Speaker Biographies
Jennifer Adkins, Executive Director; Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Since 2007, Ms. Adkins has served as Executive Director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary which is the National Estuary Program for the Delaware River and Bay. Previously, she led the nonprofit’s work in the Schuylkill River Valley, managing a $1.15 million Targeted Watershed grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fund a series of projects undertaken by the Schuylkill Action Network in southeastern Pennsylvania. As Executive Director, Ms. Adkins leads a team of scientists and outreach professionals connecting people, science and nature for a healthy Delaware River and Bay. She works to partner with two regional offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; three states, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; many municipalities, including the Cities of Camden, Philadelphia, and Wilmington; and hundreds of organizations and businesses spread across more than 6,500 square miles of the mid-Atlantic region. Ms. Adkins has been active in conservation planning and collaboration in the mid-Atlantic region for more than 20 years, including positions with The Nature Conservancy of Delaware, the Land Trust Alliance, and the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Management Center. She has also worked as a self-employed contractor and consultant for a number of nonprofit organizations in the region. Ms. Adkins is a graduate of the University of Delaware and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, specializing in environmental and energy management, as well as a Bachelor’s of Science degree in economics.
Ana Baptista, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management and Associate Director of the Tishman Environment & Design Center; The New School. Dr. Baptista’s research extends to issues related to environmental and health impacts of the global goods movement in seaport cities; zero waste and anti-incineration policies that can help cities transform their relationship to waste; climate justice policies and community based resilience efforts that draw on the expertise of impacted communities; urban air pollution mitigation policies and citizen science air monitoring protocols; community engaged scholarship and participatory action research methods. She helped to develop and implement a model Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Ordinance in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to joining The New School, Dr. Baptista served as the Director of Environmental Justice and Community Development programs for the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey. At ICC she oversaw a wide range of environmental justice, community development, planning and research projects aimed at implementing distributive and transformative bottom up strategies for environmental justice. This work included the creation of Newark's Riverfront Park, a five year community revitalization project in East Ferry Street Neighborhood, Superfund and Brownfields clean ups, community based science and monitoring initiatives, establishment of urban farming programs, environmental justice leadership training, community based climate resiliency and adaptation planning, litigation against the state's largest garbage incinerator, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for ports related air pollution, and a natural gas power plant, and community based organizing for environmental justice. She has previously served as the Director of Environment & Energy Programs at Regional Plan Association in New York City, a Senior Environmental Planner for the State of Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management and as a legislative liaison to Senator John Chafee. Dr. Baptista completed her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, received her Master’s degree from Brown University in Environmental Studies and her undergraduate degree in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.
Anthony Broccoli, Ph.D., Professor of Atmospheric Science and Chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences; Rutgers University. In addition to being full-time faculty member and Department Chair, Dr. Broccoli, also serves as Co-Director of the Rutgers Climate Institute. His primary research interest is climate dynamics, especially the simulation of past climates and climate change. He has served as Co-Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate, and he has been a contributor and reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Prior to coming to Rutgers, Dr. Broccoli spent 21 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, one of the premier climate modeling centers in the world. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Broccoli received his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from Rutgers University. He also received his Master’s and Bachelor’s of Science degree from Rutgers University in Meteorology.
Michael Catania, Executive Director; Duke Farms. Mr. Catania is Executive Director of Duke Farms, a 2,742 acre model campus of stewardship and sustainability, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, in Hillsborough Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. Duke Farms is in the process of conducting and monitoring large scale wetlands and grasslands restoration projects and afforestation projects to sequester carbon, and is aggressively reducing its carbon footprint through the use of renewable energy, electric vehicles, changes in farming, gardening and landscaping practices, as well as a wide range of operational changes designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Previously, Mr. Catania was the founder, president and general counsel of Conservation Resources Inc. (CRI), a nonprofit conservation group that provided financial and technical assistance to the conservation community in New Jersey. Among its other programs, CRI administered a Carbon Sequestration Demonstration Project grant program which funded 8 pilot projects to demonstrate the efficacy of carbon sequestration through afforestation, reforestation, wetlands and grasslands restoration. Earlier in his career, he served as deputy commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection under three commissioners and two governors. Mr. Catania began his career with the nonpartisan New Jersey Legislative Services Agency, where he drafted many of New Jersey’s landmark energy, agricultural and environmental laws, including the Pinelands Protection Act and the Department of Energy Act. His professional and teaching interests include land use, open space preservation, ecological restoration, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration and mitigation, and sustainability, and he has written and lectured widely on all of these topics. Mr. Catania currently serves as the Chair of the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, as a Trustee and Environment Committee Chair of the Victoria Foundation, as a Trustee of the Somerset County business Partnership, and as the Co-Chair of the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance.
