Conservation Conference 2018
November 13-14 | Hilton Baltimore

Registration     5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Breakfast     7:00 am – 9:00 am

Exhibitor Setup     7:00 am – 10:00 am

Registration     8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Breakout Session     8:30 am – 11:15 am

Water, Water Everywhere: Water Education Training Through Project WET Starter Series

• John Etgen, COO and Senior Vice President, Project WET Foundation
• Kerry Schwartz, Director, Arizona Project WET

Project WET’s mission is to reach children, parents, teachers and community members with water education that promotes awareness of water and empowers community action to solve complex water issues. Complete a training in Project WET and learn how to apply Project WET to your corporate conservation, employee engagement and community relations activities. Through this workshop, gain valuable information and strategies to engage students and enable them to explore and learn from your watershed. All attendees receive a lesson guidebook with objectives, backgrounds, numbered procedures, worksheets and assessment ideas.

Breakout Sessions     8:30 am – 9:45 am

How Valuable are Your Trees? Using i-Tree to Measure, Report and Strengthen Forest Management Technical Series

• Jason Henning, Research Urban Forester, Davey Institute and USDA Forest Service
• Doak Marasco, Northeast Regional Manager of Strategic Partnerships, The Davey Tree Expert Company
• Jaime Matyas, President and CEO, Student Conservation Association

Moderator: Chris Worth, Assistant Director – Water, Fish, Wildlife, Air & Rare Plants Staff, U.S. Forest Service

Discover i-Tree, a free, state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the U.S. Forest Service for assessing and valuing forests and community trees. i-Tree helps thousands of communities across the globe strengthen forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying tree structure, threats, and benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction and air quality improvement. This workshop demonstrates i-Tree tools to assist land management and conservation efforts with tools that may be used at multiple scales across many land types including natural areas, corporations, cities, homes and schools. I-Tree can help you select the best species to plant based on desired services and conservation objectives and how to measure the long-term environmental impacts and benefits of tree planting projects. We recommend partnering this session with Urban Forestry – From Local Plantings to Projects with Global Reach, Nov. 13 10:00 am – 11:15 am.

Meadows are in Decline. What Can You Do to Restore These Natural Gardens? Starter Series

• Mark Fiely, Horticulturist, Ernst Conservation Seeds
• James Remuzzi, President, Sustainable Solutions, LLC

Wildflower meadows are of great ecological importance because they provide habitat and food for wildlife, increased water filtration, lower maintenance costs, drought tolerance and carbon sequestration. Due to urbanization and overpopulation, wildflower meadows have been in decline. This session will discuss the strategies and best management practices to maintain native meadows and savannahs to achieve a biologically diverse and resilient landscape. Explore the often-underutilized tool of prescribed burns while also discussing the selective use of herbicides to control weeds that threaten to overrun your meadow.

Exhibit Hall Open    10:00 am – 5:30 pm

Breakout Sessions     10:00 am – 11:15 am

Urban Forestry – From Local Plantings to Projects with Global Reach Technical Series

• Mark McPherson, Executive Director, City Forest Credits
• Jason Scullion, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, McDaniel College
• Laurence Wiseman, Co-leader, Vibrant Cities Lab

Learn ways to enhance your habitat through forestry, from maximizing urban plantings to undertaking projects with global reach. Learn tools and best practices to help amplify the power and resonance of tree planting initiatives in neighborhoods, corporate campuses and other sites. Speakers will detail how urban forests deliver long-term environmental, social and economic benefits to our rapidly urbanizing population, and discuss how corporations conserve and restore forests worldwide using different strategies depending on their interests and conservation needs. We recommend partnering this session with How Valuable are Your Trees? Using i-Tree to Measure, Report and Strengthen Forest Management, Nov. 13 8:30 am – 9:45 am.

Data-Driven Decisions – Utilizing Scientific Data in Each Phase of Conservation Projects Technical Series

• Jane Rowan, Senior Principal Scientist, Normandeau Associates, Inc.
• Lori Scott, Chief Information Officer, NatureServe

Integrating data-driven land management strategies into each phase of a conservation project is essential to achieve goals and long-term success. Learn about user-friendly tools and resources available to utilize scientific data in each phase of a conservation project, from initial design to implementation and evaluation.

