11th Annual Careers in Sustainability Forum: Panelists Bios CORPORATE STRATEGY Paula Alexander | Burt’s Bees Director of Sustainable Business and Innovation Paula has worked in numerous roles, including brand development and marketing since joining Burt’s Bees in 2006. She began a career in brand management at Unilever, where she managed the $600 million Dove portfolio and helped to launch its Campaign for Real Beauty. Paula is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Andrew Hutson | Environmental Defense Fund Senior Project Manager Andrew applies insights from supply chain management to drive environmental change with EDF’s corporate partners, advancing sustainable business practices throughout their operations. His current projects focus on the retail industry, Chinese manufacturers, and green finance opportunities. He earned a PhD in Policy Analysis at UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Katherine Jennrich | Walmart Corporate Sustainability and Energy Services Specialist Katherine manages Walmart’s Supplier Energy Efficiency Program. She is responsible for the company’s Supply Chain Greenhouse Gas Innovation Program, which has a goal to eliminate 20 million metric tons of GHG from the global supply chain by the end of 2015. Katherine received a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Brandon Tidwell | Darden Restaurants Manager of Sustainability Brandon is responsible for the development and implementation of corporate sustainability strategies and policies across all of Darden Restaurants, which includes a global supply chain that spans 30 countries. He also reports on the company’s sustainability strategy to investors and stakeholders. Brandon graduated with an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He holds a Master's in Social Work from Baylor and a certificate in Philanthropy from NYU. He is the 2010 recipient of Net Impact's Force for Change Award.
PROJECT FINANCE Mark Corigliano | Belltower Advisors LLC Founding Partner – Portfolio Manager In 2009, Mark founded Belltower Advisors LLC, a $200 million investment management firm that utilized a long/short equity strategy to generate superior risk-adjusted returns in the energy, mining and materials sectors. Mark worked with the firm through April of 2012. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mark currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the KenanFlagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he instructs a class on Alternative Energy and also lectures on commodity investing and alternative investments.
Mary Tiger | Environmental Finance Center Chief Operating Officer At UNC, Mary works to assure that the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) is sustainably financed and managed. The EFC is dedicated to enhancing the ability of governments to provide environmental programs and services in fair, effective, and financially sustainable ways. Mary leads strategic and operational initiatives and coordinates the center's finances. In addition, she provides outreach and research services to local communities on sustainability, including water conservation strategies. Mary holds an MPA from UNC-Chapel Hill and a BS in Environmental Journalism from UNC-Asheville.
Napoleon Wallace | Center for Community Self-Help (CCSH) Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer CCSH is the parent company to 3 of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions, as well as a leading financial reform lobbying organization. Napoleon has also worked on projects for SJF Advisory Services, the Natural Capital Investment Fund and B-Lab. Prior to receiving an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, he worked in financial services and commercial banking.
ENERGY Pete Curtice | OPower Director of Client Solutions Pete and his team work with large energy utilities in North America to design and implement behavioral science-based, energy efficiency programs that provide cost effective energy savings to millions of residential customers. Prior to joining OPower, Pete worked at the SAS Institute to help Fortune 100 corporations leverage data-mining methodologies to simultaneously increase customer engagement, product innovation and profitability. He received an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.
John Reimers | DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions Business Development Manager DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions offers a portfolio of materials designed to work together to increase the efficiency and lifetime of solar modules. DuPont, which provides six of the eight most critical materials for manufacturing solar panels, has received nearly 200 worldwide patents for photovoltaic technologies since 2008. Prior to receiving his MBA from UNC’s KenanFlagler Business School, John worked for Legalzoom.com and Foresight Science and Technology. He received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.
Dan Sowder | Duke Energy Corporation Senior Project Manager, New Technology Dan supports the screening, development, and integration of new technology at Duke Energy. His fields of expertise include utility scale energy storage, distributed energy resource management, vehicle electrification, and modular nuclear power. Dan received his MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he focused on Aeronautical Engineering.
