Amelia grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania, and received a BA from Penn State University. She received her JD cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2013, earning a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. Amelia received an LL.M. summa cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2014, and is licensed to practice law in Oregon. 

Amelia joined GEI as an Energy Fellow in 2013, and was brought on as a staff attorney in 2014. She focuses on policies that support utility-scale and distributed renewable energy generation. Amelia’s work has evaluated strategies to address risk in utility resource planning, maintain grid reliability under high penetrations of variable renewable power, and promote interstate compliance approaches under the Clean Power Plan.

Amelia also focuses on long-term resource and transmission planning strategies that help facilitate the transition to a renewable, resilient, and reliable electric grid. She is currently a member of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council’s Environmental Data Work Group.

Colin manages the Office of Greenhouse Gas Programs at Oregon DEQ. This includes Oregon's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, Clean Fuels Program, and a team of climate policy specialists. Colin joined DEQ 10 years ago to help establish the GHG reporting program, and has since worked on a variety of climate policy topics. Over the past two years, this included work with Governor Brown's office to develop policy to establish broad statewide limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Colin has a Bachelor’s in Biology and Geography from the University of Oregon and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Portland State University.

I am a climate scientist motivated by the potential for climate studies to minimize future disaster risk to vulnerable communities around the world. Towards this goal, my research explores the physical drivers of climate extremes, and their impacts on agriculture, water availability and human health. I combine a variety of tools including observations, paleoclimate evidence, remote sensing data, and model simulations, to study extremes in the past and future climates. I am particularly interested in studying extremes such as intense rainfall, droughts, and heat waves in monsoonal climates that affect the billions of people with relatively poor adaptive capacity living in these regions.

I am an Assistant Professor in the School of the Environment at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV). I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. I received my Ph.D. in Environmental Earth System Science from Stanford University in 2015 working with Dr. Noah Diffenbaugh. My dissertation investigated trends in daily-scale extremes events in different regions, the associated physical processes, and the role of natural and anthropogenic factors in shaping their spatial and temporal characteristics. In 2015, I was recognized as a Kavli 'Frontiers of Science' Fellow by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

Prior to my career in earth sciences, I completed a Master's in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from Purdue University while researching environmentally friendly alternatives for aviation fuels in Dr. Li Qiao's group . This interest was fueled by my passion for all things aviation-related, my research with Dr. Sudarshan Kumar at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay for two years, and my Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering at Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune University, India.

I am passionate about building a more inclusive academic environment. At multiple institutes, I have initiated organizations aimed to improve gender diversity in STEM fields and have been involved in a number of mentoring programs targeting students from underrepresented backgrounds. I strongly believe that a more diverse community will be more effective in addressing the complex challenges facing the world today.

When I'm not actively working, I am out on adventures with my pibble Patches discovering the diverse wildlife in NYC parks including racoons and rodents, hiking both urban and natural environments, or working with the wonderful dogs at Posh Pets Rescue.

Dr. Conway has worked for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the past 28 years. Most recently, he served as a Senior Medical Officer and Epidemiologist. He previously has held posts as the Resident Advisor to the CDC’s China Field Epidemiology Training Program and as the Public Health Attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. From 1992-2011, Dr. Conway served as the Director for the CDC’s Pacific Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska.

Dr. Conway holds an M.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, a Masters of Public Health from the University of South Carolina School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sciences from Antioch College in Ohio.

Jay rejoined Cascadia Law Group after more than six years as Director of the Department of Ecology and Governor Gregoire’s Chief of Staff.  His practice focuses on environmental and energy issues.  Jay provides consulting and legal services to clients involved in significant issues of public policy, major projects seeking government approval and/or funding and on difficult management challenges. 

Jay has significant experience in all areas of environmental law and policy, including state, federal and local regulatory programs.  He has worked extensively in administrative, judicial and legislative and congressional settings.  His practice focuses on making clients successful in avoiding litigation and achieving positive outcomes on projects, policy improvements and important transactions. 