Lunch and General Session 12:00 pm – 1:45 pm

State of Corporate Conservation

• Margaret O’Gorman, President, Wildlife Habitat Council

Breakout Sessions     1:50 pm – 2:50 pm

The Future is Green: Conservation Strategies to Achieve Sustainability Corporate Series

• Gregory Biddinger, Managing Director and Principal, Natural Land Management, LLC
• Mark Laska, Ph.D, President and CEO, Great Ecology
• Laura Napoli, Environmental Science Associate, ExxonMobil

Learn how you can leverage your experience with the management of WHC Conservation Certification^SM programs to deliver greater value to your corporation. Discover natural land management strategies suited to many types of sites with applicability throughout the property life cycle that may be applied to a diverse range of technical, legal and regulatory opportunities. The session includes case studies from leading corporations and a discussion of how these strategies align with a company’s sustainability practices as well as with WHC certification projects.

Bats, Birds and Owls – Capturing Community Interest Through Species Management Programs Starter Series

• Chelsea Adams, Assistant Principal, Morenci School District
• Adrienne Fors, Community Relations Manager, Waste Management
• Emily Muteb, Development Manager, Freeport-McMorRan
• Leah Sunna, Environmental Scientist, Freeport-McMorRan
• Sean Wenham, Community Development Manager, Freeport-McMoRan

Building strong community relationships is crucial to the success of conservation projects and can facilitate transparency and promote shared responsibility and ownership. Conservation projects and education activities focused on the preservation and management of a beloved and intriguing local native species can create a positive narrative around conservation and industry. Hear about three outstanding conservation projects that use species as the pathway to community engagement: Freeport-McMoRan’s Eagle Creek Bat Cave; Waste Management’s popular American kestrel banding project; and Freeport-McMoRan’s work with burrowing owls in rural Arizona.

The Decline of Native Bees and Monarch Butterflies: Are Corporate Habitats the Answer? Technical Series

• Wendy Caldwell, Coordinator, Monarch Joint Ventures
• Carolyn Mahan, Professor of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University

Native bees and monarch butterflies are declining at an alarming rate, but corporate lands may hold to the key to facilitating increased bee and butterfly habitat. Experts in the field will present the latest research and outlook on native bees and monarchs, as well as how innovations in corporate habitat management may help stem their decline. Learn how the longevity of the international monarch migration depends on all sectors—business, agriculture, urban lands—and ways to get involved in monarch conservation.

Break      2:50 pm – 3:30 pm

General Session      3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

• Baba Brinkman

A session like no other, prepare to let loose at this performance by Baba Brinkman, a Canadian rapper, science communicator, and award-winning hip-hop playwright based in New York City. Best known for his “Rap Guide” series of science-themed plays and albums, Brinkman has toured the world and enjoyed successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and off-Broadway. He will perform selections from his Rap Guides to Evolution, Wilderness and Climate Change, and then join us for an entertaining “rap-up” of the Conference during our Awards Dinner on November 14.

Registration     7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Breakfast and General Session     7:30 am – 9:00 am
Sponsored by Bayer

Corporate America and the Global Restoration Economy

• Storm Cunningham

Resilient economic growth requires leadership in developing and nurturing a symbiotic relationship between business, science, and economics. Join author, speaker and futurist Storm Cunningham for an inspirational look at regenerative policies, processes, strategies and trends that are shaping the $3 trillion global restoration economy. For two decades, Cunningham has helped public and private clients around the globe understand how to lead or support resilient prosperity.

Exhibit Hall Open     8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Breakout Sessions     9:15 am – 10:30 am

How to Generate Corporate and Community Support for Your Habitat Restoration Project Technical Series

• Storm Cunningham

Immediately following the general session, Corporate America and the Global Restoration Economy, join us for this workshop with Storm Cunningham, where we will take a deeper dive into the ideas discussed in the plenary session and have a dialogue with the speaker on topics of restoration, remediation and revitalization. This session is designed as a dialogue between attendees and Cunningham to discuss how these themes can be applied to garnering internal and external support for habitat restoration projects.

