Resources

Speaker: Position

Speaker Biography

Topic / Date

Alexander Heil: Chief Economist, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)

As Chief Economist in the Planning and Regional Development Department, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Dr. Alexander Heil provides strategic leadership on regional economic issues to the agency. He is responsible for developing and managing the agency’s economic research and analysis agenda, helping to ensure that the agency’s major investment and policy decisions are informed by sound economic principles and analysis, and increasing awareness of the region as a unified economic entity by regional governmental, business, and civic leaders. Dr. Heil’s experience includes analyzing regional economic conditions, conducting regional cost-benefit analysis, assessing the regional economic impacts of transportation investments, and undertaking economic and financial project evaluations.

Transportation and Emissions / April 24, 2020

Chris Snyder: Manager, The Montclair State University Campus Community Garden (MSUCCG)

Chris Snyder is the Coordinator of the Montclair State University Campus Community Garden (MSUCCG), which engages the greater campus community in sustainable urban agriculture and provides produce to the Red Hawk Pantry. He works with University Facilities to support the adoption of practices that promote environmental and personal health and well-being, and monitors student food security and transportation safety within the University.

He has held past positions as a Sustainability Ambassador at the PSEG ISS and Graduate Assistant for the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services at MSU. Chris holds a Master’s of Public Health and a Bachelors in Anthropology from Montclair State University.

He has experience in urban agriculture and has worked closely with City Green and the Montclair Community Farms, local non-profit organizations that strive to increase food access through urban agricultural production for those in need.

Food Security, Gardening, and Composting / April 22, 2020

Danielle Del Pesce: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Danielle Del Pesce is a 2019 Montclair State University Facilities Green Team Alumni and a Sociology major with a minor in Environmental Justice graduating in Spring 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree from MSU. She is also a Sustainability Ambassador of the 2019-2020 academic year with a project focused on waste management and composting. After graduation she hopes to go on to attain a job related to environmental sustainability and eventually move on to Graduate School.

Waste Management – Plastics and Composting / April 23, 2020

Dr. Dawn Lerman: Professor of Marketing and Executive Director, The Center for Positive Marketing, Fordham University

Dawn Lerman focuses on the field of consumer behavior with particular emphasis on consumer language processing. Her work has been published in a variety of academic journals and books and has been presented at both academic and industry conferences. She is also a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Business Research andInternational Marketing Review.

Prior to joining Fordham, Dr. Lerman served as a press attaché in the public relations department of a major political lobby in Paris and as a marketing and business development analyst at The Ferolie Group, a leading New York-area food broker. While at Ferolie, Dr. Lerman managed a number of major brands manufactured by corporations such as Van Den Bergh Foods, Kraft, Apple & Eve, McCormick and the James River Corporation, and she played a key role in a variety of new product introductions.

More recently, Dr. Lerman has served as a consultant in areas related to market research, new product introductions, branding and marketing strategy development. She also conducts in-house seminars on topics ranging from linguistic considerations in brand communications to the branding of industrial products.

Innovation and Sustainability / April 15, 2020

Dr. Falguni Sen: Professor of Strategy, Gabelli School of Business; Director, Global Healthcare Innovation Management Center (GHIMC); Director, M.S. in Health Administration at Fordham University

Falguni Sen is Professor of Strategy at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University where he focuses on the analysis of industries. He is an expert in the area of outsourcing of clinical trials and the creation of strategic partnerships, and is particularly passionate about studying the value of strategic and operational actions within the healthcare industry where the outcomes are not easily measured. He is currently conducting research on the value of expanding networks within the healthcare provider space, the importance of patient generated information in increasing the efficiency and reducing the cost of healthcare, and the role of doctors’ language on patient experience.