John Cecil, Vice President for Stewardship; New Jersey Audubon Society. As Vice President, Mr. Cecil leads New Jersey Audubon’s stewardship related activities including the active management, restoration and recovery of wildlife habitat. Prior to joining NJ Audubon, John was the national Director of the Important Bird Areas Program for the National Audubon Society, engaging in conservation issues across the U.S. and the hemisphere. He has served as Chair of the U.S. Shorebird Council and Council member of the Bahamas National Trust. John received a Master’s of Science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from Frostburg State University.
George T. DiFerdinando, Jr., MD, MPH, FACP. Dr. DiFerdinando is a Board-Certified General Internist, who has combined a career in public health and higher education with a sustained professional and personal interest in the impact of behavior on health. He has worked with the CDC, the NYS Department of Health, the NJ Department of Health, and is currently Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. He is currently Chair of the Princeton Board of Health, and a Quality Champion on Opioid Use and Adult Immunization for the NJ Chapters of the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Practice. He is part of the Public Health Workgroup of the NJ Climate Adaptation Alliance, and has served on its overall Advisory Committee since its inception.
Patty Doerr, Director of Coastal and Marine Programs; The Nature Conservancy. Ms. Doerr joined the New Jersey Chapter of the Nature Conservancy in 2010 as the Director of Conservation Projects, where she oversaw ecosystem restoration and planning projects around the state. She became Director of the Coastal and Marine Program, which is focused on maximizing nature’s role in building a resilient New Jersey coastline and helping communities adapt to a changing climate, upon its establishment in 2012. Prior to joining the Conservancy, Ms. Doerr was Director of Ocean Resource Policy for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) in Alexandria, VA. At ASA, she represented the sportfishing industry to Congress, the Administration, and state government regarding a variety of coastal and marine issues, including fisheries management and marine protected areas. Prior to ASA, she worked for the National Governors Association (NGA) as Legislative Director for its Natural Resources Committee, as well as the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on a variety of environmental policy issues. Ms. Doerr holds a Master’s of Arts in Environmental Resource Policy from The George Washington University and Bachelor’s of Science in both Natural Resource Management and Environmental Policies, Institutes, and Behaviors from Rutgers University.
Kathleen Ellis, Executive Vice President; New Jersey Resources. Kathleen Ellis is Executive Vice President, Policy and Strategic Development of New Jersey Resources. New Jersey Resources (NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution and asset management. With annual revenues in excess of $3 billion, NJR comprises five primary businesses: New Jersey National Gas, NJR Energy Services, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Midstream and NJR Home Services. Ms. Ellis joined New Jersey Resources (NJR) in 2004 and is responsible for strategic planning, long and short-term communications, government relations and the development and implementation of all customer and community relations. Prior to her current position, from 2008 to 2016, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR’s principal subsidiary and the largest independent natural gas distribution company in New Jersey, and from 2004 through 2008 as Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Before joining NJR, Ms. Ellis was Director of Communications for Governor James E. McGreevey. She also has served as Director of Government Relations and Communications for Newark, N.J.-based Public Service Electric and Gas, one of the largest combined electric and natural gas companies in the United States. Ms. Ellis is a board member of Hackensack Meridian Health; New Jersey Future, serving as Secretary and an Executive Committee member; PAM's List - New Jersey; Interfaith Neighbors, Inc., in Asbury Park and as a member and co-chair of the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance Advisory Committee. Ms. Ellis is an alumna of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton with a degree in economics.
