Team BEF

At BEF, we believe we all have the power to change the world. But someone's got to steer this ship.
Here are some of the people at the helm.

• Margie Gardner, Chief Executive Officer

  Margie provides vision, inspiration and leadership for the foundation's work. For the last two and a half decades, she has devoted her time to developing responsible energy alternatives to the current system of fossil fueled power. Prior to coming to BEF, she founded and led the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), an award-winning organization transforming markets towards more efficiency. Before that, Margie promoted energy efficiency at the Northwest Power Planning Council and, while at the Natural Resources Defense Council, co-authored the first least-cost electricity plan for the Northwest U.S. In her time off, Margie enjoys being outdoors, especially sailing, skiing, gardening and hiking.

• Angus Duncan, Founder and President

  Angus has been with BEF since it began and has been pivotally involved in the renewable energy market and policy development for more than three decades. In addition to his duties at BEF, Angus chairs the Oregon Governor's Global Warming Commission and helped create the West Coast Governors Global Warming Initiative. Angus represented Oregon on the Northwest Power Planning Council for several years, serving as its chairman from 1994-95. In 1979-80, he was director of Energy Policy for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Angus has taught at the university level, appears regularly at professional conferences throughout the country, has written numerous published articles and has won many awards for his service. His BA is from Harvard College in government. On weekends, he sings bass in a choir.

• Rob Harmon, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President

  Rob has been working in the energy field since 1987, starting as an energy auditor in Massachusetts, moving on to manage an international marketing effort in the wind energy industry. Rob joined BEF in 1999, and is credited with developing our Green Tag program. In 2000, Rob developed and launched the first carbon calculator on the Internet. In 2000, Rob and Angus closed the first retail Green Tag transaction in the United States. In 2004, Rob was awarded the national Green Power Pioneer Award for his introduction of the retail Green Tag and his ongoing efforts to build a thriving and credible Green Tag market in the United States. Rob also conceptualized and directed the development of BEF’s national Solar 4R Schools program. His latest venture is the creation of BEF’s Water Restoration Certificate business line, which utilizes voluntary markets to restore critically de-watered ecosystems. He has published various articles, and recently contributed chapters to the book: Voluntary Carbon Markets: A Business Guide to What They Are and How They Work. Rob currently serves on the Boards of the Northwest Energy Coalition, Green-e, the Environmental Tracking Network of North America and is a founder, Board member and Federal Policy Committee Chair of the Renewable Energy Marketers Association. His BA is from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. In his free time, he wants to be kayaking.

• Todd Reeve, Vice President, Watershed Programs

  Todd earned his masters in physical geography from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his BA from the University of Oregon. Since 1992, Todd has worked in various capacities for the Forest Service, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the E.P.A., and of course, since 2000 with BEF. Among other projects, Todd has supervised research on salmonid migration studies and habitat use, monitored biological and hydrological results of stream restoration projects and coordinated with many organizations to design and fund watershed research and monitoring programs in the Pacific Northwest. In the process, he has presented at numerous conferences throughout the Pacific Northwest and has published articles in several scholarly journals and magazines.

• Joanna Gilson, Vice President, Administration

  Joanna is an Oregon native and has been with the Foundation since the beginning, setting up its initial money management, human resources, legal, IT and office requirements, and expanding them in pace with the Foundation’s growth. Before joining BEF, she spent 25 years at the University of Washington, first as a student - earning a BA in Russian and an MA in Soviet history and politics - then working in various administrative positions, finally creating and administering the new Office of Student Services at the Jackson School of International Studies before moving back to Portland. She has served as a volunteer English tutor for Russian emigres, as an official Russian interpreter for the Goodwill Games and a Soviet mountain-climbing expedition. Currently she volunteers at the Harvest Share Program of the Oregon Food Bank, assisting Russian and other families with food aid.

• Felicia Phillips, Vice President, Finance & Operations

  Felicia has a distinguished background in both the non-profit and private sector. Prior to joining BEF in 2008, she worked as the Chief Financial Officer for SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) and is the Founder and Owner of Peaceful Valley – Earth Friendly Clothing & Gifts, an online retailer of organic clothing and eco-friendly gifts. Prior to SMART, Felicia was the Vice President of Operations and acting CFO for the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce and was the Vice President and CFO of Great Way Products from 1989 to 2001. She has a BA in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas and earned a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law with a focus on business and employment law. Her personal interests include kayak touring, backcountry camping, wildlife and landscape photography, snowshoeing, exploration of U.S. and Canadian National Parks, international travel and reading a variety of genres.

• Heidi Eggert, Vice President of Marketing

  Heidi's passion for consumer insights and marketing is rooted in 13+ years of experience on both the advertising agency and client sides of marketing. Prior to joining BEF, Heidi was head of the strategic planning group for Eleven Inc., an integrated marketing agency based in San Francisco. At Eleven Inc., Heidi worked with clients ranging from Visa USA to Google to BEA Systems . Heidi began her career as an account planner for Fallon Worldwide, working in both their Minneapolis and New York offices on clients ranging from McDonald's to Sports Illustrated and Holiday Inn. Heidi has an undergraduate degree in political science from Grinnell College in Iowa and a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. Outside of work, Heidi's passion for travel and the outdoors has taken her to some of the more remote corners of the world including a camel safari in NW India, a jungle trek through the Peruvian Amazon and train journey across NE China.