Working collaboratively with health insurance providers, Dr. Sen designed and launched an initiative within the Global Healthcare Innovation Management Center, for which he serves as Founder and Director, on the measurement of value in health. Measures developed under this initiative have been used to assess the impact of the hand-held ultrasound device and are designed to study the impact of technological innovations as well as organizational changes such as consolidation of hospitals. He has organized a number of multi-stakeholder conferences where academics and policy makers within healthcare discuss and debate critical issues.

Recognizing the multi-disciplinary nature of healthcare, Dr. Sen pioneered an effort at Fordham to create a multi-school Masters of Science in Health Administration, for which he currently serves as Director. In addition to teaching at the Gabelli School, Dr. Sen is a member of the international adjunct faculty at the Regional Center for Biotechnology in India.

Health Systems and Health Promotion / April 29, 2020

Emma Lavin: Media Manager and Communications Assistant, PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS)

Emma Lavin holds positions as the Media Manager and Communications Assistant at the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS) and is also a Public Health Graduate Research Assistant, all within Montclair State University. Additionally, she serves as a Food Policy Analyst for the City of Newark. Emma is a 2016 New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance PSEG ISS Green Team alumnus. She has also served as an Assistant Project Manager for PSEG ISS. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with dual minors in Entrepreneurship and History. Emma will be receiving a Master’s degree in Public Health this Spring 2020.

Food Policy and Access in Newark, New Jersey / April 30, 2020

Faith Taylor: Clinical Specialist of Marketing, Feliciano School of Business, Montclair State University

Ms. Taylor is a visionary, transformational executive dedicated to responsible business leadership. Currently she is at the Feliciano Business School of Montclair State University as a full-time Clinical Professor of Marketing/Management teaching Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability. She is co-developing the University’s Human Trafficking Center. She was at Wyndham Worldwide for 15 years where she acted as the Senior Vice President of CSR, leading program policies, reporting and strategies which included sustainability, philanthropy, wellness, diversity, human rights, ethics, and responsible sourcing.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) / April 20, 2020

Fatou Dieng: Supply Planning Specialist, Ansell

Fatou Dieng is a Supply Chain Planner with Ansell, a manufacturing company of protective industrial and medical gloves. She is a sustainability practitioner with a Bachelor of Science focused in Entrepreneurial Studies and Sustainability Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her research and career interests lie at the nexus of supply chain responsibility, ethical sourcing and sustainable agriculture; with the recent completion of her senior thesis titled, “Small-Farmer Resilience: A Formula for Ending Global Hunger and Strengthening the Supply Chain of Food and Beverage Companies”. She is well versed in Corporate Social Responsibility, research, and public speaking; with hands on experience working in the consumer goods industry, customer service, hydroponic and permaculture farming, supply planning, optimized finished goods replenishment, leading cross-functional teams, and implementing sustainability reporting strategies in a corporate environment.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and COVID-19 / April 2, 2020

Gray Russel: Sustainability Officer, Township of Montclair

Gray Russell is the Sustainability Officer for the Township of Montclair. Since 2001, he has initiated programs and provided information on sustainability and environmental affairs for the municipal government, residents, schools, and businesses in town. Montclair won the NJ B.P.U.’s first-ever Clean Energy Leadership Award, and was honored to be designated a “Climate Showcase Community” by the US EPA.Gray is a Certified Recycling Professional, a Master Composter, and a Supervisor for the Hudson/Essex/Passaic Soil Conservation District. He serves on the Essex County Environmental Commission, the Montclair Environmental Commission, and on the External Advisory Board of MSU’s PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies.

Sustainable Communities / April 22, 2020

Jadelle Nunez: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Jadelle Nunez is currently an undergraduate Earth & Environmental Science major at Montclair State University. Additionally, on campus she fulfills the role as a Waste Management Sustainability Ambassador for the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS). In 2019, she participated in the PSEG ISS Green Teams Internship Program as a Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority (SCMUA) / Foam Cycle team member.