Essential Policy Updates for the Corporate Conservationist Corporate Series
Sponsored by Shell

• Laurie Davies Adams, President  and CEO Emeritus, Pollinator Partnership
  
• Sean Saville, Campaign Manager, Alliance for America’s Fish and Wildlife
• Wendi Weber, Northeast Regional Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service

Corporate conservation can be complex, drawing on biology, geography, politics, economics and much more. Are you in-the-know on the latest trends and news in policy, regulations and tax laws regarding conservation? This session is tailored for both new and seasoned corporate conservationists, seeking to gain knowledge on up-to-date conservation issues and resources.

Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition Starter Series

• James Fiorentino, Wildlife Artist
• David Wheeler, Director Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

In this unique session, we will showcase works from Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition. Fiorentino’s art inspires viewers through lifelike depictions of endangered and vulnerable wildlife in their natural surroundings. His stunning watercolor paintings bring wildlife to a larger-than-life perspective and in doing so, helps educate viewers about the precipitous declines of many of these species, and inspires action to save and strengthen these wildlife populations.

Breakout Sessions     10:45 am – 11:45 am

The Pilot Approach: Using Successful Initiatives to Drive Adoption and Expansion Corporate Series

• Bill Brady, Director Corporate Sustainability, Exelon
• Maria Dunn, Manager Policy & Emerging Issues, Phillips 66

WHC members engage in innovative strategies to drive both internal and external awareness of their sustainability commitment. This session showcases two successful stewardship initiatives that, because of the support garnered, have expanded to other regions. Two case studies that demonstrate how stewardship initiative and wildlife habitat projects can help to tell the story of your company’s commitment to sustainability. Learn how Exelon developed a strategic approach for identifying and locating conservation projects within Washington, D.C., incorporating the use of technology and data analytics to optimize the value drivers for candidate conservation projects. Gain insight on a Phillips 66 a habitat and conservation education program that is affordable and accessible for its 1,000 76® branded stations in California.

Repurposing for a Purpose: Bringing New Life to Industrial Infrastructure Starter Series

• Gary Dyke, Senior Technical Consultant, Jacobs
• Karen Kish, Project Assistant, Jacobs
• Robert Quintanar, Manager, Resource Reclamation, Freeport Minerals Company-Copper Queen Branch
• Jonathon Weier, Ecologist, Jacobs

While the end-of-life for industrial infrastructure or mining activities commonly represents a financial challenge for site owners, it can also be a significant opportunity to create ecosystem service value and the chance to engage the local community. Through shared case studies, discover how non-traditional, “valuing-nature closures” is not only cost-effective but can provide a significant opportunity for measurable habitat enhancement, and how managing restored land as a mosaic for multiple land-use values can contribute to resilient and functioning landscapes that also provides benefits to the local community.

Lunch and General Session     12:00 pm – 1:45 pm

Looking Forward: The Next 30 Years of Corporate Conservation

• Kevin Butt, General Manager, Environmental Sustainability Director, Toyota Motor North America
• Heather Ferguson, Vice President, Electrification Development, Ontario Power Generation
• Campbell Jones, EVP and Chief Operating Officer, Covia

As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re looking ahead to the next 30 years of habitat conservation and education. What does the future look like for corporate conservation? What emerging economic and environmental challenges and trends will affect involvement and drive change? And how does WHC fit in to all this? Join us for this engaging session with thought leaders from WHC members, Toyota, Ontario Power Generation and Covia.

Breakout Sessions     1:50 pm – 2:50 pm

Conservation Education: Creating Future Environmental Stewards Technical Series

• Beth Eberhard, Bridgestone Environmental Education Program (BEEP) Coordinator, Ruth Patrick Science Center
• Kimberly Fickling, Program Director, Ruth Patrick Science Education Center
• Monica Key, Community Relations, Bridgestone Americas – Aiken County Plants

For 30 years, WHC members have employed many types of hands-on conservation education to engage learners—teaching ecology, STEM skills and so much more. This session shares essential best practices and includes an interactive experience of Bridgestone’s BEEP (Bridgestone Environmental Education Program), a premier “hands-on, minds-on” learning program.

