Speakers

Emily Kreps leads the CDP investor program for North America. She is experienced in defining and leading sustainable and responsible businesses, including a period as head of corporate development for a renewable and alternative energy company, as well as various start-up CFO positions. In her previous career, Emily spent over a decade as an investment banker and an equity salesperson for Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse. She received her degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Russell Garcia is the Director for Higher Education for Johnson Controls in North America. Russell has been with Johnson Controls since 2007, and has had many roles including PACE Program Manager and West Region Manager for the State Government and Higher Education. In his current role, Russell is responsible for Higher Education market growth, strategy development, offerings, innovation, and leadership. Russell is currently the co-chair of the Energy Services Coalition in California. He has served as President of NAIOP Sacramento, a Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and as President of the non-profit organization Green Cabinet. He was also the Owner & President of Capitol Document Express.

Russell received a BA in Organizational Leadership and a MBA International Business degree from the Brandman University; and is currently a Doctoral candidate for an Ed.D in Transformational Leadership (expected 2018) also at the Brandman University. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and Performance Contracting and Funding (PCF) certified.

Lauren Faber O’Connor is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Los Angeles. In her role she is driving the implementation of LA’s landmark Sustainable City pLAn, released in April 2015, which puts forth an actionable vision for transforming LA's environment, economy and equity. Working across every city department, Lauren focuses on strategic integration of the pLAn's pillars in order to reach the City's short and long-term goals, ensure benefits accrue to all communities in LA, and pursue regional and international collaborations including Climate Mayors, a coalition of nearly 400 US Mayors committed to US leadership on climate change.

Prior to joining the Garcetti Administration, Lauren served for four years as the West Coast Political Director for the Environmental Defense Fund in San Francisco. At EDF she worked on building successful strategies and constructive partnerships to win support on innovative approaches to protecting and promoting climate, clean energy, land, water and wildlife. In 2010 Lauren was appointed to Assistant Secretary for Climate Change Programs at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where she was dedicated to the design and implementation of California’s landmark Global Warming Solutions Act. Prior to her work at CalEPA, Lauren served as senior director for Lighthouse Consulting Group in Washington, D.C., where she advised on comprehensive national climate change and energy strategies for domestic and international companies, and non-government organizations, and in particular, the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. From 2005-2009 Lauren served at the British Embassy as the Senior Policy Advisor for climate change and energy.

Lauren serves on the Board of the California League of Conservation Voters and the U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Advisory Board. She is a member of the Catto Fellowship for environmental leadership at the Aspen Institute and of the Truman National Security Project. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Systems and Economics from Stanford University, and Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University.

Glen Yelton serves as an ESG and impact research analyst on the SNW Investment Team with analytical responsibilities for the Impact strategies. He served in a similar capacity at SNW Asset Management, which was acquired by OFI Global1 in 2017. Prior to joining the SNW in 2015, Glen managed the ESG research program at IW Financial. Before that, he oversaw ESG data collection at American Values Investments. Additionally, he has provided competitive intelligence research for a variety of Fortune 100 clients across several industries and served as an interrogator for the U.S. Army. Glen holds a B.S. from East Tennessee State University.

In March of 2015, Erik Caldwell was appointed as Director of the City of San Diego’s newly created Economic Development Department. The department is focused on strengthening communities by establishing strategic partnerships which cultivate a sustainable, dynamic economy and create community development opportunities. Under Erik Caldwell’s leadership, the Economic Development Department supports the continued growth of San Diego’s established analytics, cleantech, cybersecurity, defense, life science, and maritime industry clusters. The department is also charged with leading the City’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% and powering the City’s buildings and homes with 100% clean energy by 2035.

Prior to joining the City, Erik served as Vice-President of Government Partnerships for Figtree Financing, a San Diego-based clean energy financing company. Mr. Caldwell’s experience also includes a long career in public policy, having advised elected officials at the City of San Diego, County of San Diego, California State Board of Equalization, and California State Assembly.

Erik previously worked for the City of San Diego as Deputy Director of Policy to former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. In this capacity, he was responsible for the implementation of the Mayor’s economic development strategy and leading the City’s efforts to support the region’s innovation economy.

Erik earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from California State University San Marcos and a Master’s in Business Administration from San Diego State University.

Cody Hooven is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of San Diego, the 8th largest U.S. city. She coordinates sustainability planning and policy, with emphasis on economic development. She is exploring how technology, renewable energy, transportation, green buildings, and climate resilience are included in San Diego’s approach to sustainable communities. Her role also includes engaging businesses in win-win solutions for sustainability and leading the city's move towards 100% renewable energy. Cody works on various collaborative efforts in San Diego and statewide, including as a founding member and current Chair of the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative.

