Board and Advisors
Ben Packard, Director
Vice President, Global Responsibility, Starbucks Coffee Company
As vice president, Global Responsibility, Ben Packard drives the strategy and oversees the programs behind Starbucks responsible business approach to ethical sourcing and environmental stewardship.
Before assuming his current role in 2008, Ben led Starbucks Environmental Affairs team. He directed key initiatives including an environmental footprint analysis and establishment of related performance metrics, a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and the first FDA-approved use of post-consumer recycled materials for paper cups. As chair of the U.S. Green Building Council's Retail Development Committee, Ben led development of LEEDŽ standards to help improve the retail sector's environmental performance.
Jeff Harris, Director
Former Senior Executive at PNM
Jeff Harris is a former utility industry executive and a registered professional engineer in the state of New Mexico. Jeff served for 30 years at the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) where he held numerous positions including Director of International Business Development and Director of Generation and Transmission Planning. Jeff brings valuable experience with rating agencies, banking institutions, investment bankers, and state and federal energy regulatory bodies.
In addition to his experience with PNM, Jeff is President of New Vistas Investments Corporation and a founder of the Bright Beginnings Child Development Centers. He is currently an active angel investor and has served on the board of public and private companies, including iGo Inc., Beamz Interactive, Inc., and the Border Trade Alliance.
Steve Trainer, Director
Founder and Partner, Seneca Real Estate Group
Steve Trainer, a co-founder of Seneca Group, currently serves as its Chairman of the Board. Though he stepped back from the firm's day-to-day operations at year-end 2009, Seneca continues to benefit from his counsel. Prior to co-founding Seneca Group, he was a senior vice president and principal at Wright Runstad & Company.
Steve holds a B.A. in History from Stanford University and graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Building Construction. Currently on the Boards of Seattle University, Cleanscapes and Chief Seattle Club, Steve has previously served on the Boards of the Downtown Seattle Association, Housing Resources Group, Elderhealth Northwest, Holy Names Academy, and CARE. Steve and his wife live on Capitol Hill and have two daughters.
Steve Baczko, Advisor
Director of Commercialization, Ecosystem Restoration Associates (ERA), Inc.
Steve Baczko has over ten years of management, strategic consulting and business development experience in both private and NGO sectors. Steve currently serves as the Director of Commercialization for ERA, a global forest carbon and conservation project developer. Prior to joining ERA, Steve was Head of North America Voluntary and New Markets for EcoSecurities where he was responsible for managing business development and strategic marketing for voluntary and pre-compliance carbon markets. While in this position, Steve successfully built a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients and spearheaded the development of new products and services within the international carbon markets. Before EcoSecurities, Steve worked at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank, where he provided financing and technical assistance to social enterprises throughout the developing world. Steve holds a BA from Georgetown University.
Bill Collins, Advisor
Former Senior Executive at EcoSecurities
Bill is a finance professional with 25 years of experience in investment banking, structured finance, derivatives and environmental markets. He started his career in Japan, at J Henry Schroder Wagg and Co., creating sophisticated financial products for direct investment by Japanese institutional investors and for distribution by financial intermediaries. After 8 years in Japan, Bill moved to Hong Kong with AIG Financial Products where he oversaw the expansion of a derivatives and structured finance business into Australasia. In addition to crafting risk management derivatives structures for private and public sector counterparties, Bill developed tax and accounting driven transactions for the broader AIG group. Bill repatriated to the US from Hong Kong in 2000 and, in 2003, joined EcoSecurities to conceptualize and implement their carbon portfolio risk management and commercialization strategy. During his time at EcoSecurities, the company grew to be the foremost aggregator in the international carbon markets, publicly listed its stock, and initiated principal transacting activities in compliance, voluntary and forestry markets around the world. Bill is fluent in Japanese and has a BA in Economics from Whitman College.
Elizabeth Stearns, Advisor
Sr. Lecturer Foster School of Business, University of Washington
and Founder/President The Stearns Group
Elizabeth's work is in the academic and consulting worlds focusing on customer loyalty and communications strategy. In Marketing and International Business at UW since 1995, she teaches primarily at the MBA level. Her class "Cases in Sustainability" and case "The Sustainability of Ethanol: Food vs Fuel" received the 2011 Lex Gamble prize for curriculum development. Elizabeth taught full-time at Columbia and Babson Business Schools, was Adjunct Professor at The Kellogg School, and Australia Post Fellow in Direct Marketing at Monash University. She also visited at HEC France. Elizabeth began her career at Ogilvy and Mather Advertising NYC, was VP Director Business Strategy Wunderman Worldwide and was VP Marketing Director Digitas where, as a member of the Executive Committee, participated in the strategic planning of the agency's growth. Her renewable energy related work began with Bonneville Environmental Foundation. She received her MBA from NYU and BA from Ohio State.
John Merrill, Advisor
John began work on renewable energy projects in the 1980's when he developed utility-scale energy-from-waste facilities, which dispose of waste and produce electricity. John now concentrates his efforts on utility-scale solar power projects. John is active in the environmental group at Social Venture Partners. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Northwest Energy Angels, which focuses exclusively on cleantech companies utilizing a wide range of technologies that help move the U.S. economy to long-term sustainability.