Serving as an advisory board, these entrepreneurs, strategists, community leaders and visionaries under the age of 35 have agreed to share their extraordinary skills to support the mission of Oregon Environmental Council.
Alison Hopcroft
Alison is an Associate Manager at Fluid Market Strategies, where she manages energy efficiency programs and leads their Sustainability Consulting Services group. Alison grew up near Portland, Maine, and after a first career teaching 7th grade science, she attended the Monterey Institute of International Studies, graduating with an MA in International Environmental Policy and a focus in Sustainable Business Management. Alison sees leveraging the innovation inherent in the business world as a key component in addressing the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues. Alison currently serves on the Technical Committee of the Carbon Reduction Challenge, a program launched by OEC that helps wineries in the Northwest to reduce carbon emissions.
Bethany Thomas
Bethany Thomas is the co-founder and co-director of local nonprofit, Ecology in Classrooms & Outdoors (ECO). ECO aims to connect elementary students to the world around them through exploration of their local ecology. Bethany is a native Oregonian, and growing up, she was fortunate to spend a lot of time exploring Oregon’s forests. She believes that young people who have the chance to connect to and learn about their environment will grow into adults who care and take action to protect this place. Bethany received a BS in environmental science and in geography from the University of Oregon. She is married to Matt Thomas, owner of local businesses, Townshend's Tea Company and Brew Dr. Kombucha. They have two boys, ages 3 and 1.
Bethany Waggoner
Bethany Waggoner is a big believer that two things—awareness and engagement—can turn a simple idea into a ground breaking, world changing phenomenon. Bethany’s commitment to sustainability, integrity and opportunity form a solid foundation that drives her distinct approach to social networking. As Director of Communication for Social Enterprises/The GoGreen Conference, Bethany uses the tools of the Internet to tell stories the world needs to hear.
Bradford McKeown
Bradford McKeown is a believer in the maxim—often attributed to Margaret Mead—that says, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” A native of the Southern Oregon Coast, Bradford obtained his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College. Over the next eight years he migrated from Boston, MA to Oregon and back, returning to Oregon permanently in 2009 when he began his MBA studies at Willamette University. After completing his degree in sustainable management, Bradford joined Energy Trust of Oregon as a communications project manager/editor. His moderately unhealthy passion for grammar and style is rivaled only by his enjoyment of a day on the river or a well-crafted pint.
Graeme Byrd
Graeme Byrd is a connector, collaborator and changemaker. With an expertise in sustainability, technology and engaging the millennial generation, Graeme helps business and organizations grow in this changing economy to create a better society. He has more than a decade of experience in helping organizations and businesses find solutions to improve their communication and business challenges. Graeme is the Director of Business Development and Client Services for Cascade Web Development and the President of the Net Impact Portland Professional Chapter. Graeme has been a speaker at numerous conferences and events, including the national Net Impact Conference, Green Professionals Conference, and WVDO Conference. Follow Graeme at @graemefbyrd.
Irene B. Schwoeffermann
Irene currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF), a nonprofit organization focused on sustainability and equity in the Portland metropolitan region. Prior to CLF, Irene spent nearly ten years living in Washington, DC where she graduated from Howard University, worked at the national level for various non-profit organizations, and served as Coalitions Director for the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill. Since her return to Portland, Irene has completed the Portland State University Institute for Sustainable Solutions Graduate Certificate program. She remains an active member of her sorority at the Portland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she assists with the management of the June Key Delta Community Center—a grassroots Living Building project in North Portland—and coordinates the JKDCC community garden. Irene is also a founding partner of the Ujamaa Farm Project and consults with the NE Coalition of Neighborhoods (as the Energy Efficiency Coordinator) and Black Women For Peace.
Jude Lieberman
Jude is a native Oregonian with a strong belief in the power of business for social good. She has over 8 years professional experience helping small businesses across diverse industries with process efficiency and marketing communications. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration with a focus in Sustainability at Portland State University. Jude also serves on the Leadership Team of PSU’s Net Impact Chapter, and on the board of Levé.
Mason Walker
Mason Walker is new media manager of the Portland Business Journal and cofounder of Sustainable Business Oregon, a publication at the intersection of business and sustainability in the Northwest. Mason’s mission is to help significantly raise the level of sophistication around strategy-driven sustainability in the business community. He holds a degree in supply chain & logistics from Portland State University and is a fan of startups, social enterprise and tech-driven urban agriculture. You can keep up with him on Twitter at @Grow2point0.
Priya Premchandran
Priya is an Associate at SERA Architects and core member of the Sustainability Resources Group. In her role as the LEED manager with over six years of focused expertise, Priya is a key advisor on SERA’s LEED projects ranging from hospitality, offices, multifamily housing and higher education. In addition to her strong skills in integrating sustainability concepts into high performance projects, Priya is also an expert and a passionate advocate for transparency and disclosure in the building industry and eliminating toxics impacting human health from the building materials and products used within our built environment. She advises project teams on selection and specification of sustainable products, developing tools and expertise to assist with the process. Priya is also currently serving on the Health Product Declaration Pilot Project Committee—an open standard framework focused on transparency and disclosure of human health impact of products. She also served on the Cascadia Green Building Council Chapter Task Force working on identifying regional priority issues and credits for the Pacific Northwest region. Priya is actively engaged in the Portland branch of the Cascadia Green Building Council and is a co-chair of the Portland Living Building Collaborative.
Scott Stein
Scott is the Development Director at the Bus Project. He has over eight years experience in the political and non-profit sectors in strategic management and fundraising. Scott has always had a deep love for the environment, he is an avid hiker and snowboarder and has raised awareness for environmental stewardship though his work at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is also involved in creating innovative solutions to social problems through social entrepreneurship and social enterprise development. Scott has a Masters in Public Administration and a Certificate in Global Affairs Policy from New York University.
