Intro | Agenda | Speakers | Resources

Speakers

Gregg Albright
Deputy Director, Planning and Modal Programs
California Department of Transportation

R. Gregg Albright, Deputy Director, Planning and Modal Programs, has over 31 years of experience in State government service within planning, project delivery, project management, local programs, community involvement and administration. With his recent appointment as Deputy Director, Gregg has expanded opportunities to promote effective stakeholder involvement and to advance proactive and strategic behavior within the Department. This emphasis on enhancing staff skill sets and organization competency has also engaged him at the national level, particularly in the area of promoting the principles of Context-Sensitive Solutions.

Larry Allen
Executive Director
San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District

Larry Allen is the Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and currently serves on the Board of the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA), which represents California’s 35 local air quality agencies. He also serves on a variety of other statewide, regional and local committees dealing with air quality, climate change, energy and land use policy issues, including an appointment to the Land Use Subcommittee of the California Climate Action Team, and serving as Vice-Chair of the CAPCOA Climate Protection Committee. Mr. Allen has over 25 years of combined professional experience in the air quality field.

Tony Brunello
Deputy Secretary for Climate Change and Energy
California State Resources Agency

Anthony J. Brunello was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in August 2007 to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Climate Change and Energy at the California Resources Agency, the state agency responsible for managing California’s natural, cultural and historical resources. In this capacity, he is responsible for coordinating all climate change and energy activities of a cabinet-level agency and its 24 departments, boards, commissions and conservancies and advising the agency secretary on climate change and energy policy. Anthony has worked extensively on climate and energy related issues developing greenhouse gas mitigation projects and analysis around the world for public and private sector clients for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, PA Consulting, and the World Bank. He has also worked as the Executive Director for the Tahoe-Baikal Institute and has worked on biodiversity conservation in Russia for an U.S. Agency for International Development contractor.

Cynthia Bryant
Director
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

Cynthia Bryant serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of Planning and Research for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. She advises the Governor on the state budget, redistricting, political reform and gambling. As Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), she oversees the State Clearinghouse, the OPR Legislative and Policy and Research units and the Office of the Small Business Advocate; and the Advisor for Military Affairs (AMA). Ms. Bryant is a member of the Commission on State Mandates, which determines reimbursements and adjudicates claims regarding state-mandated programs for local entities. She is also a nonvoting member of the Housing Finance Agency Board, which works to create affordable rental housing and assist first-time homebuyers in achieving the dream of homeownership. In addition, Ms. Bryant sits on the Governor’s Prevention Advisory Council and the Environmental Justice Inter-Agency Working Group.

Tom Butt
Council Member
City of Richmond

Tom Butt, FAIA, is board chair of the Local Government Commission and a 12-year member of the Richmond, CA, City Council, where he has served one term as vice-mayor. He is a licensed architect and founder and president of Interactive Resources, a 35-year old architecture-engineering firm in Richmond, CA.

Rick Cole
City Manager
City of Ventura

Rick Cole has been City Manager of Ventura since 2004. Cole has focused on four key priorities, the ABCS of Ventura government: Accountable government; Balanced budget, Civic Engagement and Smart Growth. Called "one of Southern California's most visionary planning thinkers" by the Los Angeles Times, he previously served six years as City Manager of Azusa, California. Under Cole's leadership, Azusa was described as the "most improved city in the San Gabriel Valley" by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. He was recently honored by Governing Magazine as one of their nine "2006 Public Officials of the Year," the only City Manager in the nation to earn that distinction.

Cole is widely cited as an urban policy expert and is a member of the Congress for New Urbanism, the Urban Land Institute and the International City/County Manager's Association.

Susan Durbin
Deputy Attorney General
California State Department of Justice

Ms. Durbin is a Deputy Attorney General in the Sacramento office of the California Attorney General’s Office, and has worked in the AG’s office for 24 years. She specializes in air pollution control, general environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), nuclear power and waste issues, and Proposition 65 warning requirements.

Garrett Fitzgerald
Director of Programs
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Garret manages technical and policy assistance and remote and on-site software training for local governments participating in ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection campaign in the United States. Garrett also oversees the development of ICLEI’s programs and software tools for inventorying greenhouse gas and criteria air pollutant emissions and developing emission reduction plans.

Will Fleissig
President
Communitas Development, Inc.

Will Fleissig is a developer who has devoted his career to creating vibrant, mixed-use communities. He is President of Communitas Development Inc, a San Francisco based company focused on three niche markets: mixed use development served by transit; intergenerational housing; and university town projects. He currently sits on the board of the Center for Transit Oriented Development, and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute.

James Goldstene
Executive Officer
California Air Resources Board

James Goldstene is the Executive Officer for the California Air Resources Board. He is responsible for day-to-day operations in support of state clean air programs, including directing the staff to carry out Board policy, assisting board members and overseeing preparation of technical material for Board consideration. He also reviews legislative proposals and represents the ARB before other governmental agencies, public and private organizations, and the Legislature.

Ann Hancock
Executive Director
Climate Protection Campaign

Ann Hancock directs the Climate Protection Campaign that works with governments, business, schools, and the broader community to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Other recent experience includes Sustainable Sonoma County Co-founder, Coordinator of Sonoma County's Ecological Footprint Project, Sustainability Planner for the County of Marin, and Commentator for TomPaine.com.