Professional:

• From 2009 to July of 2011, Jay was Governor Gregoire’s Chief of Staff, providing day to day management of an organization with over 100,000 employees and a biennial budget of over $30 B.  In that role, Jay worked closely with the Governor on all aspects of state government, including budget development, achieving the Governor’s policy and legislative agenda, all management issues, appointments and other personnel decisions, and political issues. 
• As Chief of Staff, Jay headed the Governor’s Cabinet and Senior Staff and the Job Creation, Natural Resources, Health Care and Energy and Climate Sub-Cabinets.
• Since 2011, Jay has provided foundational, launch, and ongoing critical support to the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a joint effort of the Governors of Washington, Oregon, and California, and the Premier of British Columbia. The PCC has emerged as a strong advocate for our "mega-region and global economic powerhouse, driven by innovation, energy, geographic location and sustainable resource management, attracting new jobs and investment while enhancing an already unparalleled quality of life."
• In December 2015, on behalf of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, Jay attended the COP-21 UN Climate Talks, the international conference that resulted in the globally historic signing of the Paris Agreement to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so.
• In 2013, Jay led the legislative team that achieved a conservation goal sought for twenty years: to secure authorization and funding for the acquisition of a beautiful 50,000 acre parcel of land in the Teanaway Valley. The Teanaway includes critically important terrestrial and riparian habitat, free flowing streams, and incredible recreational opportunities.
• From 2005 to 2009, Jay was Director of the Department of Ecology, Washington’s primary environmental agency.  Leading a staff of 1500 and managing a biennial budget of almost $1.0 B, Jay focused on successfully managing water resources across Washington, leading the effort to restore and protect Puget Sound, and jump-starting Washington’s efforts to limit emissions of greenhouse gases and prepare for those impacts of climate change that are unavoidable.  Jay also spent significant time on water pollution, air pollution, waste management (with a special focus on reducing toxics in the environment) and environmental cleanup.  Jay also continued his long history of holding the federal government accountable for cleaning up the Hanford site.
• From 1998 to 2005, Jay was a partner with Brown Reavis & Manning PLLC, the predecessor to Cascadia Law Group.  Major clients included Fortune 500 companies, local businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit groups.  In 2004, Jay was the managing partner of Brown Reavis & Manning.
• From 2000 to 2004, Jay was President of the Washington Environmental Council, serving as a leading representative of the environmental community on a number of significant legislative and policy issues.
• From 1983 to 1998, Jay was an assistant attorney general, representing the Department of Ecology in all areas of environmental law.  From 1993-1998, Jay headed the 30-person Ecology Division, leading the 18 attorneys and 12 staff members who provide legal services to the Department of Ecology.
• In 1994, Jay worked closely with the then Attorney General Chris Gregoire to win a landmark Clean Water Act case in the United States Supreme Court.  In PUD No. 1 of Jefferson County and City of Tacoma v. State of Washington, the Court ruled that states have legal authority under the Clean Water Act to regulate hydroelectric projects, breaking 60 years of unbroken precedent holding that State authority is preempted by the Federal Power Act.
• In 1989, after four years of negotiations, Jay helped finalize the Hanford Tri-Party Agreement, a landmark agreement between the State of Washington, EPA and the federal Department of Energy, requiring a 30-year cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Eastern Washington.  Jay has continued to work on Hanford issues, and during his time as Director of Ecology, a major new agreement was completed, accelerating key aspects of the cleanup that had been lagging behind schedule.

Civic Activities and Recognition:

• Jay is a Trustee of his alma mater Eastern Washington University, appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to a six-year term in November 2015.
• Jay chaired the Columbia River Water Committee that in 2006 developed and help pass legislation that revolutionized water management in the Columbia Basin. 
• In 2016, Governor Inslee appointed Jay to Chair the Puget Sound Partnership. In 2007 and 2008, Jay co-chaired the Partnership with Bill Ruckelshaus; together they helped develop and legislation that created this new state agency responsible for ensuring that Puget Sound is restored to a healthy condition by 2020.
• Jay led the Governor’s Climate Action Team, charged with developing recommendations for how the state should address the looming challenge of global warming.  The Team developed and helped enact legislation establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for Washington, and a number of other emission reduction, energy efficiency and climate change adaptation policies that are in place today.