Waste Management – Plastics and Composting / April 23, 2020

Jennifer Nelson: Director of Food Rescue and Operations, Table to Table

Jennifer Nelson is the Director of Food Rescue and Operations for Table to Table, a community-based food rescue program that collects perishable food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties. She is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history of working in non-profit operations management and a strong information technology professional skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Marketing Management, Web Design, Marketing, and Email Marketing. She holds a Chemical Engineering degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Food Rescue and Food Waste / April 22, 2020

John Hodges: Global Sustainability Manager, Wyndham Destinations

John Hodges is the Global Sustainability Manager for Wyndham Destinations. There, he is tasked with developing, assessing and updating a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy; directing the development and evolution of the annual CSR Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) report; overseeing all investor surveys and requests; tracking and measuring Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) components while creating innovative solutions through integrated reporting, the UN SDGs, global partnerships, and programs to mitigate climate change and promote social justice. John also serves as a board member and the treasurer for Sustainable Morristown, a non-profit organization that works as the town’s “green team” towards the education and engagement of town residents. He holds a BA in Hospitality from Fairleigh Dickinson University and will complete an MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University in 2021.

Hospitality and Sustainability / April 28, 2020

Dr. Jonas Nahm: Assistant Professor of Energy, Resources, and Environment, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Jonas Nahm is an Assistant Professor of Energy, Resources, and Environment at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC.His research interests focus on the intersection of economic and industrial policy, energy policy, and environmental politics. He studies the role of the state in processes of industrial restructuring that accompany policy responses to climate change and clean energy transitions more broadly. His work utilizes clean energy transitions in China, Germany, and the United States to engage two debates in comparative political economy: (1) the role of the state in shaping the international division of labor in highly globalized industries, and (2) sources of state capacity in interest group politics during periods of industrial restructuring.

Climate Change and COVID-19 / April 21, 2020

Louis Troiano: President, Foam Cycle

Louis Troiano is a 16 year sales veteran of the waste and recycling industry in New Jersey. He founded the Foam Cycle recycling system in 2016. What began as a test project in Sussex County New Jersey has expanded across the country. Soon to launch Better Frame, is a closed loop recycled picture frame helped developed by the Sussex County Municipal Utility Authority – Foam Cycle Green Team in the summer of 2019.

Circular Economy / April 13, 2020

Mary Kenny: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Mary Kenny is a recent Montclair State University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Science. She is currently enrolled in the university’s Master of Science in Sustainability Science graduate program. Mary is adept at visualizing solutions and ideas using technical skills like Sketchup and ArcGIS. As the Vice President of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), she has aspirations related to utilizing green infrastructure for stormwater management and diversifying energy sources for a clean energy future.

Green Building Initiatives and Green Infrastructure / April 17, 2020

Matthew Karmel: Board Member, Table to Table

Matthew A. Karmel, is an associate in Riker Danzig’s environmental group. While at Riker Danzig, he has focused on site remediation, regulatory compliance, environmental permitting, and other traditional environmental matters. Mr. Karmel also is a passionate advocate for sustainability, and he represents clients engaged in various “green” initiatives, including initiatives relating to waste and recycling as well as renewable energy. He currently serves as a board member for the NJ Composting Council and Table to Table. He earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law.

Food Rescue and Food Waste / April 22, 2020

Matthew Rivas: Technical Associate, K2 Environmental Consulting; Consultant, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

Matthew Rivas is a Technical Associate at K2 Environmental Consulting. He is currently supporting the New Jersey Department for Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Bureau of Climate Change and Clean Energy. Matthew is also an alumni of the Green Teams Program. In 2016 he supported Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and in 2017 he was an Assistant Project Manager for Hackensack Meridian Health. One of Matthew’s primary focuses has been outreach and research for New Jersey’s reentry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first obligatory market-based enterprise in the United States to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

New Jersey Recycling and COVID-19 / April 2, 2020

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) / April 22, 2020

Dr. Michael A. Cohen: Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Doctoral Program in Public and Urban Policy, The New School