Enduring Excellence: Keeping Your Projects Strong Through the Years Technical Series

• Joe Brunner, Director, Discontinued Operations, Freeport-McMoRan
• Lindy Hanson, BP Deputy Operations Manager, Remediation Management Services, an affiliate of Atlantic Richfield Company
• Jenni S. Harris, BP Warms Springs Ponds
• George C. Rinke, EHS Specialist, BASF Fighting Island

Long-running conservation projects can have a profound effect on not only biodiversity but on community engagement and employee morale. In honor of our 30^th anniversary, we’re gathering speakers from three organizations with some of the most successful and established WHC-certified programs. Learn how they’ve managed inevitable changes and challenges while growing long-lasting conservation programs.

 Breakout Session     3:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Principles for Success: Case Studies from Canada Mining Operations Starter Series

• Anthony Goodban, Consulting Ecologist, Goodban Ecological Consulting, Inc.
• Bill Gowdy, Environmental and Public Affairs Manager of Northern Alberta, Lafarge Canada Inc.
• Kevin Mitchell, Director Property, Planning & Approvals, CRH Canada Group Inc.
• Chuck Priestley, Principal, STRIX Ecological Consulting
• Ken Zimmerman, Landscape Architect

Two of Canada’s largest mining companies share their successes in developing and managing long-term, resilient and future-focused conservation programs that engage local communities. CRH Canada will discuss programs that span decades, as well as one distinct program that offers a nature experience for over 1,000 visitors a year—all while using the WHC certification model to protect biodiversity. Lafarge Canada’s Biodiversity Program will share its three-pillared approach of wildlife monitoring and research, habitat enhancement and community engagement that uses local examples to help students learn biodiversity and ecosystem concepts.

WHC Certification Photography Sessions     3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Networking Reception    5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Sponsored by Bacardi

Dinner and Awards Presentation    6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Sponsored by ExxonMobil

Chelsea Adams is a public school administrator at Morenci Unified School District in Arizona and is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University. She has received the Plan-Teach-Share Top Contributor of Quality Resources Award for the Beyond Textbooks’ organization during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. She leads professional development for the Southeastern Arizona Teachers’ Academy, designs lessons for the Arizona Department of Education repository, and served on the revisions team for Arizona Early Childhood Standards in 2017-2018. Chelsea is passionate about providing engaging educational experiences through strong community partnerships.

In 2011, after a rich 25 year career with ExxonMobil, which included management and senior technical positions in areas of environment and sustainability, Greg founded and is currently the managing director and principal scientist at Natural Land Management, LLC.  This firm’s core mission is to provide strategic advice and technical assistance to private, principally corporate, landowners to utilize conservation strategies to achieve triple bottom-line performance on their operating and surplus properties.

Bill Brady leads Exelon’s safety and environment functions; he is responsible for ensuring effective governance and providing oversight for these areas throughout Exelon, including the company’s generation, electric and gas utilities and Constellation energy services businesses. He supports the senior leadership team with the development and execution of Exelon’s sustainability strategy.

Baba Brinkman is a Canadian rap artist, award-winning playwright, and former tree-planter who has personally planted more than one million trees. Baba is also a pioneer in the genre of “lit-hop” or literary hip-hop, and is a recipient of the National Center for Science Education’s “Friend of Darwin Award” for his efforts to improve the public understanding of evolutionary biology. Learn more about Baba.

As the General Manager, Environmental Sustainability Director of Toyota Motor North America, Kevin Butt is responsible for the development of Environmental/Safety Programs and Regulatory/Legislative development for all of Toyota’s North American operations. Prior to Environmental/Safety Engineering Mr. Butt was the Assistant General Manager of Body Production Engineering for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., (TMMNA). He is responsible for Body Engineering for all Toyota’s North American manufacturing operations. Body Engineering consists of Welding, Stamping, and Painting Operations. Mr. Butt started working for Toyota in 1992. Prior to his career with Toyota, Mr. Butt worked for AK Steel Company where he was Manager of Environmental Affairs.

Wendy Caldwell is the coordinator of the Monarch Joint Venture, based a the University of Minnesota, and has been working on monarch conservation for 10 years. As the MJV coordinator, she works with partner organizations from across the US on restoring habitat, research and monitoring, and education/outreach efforts. Growing up in rural western Minnesota, she has a strong interest in supporting conservation practices in agricultural communities.

Storm Cunningham is an author, speaker and futurist who has helped public and private clients around the globe understand how to lead or support resilient prosperity. Learn more about Storm.