• Jay is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who Legal: Environment, and Thomson Reuters SuperLawyers.

Kathy Taylor manages the Air Quality Program at the Washington Department of Ecology. In this role, she leads a staff of more than a hundred scientists, engineers, technical and regulatory personnel, and policy experts. The Air Quality team oversees development of rules, regulations, and programs for meeting state and federal requirements related to air quality, including air quality monitoring, permitting, and compliance. She is also responsible for coordinating the Air Quality Program’s efforts to develop strategies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and combat climate change.

Kathy previously served as the Deputy Program Manager in Air Quality, and has also worked in Ecology’s Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Program, Toxics Cleanup Program, and Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program. Prior to joining Ecology, Kathy worked for the Puget Sound Action Team, and served as Director of the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce.  She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Western Washington University, and her Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

Mary Peveto (she/hers) co-founded Neighbors for Clean Air in 2010 to ensure cleaner air for all Oregonians. She activated friends, neighbors and people throughout our region to work for stricter standards to regulate air toxics in Oregon and to galvanize the citizen action necessary to effect change. She is a mother of three who calls herself an “accidental activist” who was pushed into action when she stumbled upon a national study published in 2008 that showed her daughters’ school to be ranked among the worst 2% in the nation at risk to toxic industrial air pollution. Mary is our guiding voice in organizing, policy and organizational vision.

I am aPublic Health professional with a passion for effective public policy, health equity and community health. 

I provide legislative policy and strategic guidance to the Department of Environmental Quality's air quality programs and initiatives. This includes:

- Coordinating the development of policy option packages and legislative concepts
- Coordinating the review and analysis of proposed legislation
- Negotiating with legislators, legislative staff and stakeholders on policy development
- Develop policy options to address emerging environmental quality issues
- Represent the agency before the Oregon Legislature, partner agencies, stakeholders and the community

Melissa Powers is a Jeffrey Bain Faculty Scholar and Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. In 2014-2015, Melissa was a Fulbright-Schuman Scholar researching Denmark and Spain’s renewable energy laws. Melissa is also the founder and faculty director of the Green Energy Institute at Lewis & Clark Law School, an organization that designs policies to transition to a zero-carbon energy system.

Melissa teaches climate change law, electricity regulation, renewable energy law, the Clean Air Act, administrative law, and torts. She received the Leo Levenson Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. Melissa has taught several times as a visiting professor at the University of Trento, Italy. She has also visited at the University of Bologna, Italy; Kangwon National University, Republic of Korea; University of Navarra, Spain; and the University of Maine. She conducted her Fulbright-Schuman research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Catalonia.

Melissa’s research focuses on energy reform, climate change mitigation, and pollution control. She is a co-author of the books Climate Change and the Law and Principles of Environmental Law, and several articles and book chapters focused on climate and energy law.

Melissa serves on the boards of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center and the Environmental Law Collaborative, and she is a member scholar of the Center for Progressive Reform. She also previously served as a co-chair of the Research Committee and as a Governing Board member of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law.

Melissa received her JD, magna cum laude, from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2001, and her BA in environmental sciences from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992. From 2003-2008, Melissa was a Clinical Professor at the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center, now Earthrise Law Center, the domestic environmental law clinic at Lewis & Clark.

Michelle Roos has served as the Executive Director of EPN since July 2018 and served as EPN’s Deputy Director for 7 months prior to this appointment. She has over 20 years of experience in project management and environmental protection. She has directed high-level projects, organized conferences and work groups, and spearheaded major environmental initiatives.

Ms. Roos is also an EPA alum. At EPA she co-founded and co-managed the West Coast Collaborative – a public-private partnership that implements projects to reduce emissions from diesel engines along the West Coast, Alaska and the American Pacific Islands. She also led a national work group to better incorporate environmental justice into the federal environmental permitting process. Previously, she served as the Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator of Region 9 in San Francisco, CA; as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Air and Radiation in Washington, DC. Ms. Roos was also Presidential Management Intern.

