Board of Directors
The People Behind Earth Day
GERALD TORRES,Chair, Earth Day Network, Bryant Smith Chair, University of Texas - Austin
Professor Torres is currently the president of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). A leading figure in critical race theory, Prof. Torres is also an expert in agricultural and environmental law. He taught at The University of Minnesota Law School, where he also served as associate dean. Prof. Torres has served as deputy assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and as counsel to then U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.
Prof. Torres is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Law Institute. Prof. Torres was honored with the 2004 Legal Service Award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) for his work to advance the legal rights of Latinos. He has been a visiting professor at Harvard and Stanford law schools.
KEN BERLIN, Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP - Environmental Matters
Ken Berlin heads the firm's East Coast and international environmental practice. Mr. Berlin has been involved in a wide range of environmental issues since 1979, when he was section chief in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mr. Berlin has an extensive background in environmental litigation, including representing parties in environmental cleanup issues, in criminal and civil penalty cases, in appeals of administrative decisions, and in arguing cases in federal appeals court. Mr. Berlin has acted as national environmental counsel in the bankruptcies of Owens Corning, IT Group, Inc., US Airways Group, Inc. and Kmart Corporation, and represented National Steel Corporation and Sterling Chemicals, Inc. in resolving environmental issues in their bankruptcies.
PETER BROSS, MD
Peter Bross is a graduate of the University of Virginia College and School of Medicine, and is currently a clinical team leader for cancer therapeutics in the Office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapy, United States Food and Drug Administration. He has been active in conservation for many years. While in California, he taught snow camping and river kayaking for the Sierra Club and was an active volunteer for Friends of the River, and the Tuolumne River Preservation Trust, contributing to successful efforts to add to the California Wild & Scenic River system. As a volunteer for San Francisco-based Environmental Traveling Companions, he took handicapped and disadvantaged kids on sea kayaking and river trips. Dr Bross served as a volunteer physician for the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in San Francisco and for the Himalaya Rescue Association in Nepal.
Since returning to Washington DC Dr. Bross has become active in a number of conservation organizations, including Environmental Law Institute, Potomac Conservancy, West Virginia Rivers Coalition, American Whitewater, American Rivers, Monocacy Canoe Club, Canoe Cruisers Association, Bethesda Center for Excellence (a whitewater racing club), Anacostia Watershed Society, Friends of the Cheat and Friends of the Gauley River. Dr Bross is on the Board of Potomac Riverkeeper, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Potomac River and its tributaries, from its headwaters in West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay, through citizen action, education, advocacy and enforcement.
MICHAEL CROOKE
Michel Crooke is an independent consultant counseling various high-growth businesses on strategic issues. Prior to his current position, Crooke was CEO of Revolution Living, a group of companies working to change the way consumers and brands interact. Revolution Living was founded on the principle that business success is predicated on a commitment to corporate citizenship, environmental stewardship, product/service quality, and financial strength.
From 1999 to 2005, Crooke served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Patagonia, Inc., and Patagonia’s parent company, Lost Arrow Corporation. He succeeded Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder, in taking the Lost Arrow post. Patagonia, a designer and distributor of technical outdoor clothing, is widely known for its commitment to product quality and environmental responsibility.
Michael currently serves as a director of the following non-profit boards: Earth Day Network, founded by Denis Hayes, the co-originator of Earth Day; Cate School, located in Carpinteria, California; and 1% for the Planet, founded by Mr. Chouinard. He has also held director positions on the boards of the following organizations: Santa Barbara Channel Keepers, founded by Robert Kennedy; Patagonia, Inc.; and the Conservation Alliance, the outdoor industry’s environmental grant-giving organization, including one year as Board President.
Crooke completed a Ph.D. in management from the Claremont Graduate University in May of 2008. His dissertation examined the role of values in high performance organizations. Crooke holds a B.S. in Forestry and an MBA from Humboldt State University. In the late 1970’s, Crooke served as a Navy SEAL with Underwater Team 12 (UDT12) for four years, after successfully graduating from BUDS training (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).
Michael has been married for 20 years to Amy Dozier and has two children, Kino (16) and Kyle (11). His home is in Ojai, California.