Laurie Davies Adams served as Executive Director of the Pollinator Partnership for 20 years, leading the world’s largest nonprofit devoted solely to the health of all pollinators. She has presided over P2’s signature initiatives, the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), National Pollinator Week, Eco-regional planting guides, the BeeSmart™ Gardener App, the U.S. Bee Buffer Project and Monarch Wings Across.

Maria Dunn helps formulate Phillips 66’s view on public policy issues and engage in external ESG affairs. Prior, she was a lawyer for the company she helped the company manage various commercial and litigation matters. Maria has a passion for connecting people and resources to solve business issues.

Beth Eberhard is a Bridgestone Environmental Education Program instructor, working through the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center in partnership with Bridgestone. With a 25 year background teaching in public schools, she enjoys taking school groups of all ages on eco-hikes, scooping in the pond for macro-invertebrates, and inspiring future environmentalists with hands-on activities in the natural areas of the Bridgestone campus.

John Etgen has more than thirty years’ experience delivering conservation education to employees, students, teachers, and special interest groups. He is delivering corporate water stewardship and employee engagement initiatives throughout the Project WET network of 75 countries. Through these efforts, he is channeling his passion for improving lives through water education. He has a M.S. in Science Education from Montana State University and a B.S. from the University of Montana School of Forestry. A former naturalist and environmental education specialist in Glacier National Park, he was awarded the Conservation Educator of the Year award by the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Kimberly Fickling is a graduate of Clemson University and taught in the public school system for 23 years.  She has always enjoyed science and the outdoors. She is now the director/instructor for the Bridgestone Environmental Education Program,

Mark Fiely has been the horticulturist for Ernst Conservation Seeds since 1995. He is a member of the executive board and serves on Ernst’s marketing, planting, and harvest committees. Among his responsibilities are plant prospecting, development of seed dormancy breaking protocols, formulation of seed mixes and attending trade shows. He serves as an advisor to the Landscape Horticulture shop at the Crawford County Career and Technical Center and to the Penn State Center.

Artist James Fiorentino of Hunterdon County, NJ, has won national acclaim for his ability to create uncanny likenesses of people. The youngest artist ever inducted into the prestigious New York Society of Illustrators, James uses his self-taught watercolor expression to paint some of the most recognized faces in the world, from sports icons and presidents to Nobel Prize winners and CEOs. His award-winning art is showcased in museums, galleries, and private collections across the globe, and his story has been told on national television and in the pages of magazines and newspapers.

In keeping with his expanding body of work, James is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation in addition to the American and New Jersey Watercolor Societies and the Salmagundi Club. He also serves as a trustee for The Raptor Trust and D & R Greenway Land Trust, both in New Jersey.

With more than 10 years of public relations experience, Adrienne Fors is the Community Relations Manager for Waste Management at the Grand Central Landfill in Northeast Pennsylvania. Adrienne’s responsibilities include public affairs, social media communications, media relations and project development. Adrienne holds a BA in Business Management from East Stroudsburg University and has completed courses in communications at Penn State University.

With over 20 years of experience in the resource development and electricity sectors, Heather is currently the Vice President of Electrification Development at Ontario Power Generation (OPG). In this role, she is responsible for OPG’s electrification strategy which is focused on leveraging Ontario’s clean generation to electrify transportation in Ontario and developing new commercial lines of business for OPG. Most recently, Heather was the Vice President of OPG’s Environment team which supports OPG’s operations, development and construction projects, and champions OPG’s sustainability and biodiversity efforts across the company. Prior to this, Heather was the Director of OPG’s Hydroelectric Business Development Group where she was responsible for the advancement of OPG’s project portfolio from concept to construction. Heather worked previously as a consultant in the Calgary office of Golder Associates on environmental assessments for large-scale resource development projects in the mining and oil & gas sectors.

Heather holds an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Science from Queen’s University, as well as an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. She is currently the Chair of the Ontario Waterpower Association and Electric Mobility Canada, and a Director on the Boards of Peter Sutherland Sr. Generating Station and Wildlife Habitat Council.

Bill Gowdy is currently the Environmental and Public Affairs Manager for Northern Alberta for Lafarge Canada Inc. A graduate of Queens University and Sir Sandford Fleming College, he has worked for 30 years in the geology and environmental fields.