After she left EPA in 2006, Ms. Roos worked as an independent environmental consultant for a variety of clients including E4 Strategic Solutions, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and EcoMedia. Prior to working at EPA she worked for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and spent a summer at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Ms. Roos has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Duke University and a Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

She lives in New York.

Shannon is a professional engineer licensed by the State of Oregon to practice environmental and mechanical engineering with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Santa Clara University. Ms Souza is a designer of renewable energy systems for the company and has provided professional environmental consulting services as the principal of Souza Environmental and Sol Coast since 1999. Ms. Souza specializes in alternative energy system design, water rights examination, and project management.

A transplant from western Washington, Shannon has made the Coos County area her home raising her two children. Her compelling interests in local sustainability cluster around community, arts and education. She is a co-founder the Lighthouse Public Charter School, a tuition free k-8 school in the North Bend School District with an emphasis in arts integration and cultural studies. Ever one to make time for play, Shannon thoroughly enjoys cultivating the local music scene whether playing music (Ring, DePaolo Project, or Che’s Lounge), dancing with Rhythm Village or stepping out to enjoy the talents of so many others. 

Since August 2019 I have been Special Assistant to the Director at the Washington State Department of Ecology. One part of my portfolio is climate change policy at both the state and federal level. Prior to becoming special assistant, I managed the Air Quality Program at the department for 13 years. The Air Quality Program develops and implements greenhouse gas reporting regulations, emission inventories and emission reduction policies.

Tim brings over 30 years of management and senior leadership experience to his work at Oregon Business for Climate, working across multiple functions (manufacturing and operations, marketing, sales, and general management), in sectors ranging from low-tech manufacturing, to high-tech (Intel), to internet businesses.  After 15 years in the for-profit sector, Tim opted to make a more direct impact in sustainability, energy and climate – providing strategic consulting for over 30 clean-tech companies, non-profits, and agencies, along with launching his own clean-tech start-up in the transportation sector.  For 8 years he co-ran and ran one of the nation’s leading non-profit residential energy efficiency retrofit programs, Enhabit, helping create equitable clean energy jobs, support contractors, and advance policies while improving 5,000 homes in Oregon.

Tim’s view of the role of business, and its importance in addressing climate change, has roots in his formal background, an economics degree and an MBA, both with honors, from Stanford University.  He also serves on the Board (previously as Board President) of Climate Solutions, the leading climate-focused policy organization in the Northwest, and on the Board of Forth, one of the nation’s leading non-profits accelerating transportation electrification.

Dennis McLerran provides consulting services to a number of organizations in the areas of climate change, air quality and general environmental and land use issues and is actively working with ports up and down the US West Coast.

Dennis served as Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10 between 2010 and early 2017 and as Executive Director of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency between 1994 and 2010. Dennis served as the Director of the City of Seattle’s Department of Construction and Land Use and has been a cabinet member of Mayors in several cities in Washington State.

He is a past President of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) and also served for many years there as a board member. Dennis co-chaired the Mobile Sources and Fuels Committee of NACAA during a period of dramatic shifts in mobile source and fuel regulations nationally and internationally.

At EPA Dennis led the agency’s Green Ports and Vessels Initiative (GPVI). The GPVI is a collaboration to reduce air pollution and climate emissions from vessels and port operations along the US coasts and China. The initiative brings US technical experts, private sector innovators and government officials with expertise in maritime commerce and air pollution control together with Chinese officials, scientists and organizations to share and develop best practices. Highly significant improvements in public health and the environment have been assisted through this work. Dennis has been a frequent speaker at forums such as the Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative and has led several U.S. Delegations to China to discuss air quality and climate issues related to international goods movement.

While at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Dennis conceived of and led establishment of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. This effort is a collaboration between the Ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, British Columbia and the air and climate regulatory agencies. The initiative develops strategies to reduce air and climate pollution from the three largest container ports operating in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. This award-winning effort has been highly successful with recent emission inventories documenting that between 2005 and 2016, SO2 emissions have been reduced by 97%, diesel particulate emissions by 72%, black carbon emissions reduced by 41%, volatile organic chemicals by 29% and oxides of nitrogen by 23%.

