastal communities.

Mr. MacDonald previously served as the executive director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO), based in Washington, DC, representing the interests of the governors of the nation’s 35 coastal states and territories. Prior to joining CSO, Tony was the special counsel and director of environmental affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities. Tony has also practiced law with a private firm in Washington, DC, working on environmental and legislative issues, and served as the Washington, DC, environmental legislative representative for the Mayor of the City of New York. He is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Middlebury College.

Martha Maxwell-Doyle

Over three plus decades, Martha’s career has spanned innumerable aspects of environmental protection, resource management and climate risk mitigation. She has held leadership roles in two US Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Programs; as the Deputy Director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and as the Project Director with Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP). Martha was a founding member of the Mid Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment (MACWA). Over the last decade, she has secured and managed more than $5.1 million in funding for wetlands assessment and coastal resilience grant funding. She holds leadership positions on the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance, New Jersey Tideland Resource Council, NJ Coastal Resilience Coalition, and the New Jersey Tidal Wetlands Monitoring Network and has participated extensively in other statewide related initiatives.

Martha’s other related area of expertise includes 25+ years of emergency response and hazard mitigation experience. This background allowed her to integrate applied climate science to developing adaptation and resiliency strategies to address the impacts of climate change and enhancing existing planning tools. Related activities have included the incorporation of climate risk elements into Ocean County’s Office of Emergency Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan. Martha served as a first responder for Hurricane Sandy as the Captain of the Berkeley Emergency Response Team, which is the countywide Haz-Mat Team for Ocean County, New Jersey. A graduate of Rutgers University’s Cook College, Martha lives on the Mullica River.

Kevin McNally

Kevin McNally is the Chair of the Executive Board, and a former President, of the New Jersey Public Health Association. He also served as its affiliate representative to the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association. He has more than a half century of experience in public health and healthcare, including 31 years with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH). At the time of his retirement from the Department, he was the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Public Health Infrastructure, Laboratories and Emergency Preparedness. Other positions at the NJDOH included Assistant to the Director of the Office of Public Health Infrastructure, Program Manager of the Child and Adolescent Health Program, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Coordinator, and Coordinator of the Perinatal AIDS Prevention Demonstration Project. In addition to NJPHA, his volunteer activities have included being a member of the Health Improvement Coalition of Monmouth County, Site Visitor for the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB), and the Public Health Working Group of the NJ Climate Change Alliance. Mr. McNally has an MBA in Health Care Administration from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania.

Donald Nusser

Don Nusser, PE, PP, ENV SP is a civil/ environmental engineer with over 45 years of experience in project management and execution, business development, office and staff management, facilitation and training, and mentoring. He has BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and is a NJ Professional Engineer and Professional Planner. Don is an ISI-certified Envision™ Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). He is member of the NJCCA Steering Committee and is also a member of the ASCE Committee On Sustainability Climate Safe Sub-Committee. He is currently the Mott MacDonald North America South America (NASA) Practice Leader for Climate Change & Sustainability and is Manager of the NASA Learning & Development Group. He has lectured at Rutgers University, Carnegie Mellon University, and others on various topics including sustainability and careers in the engineering sector.

Donna Rendeiro

Donna Rendeiro was named Executive Director and Secretary of the State Planning Commission and the Executive Director of the Office of Planning Advocacy within the Department of State in July 2019. Previously, she served as Chief of Administration for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, as well as Chief of Staff. She also oversaw New Jersey’s Homeless Management Information System, managed through HMFA. Donna was the Director of Community Planning at the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority, Acting Executive Director of the Office of Smart Growth, and Brownfields Policy Director. She has worked with the Governor’s Office of Economic Growth on urban policy. Previous experience includes redevelopment and shared services at the municipal and county levels. Donna is a former Vice President at Citibank as Chief of Staff to the Senior Credit Officer in the credit card division and was a Branch Manager. She has a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Pace University.

Sharon Roerty

Sharon Roerty, AICP/PP/MCRP, is an urban alchemist and Senior Program Officer at RWJF. She concentrates on the impact of the built and natural environment on population health including looking for global exemplars that can be adapted and adopted in the U.S. She has developed programming initiatives relative to childhood obesity, community development, social isolation and climate change. Sharon has comprehensive experience working on transportation, environmental and urban policy and planning initiatives.