AVIS GOLD RICHARDS, CEO Birds Nest Productions
Avis Gold Richards is the CEO and president of Birds Nest Productions, a visual media production company dedicated to supporting philanthropic efforts. Ms. Richards is an award-winning producer and creative director. Birds Nest provides multimedia services for fund raising and works to increase awareness and understanding of non-profit organizations; Ms. Richards has overseen the production of 50 videos promoting various charities since founding her company. In addition, Ms.Richards is a senior advisor with the Hopewell Group – a philanthropic advisement firm. Ms. Richards is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she earned her B.S. degree. She pursued her post-graduate studies at George Washington University and Bank Street College of Education.
Ms. Richards is on the Board of Directors for HELP USA. Ms. Richards also sits on the Board of Trustees for the R Baby Foundation. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation; a Game Ball recipient for the Boomer Esiaison Foundation; a Peleton Project member for the Lance Armstrong Foundation; an Excalibur Award member for the American Cancer Society, for which she was also the Gala Event chair; and a founding member of Gilda’s Club, for which she developed and chaired the Young Committee Member’s Gala. She is a member of the King of David and Lion of Judah for UJA Federation of New York and is an active alumnus of the University of Maryland. Ms. Richards founded and chaired the Westchester Medical Center Children’s Hospital’s annual 100K bike ride. She also served on the Auschwitz Jewish Center’s Educational and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Committees; and had been active for 13 years in fund-raising at the Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Ms. Richards has won more than a dozen Stevie, Telly and Davey awards for producing non-profit films and videos.
Ms. Richard’s husband Bruce is our HELP Hero tonight. Her daughter Chloe is a senior in high school and her son Dylan is in the 6th grade.
JENTAI YANG, President US-China Association for Environmental Education
Jentai Yang is President of the US-China Association for Environmental Education (UCAFEE), which is a 501(c)(3) organization that partner with the Global Village of Beijing (GVB). As a freelance environmental activist, he works closely with Chinese officials, environmental NGOs, academic and institutions in China. With his close association with GVB, he brought together the Chinese and American environmental professionals in promoting public awareness through training and media outreach. He introduced the American experience to China for resource conservation and environmental protection and vice versa. He serves as advisory board member to many Chinese and American organizations and technical advisor to many local Chinese environmental bureaus.
Dr. Yang retired from the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 after 28 years of Federal service. He has a diversified working experience in industry, university, local and Federal government. Prior to his retirement, he was senior Program Director for US/China (including Taiwan) bilateral environmental cooperation. In that capacity, he was widely recognized as an expert on China's environmental issues and a close friend who bridged US and China together for a better environment. Prior to his joining EPA, he served as Chief of Operations in charge of State of Maryland environmental enforcement and technical assistance programs.
Dr. Yang was born in China and received most of his early education in Taiwan. He earned a BS degree in Civil Engineering and a M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas in 1969. He is a registered professional engineer, an accredited Environmental Chemist and a recipient of US patent. Dr. Yang resides in Columbia, Maryland with his wife and they have two grownup children living in Philadelphia and Washington DC.
TIA NELSON
Tia Nelson was named Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands in October 2004. She oversees the management of approximately 78,000 acres of Trust Lands located in northern Wisconsin, the State Trust Fund Loan Program, four Trust Funds valued at over $735 million, and the Original Land Records Program, which includes land survey records dating back to the 1830’s.
Ms. Nelson was previously with The Nature Conservancy for seventeen years. Beginning in 1994 she led The Nature Conservancy’s climate change program where she played a key leadership role in climate change policy and in developing forest protection and restoration as a climate change mitigation strategy.
She received The Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Leadership Award in 2000.
Ms. Nelson was appointed by Governor Doyle in April 2007 to co-chair the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming.
NORA POUILLON
Nora Pouillon is a social entrepreneur and champion of organic cuisine. Born and raised in Austria, she spent several years on a self-sufficient farm, which influenced her understanding of the role of food and its impact on personal and environmental health and wellbeing.
An internationally renowned chef, Nora owns Restaurant Nora and Asia Nora, both in the heart of Washington, DC. Restaurant Nora, opened in 1979, went on to become, twenty years later, the nation's first certified organic restaurant. Only two other restaurants have since achieved this goal. Nora was instrumental in creating the organic certification standards for restaurants which guarantee that at least 95% of all food served originates from certified organic sources.
