GreenUP! Board of Directors
Donna Walden, President of the greenUP! Board, provides consultation for environmental non-profits. Walden supports the Green Business Engagement National Network (GBENN) as a volunteer, helping them to structure the organization, assists with web design and strategic planning. She was instrumental in planning and organization of the second annual GBENN Summit that took place in Detroit in October 2016.
For 5 years, Walden was the Regional Coordinator for the Western Sustainability & Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN), where she organized the annual WSPPN conference and negotiated joint involvement with CalRecycle in 2012 and 2013. Walden received national recognition in 2013 as the Pollution Prevention Volunteer of the Year 2013 by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable as part of the annual Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) awards designed to recognize outstanding and innovative P2 projects and programs.
In 2009 and 2008, she was the Executive Director for the Sierra Green Building Association (SiGBA) in Truckee, CA whose mission is to educate and promote environmental design, building and living practices in the Sierra Nevada. As SiGBA’s Executive Director, she launched their 1st annual Tahoe greenFEST expo and opened two new chapters to broaden their reach throughout the Sierra Nevada region.
Dr. Sandra Carroll, Vice President of the greenUP! Board, is an environmental scientist with advanced training and experience in environmental toxicology, human health and ecological risk assessment, environmental studies, air quality analysis, and chemical accident prevention programs. She has extensive experience implementing facility and chemical specific hazard analyses and risk management plans.
Dr. Carroll has conducted environmental, health and safety audits for private and public sector clients. She has served as chemical safety audit team leader for the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including an assignment during which she worked with EPA and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for chemical accident prevention program development under the Clean Air Act.
Dr. Carroll has developed and managed a wide range of projects that required inter-agency coordination with federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, technical support for industrial facilities, workshops, public meetings, and training development. She has collaborated on technical, policy development, and regulatory negotiations, including consensus building, group facilitation, and risk communication for environmental projects.
Cassie Carroll is the greenUP! Board secretary and serves as the coordinator of the GBENN Leadership Team. She joined the GBENN Leadership Committee after the 1st National Summit for Green Business Programs in May of 2013.
Cassie joined The Land Connection in March 2016, bringing experience in sustainable business program development, accreditation, non-profit management and grant writing. She oversees The Land Connection’s programming and supports the development of program funding for strategic organizational initiatives. Prior to joining the Land Connection, Cassie served in the role of Associate Sustainability Specialist at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, managing the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award program, and supporting the development of combined and affiliate programs under the Technical Assistance Program. Cassie also previously served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) where she oversaw strategic planning, fundraising, outreach, partnership development and staff oversight. She was an original founder of the IGBA in 2008.
Green Business Program Staff
Erica Gallegos, is the GreenBizTracker Manager for the Nevada Green Business Program working out of Western Nevada College. She also has worked with greenUP!, on the Green Dining District program where greenUP! collaborates with local restaurants to track and reduce waste streams and improve energy efficiency. She developed a social media and marketing campaign for the Green Dining District, and worked to organize a Nevada Day Green Team to reduce plastic waste at downtown events.
Erica graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Renewable Energy. During college, she worked at the City of Reno’s Climate and Sustainability Office, where she researched planning and management best practices, gathered and analyzed data necessary to measure progress toward performance metrics, and coordinated with City staff, local agencies, and the Green Building Task Force to execute sustainable initiatives. Erica spent her last semester abroad in Costa Rica, studying tropical conservation and local sustainability efforts.
Green Dining District Staff
Andrew Azar is the Green Dining District intern. He will be working on the reusable takeout container pilot, work with restaurants on the upcoming banner promotions, and conduct waste audits.
Andrew recently graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor’s degree in Geography. He focused on environmental policy and management with a minor in writing. In the fall he will begin his master’s degree in City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah; focusing on transportation and land use. Andrew’s interests in transportation comes from his fondness for cycling.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys cross-country mountain biking and cyclocross, climbing, baking, and playing the bass guitar. In the long term, he hopes to create accessible, enjoyable, human-scale communities that encourage sustainability through compactness.