Meet The 2015 Award Winners

The 2015 Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards honored seventeen amazing, inspiring and determined Women. Meet them below!

Arlene D. Blum

Founder and Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute

Arlene Blum, PhD, biophysical chemist, author, and mountaineer, is a Research Associate in Chemistry at UC Berkeley and Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute, which has contributed to preventing the use of harmful chemicals in products worldwide. She led the first American—and all-women’s—ascent of Annapurna I, considered one of the world’s most dangerous and difficult mountains; co-led the first women’s team to climb Denali; completed the Great Himalayan Traverse; and hiked the length of the European Alps with her baby daughter on her back. She is author of Annapurna: A Woman’s Place and Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life.

Robin Chase

Advisory Board Member Board Member & Executive Chairman, World Resources Institute/ Veniam

Lisa Colicchio

Sustainability Director, Metrolink

Lisa Colicchio is a sustainability leader focused on developing and implementing strategies, policies and programs to advance corporate social responsibility based on a sophisticated understanding of climate change issues, workplace wellness and social equity impacts.

As Sustainability Director for Metrolink, the third largest regional rail service in the nation, Lisa is leading the path to a zero emissions future with the recent development of the 2030 Climate Action Plan that will be powered by advanced technologies of battery electric, fuel cells and alternative fossil-free fuels. Sustainability is a shared responsibility, and she steers a grassroots Green Team program of employee champions who are committed to advancing healthy communities and integrating sustainability into all aspects of customer service, business processes and operations of the agency.

Previously as Vice President and founding member of sustainability at CBRE, Lisa developed climate strategies and CSR programs across global sites, playing a critical role integrating social purpose while aligning business strategy and operations to deliver economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders. Additionally, she was responsible for preparing content for environmental performance disclosures and annual report publications and pursued corporate recognition in industry award programs including achieving EPA Energy Star Partner of the Year award multiple consecutive years.

Lisa exemplifies her professional work by living a life of committed action. She serves as Vice President of the WSLA Alumnae Group Board, chairs the Women in Green committee for USGBC-LA, and is also a member of the LA Community Leaders. She has been honored with multiple awards including the Top Women in Sustainability Leadership, Los Angeles Impact Maker, and holds professional designations including USGBC LEED AP, O&M, CCIM and BOMA RPA.

Lori Duvall

Director of Global Impact, eBay

Dagmar B. Epsten

President & CEO, PlanAPlanet, LLC

Hilary Beber Firestone

Senior City Policy Expert, Natural Resources Defense Council

Angela Foster-Rice

Sustainability Leader and Environmental Attorney, Everland

Angela Foster-Rice has more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of aviation decarbonization and sustainability, SAF, carbon markets, and climate policy. She has helped shape the evolution of both SAF and carbon markets - from early airline adoption and investment, to fuel production, policy development, and market creation.

Most recently, she served as Vice President of Government & Regulatory Affairs at LanzaJet, where she helped advance commercialization of the world's first commercial-scale ethanol-to-SAF refinery.

Angela began her SAF journey during her 16 years at United Airlines, where she served as Managing Director of Global Environmental Affairs & Sustainability and Managing Counsel, Environmental. There, she led pioneering SAF initiatives, including the airline's early commercial-scale SAF deployment (at LAX with World Energy) and the first U.S. airline investment in a SAF producer. She worked both with United's suppliers and with their customers in implementing ways to reduce emissions across the value chain.

Between United and LanzaJet, Angela held senior leadership roles in the voluntary carbon markets, where she closed landmark transactions and helped shape emerging frameworks on carbon market integrity and corporate climate claims.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Rice University and a J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Stacy Glass

President, Built Environment, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

Kira Gould

Principal/Founder, Kira Gould CONNECT

Kira Gould is a writer, strategist, and convener dedicated to advancing design leadership, climate action, and climate justice. Kira is a Senior Fellow with Architecture 2030 and serves on the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment national leadership group. Through Kira Gould CONNECT, she provides strategic communications for leaders designing, developing, and building the sustainable future. Kira co-authored Women in Green: Voices of Sustainable Design (2007) with Lance Hosey. She currently co-hosts the Design the Future podcast with Lindsay Baker.

Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir

CEO/Inventor, mnmMOD Building Solutions

Katrin Klingenberg

Co-Founder, Executive Director, Passive House Institute US (PHIUS)

Fulya Kocak

CEO & Founder, Fulya Kocak, LLC

Fulya Kocak is a sustainability thought leader, educator, and author. A pioneer of the green building and ESG movement, Fulya’s experience spans more than two decades as a change agent and subject matter expert in both real estate, design, and construction industries. As the former SVP of ESG issues for Nareit, the national association representing real estate investment trusts and publicly traded real estate companies in the U.S., Ms. Kocak provided guidance, oversight, and innovation for the REIT industry's ESG leadership. As a part of her role, she gained deep insights into the latest ESG developments, including investor focus areas, member advisory, ESG reporting frameworks as well as priority topics, including climate change and social justice.

In her previous roles in the construction sector, Ms. Kocak developed corporate sustainability programs from the ground up, coordinated environmental responsibility efforts, and assisted building owners and developers in meeting their sustainability goals cost-effectively. As an ESG, sustainability, and green building pioneer, Fulya is passionate about leading impactful organizations into their next chapter through strategic ESG advisory and custom education services.

Deborah Marton

Executive Director New York Restoration Project

Michelle Moore

CEO, Groundswell

Jane Palmieri

Business President, Dow Polyurethanes and Chlor-Alkali Vinyl, Global Business Groups, The Dow Chemical Company

Dawn Rittenhouse

Principal/Founder, Sustainability Strategies

Dawn was Director of Sustainable Development for the DuPont Company until January 2019. She has a double major in Chemistry and Economics from Duke University. She has held positions in Technical Service, Sales, Marketing, and Product Management within DuPont. In 1997, she began working in the corporate organization to assist DuPont businesses in integrating sustainability strategies into their strategy and business management processes. Dawn is currently the president of the board of the Delaware Nature Society and Finance Chair of the Board of Future500, a non-profit focused on stakeholder engagement.

Alicia Silva

General Director and Founder, Revitaliza Consultores

Alicia is on a mission to build a sustainable future where community and business growth are aligned with the vitality of the planet and the quality of human life. She is Director and Founder of Revitaliza Consultores in Mexico City in which she does international work for sustainable buildings, portfolios and cities. She is an architect by training, holds an Green MBA in sustainable enterprise from UMA, is a certified Sustainable Building Advisor, and a LEED FELLOW Professional with credentials in LEED BD+ C, O+M Well AP, and ID+C rating systems. She is engaged in more than 10 organizations always trying to contribute and raise the glass ceiling.