Dan Fatton, Executive Director; New Jersey Work Environment Council. Mr. Fatton is Executive Director of the Work Environment Council, a coalition of 70 labor, environmental and community organizations working for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment. Mr. Fatton helped found Jersey Renews, a coalition dedicated to ensuring that NJ regains a leadership role in addressing the climate crisis. He serves as project director for WEC’s Susan Harwood Training Program grant from the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration and coordinates a Pollution Prevention sub-grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce toxics in flood-prone areas. Mr. Fatton is a Trenton resident, experienced in community organizing including serving as: past President of the I AmTrenton Community Foundation, Vice-Chair of Trenton’s Planning Board, and Vice-Chair of the Trenton Green Team. He was honored with a 2013 Healthy Kids Champion Award recognizing his leadership in the adoption of Trenton’s nationally ranked Complete Streets policy. Mr. Fatton is an Environmental Leadership Program Fellow, Lead NJ Fellow, and has a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from the Rutgers University Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy. He is a member of the Diversity & Equity Task Force for Sustainable Jersey, and serves on the board for both the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership.
Rob Freudenberg, Vice President, Energy and Environmental Programs, Regional Plan Association. As Vice President of RPA’s energy and environmental programs, Mr. Freudenberg leads the organization’s initiatives in areas including climate mitigation and adaptation, open space conservation and park development, and water resource management. He oversees a comprehensive program of projects and policies to improve public health, quality of life, sustainable development and climate resilience in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan area. Mr. Freudenberg works closely with other RPA staff to integrate these objectives with RPA’s economic, transportation, land use, design and community development initiatives. He has been with RPA since 2006 and most recently served as its New Jersey Director, where he managed the state program with a focus on sustainability planning and policy. He led projects including developing an arts and revitalization plan for Paterson and a neighborhood revitalization plan for East Camden; producing an economic and land use study for a future bus rapid transit corridor in Union County, advancing regenerative design efforts in the New Jersey Highlands; and facilitating land use and urban design recommendations and lead local demonstration projects for the 13-county Together North Jersey effort. Prior to joining RPA, Mr. Freudenberg 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. He holds a Master’s of Public Administration and Public Affairs degree from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
David A. Henry, Health Officer; Monmouth County Regional Health Commission. Mr. Henry current serves as the Health Officer for the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission where he directs all governmental public and environmental services and activities for 21 towns. Mr. Henry serves as the President of the Monmouth County Health Officers’ Association. He is a Part-Time Lecturer at Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and a Volunteer Adjunct Instructor at Rutgers School of Public Health and is on the Executive Committee of the NJ Association of County and City Health Officials. He graduated from Cook College, Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science and has a Master’s in Public Health from Rutgers School of Public Health.
Jeanne Herb, Associate Director; Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Ms. Herb’s work focuses on advancing sound environmental, sustainability, and Health in all Policies practices at the state, local and regional levels. Jeanne co-facilitates the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, a network of organizations focused on advancing climate change and resilience policies and practices in New Jersey, the New Jersey Planning Healthy Communities Initiative, a university-based collaborative that focuses on promoting “health in all policies” strategies, and the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative, a collaborative effort to integrate multidisciplinary science into decision-making within the Raritan River Basin. Jeanne serves as the Co-Lead for stakeholder engagement of the Rutgers Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience Training Program and works with others at Rutgers to integrate science into decision support tools to support resilience planning in New Jersey. She is a member of a team that supports the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, an online geospatial toolkit that consolidates data to visualize ocean resources. Ms. Herb was Assistant Commissioner for Policy, Planning and Science at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) where she led cross-program efforts related to climate change and energy, Environmental Justice, smart growth and sustainable development, environmental health and science policy and coastal management. Earlier in her career, Ms. Herb was the Manager for the Public Policy Program at Tellus Institute, founding Director of the New Jersey Pollution Prevention Program and oversaw risk reduction and risk communication efforts in the NJDEP Division of Science and Research. Ms. Herb is currently participating in the first cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national three-year Culture of Health Leadership Program and in the second cohort of the two-year Rutgers Leadership Academy. She holds a Master’s degree in environmental journalism from The New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and education from Rutgers University.