Nora is committed to the education of both her colleagues and the general public. Over ten years ago, she became a founding member of the Chefs Collaborative, to educate culinary professionals. More recently, she helped support TOG, an organic farmers co-op by introducing the farmers to other local chefs, thereby ensuring the livelihood of small farms. Nora also initiated the Fresh Farm Markets, several producer-only farmers' markets in the Washington, DC area. As a Board member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, she established an organic internship with her restaurants receiving five interns each year. Nora authored her book "Cooking with Nora" to encourage the general public to cook and eat healthily.
Nora sits on the advisory boards of the Washington DC Environmental Film Festival, Foodfit.com, The Center for Mind Body Medicine's "Food as Medicine" program, Rachel's Network, Body & Soul Magazine and the Amazon Conservation Team.
Widely recognized for her pioneering work, Nora has received awards from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the Organic Trade Association, New Hope Natural Media, the American Horticultural Society and the Campaign for Better Health.
Together with her children and partner, Nora lives the same healthy sustainable lifestyle to which she is committed in her work. She is committed to exercise, dance, outdoor activities, yoga, alternative approaches to medicine, cooking and sharing organic meals with family and friends. Nora is tireless in her continuing search for sustainable solutions for our lifestyles and environment.
JAYNI CHASE
Acting on the belief that positive environmental change must begin with the education of our children, Jayni founded the Center for Environmental Education in 1988. Originally in the Pacific Palisades, in 1996 The Center followed the Chase family’s Eastward migration. It now operates at Unity College, Unity, Maine. Jayni created The Center in order to provide K-12 teachers and students with the resources and materials necessary to build environmental education programs and lessons in their schools. An extensive library of environmental information, children's literature and curricula is available to anyone with an interest. The Center has grown into one of the strongest and most vital on-line resources for educators world-wide (www.ceeonline.org).
In 1995 Scholastic published Blueprint for a Green School, a compilation of over 7,500 sources of environmental information, resources and ideas for schools that want to 'Go Green.' From food service to cleaning materials, curricular references to accurate environmental information, the book empowers teachers and students, administrators, architects and maintenance crews to build healthy and conservation-minded schools. The Blueprint is available electronically on the website in updated form.
Jayni has served on numerous Boards, including, Friends of the Earth, the Antioch New England Institute, Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet, Global Green USA, Californians Against Waste and The Coalition for Clean Air. She served a two-year term 2002-2003 as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Friends of the Earth and in 2004 she was awarded an honorary degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch New England Graduate School for her work in the field of environmental education. Her awards include recognition from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), The Environmental Media Association (EMA), The Crittenton Center, Women For, the Rainforest Alliance, The U.S. Environmental Film Festival and she shared the Celebrity Fight Night Humanitarian Award of 2005 with her husband, Chevy Chase. In 2004 and 2005 Jayni received the Audubon Women in Conservation Award and the Thorne Ecological Institute Environmental Award, respectively. Most recently, Jayni participated in the Clinton Global Initiative in September of 2007, she is launching a new ambitious initiative, Green reModel, and she has joined the Board of Directors of Earth Day Network.
Jayni credits her husband Chevy and their three daughters, Cydney, Caley and Emily, with providing the force behind her dedication to environmental health, safety and education.
"If children are indeed our most valuable hope for a positive future, we must help them make the connections with their everyday lives to stresses we are putting on our natural resources. What our children eat, what they wear, the energy they consume, the transportation they use, the lifestyle choices they make – virtually all of their decisions affect the world around them. There are consequences. And, most importantly, there are solutions. The Center works to help educators become aware of the consequences, the solutions and all that comes in-between so that they can guide their students toward environmental literacy."
Jayni Chase
Diversity Advisory Committee
Rhea Suh, Program Officer, Environment, Hewlett Foundation
Michel Gelobter, Executive Director, Redefining Progress
Vernice Miller-Travis, Environmental Justice Advocate & former Ford Foundation Program Officer
Gerald Torres, Vice Provost, University of Texas - Austin
Organizations listed for identification purposes only.