Michael Cohen is Professor of International Affairs, Director of the Doctoral Program in Public and Urban Policy, and Founding Director of the Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. He is also Director of the Observatory on Latin America. He worked at the World Bank from 1972 to 1999 and was responsible for formulating much of the World Bank’s urban policy. He worked in 55 countries and was Senior Adviser to the Vice-President for Environmentally Sustainable Development, Chief of the Urban Development Division and the Water Supply and Sanitation Division. He has written widely on development policy issues, urban development, Africa, Latin America, and Argentina, including five books, including Argentina’s Economic Growth and Recovery, and numerous edited volumes, including The Global Economic Crisis in Latin America: Impacts and Responses.

Smart Cities and Innovation in Urban Sustainability / April 14, 2020

Mitch Cahn: President, Unionwear

Mitch Cahn is the President of Unionwear, a Newark-based manufacturer of union-made in USA hats, bags and binders for the promotional, fashion and uniform markets since 1992. In response to Covid-19, Unionwear has transitioned production to Medical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). They are presently manufacturing Reusable Isolation Gowns and Clear Plastic Face Shields for health care facilities, government agencies, corporations, and consumers.

Community Resilience & Disaster Response / April 27, 2020

Patrick Evans: Marketing Manager, NJ Composting Council

Patrick Evans serves as the Marketing Manager for the nonprofit, NJ Composting Council. The NJ Composting Council strives to advance compost manufacturing, compost utilization, and organics recycling to benefit our members, society, and the environment in the state of New Jersey. Patrick also works with Java’s Compost, a residential and commercial compost pick-up company based out of West Orange, NJ during his free time.

Waste Management – Composting / April 23, 2020

Patsy Herrera: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Patsy Herrera is currently a senior majoring in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science and a minor in Anthropology from Montclair State University. In 2018 she was an intern for PSEG Institute for Sustainable Studies Green Teams. Patsy will be completing her undergraduate degree in May 2020. During the summer she will be an intern for LHIP at Minute Man National Historical Park. She plans to continue working on developing a community garden with other people in her community.

Food Deserts, Food Insecurity, and Creating a Community Garden / April 30, 2020

Pavlo Busko: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Pavlo Busko is currently a Nutrition & Food Science with a concentration in Food Systems undergraduate student at Montclair State University (MSU). For the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS), he serves as a Clothing Waste Ambassador, with the objective of educating the campus community and the broader public about clothing waste and in turn provide real and practical solutions, such as repairing clothes utilizing patching techniques. In addition, he is a 2019 Newark Science and Sustainability (SAS) PSEG ISS Green Team alumnus. Pavlo is also an active member of the MSU Fair Trade Committee, a group of students and staff working to help Montclair State University become a Fair Trade certified Campus. He will be graduating in the Fall of 2020.

Clothing Sustainability / April 28, 2020

Sara Elnakib: Family and Community Health Science Educator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Passaic County

Sara Elnakib has worked in the area of community nutrition for over 10 years. Sara joined the Rutgers Cooperative Extension in the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences as an Assistant Professor in January 2015. She has focused on food insecurity and improving food access in Passaic County as part of her role in the Passaic County Food Policy Council. She is also interested in food waste in institutional settings and how behavioral economics can be leveraged to reduce food waste. Prior to the faculty appointment at Rutgers University, she served as the Health and Nutrition Director for a Head Start Program in Montclair, New Jersey as well as an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University. Sara is currently a doctoral candidate in the Rutgers University, School of Public Health. She earned her Bachelors of Science from Rutgers University in Nutritional Science and a Masters of Public Health in Health Education and Behavioral Science from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Food Waste and Community Health / April 16, 2020

Tanner Melendez: Sustainability Ambassador, Montclair State University

Tanner Melendez is a current senior majoring in Sustainability Science and minoring in Economics at Montclair State University. He has been involved with PSEG ISS since the summer of 2019, during which he was an undergraduate Green Team intern for PGIM Real Estate. Tanner will begin working towards his master’s degree in Earth and Environmental Science at MSU in the fall.