Jason Henning is a Research Urban Forester with the Davey Institute in a collaborative position with the USDA Forest Service, Philadelphia Urban Field Station focusing on teaching and research in quantitative forestry. His responsibilities include engaging in research efforts, supporting communities in the application of the i-Tree suite of tools, and communicating the science of urban forestry to diverse audiences. Jason has a Ph.D. in Forestry and an M.S. in Statistics.

Before becoming chief Operating Officer and EVP at Covia Corporation, Campbell Jones served as  President and CEO of Unimin since 2015, and has been employed by Unimin/Sibelco since 2000. He joined the company as Executive General Manager and COO of Unimin Australia in 2000. He served in this capacity until 2006, when he was promoted to Managing Director of Sibelco Australia in 2014. Prior to joining Unimin, Campbell worked at Commercial Minerals as Executive General Manager where he was responsible for the industrial minerals division.

Monica Key is with HR/Community Relations for Bridgestone Aiken County. She is responsible for supporting a variety of educational activities in the region and is a key component of establishing the partnership between Bridgestone and the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center at USC Aiken.

Dr. Mark Laska is the Founder and President of Great Ecology. He has over 25 years of experience as an ecologist, focusing on wetland and habitat restoration, habitat and species assessments, ecological planning and design, and Natural Resource Damage (NRD) Assessments and Planning. His work in ecological restoration involves the planning, design, evaluation, permitting, and management of restoration projects. He is the author of more than a dozen scientific papers.

Carolyn Mahan, is a professor of biology and environmental studies Penn State Altoona. She has a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science from the Pennsylvania State University. Since 2015, she has been the lead researcher studying the response of pollinators to Integrated Vegetation Management on electrical rights-of-way in Pennsylvania. A summary of that research was submitted in 2018 to the J. of Pollinator Ecology.

Doak Marasco is the Northeast Regional Manager of Strategic Partnerships for The Davey Tree Expert Company. During his 14 years with Davey, Doak has served in several roles, including arborist, urban forester, and operations manager. In his current position, Doak works across Davey’s many teams and service lines to develop custom solutions that meet client specific needs. He is an International Society of Arboriculture Board Certified Master Arborist and a Tree Risk Assessment Qualified arborist. Doak has a B.S. in Urban Forestry from The Pennsylvania State University.

Jaime Berman Matyas is president and chief executive officer of the Student Conservation Association, the nation’s oldest and largest youth conservation organization. Prior to joining SCA, Jaime held a variety of senior positions with the National Wildlife Federation, including vp of education, executive vice president and chief operating officer. With more than 25 years of experience in conservation education, partnership development and management, Jaime creatively advances SCA’s mission – and her own personal passion – of connecting young people with nature.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program, Jaime is also a certified Black Belt in Innovation Engineering.

Mark McPherson is a lawyer and business person and has been active in urban forestry for many years. He drafted the first conservation easement for Seattle’s Heritage Tree Program. He received a Founder’s Award from a tree preservation group in Seattle for his legal work in many tree cases. Mark served on a work group at the Climate Action Reserve in 2013 that developed a carbon protocol. Mark was a Morehead Scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill and has a Ph.D. and law degree from Harvard.

Kevin Mitchell has 29 years of experience working designing and implementing reclamation & conservation projects at aggregate, cement & ready mix sites in Canada and United States. His experience also includes liaison with approval agencies, NGOs, First Nations & the public on approvals, CSR & stakeholder relations.

Emily Muteb serves as a Community Development Manager at Freeport-McMoRan where she supports sustainable development efforts at the Morenci Mine in Southeastern Arizona. Prior to stepping into this role, she supported community and biodiversity initiatives in a regional capacity for the Morenci and Safford Mining Operations. She holds an MS in International Development from Tulane University and has over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Margaret O’Gorman is the President of WHC. Margaret works with multinational corporations to develop integrated strategies to implement conservation projects, employee engagement and community outreach to meet business needs and, in so doing, enhance and restore biodiversity and ecosystems. Read Margaret’s full bio here.

Chuck Priestley is a Professional Biologist with 19 years of work experience with a variety of industry clients, government agencies and NGOs. For the past 13 years, Chuck has co-owned STRIX Ecological Consulting.