Michael Yeary | Cisco Systems Global Account Manager, Wells Fargo Global Sales Team Michael has worked for Cisco in North Carolina since 2006. In his role, Michael is responsible for Cisco’s energy sourcing, primarily focusing on sustainable energy. Michael received his bachelor’s degree from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
REAL ESTATE Michael Lemanski | Greenfire Development Founder Under Michael’s leadership, Greenfire focused on 20 distressed buildings in downtown Durham—redevelopment projects that have received rewards and recognition from Preservation Durham, Triangle Business Journal, and the Durham Chamber of Commerce. Michael now directs the Development Finance Initiative (DFI) at UNC’s School of Government. DFI provides finance and development expertise to city and county governments seeking private investment in public revitalization projects. He received an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is also a graduate of NC State University, where he focused on Chemical Engineering and Environmental Science.
Jonathan Phillips | Anka Funds Managing Director Anka Funds invests in real estate and sustainable ventures. Prior to joining Anka, Jonathan focused on investment and strategic activities at Cherokee Investment Partners in Raleigh. While there, he helped to craft the US Conference of Mayors (USCM), a partnership that strives to accelerate the revitalization of distressed properties. Jonathan is a founding member of the Board of Advisors for the Business Accelerator for Sustainable Enterprise (BASE) program at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He received his JD from the Yale Law School and bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.
Gordon Merklein | UNC Real Estate Development Executive Director Gordon oversees real estate management, investment, and development activities for Chapel Hill Foundation Real Estate Holdings. Prior to joining UNC-Chapel Hill, he served as the Senior Director of Raleigh-based Highwood Properties. He holds a Master of City Planning from Georgia Tech University and received a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University.
CONSULTING Ben Hill | Deloitte Consulting Company Senior Consultant Ben is a full-blooded Tar Heel: he received his bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and returned for an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Before graduate school, he worked as a consultant for Deloitte. Upon graduation, he returned to the company as a senior consultant with expertise in corporate sustainability strategy and supply chains.
Jackson Naftel | North Highland Company Senior Consultant Jackson, who works in the Charlotte office of the “globally local” consulting firm, advises North Carolina-based companies. Prior to graduate school, Jackson worked in site acquisition for Phillips Development & Realty, a real estate firm committed to communities and the environment. Jackson received his Master’s in Environmental Management and MBA from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, respectively.
Valeria Orozco | Accenture Manager, Sustainability Services Before joining Accenture, Valeria gained experience in sustainability consulting as a strategist for Kinetix, a New York-based firm that specializes in sustainable corporate strategy and real estate. Between receiving a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, she served as a consultant to the EPA.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP Christopher Gergen | Bull City Forward Founder and Executive Director Bull City Forward has served as a model for Charlotte’s Queen City Forward and HUB Raleigh, a permanent working space resulting from the Raleigh Innovation Summit, which took place in early 2012. While Bull City Forward recently announced that it was not renewing its office lease, Christopher anticipates that the organization will remain a catalyst for collaborative entrepreneurship and innovation. He inspires burgeoning entrepreneurs as an adjunct professor for Duke University’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative. Christopher, who received his bachelor’s degree from Duke, holds a Master’s in Public Policy from George Washington University and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Kevin McDonald | TROSA Founder and Chief Executive Officer TROSA is an innovative residential program that enables recovering substance abusers to be productive community members by providing them with treatment, work-based vocational training, education and ongoing care. TROSA’s businesses include lawn care and moving services, as well as a furniture and frame shop. Kevin founded TROSA in 1994 after more than a decade with the Delancey Street Foundation, a therapeutic community in San Francisco. He had also directed a program for homeless former gang members in Los Angeles. The Triangle Business Journal named Kevin as a 2011 Legacy Leader to recognize his significant, lasting contribution to the greater community.
Craig Merrigan | Spotlight Solar Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Spotlight Solar provides artistic photovoltaic systems for display as physical expressions of a commitment to the environment. Craig has over two decades of marketing experience, including leadership roles at IBM and Lenovo. Craig received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Rochester.
Brent Ward | LYF SHOES – LOVE YOUR FOOTPRINT Business Lead Custom Fit, Custom Fashion, 100% Sustainability. LYF Shoes is a company dedicated to reinventing footwear for a better planet. By rethinking the process of how shoes are made and sold, LYF Shoes has patented a unique system that integrates local job creation, custom fit/fashion, and sustainability. Brent is currently the Business Lead Team Member of LYF shoes. In this role, he currently focuses on strategy, marketing, partnerships, innovative approaches, and out of the box thinking in support of their products which are set to launch in early 2014. Brent received a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and an MBA from the University of Fredericton.
