Earth Week Speaker Biographies
Thanks to everyone who is participating this year! (More information will be available soon.)
Nena Baker, Author
Nena Baker, author of The Body Toxic: How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-Being, is a former staff writer for The Arizona Republic, The Oregonian, and United Press International. Her award-winning investigation of Nike's Indonesian factories in the early 1990s led to numerous improvements for workers. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College and lives in Portland, OR.
Heidi Bohan, Ethnobotanist
Ethnobotanist, cultural educator, sustainable living, permaculture designer, and freelance educator working with the Snoqualmie Tribe, Bastyr University, Northwest Indian College and through my own organization 'Native Arts & Cultural Center; also a writer and artist working on 'The People of Cascadia' funded by King County 4-Culture; Carnation Farmers market manager, Executive Director of the Sno Valley Tilth
David Bowen, Municipal Liaison Manager PSE, Wild Horse Wind Farm
David received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Central Washington University in 1985.
David’s background includes small business ownership, corporate insurance claims, department management and seven years elected local government experience.
He serves on several local boards including the Cle Elum/Roslyn Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Kittitas County, Yakima Basin Storage Alliance, and Ellensburg School District Education Foundation.
David was the elected Kittitas County Auditor from 2001-2004 and Kittitas County Commissioner from 2005-2008. Currently David is responsible for community and government relations in Eastern Washington and at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar facility.
Kate Costanza, Sustainability Coordinator, MulvannyG2 Architecture
Kate Costanza, LEED® AP, Sustainability Coordinator, MulvannyG2 Architecture. Kate has 9 years experience in the building community. At MulvannyG2 Architecture she heads the Department of Sustainability, consulting with clients and architects on sustainable design attributes and the various measurement programs, such as LEED® certification and develops educational content for the staff at the firm.
MulvannyG2 started out as a small hardworking firm in Bellevue and is now a global architectural firm that has competed projects in 19 time zones. The firm employs people all over the world and is reknown for its great people culture.
Sergio Cueva-Flores, King County Director for Sen. Patty Murray
Sergio is the King County Director for Sen. Patty Murray.
Nolan Curtis, Administration Section Manager - Nuclear Waste Program, Washington State Department of Ecology
Nolan Curtis is the Washington State Department of Ecology Administration Section Manager for the Nuclear Waste Program. A major focus of the Nuclear Waste Program is to promote the sound management and protection of the environment at, and adjacent to, the United States Department of Energy’s Hanford Site.
Curtis is a member of the Nuclear Waste Program and Richland Field Office management teams. He is responsible for management of Hanford’s Tri-Party Agreement Public Involvement and stakeholder relations. He also manages Ecology’s Richland Office facility and its administrative support services. Curtis serves as one of the principal on-site agency representatives to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), United States Department of Energy (USDOE), USDOE Contractor staff, Hanford Advisory Board, Indian Tribes, stakeholders, media, and the public.
Curtis has over twenty years of experience in outreach and communications, strategic planning, and workforce development with Fortune 500, public agency, and private sector clients. Since 1993, he has worked at USDOE nuclear cleanup sites in Ohio and Washington. He currently serves on several national advisory committees including the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center and the Community & College Consortium for Health and Safety Training NIEHS-DOE Program Advisory Board.
Lisa Dupar, Owner and Chief Creative Officer, Lisa Dupar Catering and Pomegranate Bistro
As chief creative officer and owner of Lisa Dupar Catering, the Pacific Northwest’s premiere full-service catering company, Lisa Dupar found her passion for food in her family’s kitchen in Atlanta, Georgia. Memories of family gatherings and southern-style meals are the foundation of her success as one of the Northwest’s leading caterers. Dupar’s career started when she was a child. Her mother, not interested in cooking, offered Dupar a compromise—she would clean if Dupar would cook. Thinking the deal was perfect, Dupar agreed. Utilizing this hands-on experience, she developed sharp culinary talents and soon embarked on her first business endeavor selling decorated cakes to friends and family members.
Following high school, Dupar followed her dream and took an apprenticeship at the Westin hotel chain’s Peachtree Plaza hotel in Atlanta, Georgia where she gained broad-based culinary training under the watchful eyes of executive chef, Waldo Brun. Three years later, Dupar spent time traveling through Switzerland and cooking in elegant European restaurants including stints at the Baron du Moulette in Zurich and hotels Du La Paix and Hotel Du Rhone in Geneva.
In 1981, Dupar returned stateside to help open the Palm Court restaurant in Seattle’s Westin hotel, serving as the hotel chain’s first female chef. She built on this success opening Southern Accents restaurant in 1984, followed by Lisa’s Restaurant and Catering in 1986. Shortly thereafter, in 1997 Lisa renamed the company Lisa Dupar Catering. In 2005, Dupar, and husband Jonathan Zimmer, opened Pomegranate Bistro, a southern comfort infused, neighborhood bistro in Redmond, Wash.