Alex Hinds
Community Development Agency Director
County of Marin

Alex Hinds has managed county land use and resource agencies in California for the past 24 years. Since 1999, Alex has directed the Marin County Community Development Agency, where he oversees the building, environmental health, federal grants, and planning divisions. Alex was a former president of the California County Planning Director’s Association and is currently the president of the California Planning Foundation. Alex is currently the president of the board of the California Planning Foundation. Mr. Hinds is one of the founding members of the recently established Green Cities (and Counties) of California and a frequent presenter at national, state and regional forums.

Ken Kay
Principal
KenKay Associates

Ken Kay FASLA has been a successful landscape architect, planner and urban designer, for more than 30 years. During this time, Ken has focused on visioning of planning and designing projects that link urbanism and ecology. Ken has successfully completed a full range of commissions that range from private residences to new towns. Whether working on city neighborhoods, waterfronts, workplaces, or recreating suburbs, Ken lays the groundwork for compact, vital sustainable communities that respect the environment and link it into the urbanism of the place on a regional and local scale. Ken has also been an early advocate for reclaiming brown and gray field industrial and recycled shopping centers.

John Laird
Assembly Member
California State Assembly

In 2002 Assemblymember John Laird was elected to represent the 27th Assembly District, which includes portions of Santa Cruz, Monterey and Santa Clara Counties. He was re-elected in 2004, and in his 2006 re-election he received over 70% of the vote. In his first Assembly term, Mr. Laird was one of only five first-term members to chair a major policy committee, the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. He also served as chair of the Special Committee on State Mandates and chair of the Select Committee on California Water Needs and Climate Change. During Mr. Laird’s tenure, he has authored a wide range of bills signed into law – to establish the landmark Sierra Nevada Conservancy, restore community college health services, expand and clarify state civil rights protections, and assist programs for first-time homebuyers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. In the 2006 session, he successfully authored bills to provide new protections for sea otters, help build a new veterans cemetery at the former Fort Ord, provide pay increases for park rangers and fish and game wardens, and support local affordable housing trusts.

Jake Mackenzie
Mayor
City of Rohnert Park

Jake Mackenzie is the past Chair of the Local Government Commission, current Local Government Commission Board member and Mayor of Rohnert Park. He is currently working on persuading the cities of California to adopt the Ahwahnee Water Principles and in being Vice-chair of the Russian River Watershed Association (RRWA) and the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (NCIRWMP).

Mike McKeever
Executive Director
Sacramento Area Council of Governments

Mike was appointed Executive Director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Board of Directors on December 17, 2004. Previously, Mr. McKeever, 49, was project manager of the Blueprint Project at SACOG. Over his 20-year career specializing in the field of planning, he has owned and managed two private businesses that specialized in working with local governments on innovative multi-jurisdictional projects. He has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge planning techniques to integrate land use and transportation planning.

Jackalyne Pfannenstiel
Chairman
California Energy Commission

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Jackalyne Pfannenstiel to the California Energy Commisison on April 20, 2004. She was named Chairman in June 2006. The five members of the Energy Commission are appointed by the Governor for staggered five-year terms and require Senate confirmation. By law, four of the five members of the Energy Commission are required to have professional training in specific areas – engineering or physical science, environmental protection, economics and law. One commissioner is appointed from the public-at-large. Commissioner Pfannenstiel fills the environmental protection position.

Allison Quaid
Executive Director
Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities

Allison is the Executive Director of the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Communities. The Bay Area Alliance brings together business, local government, and non-profit groups to forge collaborative solutions which will boost our region's overall quality of life. Over the last eight years she has worked to green the operations of more than 500 local governments, non-profits and businesses across the nation. She spent four years directing a sustainability program for US municipalities while employed at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. Most recently, she worked at Flex Your Power, developing social marketing campaigns to promote energy efficiency and conservation in California.

Julie Rynerson Rock
Director
Land Use Services

Julie Rynerson Rock, AICP, is currently Director of Land Use Services, County of San Bernardino, the largest county in the lower 48 states. She oversees Current and Advance Planning, Building and Safety and Code Enforcement. She has more than 26 years of experience in city and regional planning and community development, including over sixteen years in San Bernardino County Planning. She served as Deputy Director for the Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) Housing Division for six years managing all bond- and federally-funded housing programs for San Bernardino County as well as the housing funds for the County’s Redevelopment Agency. She also spent twelve years as a planning commissioner for the City of Highland and as a member of their Design Review Board.

Bob Wilkinson
Professor
University of California, Santa Barbara

Dr. Robert C. Wilkinson is Director of the Water Policy Program at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he is a Lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program at UCSB. Dr. Wilkinson is teaching, research, and consulting focus on water policy, energy, climate change, and environmental policy issues. Dr. Wilkinson advises businesses, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations on water policy, climate research, and environmental policy issues. He served on the advisory committee for California’s 2005 State Water Plan, and he represented the University of California on the Governor’s Task Force on Desalination. He advises various agencies including the California Energy Commission, US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the US EPA on water and climate research, and he served as coordinator for the climate impacts assessment of the California Region for the US Global Change Research Program and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.