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
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
Governance Issues, NAREIT
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.
