National Advisory Council | OneGreenThing
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NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
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PROF. JOHN WEAR, PHD
CHAIR

Dr. John Wear, founder and executive director emeritus of the Center for the Environment and associate professor of biology and environmental science at Catawba College, has been involved in a diverse array of environmental efforts for over a quarter of a century, including: air quality improvement, land conservation, watershed protection and sustainability. He is a fellow of the American Leadership Forum and has been named Conservationist of the Year by the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Program, “Guardian of the Earth” by the Charlotte Observer, and Green Builder of the Year by the Carolina Recycling Association, the nation’s largest recycling association, for his oversight of the design of the facility that houses the Center for the Environment, one of the Southeast’s first green academic buildings.

 

During his tenure at Catawba, he assumed responsibility for establishing the college's Environmental Program, coordinating the faculty's creation of four different degrees. In addition, he spearheaded the Sustainable Catawba initiative. More recently, Dr. Wear and the staff at the Center for the Environment have been instrumental in the creation of the National Environmental Summit for High School Students.

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Dr. Wear teaches college courses and lectures broadly on a variety of topics that focus on environmental challenges and the creation of sustainable solutions. He holds a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina State University; a master of science degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; and a Ph.D. from Wake Forest University.

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PROF. EMILY ELLIOTT, PhD
VICE CHAIR

As a Professor in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Emily Elliott’s research group examines the tight coupling between human activities and reactive nitrogen distributions in atmosphere, terrestrial and aquatic systems across spatial scales using stable isotope biogeochemistry.  Her research group has advanced knowledge by developing and applying novel stable isotope techniques to challenging questions regarding the impact of human activities on reactive nitrogen distributions and dynamics.  Her research approach is multi-faceted and transdisciplinary, pulling from the fields of biogeochemistry, isotope geochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, hydrology, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, and geography. 

 

Dr. Emily Elliott is Director and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, and Outreach that bridges efforts in water research, governance, and action at the University of Pittsburgh.   She is trained as a Science Ambassador through the National Academies of Sciences “Science & Engineering Ambassador Program” and the 2018 recipient of the American Geophysical Union’s Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring.   She is passionate about the importance of interdisciplinary geosciences for addressing sustainability challenges, advancing diversity and inclusion in the geosciences, community-engaged research, and science communication.   

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ELEANOR BIGELOW

Eleanor Bigelow found her way to the environmental field as a result of having children.  She wondered: "What do I feed them? How do I find non-toxic household products? What shampoo is best?"  Eleanor was a founder and co-chairman of the food committee at her children's schools.  Eleanor was an early supporter of the Environmental Working Group Earth dinners and helped raise money for EWG. Additionally, she did outreach and fundraising for the Center for Food Safety.  Currently, Eleanor is working with Soil Centric, a non-profit which focuses on regenerative agriculture as way to mitigate climate change.  Eleanor got her BA from University of California, Berkeley, and spent 15 years in the investment banking business before transitioning to the environmental field. Eleanor lives in San Francisco with her husband and two teenagers.

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STEPHANIE DEITZ

Stephanie Deitz is an educator and a lifelong learner. She has built a career that furthers children's social, emotional, and academic growth in many settings, from teaching in NYC public schools to leadership roles in preeminent independent schools in the Bay Area. Her goals are child and future-focused: to nurture curious and creative learners who will contribute to and shape our diverse and global world long after graduation. Currently, Stephanie is the Assistant Head of School for Academic Programs and Lower School Division Head at Marin Country Day School. She starts each day hugging a tree and hiking a trail with her dog.

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DAN DELUREY

Dan Delurey is a Senior Fellow for Climate & Energy at Vermont Law and Graduate School and a former Executive with Utilities, Clean Energy Companies and NGOs. He is an Accredited Delegation Head in the UN Climate Change Process (COP) and has led technology companies in COP participation since 2009, including Paris in 2015 and Egypt in 2022.

 

He has spent much of his career working on clean energy and climate policy in Washington, DC. He founded several non-profit coalitions focused on smart technologies and grid modernization, and their intersection with decarbonization and resilience, and had the lead on drafting the nation’s first federal policy on smart meters, demand response, distributed energy, and other new technology options. 