Liz Semple

Liz Semple has the honor to serve as the Director of Adaptation for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. The adaptation team at TNC is working to implement strategies and projects that benefit people using nature-based solutions along our coast, in our cities and throughout the state. Liz previously held a diverse list of leadership positions at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Nicky Sheats

Dr. Nicky Sheats, Esq., is the director of the Center for the Urban Environment of the John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University and has defined the primary mission of the Center as providing support for the environmental justice (EJ) community. Among the issues he works on are air pollution, climate change, cumulative impacts, developing EJ legal strategies and increasing the working capacity of the EJ community.

Sheats was a founding member of the NJ EJ Alliance, EJ Leadership Forum, EJ and Science Initiative, the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform and an informal NE EJ Attorneys Group. He has been appointed to the NJ Clean Air Council, EPA’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and National EJ Advisory Council, and was a co-author of the human health chapter of the 2014 national climate assessment. He is currently serving on the newly created White House EJ Advisory Council. Early in his career Sheats practiced law as a public interest attorney. He holds a B.A. from Princeton University and earned a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences, J.D. and M.P.P. from Harvard University.

Bob Smith

New Jersey State Senator Bob Smith proudly represents the rights and interests of the citizens of the 17th Legislative District, a dynamic and ever-changing community, which includes parts of Middlesex and Somerset Counties. Having served in the New Jersey State Legislature since 1986, first as a State Assemblyman and in 2002 as State Senator, Bob Smith is considered one of the State’s leading environmental lawmakers. Currently, Senator Smith is the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as a member of the State House Commission. He was also appointed by Governor Murphy to serve on the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust Board.

Senator Smith’s legislative accomplishments include the Highlands Preservation Act, Site Remediation Reform (LSRP), Barnegat Bay cleanup, including the most stringent fertilizer law in the United States, the Recycling Enhancement Act, Electronic Waste Management Act, and a host of legislation stimulating solar and alternative energy in New Jersey. Senator Smith was also the driving force behind the recently approved ballot question to insure funding for open space preservation in the Garden State in perpetuity.

Senator Smith has a long record of public service having served as Mayor of Piscataway Township from 1981-1986 and was a member of the Township Council from 1977-1981, serving as Council President and Vice President. From 1991-1992 he served as the Chairman of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. He also served as Chairman of the New Jersey Democratic Task Force on the Environment in 1987 and was counsel to the New Jersey State Democratic Platform in both 1987 and 1989. From 1995-1996 he served as Deputy Minority Leader in the General Assembly.

Senator Bob Smith is a uniquely qualified legislator. Prior to becoming an attorney in private practice, Senator Smith was a Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science at Middlesex County College. He holds master’s degrees in Chemistry from the University of Scranton and Environmental Science from Rutgers University, as well as a J.D. in law from Seton Hall University.

He and his wife Ellen live and work in Piscataway Township. They are parents to two grown daughters and are proud grandparents of five grandchildren. For more information, please visit njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/53/senator-smith or connect with him on Facebook.

Randall Solomon

Randall Solomon is the director of The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey and the executive director of Sustainable Jersey. He has over 25 years of experience working in government, academia, and the nonprofit sector. He is one of the principals that founded and directs the Sustainable Jersey Certification program. Prior to his current position he was the founder and executive director of the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers where he worked to expand the capacity of public decision making to address sustainability. Mr. Solomon’s experience includes positions as a policy advisor on sustainable development for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities integrating land use and energy policy, director of the States Campaign for the Resource Renewal Institute in San Francisco, and policy director for the nonprofit New Jersey Future. Other jobs include a stint as a National Park ranger and serving in the inaugural class of AmeriCorps volunteers. He has participated on advisory boards for federal and state government and civic organizations, and has advised major corporations. He writes and speaks frequently on sustainable development, energy, land use policy, using indicators in public decision making, and governance issues. Randy holds a B.S. in Biology from Stockton University and a M.S. in Public Policy from Rutgers University.

Gary Sondermeyer

Gary Sondermeyer is VP of Operations for Bayshore Recycling of Woodbridge, NJ. Bayshore is one of NJ’s largest recyclers, managing 9 separate recycling operations on its 58-acre campus. Gary also serves as Chair of the Board of the Sustainable Jersey Program, Co-Chair of the NJ Climate Change Alliance, and helps lead the Legislative Committee of the Association of New Jersey Recyclers. Gary joined Bayshore following 30 years of service at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. He served as the agency’s Chief of Staff for 10 years under 6 New Jersey Governors. Gary has undergraduate and Masters’ Degrees in Environmental Planning from Rutgers University.

