The Rev. Jeremy Summers, (Chair), is the Multiplication Pastor at ALIVE Church in Central, South Carolina. He is also a Systems and Leadership Consultant with Aspire Consulting Partners, Inc., an Affiliate Faculty member at Southern Wesleyan University and Indiana Wesleyan University. Prior to this role, Jeremy served as the Director of Adult Spiritual Formation and Community Based Ministries for The Wesleyan Denomination, and pastored at three Wesleyan churches. Jeremy’s wife Andrea is also an ordained pastor (Wesleyan Church) and they have been blessed with four children (Macy, Ava, Micah, and Ty).
Ms. Ann Alexander, Esq., Senior Attorney, NRDC, Chicago. I grew up in Seattle, Washington, then went to law school in New York City and lived there for 16 years before coming to the Midwest. I like to think that Seattle gave me a love of our natural environment, and New York gave me the legal street smarts to fight for it. While in New York, I was a clinical professor at the Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic, helping law students to gain practical experience in environmental litigation. After coming to Chicago in 2002, I was Environmental Counsel to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, developing environmental initiatives and serving as her point person on multistate environmental litigation. I have been with NRDC since 2007, and since coming here have worked on a wide variety of issues of concern in the Great Lakes region, both as a litigator and a policy advocate.
Paul Douglas, Aeris Weather, WeatherNation founder & Chief Meteorologist. Paul Douglas is a nationally-respected meteorologist, with 34 years of broadcast television and 36 years of radio experience. In high school, Kruhoeffer adopted a stage name, after being told his real name was too difficult for the station’s DJ’s to pronounce. Douglas graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University in 1980. While a senior at Penn State University, he broadcast the weekend weather for WNEP-TV in Wilkes Barre/Scranton – where he was promoted to the weekday position in 1980. He was the second TV meteorologist in the country to tap computer graphics for his daily weathercasts. In 1982-1983, he worked at Satellite News Channel in Stamford, Connecticut, delivering 21 national weather shows daily. He was also tapped for appearances with Ted Koppel on ABC News Nightline.
Ms. Jamesine Rogers, Secretary: Union of Concerned Oakland, CA Senior Policy and Research Associate with more than 15 years of experience shaping strategies to advance environmental and climate goals at the international, congressional, national, state, and local levels, with a focus on public policy and the private sector. Expertise in climate risk, energy, public health, smarter transport and land use, air quality, and non-carbon dioxide climate pollutants. Strategic and critical thinker skilled in designing solutions that build a diverse base of stakeholder support, creating executable action plans, and managing multifunctional teams.
David Kolsrud, Co-Founder of The Funding Farm. David has 20 years of proven experience in the renewable energy industries. He helped develop, organize, and fund over twenty projects. David’s expertise is used primarily in the areas of ethanol, biodiesel, and wind projects. In 2006, David formed DAK Renewable Energy Inc. DAK Renewable Energy manages six LLC’s with investments in multiple renewable projects. In 2011, David founded The Funding Farm, a company that invests in start-up companies, since 2012, The Funding Farm successfully funded 4 projects. Those areas include education, recreation, e-commerce, and healthy food products.
He also represents owners on several companies’ board of directors. He is currently on the board of directors of Badger State Ethanol, Windustry, and on the advisory committee at the University of Minnesota for Bio Products and Bio Engineering. In 2015, David co-founded and is president of the nonprofit Following the 7th Direction, whose mission is “Providing Hope and Inspiration” to struggling reservation communities through mentorship and economic development.
John Lyon, President and Chief Executive Officer – World Hope International. John Lyon is a global development visionary and a licensed law practitioner with 18 years of experience working with World Hope International and 12 years of experience in international law. John was elected President of World Hope by the Board of Directors in September 2013. Prior to this, John served as General Counsel for Joule Africa, an innovative London-based renewable energy company focused on developing hydroelectric and solar energy in Africa. John also served as a World Hope board member and volunteer. John’s foremost technical experience is with water, sanitation, and construction projects. He has developed water and sanitation plans for several World Hope locations, including Sierra Leone. Prior to his time at World Hope, John practiced law at Wilmer Hale, an international law firm, where he helped World Hope develop its microfinance and social enterprise program. John served in the United States Peace Corps in Jamaica from 1998 to 2000, where he raised more than $200,000 to build a primary school and helped popularize a typhoid-proof latrine model. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton College and a JD from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law.
Matthew Anderson. Matthew has a rich background working with diverse communities on climate change issues with nearly a decade of experience working with the religious community in particular. Prior to working at Audubon, Matthew spent two and half years as executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE). Before joining NRPE, Matthew directed the Creation Care Fund, which provides financial and technical support to Christian environmental grassroots initiatives. His experience also includes serving as the director of environmental and rural advocacy and education for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as executive director of Faith in the City, a multi-sector faith-based coalition in the Twin Cities. Matthew graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in environmental studies and was awarded the Downy Family Prize.
Dr. Phil Landrigan serves as EEN's health advisor and is known for his many decades of work in protecting children against environmental threats to health. His research combines the tools of epidemiology with biological markers derived from clinical and laboratory medicine. Dr. Landrigan is deeply committed to translating research into strategies for health protection and disease prevention. Read more about his life and work!
Mitch Hescox, President/C.E.O., EEN, ex officio. The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox serves as President/C.E.O. of The Evangelical Environmental Network and speaks nationally on creation care, especially on the environmental life threatening impacts on the poor and defenseless. Rev. Hescox has published numerous articles and contributed to Sacred Acts: How Churches are working together to Protect Earth’s Climate by New Society Publishers. He has testified before Congress, appeared on CNN, NPR, PRI and numerous radio programs both Christian and secular. Named one of the ten Environmental Religious Saints in the Huffington Post, Mitch lead the 300 mile Creation Care Walk from West Virginia to Washington, DC and the 80 mile Gulf Coast Prayer Walk during the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. Mitch led EEN to successful championing of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and guided the EEN team to inspire comments for various rules and regulations. He serves on the National Association of Evangelicals Board of Directors.
Prior to joining EEN, Mitch pastored a local church for 18 years, and before the call to ordained ministry served the coal and utility industry as Director, Fuel Systems for Allis Mineral Systems. He is married to Clare with four (4) grown children and four (4) grandchildren.
Brittany Ederer is a Conservation Ecologist for A Rocha USA with a focus on the Marine Conservation and Love Your Place programs. She previously worked with Care of Creation as the Outreach Specialist, and served on the Steering Committee of Young Evangelicals for Climate Action for four years. Brittany has an M.S. in Environmental Conservation and a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She recently relocated to Titusville, FL from Wisconsin and looks forward to making friends with the Atlantic Ocean.