 

He created the nation’s first national event series focused on injecting new tech into the electricity grid – the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid. He has testified before Congress, worked with the White House on climate and energy policy and served as an expert witness before several state energy and environmental commissions.

 

A frequent speaker and commentator, Dan has been a communicator to audiences of all types since his early days as a HS Science Teacher, and that continues today as he serves as the “Climate Guy” on the country’s first climate-focused listener call-in show on the NPR Affiliate in Albany, NY.

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LESLIE GONZALEZ EVERETT

Leslie Gonzalez Everett is the former Chief of Staff of the official non-profit partner for Yellowstone National Park and the first Latinx leadership team member for that organization. She is passionate about providing opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds and abilities to experience the outdoors and engage in the enjoyment and protection of the environment.

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Leslie relocated to Montana after a 21-year career at Bank of America supporting executive level leadership and deal teams in the Global Wealth and Investment Management Division. She served as the Marketing Officer to the Market President, supporting marketing and philanthropic investments in the East Central Florida area. 

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Leslie volunteered for Florida State Parks and the National Park Service.  She is a former board member of the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce and the former President of the Orange City Fire Department Association where she successfully led a campaign to restore the city’s historic fire truck.

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Leslie lives in Paradise Valley (Emigrant), Montana with her husband James and rescue dog, Buddy.  She enjoys wildlife watching, hiking, and kayaking.  Leslie’s favorite #onegreenthing is to be paddling on Dailey Lake in Emigrant on a sunny Montana summer day.

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ALI FOWLER

Ali Fowler is an attorney by trade and an accidental environmentalist. Ali’s legal career began in Nashville at Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC, after she received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law, where she served as Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board and Vice President of the Honor Council. (Fun Fact: Ali funded law school with scholarship money she received as Miss Tennessee 1995 and as the Non-finalist Interview Award recipient at Miss America in Atlantic City.) After about a decade
as a stay-at-home mom, Ali re-entered the legal world as General
Counsel of Revolution Partners, LLC, a role she still fills. Since 2019, Ali has been an attorney at Webb Sanders, PLLC, where her practice includes litigation, investigations, training, trade secrets and non-competition agreements.


Prior to law school, Ali graduated from Union City High School as
Valedictorian and attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as a Whittle Scholar, spending her third year at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and graduating summa cum laude in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and recognition as a Top Graduate in the College of Arts and Sciences.   


Although her family has long done the “typical things” like recycling, reducing plastic use, and conserving water, Ali became particularly interested in sustainability a few years ago when her husband Brian began incorporating permaculture first into their backyard garden in Memphis and later on a portion of his family’s century farm in Woodland Mills, Tennessee. This sustainable farming idea “took root,” and the Fowlers founded FowlerFarm, LLC, providing sustainably grown microgreens, eggs (chicken, duck, and quail), and indoor-grown vegetables year-round to families and restaurants in West Tennessee. FowlerFarm ™ also grows a seasonal 3 acre outdoor garden of non-gmo, heirloom vegetables.

 

Ali’s “perfect day” would be spent either on the water or at an outdoor music festival with family and friends. When not “lawyering,” Ali spends her time trying to keep up with their three musical children (Evie, Jack & Elle), three dogs, one cat, and a rolling menagerie of farm animals as they make their way to the family farm via the Fowler’s Memphis home!

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PAUL HASHEMI

Paul leads the Philadelphia Office of ZS Associates, a global professional services firm that leverages deep industry expertise, cutting-edge analytics, technology and strategy to create solutions for clients that work in the real world.  Since joining ZS in 2009, his work has focused on commercial strategy, analytics, and operations in the biopharmaceutical industry. He has advised client ranging from startups to Fortune 50 multinationals, helping them achieve success on four continents. He holds an MBA and MPP from Georgetown University and MS and BS degrees in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia.