Marjorie Kaplan Dr.P.H., Associate Director; Rutgers Climate Institute. Dr. Kaplan's 30+ year career has been at the nexus of environmental science and human and ecological health working at the U.S. federal government and state level, as well as for a major utility and two internationally known consulting firms. At Rutgers, she works with faculty and students across the University in developing research, outreach and education on understanding the climate system and the impacts of a changing climate across a broad range of natural, social and policy sciences. She co-facilitates and conducts research related to the work of the New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, including co-leading a science and technical advisory panel process to evaluate the most current science on sea-level rise projections and changing coastal storms for New Jersey and a working group on public health implications of climate change. Dr. Kaplan serves as Rutgers liaison to, and participates in the research of, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Northeast Climate Hub. She is a Principal Investigator of a NOAA funded project to establish a regional resiliency plan for 15 New Jersey municipalities in collaboration with the NJ Coastal Management Program. Prior to Rutgers, Dr. Kaplan worked at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection where she managed the Office of Climate and Energy. During her 22 years at NJDEP, she developed science and research initiatives related to wetlands, watersheds, forestry, fisheries, endangered and threatened species, and changing landscapes, and human health risk assessment. She holds a Masters and Doctorate (with distinction) in Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources from Cornell University.
Peter Kasabach, Executive Director; New Jersey Future. Mr. Kasabach has been actively engaged in the areas of planning, community transportation and redevelopment, finance and housing for more than 25 years. He is the Executive Director of New Jersey Future, a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide research, policy, education and technical assistance organization that advocates for better land-use practices resulting in environmental protection, community redevelopment, center-based growth and transportation choice. Before coming to New Jersey Future in December 2007, he was chief of policy and community development for the New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency, where he developed a comprehensive state housing policy and guided the agency’s real estate investments and programs. Prior to joining the NJHMFA, he was vice president of planning and real estate development for Isles, a private nonprofit community development organization in Trenton with a core mission of sustainable development. Mr. Kasabach has been active in many community revitalization efforts on topics including the visual arts, historic preservation, public education and green building. He is an advocate for walkable, urban living and resides in Trenton, NJ with his wife and two children. He is a licensed New Jersey Professional Planner, and holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Laumbach, M.D., M.P.H., C.I.H.; Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rutgers School of Public Health. Dr. Laumbach’s major research focus in on cumulative impacts of multiple chemical and nonchemical stressors on health, particularly on mechanisms by which air pollution interacts with other stressors in Environmental Justice communities in New Jersey. He is currently collaborating with the Ironbound Community Corporation on an EPA-funded project to measure the effects of diesel exhaust air pollution and chronic stress on asthma exacerbation among children living in communities adjacent to the Port of Newark/Elizabeth. He directs community outreach and engagement for the NIEHS Center for Environmental Exposure and Disease (CEED), at the Environmental and Exposure and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), and maintains a clinical practice at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. A former Sanitarian, Industrial Hygienist, and member of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection Science Advisory Board, Dr. Laumbach strives to apply the best available scientific evidence and approaches to solving real-world environmental health problems in New Jersey.
Megan Linkin, Ph.D., Vice President; Swiss Reinsurance America Holding Corporation. Dr. Linkin is a natural hazards expert, catastrophic modeler and meteorologist. As Vice President for Global Partnerships at Swiss Re, Dr. Linkin structures and performs risk analysis for public-private natural catastrophe insurance products globally and develops innovative new insurance products for high growth markets and other economies where traditional insurance penetration is minimal. Dr. Linkin provides real-time forecasts of imminent hurricane landfalls in the United States and elsewhere and gives guidance on all aspects of weather and climatology, from potential new weather-related insurance products to the findings of recently published scientific articles. She represents Swiss Re on various government panels assessing the potential economic impacts of climate change on public sectors and existing infrastructure. Dr. Linkin received her Ph.D. and Master’s degree in atmospheric and Oceanic Science from the University of Maryland and her Bachelor’s of Science in Meteorology and Mathematics from Rutgers University.