• Patrick Nye, Vice President of Climate Business Group

  Patrick joined BEF in March 2002, and has focused on expanding the foundation's primary fundraising activity, the sale of Carbon Offsets to clients ranging from organic food producers and film productions to events, households and utilities across North America. Patrick is a LEED® Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council, serving as BEF's primary contact to green building customers. Additional duties include market development, educational outreach and renewable energy policy advising for groups such as the National Ski Areas Association (Sustainable Slopes Program). In October 2007, his pioneering SkiGreen™ program won national recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Leadership Awards. Before BEF, Pat worked as a public relations/advertising account manager for KnollGROUP and as the engineering manager for Portland Brewing Company. Service on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Planetree and ice-breaker Polar Star gave him his first environmental work as a first responder to the Exxon Valdez oil spill and as a participant in climate research in the Arctic Sea near the North Pole.

• Dick Wanderscheid, Vice President of Project Management Group

  Dick was employed by the City of Ashland from 1979 - 2009. He held several positions including Associate Planner, Conservation Manager, Director of Administrative Services and from May 2001 to May 2005 headed the City's Electric and Telecommunication department. From May 2005 to December 2009, when Telecom was split off into a separate department, he headed up the City's Municipal Electric Utility. He started and managed the City’s Resource Conservation and Renewable Resource programs from the early 1980’s through 2009. He was active in many regional and state utility organizations and served as Secretary/Treasurer of Northwest Requirements Utilities and on Governor Kulongoski's Renewable Energy Work Group. He has degrees in Business Administration from Oregon State University and Geography from Southern Oregon University. He began work at BEF in January 2010.

• Randy Batchelor, Project Manager, Project Management Group

  Randy has been working with the Solar 4R Schools program since 2006 and has managed the installation of over 50 solar projects, with many more in progress. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tulane University and has completed extensive coursework in renewable energy system design. Randy grew up in Vermont skiing and sailing. Prior to working for BEF he spent time rebuilding homes and assessing damage to boats in New Orleans, post-Katrina. Randy is passionate about green living, music, skateboarding, kite boarding and spending time with his dogs and friends.

• Alden Boetsch, Watershed Program Associate

  Alden is assessing the region’s watershed restoration initiatives in order to develop and foster the best landscape-scale restoration strategies. With more than nine years of natural resource management experience, she’s fascinated by the interdependence of the human and natural worlds. Prior to joining BEF in September 2009, Alden had done collaborative and community-based work in a variety of private, governmental, and nonprofit arenas, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Sonoran Institute, and Sustainable Northwest. Alden earned a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment and a B.A. in Geology from Carleton College. She enjoys biking and hiking, is figuring out how to ski, and is trying to master wheel-thrown ceramics.

• Lynnae Burns, Special Projects & Operations Specialist

  Lynnae is a generalist, no doubt about it. She has worked in fashion design/merchandising, graphic/web design, audio recording/production and most recently as a paper pusher, problem solver and purveyor of fine policy at BEF. She graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 2006 with a BA in 20th century history--specializing in popular culture and big bad dictators. (She wrote her thesis on the effects of propaganda posters on "sent-down" youth during China's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.) Lynnae spends every scrap of spare time she can muster with her husband George and her daughter, the most amazing little girl of all time, Hazel Pearl.

• Noah Cable, Sales Representative, Climate Business Group

  Noah joined BEF in November 2008, and works in the climate business group as a sales representative. A native Oregonian (Roseberg), Noah operates his own frozen dessert business (SOL Pops, which use Sustainable, Organic, and Local ingredients and business growth principles) and ran his own insurance company. He also founded and presides over HIPPNET, a business organization of active professionals in Portland, Oregon. Outside of work, he enjoys food-related pursuits, travel, and the outdoors.

• Bev Colisch, Accounting Manager

  Bev is a CPA and has 19 years of experience in auditing and accounting, much of it with nonprofits. When she first started tending BEF's money, she split time with the Oregon Environmental Council and is happy to finally have only one boss. Her BS in environmental policy analysis and planning is from UC-Davis.

• Craig Collins, Project Manger, Project Management Group

  Craig graduated in 2002 from UC Santa Barbara with a BS in environmental studies. He is currently enrolled in electrical engineering coursework at Portland State University where he hopes to complete a masters degree. Craig has had diverse work experiences from computer repair to cattle ranching and is a registered journeyman electrician in the state of California. In his spare time, Craig avoids electrocution and sitting still.

• Dave Lettero, Education Manager, Project Management Group

  Dave works to integrate renewable energy into the classroom. A tactile learner himself, he gets students working hands-on with renewable energy technologies and applying projects to their daily life. Dave earned a master's in education at Penn State University studying sustainability education for adults. During his program, he exemplified low-impact living by producing all of his needs and living in a yurt on campus.