Green Building Initiatives and Green Infrastructure / April 17, 2020

Tobias Fox: Founder and Managing Director, Newark Science and Sustainability (SAS)

Tobias Fox is the Founder and Managing Director of the community-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. Aside from being a writer and having ten years of independent publishing experience, Fox is a Professional Organizer, Urban Farmer, Photographer, and Coordinator of an annual Sustainable Living Empowerment Conference. He conducts various community events, presentations, and workshops on sustainable living practices and has assisted numerous urban farmers and gardeners with the cultivation of their agricultural space.

Urban Farming, Community Outreach, and Sustainability / April 22, 2020

Zenobia Fields: Director of Government and Community Affairs, New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)

Zenobia Fields is the Director of Government and Community Affairs at the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). She is a well-rounded management executive with over 15 years of diverse experience including optimizing business processes, capacity-building, asset planning, performance planning, urban design, transportation related design, data sharing, policy analysis and general community development.
Zenobia has held positions with non-profits, government agencies, and private sector companies—including project work at the local, regional, state and federal level.

Her current responsibilities include: overseeing and integrating metropolitan transportation planning initiatives for north Jersey region to maintain an efficient data-driven planning process for sound decision-making.

She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Transportation and Emissions / April 24, 2020

Waste

• EPA Requests Comments on Designations and Recommendations for Recycled-Content Products
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) decontamination for reuse
• China’s War on Garbage Faces a Major Coronavirus Setback
• Plastic Wars (full film) | FRONTLINE
• Styrofoam Recycling: Middletown first municipality in New Jersey to purchase machine
• Jill Lepoti’s PowerPoint on Waste Management
• Recommended Book & Film: “No Impact Man” by Colin Beavan
• MarineDebris.Info | An online community for sharing knowledge on research, management, and prevention of ocean litter
• The Story of Plastic | A sweeping look at the man-made crisis of plastic pollution and the worldwide effect it has on the health of our planet and the people who inhabit it
• Plastisphere Podcast | Plastisphere Ep.8: Plastics and the coronavirus
• NPR | Plastic Wars: Industry Spent Millions Selling Recycling — To Sell More Plastic
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Sustainable Materials Management
• Surfrider Foundation’s Hawaii Chapters Launch COVID-19 PPE Awareness Campaign | Official Press Release

Food

• NRDC Issue Paper | Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill
• NRDC | Food Waste
• Food Politics | Food and Coronavirus continued: food dumping and other reminders of the Great Depression
• Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) | Food Shortages? Nope, Too Much Food In The Wrong Places
• High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) Report 8 | Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) | Food wastage footprint: Full-cost accounting – Final Report
• NRDC Report | The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America
• Sara Elnakib’s PowerPoint on Food Waste and the Environment
• ReFED: Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data | A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent
• Patsy Herrera | Starting a Community Garden

Behavior

• Management Science | The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior

Innovation

• Bob Willard | Sustainability Advantage
• Faith Taylor | Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Past, Present, and Future
• NewGen Surgical | Where Clinical Meets Sustainable
• Mary Kenny & Tanner Melendez | Montclair State University Green Building StoryMap
• Mary Kenny & Tanner Melendez | Green Infrastructure Programs at Montclair State University
• Health Care Without Harm | Leading the global movement for environmentally responsible health care
• John Hodges | ESG in Hospitality – Social Responsibility: A Journey to Sustainable Practices

Emissions

• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Strategic Funding Plan
• Jonas Nahm | Globalization, Climate Change, and Cleantech Supply Chains in the Age of Covid-19

Environment

• How The Coronavirus Has Benefited Earth (Facebook Video)
• Sustainable Jersey
• Earth Day Live

Energy

• Empower NJ: No Fossil Fuel Projects