Mindy S. Lubber JD, MBA CEO and President, CERES. Ms. Lubber is President, CEO and a founding Board Member of CERES, a non-profit organization that is mobilizing many of the world’s largest investors and companies to take stronger action on climate change, water scarcity and other global sustainability challenges. She directs Ceres’ Investor Network on Climate Risk and Sustainability, a group of 130 institutional investors managing over $17 trillion in assets focused on the business risks and opportunities of climate change. Mindy also oversees engagements with 100-plus companies, many of them Fortune 500 firms, committed to sustainable business practices and the urgency for strong climate and clean energy policies. Under Ms. Lubber’s leadership, Ceres launched The 21st Century Corporation: The Ceres Roadmap for Sustainability and The 21st Century Investor: Ceres Blueprint for Sustainable Investing, visionary guides highlighting environmental and social performance improvements companies and investors must achieve to succeed in the resource-constrained 21st century global economy. In 2016, Ms. Lubber received the Climate Visionary Award from the Earth Day Network, and the William K. Reilly Award for Environmental Leadership from the Center for Environmental Policy at American University. The December 2015 online edition of Vogue Magazine featured Ms. Lubber as one of their “Climate Warriors”, one of the top 13 women advancing the Paris Climate Agreement at the UN Conference at COP21. In 2010, she was honored by the United Nations and the Foundation for Social Change as one of the “World’s Top Leaders of Change” for her work in mobilizing leading companies to integrate environmental challenges into core business strategies. She is a recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship and was named one of “The 100 Most Influential People in Corporate Governance” by Directorship magazine.
Anthony MacDonald, Director; Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University. Mr. MacDonald is currently the Director of the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The UCI was established in September 2005 to serve the public interest as a forum for research, education and collaboration that fosters healthy and productive coastal ecosystems and sustainable coastal communities. Mr. MacDonald was previously the Executive Director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) based in Washington, DC, which represents the interests of the Governors of the United States’ 35 coastal states and territories on coastal and ocean policy matters. Prior to joining CSO, Mr. MacDonald was the Special Counsel and Director of Environmental Affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities. He has also practiced law with a private firm in Washington, DC, and served as the Washington, DC environmental legislative representative for the Mayor of the City of New York and Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department. Mr. MacDonald is a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and the Fordham University School of Law in New York City.
Mark Mauriello, Director of Environmental Affairs and Planning; Edgewood Properties. Mark Mauriello began his career with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in May 1980, after earning a bachelor’s degree in geology from Middlebury College in Vermont. He accepted a position as a shoreline mapping specialist with the New Jersey Geological Survey, and during the 1980’s and 1990’s he rose through the ranks of the Division of Coastal Resources and Land Use Regulation Division, and was appointed as Division Director in 2002. In 2006, Mauriello was selected by DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson to be Assistant Commissioner for Land Use Management. In November 2008, Mauriello was nominated by Governor Jon S. Corzine to serve as Commissioner of the DEP, replacing newly confirmed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. He served in that capacity from November 2008 until his retirement from DEP in January 2010. Throughout his 30-year career with the DEP, Mauriello gained extensive experience in land use regulation, natural hazard management and mitigation, coastal zone management and floodplain management. Mauriello has authored or co-authored numerous papers and publications focusing on a wide range of issues affecting New Jersey’s famed coastline. He was a founding member of the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management, served two terms as Regional Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, served as Vice-Chair of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and served as a member of the NJ State Planning Commission. He has also served on numerous committees and working groups, including the USEPA’s Coastal Elevation and Sea Level Rise Advisory Committee, FEMA’s National Hurricane Program Task Force, FEMA’s Post-Storm Mitigation Assessment Teams, the New Jersey State Police Hazard Mitigation Team, and DEP’s Global Climate Working Group. Upon retiring from DEP in January 2010, Mauriello formed Mark Mauriello Consulting, LLC, specializing in coastal zone management, floodplain management, land use regulation and regulatory compliance. In March, 2010, Mauriello accepted a position as Director of Environmental Affairs and Planning with Edgewood Properties of Piscataway. In this capacity, Mauriello is responsible for overseeing the company’s environmental programs and planning initiatives, and serves as an advisor on regulatory issues and property acquisitions.