• Michele Martin, Sales Representative, Climate Business Group

  Michele Martin has worked in fundraising and business development for companies in communications and public relations, and Outward Bound, and Business Wire. She joined BEF as an intern, then became a member of the sales team. Her graduate degree from Portland State University is in Public Administration with a natural resource policy focus. She enjoys all outdoor activities and her other hobbies of eating fine chocolate and smelly cheese.

• Erin McAlister, Administrative Program Coordinator

  Erin grew up in Iowa, where she earned an English degree at Buena Vista University. A couple years after graduating, she moved to Oregon and joined the team at BEF, fulfilling her intention of being involved in an organization that was passionate about environmental issues. In her spare time, Erin enjoys live music, learning how to play guitar, cooking, camping, painting and reading.

• Melinda Musser, Marketing Coordinator

  Melinda graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Business Administration: Marketing Concentration. Melinda brings to BEF a background in print production and product marketing with a passion for environmental issues. In her spare time, Melinda roots for the Blazers, hikes, bikes, and travels around the globe.

• Sara Reinhardt, Accounting Assistant

  Sara assists Bev with the books half-time and goes to school the other half. Biking and vegan living are her passions: she's treasurer for Bike Farm, a bicycle maintenance collective.

• Marilyn Roach, Marketing Coordinator

  Marilyn works half-time in marketing and sales, helping bring Heidi's ideas to life, researching questions, writing the answers, and helping Lisa and Abbey serve BEF customers. She spent years in public advocacy and raising her kids. Before that, she worked in television, National Parks and the Peace Corps.

• Shankar Sharma, IT Specialist

  Shankar is an expert at a long list of computer technical skills and project management. His strongest skills are in ERP systems (SAP) and web development. Shankar began his career with Indian Airlines, New Delhi where he was part of the sales and marketing team, then rapidly developed through other businesses in warehouse management, production, transportation operations, and supervising, including complex data management. To enhance his skills, he earned an MBA in Management, Logistics, and Finance from Missouri State University. While there, he designed and maintained the University Student Union website. In his life outside of BEF, Shankar loves anything outdoors especially soccer and fly-fishing.

• Kendra Smith, the Willamette Model Watershed Program Director

  A certified floodplain manager, Kendra has created many watershed plans, resource assessments, restoration projects, and public policy plans over the last 15 years. She prepared and implemented the Healthy Streams Plan for the Tualatin River Basin while working at Clean Water Services. In 2000, Kendra earned awards from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and Tualatin Riverkeepers. She currently serves on the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board’s Willamette Region Grant Review Team and Metro’s Greenspaces Capital Grants Selection Committee. Her B.A. in Biology and Economics is from Colby College and her Master of Science in Ecosystems Management is from the Oregon Graduate Institute.

• Ben Stuart, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator

  Ben worked as an award-winning journalist in Homer, Alaska, covering everything from politics and sports to the environment, witnessing first hand the interconnectivity of energy and environmental issues. In 2006 he wrote a three-part series on brown bear behavior that ran in several national papers. Research included the camping trip of a lifetime in prime bear habitat, where 700-pound bears walked within feet of his group, which included top biologists. Ben, whose degree in business administration is from the University of Oregon, has also worked in sales, marketing and tourism. He once won $1,180 in a fishing tournament by catching a 23.8-pound winter king salmon.

• Will Villota, Brand Manager

  Will has over 15 years experience in marketing and ecommerce in the advertising, sporting goods and high-tech industries. A native New Yorker, Will relocated to Portland, Oregon, in 1997 for a position with Adidas America. He later ran Adidas’ Global eMarketing group in Germany and was a Senior Marketing Manager at Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, California, before returning to Portland for a position with venture capital funded MotoSport.com. Before joining BEF, Will was an independent consultant for businesses including BEF, SeQuential Biofuels, SeniorEducators.com, Nau and RYZwear.com. He holds a B.S. in Marketing from Rutgers University, lives in North Portland and is slowly but surely restoring his 1907 home.

• Kayla Walker, Sales Representative, Climate Business Group

  Kayla recently graduated from Hofstra University on Long Island with a degree in print journalism. A native Oregonian, she moved back home after interning at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., this spring. When she's not working, Kayla likes to hike, read and campaign for peace in northern Uganda.

• David Wang, Trading Associate

  David joined BEF in September 2009 with a background as a financial analyst and equity options trader. His bachelors degrees are in Economics and Finance from the University of Washington and he’s studied in Mexico and China. When he’s not at work, he enjoys playing sports, reading, traveling and food.

• Robert Warren, Model Watershed Program Manager

  Robert joined BEF in December 2008 to manage the watershed restoration grants. Before BEF, he worked for The Nature Conservancy of Washington as the Port Susan Bay Program Manager, planning and executing landscape-scale conservation efforts in the bay and the Stillaguamish River estuary. Before moving to Washington, Robert spent eight years working in a variety of restoration efforts, related research and monitoring in the Columbia River estuary, including stints as the Executive Director of the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce and Executive Director of Sea Resources. Robert’s bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Master of Science degree in Environmental Science (with a focus in aquatic ecology) are from the University of Idaho. Robert is a hopelessly obsessive fly fisherman eternally frustrated by not getting to spend enough time on the water.