 |
|
|
|
|
Staff Ben Vitale, President 
Ben Vitale is a carbon market expert and an experienced executive, with over 20 years of executive experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. He is the first President of The Climate Trust, succeeding the founding Executive Director in December 2009. Before joining The Climate Trust, Ben served as Managing Director of the Conservation and Community Carbon Fund at Conservation International (CI), where he worked with the private sector to develop climate change solutions and new financial instruments that create business value and achieve measurable climate change results. He supported the development of conservation carbon projects in Biodiversity Hotspots around the world including Ecuador, China, and Brazil. He also advised governments and partners on climate change, particularly in the area of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), in countries such as Guyana, Liberia, Madagascar, and Suriname. Ben has served as an adviser for Ecosystem Marketplace, the Chicago Climate Exchange, and Patagonia Sur, among others. He also has been a contributor to the books A Climate for Life, Climate Change & Forests, and Voluntary Carbon Markets. Prior to joining CI, Ben was co-founder and Vice President with Vcapital, a firm that raised corporate financing for businesses through a network of venture capitalists and investment firms. Prior to Vcapital, he was a corporate officer and Vice President with RadioWave Corporation, a Motorola subsidiary, and he held various management and technology positions within Motorola. Ben holds a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. He is also an avid conservationist, bird watcher, and certified SCUBA diver, in addition to competing in marathons.
Lucy Brehm, Senior Manager, Business Development  Lucy Brehm joined The Climate Trust in December 2007 as a Senior Manager whose focus is helping governments, businesses, and utilities meet their climate goals. Lucy has more than 20 years of experience in law and business. Prior to joining The Climate Trust, Lucy was a Senior Vice President and Sustainability Officer for ShoreBank, a commercial bank focused on sustainable community development. Her work focused on outreach to depositors and helping commercial borrowers understand their impact on the community, economy, and the environment. Lucy has a B.A. in History from the University of Washington and a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School. She is a member of the bars of the Territory of Guam (inactive) and Oregon. E-mail: Lucy Brehm
Shanna also manages the Offset Quality Initiative (OQI), a consortium of six national nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing leadership on greenhouse gas offset policy and best practices. OQI has published papers on issues related to offset quality, including Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), has briefed state and federal lawmakers on the optimal integration of offsets into policy, and has been covered widely in the press for its work.
Peter Kelly, Technical Analyst Peter Kelly joined The Climate Trust in July 2010. He performs technical analysis on potential investment decisions for The Climate Trust, which includes estimating how many emission reductions will occur over the project lifetime, determining what crediting methodologies may apply, and performing due diligence on the technology and financial plans of the projects.
Peter has worked as a consultant at DNV Climate Change Services and EcoSecurities Global Consulting, where he advised clients on the business risks and opportunities associated with climate policy and carbon markets. He also worked at the Oregon Department of Energy where he performed policy analysis in support of the Oregon Global Warming Commission and performed a greenhouse gas inventory for the state’s forests.
Peter holds a B.A. in economics from Pomona College. He has been certified as a third-party verifier of emission reductions under the Climate Action Reserve and is a lead verifier under their Forestry Protocol.
Aurora Martin, Portfolio Associate
E-mail: Aurora Martin Randi Moore, Administrative Associate
Prior to joining The Climate Trust, Randi was Human Resources and Office Manager at the Wild Salmon Center, a nonprofit organization focused on preserving salmon habitat. She has worked at an environmental engineering firm, managed a mental health clinic, and served at several nonprofit organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology and US Sailing. Randi holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Portland State University. E-mail: Randi Moore Amy Phillips, Marketing and Communications Manager  Amy Phillips joined The Climate Trust in July 2008, bringing more than 15 years of communications experience to her role as Marketing and Communications Manager. Her chief responsibility is planning and executing branding and communication strategies. Other responsibilities include e-communications, media relations, and marketing.
Amy began her career as a print journalist at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Star Tribune in Minneapolis before being named editor of Midwest Home magazine. She has significant experience with branding, marketing, strategic communications, and media relations from tenures at the University of Minnesota, Midwest Home, Room & Board, and Alaskan Brewing Co. Amy has also served as a freelance communications consultant working with a diversity of clients including the Environmental Resource Council in Minnesota. Amy has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. E-mail: Amy Phillips Monica Thilges, Project Manager  Monica Thilges joined The Climate Trust in August 2008. As the Project Manager, her primary responsibilities include recruiting and evaluating carbon projects and helping clients, including the Colorado Carbon Fund, meet their climate goals.Monica has a highly diverse background in marine biology, sales and management of wholesale electrical parts, and microfinance. She has worked in microfinance with Accion Chicago, salmon ecology with the Association of Bay Area Governments, and as an Environmental Volunteer in the Peace Corps in Jamaica. Most recently she completed internships with ShoreBank Pacific and The Climate Trust. Monica holds a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Carleton College and an M.B.A. in Sustainable Business from the University of Oregon. E-mail: Monica Thilges Kathy Turner, Accountant and Office Manager Kathy Turner joined The Climate Trust in July 2010. Kathy is an experienced accounting professional with over 25 years of experience in service, nonprofit, property management, construction and small manufacturing organizations. She supported all facets of these organizations in their daily operations by performing a variety of full-charge bookkeeping responsibilities through the financial statements while complying with generally accepted accounting principles. Kathy’s background includes a full-range of accounting, office management and human resource functions. Kathy received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Concordia University.
Sheldon Zakreski, Senior Program Manager  Sheldon Zakreski has been with The Climate Trust since March 2008. Sheldon has more than 11 years of environmental policy and management experience, with a focus on energy, climate, air, and forestry issues. Sheldon oversees the development and execution of corporate and voluntary carbon programs on behalf of private and public organizations.Prior to joining The Climate Trust, Sheldon worked for Metafore, a nonprofit that informs corporate buyers of the environmental aspects of their wood and paper purchasing practices. He was responsible for the development of many of Metafore's advisory services, including conducting sustainability seminars and evaluating the environmental performance of pulp and paper mills. He recently wrote two reports on the greenhouse gas emissions of the paper supply chain. Sheldon also worked as a policy analyst at Trexler and Associates, a climate change consulting company. He developed a carbon offset pricing forecast model and evaluated carbon offset projects in the biomass, forestry, renewable energy, and agricultural sectors. Sheldon has a M.A. in Economics from the University of Victoria (British Columbia). He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. E-mail: Sheldon Zakreski  top |
||||
|
||||
Shanna Brownstein joined The Climate Trust in December 2008. As Manager of Policy and Government Affairs, she tracks and analyzes emerging state, regional, and federal policy, prepares policy summaries and white papers, and speaks at conferences regarding US and state climate policy. She also represents The Climate Trust at various state and regional initiatives and committee meetings. 
Erica Keeley joined The Climate Trust in 2001. As the Senior Portfolio Manager, Erica's primary responsibilities include recruiting and evaluating offset projects, drafting and negotiating new emissions reduction purchase agreements, and overseeing the existing offset portfolio. During her time at The Climate Trust, Erica has negotiated the purchase of $3.4 million of carbon offsets. 
Peter Weisberg joined The Climate Trust in October 2007. He