Martha Maxwell-Doyle, Deputy Director; Barnegat Bay Partnership. For the three decades, Martha’s career has spanned various aspects of environmental protection, resource management and hazardous materials response. Ms. Maxwell-Doyle joined the Barnegat Bay Partnership (BBP) as Project Coordinator in 2008 bringing extensive project management and National Estuary Program (NEP) experience to the program. Previously serving as the Deputy Director for the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), one of the most geopolitically complicated of the 28 National Estuaries. During her 8 year tenure at the PDE, she managed NEP activities including the implementation of the Delaware Estuary Program’s Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) and strategic plans. Ms. Maxwell-Doyle also managed the science and resource management activities and staff for the Partnership. Upon joining the staff of the BBP, Ms. Maxwell-Doyle secured grant funding to establish the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Wetlands Assessment (MACWA) in New Jersey. The joint collaboration with PDE has established an integrated wetlands monitoring and assessment program in the Delaware Bay and Barnegat Bay Estuaries to understand the effects of multiple stressors on salt marshes from a regional perspective. Over the last seven years, MACWA has begun to systematically quantify the numerous impacts that were contributing to coastal wetlands degradation with the ultimate outcome to be able to use these findings to make better resource management decisions. Her other related area of expertise includes 25+ years of emergency response and hazard mitigation experience. This background has benefited BBP's ability to integrate applied climate science to developing adaptation and resiliency strategies to address the impacts of a climate change and enhancing existing planning tools. These activities have included the incorporation of climate risk elements into Ocean County’s Office of Emergency Multi-Jurisdictional All Hazards Mitigation Plan. Ms. Maxwell-Doyle has worked extensively with federal, state and local agencies, Congressional and State legislative representatives and with private sector partners on complicated environmental science, policy and resource management matters. Ms. Maxwell-Doyle is a graduate of Rutgers University, Cook College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning and Resource Management and a certificate in Urban and Regional Planning. She is also a NJ state certified Hazardous Materials Specialist, CBRNE Technician and Level 5 On-Scene Incident Commander.
John A. Miller, P.E., CFM, CSM. Mr. Miller is a professional Water Resources Engineer and is currently enrolled in a Master’s of Science Program in Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller maintains his Professional Engineer licenses and uses his over two decades of engineering practice in his current endeavors. He is currently a Fellow in Senator Robert Menendez's Office, being advised by Dr. Howard Kunreuther of the Wharton School, assisting on the 2017 reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program. Mr. Miller gained Federal policy experience when he interned at the White House Office of Management and Budget last summer working on floodplain management and climate adaptation. Mr. Miller believes in contributing civically and serves as Vice Chair of the City of Lambertville Planning Board, member of the Emergency Management Council, and is City's FEMA Community Rating System Coordinator (Class 7). Mr. Miller served on the Passaic River Basin Flood Commission, created in 2010 by the Governor of New Jersey. He is a Past Chair and founder (2004) of the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM), a chapter of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and Legislative Committee Chair since 2007. Previously on the ASFPM Board, he is active with the leadership and staff of the Association on national floodplain management policy and issues. He is a Past President (2007) of the New Jersey Section American Water Resources Association (NJ-AWRA) and led the enhancement of this organization during his tenure as officer.