Robert Quintanar is the Manager of the Freeport-McMoRan’s Copper Queen Branch, a former underground and open pit copper mine and Douglas Reduction Works, a former smelter site, both currently in care and maintenance. Mr. Quintanar has over forty years of broad experience in open pit and underground mining, environmental compliance, community relations, construction oversight and project management. He is based in Bisbee, Arizona.

James R. Remuzzi is President of Sustainable Solutions, LLC a natural resource management and consulting company that uses an ecosystem services approach to help private landowners, non profits, State and Federal agencies, and local municipalities manage their natural resources for ecological, economic, and social returns. James is a registered Forester, an expert in Ecosystem services and their markets, and an NWCG certified Burn Boss.

Jane Rowan provides wetland and water resources consulting services to clients in private and public sectors. She has been nationally recognized for advancing policies for the integrated management of water resources. She has provided services related to ecosystem restoration for over 25 years. Habitat types she has restored/created include fresh and salt water tidal marshes, delta intermediate wetlands, streams, river riparian zones, lakes, acidic and peatlands.

Sean Saville works for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies as the Campaign Manager for the Alliance for America’s Fish & Wildlife, the broad coalition representing the outdoor recreation and retail sector, the energy and automotive industries, landowners, sportsmen’s and other conservation groups, state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. The goal of this campaign is to secure sustainable funding for proactive wildlife conservation to benefit all Americans.

Kerry Schwartz attended the University of Arizona (UA) for a Master’s degree focused on Geohydrology after receiving a BS in Geology from James Madison University in Virginia. Eight years as an environmental consultant in both Arizona and Washington States provided her with a chance to apply her knowledge to solving real-world environmental problems like cleaning up pollution sites, monitoring surface water during prolonged well pumping, establishing base conditions for an aquifer protection permit and finding groundwater for people from dairymen to miners.

With a desire to have more interaction with people, Kerry took the opportunity to teach environmental education in the Tucson afterschool program. Since 2000, she has worked at Arizona Project WET, currently as the Director.

Lori Scott is the Chief Information Officer for NatureServe, a non-profit organization that connects science with conservation. Her award-winning technology team builds public information delivery and visualization platforms that get data into the hands of decision-makers. Before joining NatureServe in 2000, Lori served 10 years with Lockheed Martin Corporation in the field of software integration and information systems development.

Jason Scullion is a professor and forest conservationist working to conserve and restore high-value forest ecosystems worldwide through scientific research and community-based projects. Jason’s recent research includes studies in Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru. Additionally, Jason is the board president of the Seattle-based nonprofit Wild Forests and Fauna (WildFF), which works with local communities to conserve and restore forests in Uganda, Peru, and Appalachia.

Leah Sunna is an Environmental Scientist at Freeport-McMoRan’s Morenci Mine where she manages biodiversity programs for the site. Prior to this role, she worked in the electric utility industry as well the public sector. She holds a M.S. in Sustainability Management from American University Kogod Business School and a B.A. in Sustainability from Arizona State University School of Sustainability.

Regional Director Wendi Weber oversees conservation activities of 800 employees in 13 states from Maine to Virginia. The Northeast Region includes 73 national wildlife refuges and 11 national fish hatcheries that protect more than 550,000 acres. She guides her team to help species and communities be more resilient to a changing climate, restore river systems, conserve species at-risk, connect people with nature, and use science to make landscape-scale decisions.

After nine years in the nonprofit sector, from direct client services to outreach and then program management, Sean Wenham joined Freeport-McMoRan in 2010 as Regional Community Development Manager in Southeastern Arizona. Sean has supported community and sustainable development activities at copper mine sites in Morenci and Safford where he now works full time as Community Development Manager for FM Safford Operations.

David Wheeler has served as the Executive Director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey for the since 2012. He is the author of Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State and teaches Environmental Communication at Rutgers University. David earned his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and his BA from American University in Washington DC..

Laurence Wiseman served a 29-year career as founding president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. In 2010, he received the Legacy Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for career achievement in forestry. Since then he’s served as Chair of National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council and helped design and implement major urban forestry projects. Wiseman serves as co-creator and content developer for the Vibrant Cities Lab website.