 

In the past decade, he has seen the dramatic change in expectations among the recent Gen Z college graduates  that his firm attracts – both in their hopes and anxieties about the future of the environment and our society, and in their expectations for organizations and their leaders to be an active part of the solution, not merely bystanders. As a consequence, result, his #onegreenthing is finding new ways to improve the sustainability of his own household and his organizations in the wake of the COVID pandemic and its immense changes to the economy.

 

He has maintained a lifelong passion for service, working as a volunteer, board member, pro bono consultant with a range of nonprofit organizations. Paul is an accomplished singer/songwriter, a less-accomplished athlete, and an occasional backpacker and kayaker in the hills and lakes of Pennsylvania and his native Virginia. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and two rescue dogs in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

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PROF. MYLEEN LEARY, PhD

Myleen Leary is an Associate Professor of Management in the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Montana State University.  Dr. Leary is an award-winning researcher who has published her research in leading management journals such as Strategic Management Journal and Group & Organizational Management. Her primary research interests are focused on exploring the impact of founding teams on new venture performance in a variety of contexts. She has presented her research at the leading academic conferences including the Strategic Management Society, the International Symposium for Contemplative Studies, the British Academy of Management, and the Academy of Management. 

 

Dr. Leary received her doctoral degree in Organizational Theory and Strategy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Master in International Management degree from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, and her undergraduate degree in Economics and Modern Languages from Providence College.  While at Providence College, she played varsity ice hockey for two years and then spent her junior year at the Universitè de Fribourg in Switzerland. Before beginning her career in higher education, she worked for the Massachusetts Port Authority, in a clothing store in Switzerland, translated for the Italian Men’s Volleyball team at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, and tutored at a Boys and Girls Club in Wisconsin. 

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ADAM OLENN

For over 25 years, Adam Olenn has built a career using emotional communications to drive transformative bottom-line outcomes. As founder of strategic creative firm Rustle & Spark, he brings together brand strategists, designers, writers, composers, photographers, filmmakers, and digital developers to make clients' messages shine.

 

He and his team have developed identities, websites, content marketing campaigns, and more for Mercedes-Benz, Kellogg’s, Haagen-Dazs, Berklee College of Music, HBO, ESPN, Citi, Fidelity, the State of New Hampshire, the State of Mississippi, and many more, and love few things more than applying timeless principles to a new industry.

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He lives with his family on a peninsula in Rhode Island, where he marvels at the precious, fragile gifts of earth, forest, and ocean. He is delighted to support One Green Thing so his children – and yours – can enjoy them.

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KARLA RAETTIG

Karla Raettig joined the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund as Executive Director in May 2019. Before returning to NWF, Karla served as Executive Director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Maryland’s leading environmental political organization, for nearly 8 years.  During that time Maryland LCV doubled its budget and passed landmark legislation including doubling Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.  

 

From 2008-2011, Karla served as the Program Director for NWF’s Mississippi River Delta restoration program, where she led NWF’s efforts to pass the RESTORE Act.  Prior to joining NWF, Karla practiced environmental law at the Environmental Integrity Project, the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, and at the Seattle office of Earthjustice, Karla has an LL.M in environmental and natural resources law from Tulane University Law School and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.  

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NISHA DESAI RAGHAVAN

After beginning her career as a prosecutor, first with Bronx County and then with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, Nisha Desai Raghavan has worked on a multitude of legal issues, from environmental regulations to white collar crime, as a Principal Appellate Court Attorney in New York State for over 15 years. 

 

As a book-loving Gen Xer raising three internet-savvy Gen Z children who always seem to know more than she ever did at their ages, Nisha is constantly thinking about the mental health impacts of quite literally everything in our world on our future generations.  Her favorite #OneGreenThing is hiking with her husband and children, either in the rolling hills of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve near their home in New York’s Hudson Valley, or in the lush Green Mountains of Vermont.  

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VIJAY RAGHAVAN

Vijay Raghavan is an industry analyst for Forrester Research, where he advises digital strategy leaders of wealth management, brokerage and private banking institutions on how to prepare and respond to continuous disruption in this sector.  Prior to Forrester, Vijay’s 20-plus years of financial services experience includes being a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young and holding several marketing and customer experience roles at American Express.  He has also been quoted in several national outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Forbes, CNBC and Investor’s Business Daily. 