Pam Mount, Proprietor; Terhune Orchards. Since 1975 Ms. Mount and her husband have owned and operated Terhune Orchards in Lawrence Township, The Mounts have built Terhune Orchards into a prosperous business and a community treasure that welcomes more than half a million visitors each year. Starting with 55 acres, the farm now cultivates more than 200 acres of preserved farmland , growing 40 different types of fruits and vegetables both conventionally and organically. Including 14 acres of vineyards producing a dozen wines in a new sustainable, solar powered wine barn. Visitors are welcome in the winery tasting room and farm store year round. The farm is on the New Jersey Sustainable Business registry. Elected on the Lawrence Town Council for 12 years, she also served as mayor for three years. The Mounts served in the Peace Corps in Micronesia from 1967-1970. They lived on a small island in the Pacific Ocean called Satawal. That experience committed the Mounts to empowering local efforts to strengthen the community. Once they owned the farm it seemed natural to include the broader community with a year round farm store, pick your own, numerous festivals and educational activities. As mayor, Ms. Mount founded the local nonprofit Sustainable Lawrence, an organization that has successfully brought together local nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses, schools and government leaders to work toward creating a more sustainable community. She was a founding member and later chair of the board of Sustainable Jersey. She is one of the founding board members of several nonprofits including Lawrence Community Foundation, Lawrence Hopewell Trail, Farmers against Hunger, and the Lawrence Nature Center. In 2015, Ms. Mount became a founding member of C-Change Conversation, a group dedicated to promoting climate change awareness. She has three children and nine grandchildren. Daughters, Reuwai and Tannwen are now partners in the farm
Patrick Natale, P.E. Dist.M.ASCE, NAC, Vice President; Mott McDonald. As Vice President of Business Strategies for Mott MacDonald, Mr. Natale is responsible for supporting marketing and business development initiatives, developing strategic alliances with project stakeholders and industry specialists, and strengthening employee recruitment and retention programs. He also supports the company’s initiatives on ethics and diversity. Mr. Natale works internally and externally to advance the adoption of resilience and sustainability design and construction concepts in infrastructure projects. He has extensive experience forming strategic alliances with engineers, professional associations, project stakeholders, and regulatory agency representatives, as well as community leaders, to promote governmental and public understanding and support for engineering projects to improve the nation’s infrastructure. He served as a principal investigator on a National Science Foundation–funded project to increase the number of women in the engineering profession; as the Executive Director of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for 12 years; and as spokesperson for ASCE’s media relations and public policy initiatives. Prior to working for ASCE he served as the Executive Director of the National Society of Professional Engineers. While with NSPE, his crowning achievement was leading a massive reorganization effort that focused on increasing the value of membership within the organization. Mr. Natale has also held numerous top-level management positions with the Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) of New Jersey. During his 28-year career with PSE&G, he was responsible for managing sales, marketing, strategic planning, and customer service. He led a corporate effort to develop the process and systems required for deregulating the energy marketplace in New Jersey. Mr. Natale has two degrees from NJIT. He is a Distinguished Member of ASCE, a member of the National Academy of Construction, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and of the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Jeff Perlman, AICP, PP, LEED-AP, Manager of Environmental Planning and Mobility Programs; North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. As Manager of Environmental Planning and Mobility Programs at the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Mr. Perlman manages the agency’s climate change research activities, which include mitigation and adaptation planning. He has worked as a planning consultant for a number of New Jersey municipalities, where he conducted a variety of planning studies including master plans, redevelopment studies, and affordable housing plans. Mr. Perlman is a licensed planner in the State of New Jersey, a LEED-accredited professional from the US Green Building Council, and member of the Transportation Resource Board Special Task Force on Climate Change. He holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, and a Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Jennifer Senick, Ph.D., Executive Director; Rutgers University Center for Green Building. In addition to directing the Center for Green Building, Dr. Senick is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Bloustein School. She is an experienced urban planning with expertise in diverse areas, including sustainable development, sustainable building design, building regulations and codes, health planning, trends in technology adoption, and human behavioral response to environmental conditions, and mixed method field studies. Dr. Senick’s current appointments include Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), co-chair of EDRA Sustainable Planning Design and Behavior Network; American Planning Association (APA) Coordinator of International Health Planning and Impact Assessment Initiatives; Member, Executive Committee, NJ-APA; Facilitator, Planning Healthy Communities Initiative, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy; Global Urbanism Biennial Theme Faculty Committee and United Nations Faculty Member, Rutgers Global Advancement and International Affairs Centers (GAIA Centers); and Rutgers Sustainability Committee. Dr. Senick received her Ph.D. in Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers, her Master’s Degree in Political Science from UCLA, and her Bachelor’s Degree Government from Bowdoin College.