Dennis was one of the founding leaders of the West Coast Diesel Collaborative formed to reduce diesel emissions in the Western US. The Collaborative convened stakeholders from industry, ports, agriculture and air quality agencies to develop strategies and funding sources to reduce diesel and black carbon emissions. As Chair of the Marine and Ports Working Group of the Collaborative, Dennis led efforts along the West Coast of the US and Canada to develop broad support for petitioning the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to form the North American Emission Control Area. The ECA requires use of dramatically cleaner fuels for marine vessels operating within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of the US and Canada and has resulted in as many as 30,000 lives saved annually due to reduced exposure to air pollutants.

While at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Dennis led development of programs to bring cleaner fuels to motor vehicles, reduce wood smoke in communities, provide funding to clean up diesel transit and school buses in Washington State and greatly improve air quality and public health. Dennis led formation of the State of Washington’s first climate change stakeholder process which ultimately led to passage of a wide variety of climate and air quality legislation in the state. A key legislative effort co-led by Dennis was adoption of the California emission standards for motor vehicles in Washington State.

Dennis serves on the boards of a number of public service organizations including the Leadership Council for the Puget Sound Partnership, the US arm of the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Salish Seas Institute at Western Washington University, the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission and PugetLNG. Recently, Dennis served as Co-Chair of Governor Jay Inslee’s Maritime Blue Advisory Committee which developed a strategy for a sustainable, low carbon maritime industry in Washington State. Dennis also recently received the 2019 Air and Waste Management Association’s S. Smith Griswold Award for his accomplishments in air quality.

Our lab is called the Sustainable Atmosphere Research Lab. My students and I conduct research about the atmosphere as it relates to human activities. One of the main areas of our research involves investigating the impact of the sources of air pollution on air quality at high spatial resolution and chemical speciation. Most regulatory systems for air quality are limited to a handful pollutants monitored at a regional scale. However, the spatial scale of emissions and their impacts can occur at smaller scales, especially in urban settings. We are investigating monitoring and statistical techinqiues for assessing air quality at the scale relevant to public health. We are also interested in understanding the role of urban systems, such as transportation and landuse planning, as they impact air quality. These projects involve collaborations with urban planners, transportation engineers and computer scientists.

 

Geoff Tichenor is a problem solver first, environmental lawyer second. Geoff helps clients navigate state and federal environmental laws applicable to air emissions, water discharges, storage tanks, waste management, contaminated lands, chemical storage reporting, and spills. He regularly counsels clients facing environmental enforcement actions and presenting complex permitting and compliance questions. Geoff has broad experience representing clients before state and federal agencies, including on rulemakings. He also regularly advises clients on the risks and liability associated with real estate and other business transactions, primarily in the context of corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Geoff’s clients look to him to develop effective corporate environmental management and auditing strategies.

Geoff was selected as an Oregon Environmental Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2013 and 2014 and as one of the Portland Business Journal’s Forty Under 40, and recognized by Chambers USA from 2017 to 2020. Geoff currently serves as co-leader of the firm’s Consumer Products, Manufacturing & Transportation Industry Group.

Previously, Geoff worked with Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, Chicago, Illinois (2006) and The Collins Law Firm, Naperville, Illinois (2005–2006). He also served as a law clerk to The Honorable Lesley Wells, United States District Court, Cleveland, Ohio (2004–2005) and the Oregon Department of Justice, Natural Resources Section, Portland, Oregon (2002–2004). During law school, Geoff externed with The Honorable Lynn Adelman, United States District Court, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Summer 2003).

Holly Duncan founded Environmental Law Education Center in 1994 with the goal of bringing together diverse environmental professionals in a neutral setting where they could learn from each other and share solutions to some of the most challenging environmental problems.

Before creating ELEC, Holly worked as an environmental attorney in the Enforcement Section of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, as counsel to the Oregon Senate Natural Resources Committee, and as an Attorney in the Natural Resources Section of the Oregon Department of Justice.