Jason is President and CEO of Cleantech San Diego, a nonprofit member organization that positions the greater San Diego region as a global leader in the cleantech economy. Cleantech San Diego’s membership includes more than 100 local businesses, universities, governments, and nonprofits committed to advancing sustainable solutions for the benefit of the economy and the environment. As President and CEO, Jason manages the overall organization and leads several initiatives critical to the mission of the organization, including Smart Cities San Diego, advocacy efforts, and economic development programs. Before joining Cleantech San Diego in 2010, Jason was Vice President of Business Development for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Prior to joining EDC in 2006, Jason lived in Austin, Texas, where he worked in the State Capitol as Legislative Director for Texas State Senator Frank Madla. Jason holds a degree in Corporate Communications from the University of Texas in Austin and is a 2008 graduate of LEAD San Diego. In 2014, Jason was named one of SD METRO’s “40 Under 40.” He is a member of the City of San Diego’s Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, the County of San Diego’s Comprehensive Renewable Energy Plan Technical Advisory Committee, and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Advisory Board. Jason is also a board member of Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization.

Amanda Moore is a Senior Manager of Sustainability Integration, part of the Citizenship & Sustainability organization at AT&T, and based in Dallas, TX. Her role primarily focuses on the positive social and environmental impacts of AT&T technology on customers and bridging AT&T technology, with a specific focus on IoT, into the community. She develops thought leadership around corporate sustainability with a forward look towards technology in a low-carbon economy. She also supports AT&T’s long-term goal of collaborating with customers to reduce carbon emissions and achieve their sustainability goals through the integration of ICT (Information & Communication Technology) solutions within operations and strategy. Amanda has been with AT&T since 2008, and prior to joining the C&S team in 2014 was part of the business marketing organization.

Betty Cremmins has been helping CDP transition the world to a low-carbon economy since 2010. With a background in carbon footprinting, green building and environmental policy, Betty serves as Account Manager on CDP’s Supply Chain program, working with leading organizations including Walmart, Dell, Microsoft and the U.S. Government to support the integration of climate change disclosure and action into standard purchasing practice. In 2016 she relocated to San Francisco to establish CDP’s first West Coast office. Previously, she offered guidance and support to thousands of companies responding to CDP’s annual Climate Change, Water and Forests information requests. Betty has worked on climate change mitigation projects around the world, from the US Gulf Coast to sub-Saharan Africa to Antarctica. She holds a BA from New York University, a MPA in Environmental Science & Policy from Columbia University, is a Fellow with the Truman National Security Project and LEED Accredited Professional.

Katie Walsh oversees CDP’s cities work in North America, engaging the more than 130 cities who disclose their climate and sustainability data to CDP. Katie has served in various roles with a focus on climate change and urban sustainability. Before joining CDP, Katie served as an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow with Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability. She has also worked with the Energy Foundation in Beijing, the U.S. Department of Energy Policy and International Affairs Office and the Chinese Flagship Program at San Francisco State University. Katie holds a dual master’s degree from Tufts University in Urban Planning and from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in International Energy Policy and International Business Relations. She completed a Fulbright in Taiwan and holds a BA in History of Asia/Middle East from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Amy Kao is the Project Officer for the CDP Cities North America program. She engages cities and town in the United States and Canada in disclosing to CDP and how they can use data to drive climate action. Amy's responsibilities also include planning the annual Cities Workshop in North America and supporting collaborations that expand the reach of the Cities, States and Regions program. Amy holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University.

Julia Casciotti is a Sector Lead on the Disclosure Services Team at CDP. Julia leads the organization's corporate climate change, water, and forests disclosure work for materials, industrials, and health care companies in the USA and Canada. She also manages CDP’s engagement with non-disclosing companies to introduce them to the benefits of environmental disclosure. Julia has a B.A. from the College of William and Mary, and a M.P.H. from Columbia University.

Nicole Labutong is the Technical Manager at CDP and a member of the Science Based Targets initiative’s Technical Working Group. Nicole is passionate about enabling companies to achieve their sustainability goals by implementing innovative solutions. The focus of her work is to provide advisory services and develop resources for companies looking to set their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets in line with climate science. Nicole led the development of CDP's first-ever science-based targets scoring method, to which over 5,800 global companies respond annually. She also regularly presents on science-based targets to a broad audience, including companies, investors, and other stakeholders. Nicole holds a M.S. in Sustainable Systems from the University of Michigan, and has a background in renewable energy and life cycle assessment.

As the North America Regional Lead for CDP’s global initiatives, Bridget works with hundreds of the largest companies in the US and Canada, inviting them to commit to bold climate action and leadership through the We Mean Business coalition platform of initiatives, including the Science Based Targets Initiative and RE100. Bridget also proactively engages throughout the year with civil society and industry partners. Prior to joining CDP, Bridget worked as the Stakeholder Relations Coordinator at the Agricultural Institute of Canada, a non-profit advocacy group supporting agricultural innovation and development and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environment specializing in Ecological Determinants of Health from McGill University.

George Hodge is the Director of CDP Supply Chain Program in North America. His responsibilities include establishing and maintaining relationships with sustainability and procurement executives in major corporations and other purchasing entities. George and his team assist member companies with the development of strategic plans that enable the integration of CDP environmental criteria into their key sustainability decisions. Prior to CDP, George worked with NGO’s and non-profit organizations on consulting engagements that enabled companies to with integrate the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights into their business operations. He also has a background in business development and spent more than 10 years in sales and operations management roles at multinational companies. George holds two degrees from Columbia University, including a master’s degree in Human Rights and International Law.