Sacoby Wilson

Dr. Sacoby Wilson is a Professor with the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland-College Park.  Dr. Wilson has over 20 years of experience as an environmental health scientist in the areas of exposure science, environmental justice, environmental health disparities, community-engaged research including crowd science and community-based participatory research (CBPR), water quality analysis, air pollution studies, built environment, industrial animal production, climate change, community resiliency, and sustainability.  He works primarily in partnership with community-based organizations to study and address environmental justice and health issues and translate research to action.

Dr. Wilson is the Director of the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH).  CEEJH is focused on providing technical assistance and research support to communities fighting against environmental injustice and environmental health disparities in the DMV region and across the nation.  Through CEEJH, Dr. Wilson is engaging communities in the Washington, DC region and beyond on environmental health issues including exposure and health risks for individuals who fish and recreate on the Anacostia River; use of best management practices to reduce stormwater inputs in the Chesapeake Bay; air pollution and health impacts due to industrial and commuter traffic in Bladensburg, MD; built environment, environmental injustice, and vectors in West Baltimore; cumulative impacts of environmental hazards on air quality in Brandywine, MD; goods movement, industrial pollution, and environmental injustice in South Baltimore, MD; environmental justice and health issues in Buzzard Point area of Washington, DC; industrial chicken farming on Maryland’s Eastern Shore; health impact of assessment in the Sheriff Road community; and other topics.  In addition, he is working with schools in the region on pipeline development efforts in the STEM+H disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Health).

He has worked on environmental justice issues including environmental racism with community-based organizations through community-university environmental health and justice partnerships in South Carolina and North Carolina including the Low-Country Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC), in North Charleston, South Carolina; the West End Revitalization Association (WERA) in Mebane, NC; and the Graniteville Community Coalition (GCC) in Graniteville, SC. He has provided technical assistance to REACH in Duplin County, NC; RENA in Orange County, NC; and the NC Environmental Justice Network. He also has worked on environmental justice and air pollution issues with community-based groups in Houston, Texas, Savannah, GA, Uniontown, AL, and Wilmington, DE.

Dr. Wilson has been very active professionally to advance environmental justice science.  He is currently on the US EPA’s Science Advisory Board, the Fifth National Climate Assessment (Air Quality Team), a member of the National Academy of Science’s Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST), and is Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Justice. He is a former member of the US EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), a former board member of the Citizen Science Association and Community Campus Partnerships for Health, a past Chair of the APHA Environment Section, a former member of Board of Scientific Counselors for the CDC NCEH/ATSDR, and former Chair of the Alpha Goes Green Initiative, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.  He is also a senior fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program.

Dr. Wilson has done a lot of work to build environmental justice organizations and coalitions.  He is Co-Founder of the Mid-Atlantic Justice Coalition (MAJC), the DMV Environmental Justice Coalition, and Founder of 17 for Peace and Justice, an environmental justice advocacy organization.  He currently is faculty advisor for a student chapter of 17 for Peace and Justice on the campus of the University of Maryland-College Park.  He is on the steering committee for the recently relaunched National Black Environmental Justice Network (NBEJN).  Additionally, he hosts an annual environmental justice symposium that brings together community members, advocates, policymakers, researchers, students, and practitioners to discuss ways to address environmental justice issues in the DMV region and around the country.

Dr. Wilson has received many awards for his contributions and achievements as an environmental justice researcher and advocate. He recently won the 2022 Sierra Club Robert Bullard Environmental Justice Award. He has also received the 2021 Maryland LCV Changemakers Award, and the 2018 Taking Nature Black Environmental Champion Award. He also received the APHA Environment Section Damu Smith Environmental Justice Award in 2015.  From the University of Maryland School of Public Health, he received the George F. Kramer Practitioner of the Year Award (2014-2015) and the Muriel R. Sloan Communitarian Award (2019-2020, 2012-2013). He also received the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award from the University of South Carolina in 2011.  He received a US EPA Environmental Justice Achievement Award given to Low Country Alliance for Model Communities, North Charleston, SC and Mitigation Agreement Committee. Additionally, Dr. Wilson received the Steve Wing International Environmental Justice Award in 2008.

Dr. Wilson, a two-time EPA STAR fellow, EPA MAI fellow, Udall Scholar, NASA Space Scholar, and Thurgood Marshall Scholar, received his BS degree in Biology/Ecotoxicology with a minor in Environmental Science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1998. He received training in environmental health in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Wilson received his MS degree in 2000 from UNC-Chapel Hill and his PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005.