 

Born and raised in northeast Ohio, Vijay received bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Microbiology at Miami University before earning his MBA from Rice University.  His #OneGreenThing is spending time with his family biking in and around New York City and Vermont.  He lives with his wife Nisha and three young kids in Sleepy Hollow, New York. 

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SKYE RAISER

Skye Raiser has spent her life advocating for the needs of others and for the health of our planet.  Though she spent much of her career as a photographer, since becoming a mother in 2005, Skye has shifted her work focus to health and the environment, recognizing their interrelated nature.

 

In 2019 she launched a company, Green Up Your Life, to advise and coach individuals, families, schools and other organizations on sustainable living to benefit human and planetary health and longevity.  She provides, one-on-one or group coaching, sustainability planning, lectures and talks, hands-on workshops, or any curated consulting or advising.  As a photographer she traveled extensively for many years, doing documentary, editorial, portrait work.  In 2000, she published a book called, Children Are Children: Photos from Nine Countries, documenting the lives of refugee and displaced children, and children living in conflict zones.  Previously she worked for the Department of Defense’s Peacekeeping and Peace Enforcement Policy Office as a Defense Fellow, the Nature Conservancy, the Center for Democracy, La Cadena SER Spanish radio station, and domestic violence organizations.  She founded and has hosted for 25 years the Raiser Environmental Fellowship at the National Cathedral School which awards fellowships for 2-3 students a year for work on a project of their design, in conjunction with ongoing national or international research through universities or established organizations, in the fields of environmental science and sustainability.

 

Skye graduated from Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies with an MA in 1993.  In 1989 she graduated with honors from the University of Virginia with a BA in history.  She earned an executive degree from Columbia University’s Earth Institute for Environmental Sustainability in 2019.  She is currently a board member of the North Country School, and has also served on the boards of the Children’s National Medical Center, the National Cathedral School on two separate occasions, and Hearts for Heroes, an equine/canine therapy organization for military personnel who suffer from PTSD, as well as many others throughout her life.

 

She is married to David Perlin, has 6 children, including 3 stepsons, 3 dogs, and 2 horses, lives in Washington, DC and Bozeman, MT, and considers herself a multi-species herd manager.  At her home, she designed and maintains a regenerative garden producing dozens of species of fruits and vegetables which she enjoys sharing with family, friends and neighbors.  She speaks Spanish and is a Chopra Center certified meditation and breath work teacher.

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NANCY WOOD STABELL

As founder and lead attorney at Wood Stabell Law Group, Nancy Stabell brings over 20 years of experience in law and business to bear for her clients. She has focused her career on being a strategic partner to business and protecting stakeholder value. Nancy is known for her resourcefulness and deft handling of complex negotiations. As an attorney with an M.B.A., she doesn’t just provide legal advice to businesses; she gives sound, creative business advice supported by legal knowledge.

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As a fourth-generation attorney, the law is in Nancy’s blood, and business is always on her mind. She thrives on the challenge of devising effective legal strategy to make her clients’ business goals a reality. Nancy concentrates her law practice in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial real estate law. She takes pride in building collaborative teams to efficiently deliver the caliber of result that large firms offer, but with more personal attention and a better bottom line for her clients.

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Nancy absolutely loves putting her head together with clients, identifying goals, building business relationships, and closing deals. She derives great satisfaction from creatively and cost-effectively solving problems and promoting her clients’ success.

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Active in the Nashville community, Nancy has served as a board member and finance committee chair of Family & Children’s Service, board chair of the Nashville City Club, board member for Hands On Nashville,  and is currently the board chairman and treasurer of the Nashville Business Coalition. She is an alumna of both the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law program and the Young Leaders Council. Nancy is also an active parishioner at St. George’s Episcopal Church. Nancy enjoys cooking, entertaining, and traveling, both domestically and internationally. When sticking closer to home, she can be spotted supporting her son in his various sports and activities, or serving as a walking companion for the firm’s pawalegal, Charlotte.

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