Nicky Sheats, Esq., Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Urban Environment; John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy at Thomas Edison State University. Dr. Sheats is a nationally renowned Environmental Justice (EJ) leader and a founding member of the New Jersey EJ Alliance and the national EJ Leadership Forum on Climate Change. He also is a member of an informal national EJ attorneys group, EPA’s EJ Advisory Council, the EPA’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and the national EJ and Science Initiative. Dr. Sheats previously served on New Jersey’s Clean Air Council. Under his leadership, the Center for the Urban Environment has adopted a primary mission of providing support for the EJ community on both a state and national level. Among the issues he is working on are particulate matter air pollution, climate change, cumulative impacts, developing EJ legal strategies and increasing the capacity of the EJ community to address these issues. Dr. Sheats was a co-author of the public health chapter of the National Climate Assessment. Early in his career he practiced law as a public interest attorney. Dr. Sheats received his Ph.D. from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University, his Juris Doctor Degree from Harvard Law School and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.
Randall Solomon, Director; The Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey. Mr. Solomon has 20 years of experience working in government, academia, and the non-profit sector. He is one of the principals that founded and directs the Sustainable Jersey Certification program. Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs. Prior to his current position as Director of the Sustainability Institute at The College of New Jersey, he was the founder and Executive Director of the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers University 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 New Jersey Future. Early in his career he was a national Park Ranger and served in the inaugural class of AmeriCorps volunteers. Mr. Solomon has participated on advisory boards for federal and state government, 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. He holds an M.S. degree in Public Policy and a B.S. Degree in Biology from Rutgers University.
Gary Sondermeyer, Vice President of Operations; Bayshore Family of Companies. Mr. Sondermeyer if Vice President of Bayshore Family of Companies, one of New Jersey’s largest recyclers, managing seven separate, but related recycling operations on its 58 acre Eco-Complex and Energy Campus. Bayshore’s services include: recycling concrete, asphalt, brick, block and glass cullet into aggregate materials; remediation of non-hazardous petroleum contaminated soils; materials recovery of mixed construction and demolition debris into secondary products such as landscaping mulch and bio-fuel; full-service metals recycling; acceptance and processing of dredge material at an existing barge terminal, Class A recycling of curbside commodities and consumer electronics recycling. As Vice President, Mr. Sondermeyer assists in the management of facility-wide operations and in the full build-out of the Eco-Complex and Energy Campus toward the corporate vision of running 100% green businesses powered 100% by renewable energy. Mr. Sondermeyer joined Bayshore following retirement after 30 years of service at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. He served as the agency’s Chief of Staff for 10 years under five different DEP Commissioners and six New Jersey Governors with a staff of 3,500 employees. Prior to this he served as Assistant Commissioner for the Department’s core permitting programs for three years and spent 17 years within the Solid Waste and Recycling Program where he also served as Director. Mr. Sondermeyer received his Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning and his Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning from Rutgers University.
Richard T. Thigpen, Vice President; PSEG Services Corporation. Mr. Thigpen has served as Vice President for State Governmental Affairs at PSEG since 2007. As Vice President, he manages the Corporation’s relationships with state and local governments in all jurisdictions where PSEG does business. He has been a Public Affairs Consultant since 1999 and was a Co-founding Partner of 1868 Public Affairs LLC, which provides lobbying, strategic planning, public relations and government relations services to clients in New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C. Previously, Mr. Thigpen served as an Associate at the New York law firm of Thacher Proffitt and Wood in the mortgage-backed securities practice group, was the District Director for Congressman Don Payne (NJ-10), the Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. Mr. Thigpen was the former assistant to the President of the NAACP State Conference for Public Affairs, is Board member of the Regional Plan Association and a member of AABE’s National Board. He also served as a Political Analyst for New Jersey Network Television News and as an Academic Associate for PublicMind, Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Polling and Survey Research Institute. Mr. Thigpen holds a Doctor of Law degree from Columbia University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Brown University.