Throughout her 30 year career, Dupar has received numerous accolades and awards for her flavorful and innovative cuisine. Recently, KING 5 awarded Dupar their “Best Catering Facility” award, Seattle Bride and CitySearch.com recognized Dupar as “Best Caterer,” and Seattle Magazine and Seattle Metropolitan highlighted Pomegranate Bistro as “Best” restaurant. Dupar is also a certified “Woman-Owned Business” owner and a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
When not in the kitchen, Dupar can be found volunteering for FareStart, Operation Frontline, the Women’s funding Alliance, the March of Dimes, several culinary arts programs and various Children’s Hospital guilds. Additionally, Dupar sits on culinary-related boards including the Art Institute of Seattle and the Seattle Chapter of Les Dames d’ Escoffier International. She is also a member of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Steve Gilbert, PhD, DABT, INND, Institute of Neurotoxicology & Neurological Disorders
Steven G. Gilbert, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., Director and Founder of the Institute of Neurotoxicology and Neurological Disorders (INND), received a Ph.D. in Toxicology in 1986 from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, and is a Diplomat of American Board of Toxicology. He is an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington and Affiliate Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, UW Bothell. He is a former owner and President of Biosupport, LTD., which he sold to SNBL USA Ltd. These firms were involved in pre-clinical contract research, toxicology, and specialized model development. Dr. Gilbert’s research has focused on neurobehavioral effects of low-level exposure to lead and mercury on the developing nervous system. His book, A Small Dose of Toxicology- The Health Effects of Common Chemicals was published in 2004 (www.asmalldoseof.org). Most recently he has started a wiki based web site Toxipedia (www.toxipedia.org) with the mission of connecting science and people. (sgilbert@innd.org).
Art Goss, Astronomy, BCC
Art teaches astronomy and manages the planetarium at Bellevue Community College. He has an avid interest in all things nuclear.
Kurt Hoelting, Author, Founder/Director Inside Passage Project
From Kurt's web site: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, graduating from the University of Washington and Harvard Divinity School. I have worked as a clergyman, commercial fisherman in Alaska, a wilderness guide and a meditation teacher. I lead a migratory lifestyle with winters in Puget Sound and summers in Alaska. In 1994 I founded Inside Passages, a sea kayaking outfitter-guide business in Alaska that combines my love for wilderness exploration, conservation, and contemplative practice. Inside Passages offers sea kayaking trips and other retreats utilizing contemplative practice and the power of nature to clarify our vision, strengthen our vocation and enhance our commitment to ecological sustainability. I live on Whidbey Island with my wife Sally, and am the father of two children, Kristin and Alex.
Stan Hummel, Capital Project Supervisor, Brightwater Treatment Plant
Stan Hummel has 20 years experience in the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment and pipeline projects for the King County Wastewater Treatment Division. Stan was involved in the site selection and environmental review for the Brightwater system, and served as the project manager for pre-design and final design of the Brightwater Treatment Plant, leading technology selection and final design. Stan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington (1989) and is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Washington.
JP Kemmick, Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club
JP Kemmick is an organizer with the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, working towards a Coal Free NW. He’ll give a presentation about the Sierra Club’s coal campaign both nationally and locally, highlighting the role coal plays in climate change and the importance of shifting to a renewable energy economy.
Sara Needleman-Carlton, Political Activist and former BCC Student Body President
Sara Needleman-Carlton was Bellevue Community College Associated Student Body president from 2000-2001. She has a Bachelors degree in Non-Profit Business and Community Development from the Evergreen State College. As an experienced citizen activist she has participated in a wide variety of public works, volunteerism, demonstrations, political campaigns, lobbying and general rabble rousing. Her community involvement most recently had her working as the Office Manager and Scheduler for Darcy Burner for Congress. She currently works at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest.
Dr. Ted Roush, NASA Space Scientist, Ames Research Center
Dr. Roush has written about solar system surface composition of diverse bodies from Mercury to Pluto. A participating scientist with the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer team, he is a co-Investigator of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Compact Imaging Spectrometer for Mars instrument currently obtaining data. Dr. Roush is a co-investigator on the European Space Agency ExoMars-Pasteur Rover Mars Infrared Imager, slated to land on the Martian surface in 2017. He holds doctorates in geology and geophysics.
Jeremy Smithson, Co-Founder/Owner, Puget Sound Solar
Jeremy Smithson and Pamela Burton are the cofounders and owners of Puget Sound Solar. Because recent events have hastened the need for new means of energy production, Jeremy phased out his 28-year design/build business to form Puget Sound Solar. Now in its eighth year, the company continues to be a leader in the region, keeping eight people busy full-time so far.
Mark Storey, Philosophy Instructor, Bellevue College
Mark Storey teaches Eastern Philosophy and is chair for the Philosophy Department of Bellevue College.
Tony Tessandori, Anthropology Instructor, Bellevue College
I am first a father and husband, second I am an anthropologist. Both of these roles make conservation an important issue for me. I want my children to have a clean and health place to play and I want humanity to continue to develop in its beautiful and amazing diversity.
Dr. Ka-Kit Tung, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Adjunct Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of Washington
Professor Tung received his baccalaureate and master's degrees at the California Institute of Technology, both in 1972, in the field of Aeronautical Engineering. He earned his doctorate degree in Applied Mathematics at Harvard University in 1977, where he also stayed on for two more years as a postdoc before moving on to MIT, first as an Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics and then as an Associate Professor. His other affiliations are: Associate, Center for Earth and Planetary Physics, Harvard University (1979-1983); Associate, Center for Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, MIT (1983-1990); John Simon Guggenheim Fellow (1985-1986); Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, Clarkson University (1986-1988); Visiting Professor, Center for Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, MIT (1987-1990); Professor Tung joined the Department in late 1988 and became Department Chair in August 1993, a position he held until July 2007. He is currently the Boeing Endowed Professor. He is the Chief Editor of Journal of Atmospheric Sciences. He also serves as an Editor of Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems, B. He is a current member of the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the Royal Meteorological Society of United Kingdom.
Kathe Winkler-Low,UW Masters of Public Administration Program (former BCC student)
Katherine Winkler-Low, who attended Bellevue College from 2004 to 2007, is currently a graduate student at the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. To wrap her primary environmental interests in climate change and sustainability into the public policy degree, she is also completing requirements for the Environmental Management Certificate through the UW's Program on the Environment. One portion of the certificate involves a Keystone Project, working with a community organization on a real-world problem. Her team has the privilege of assisting the City of Bellevue in developing their community climate action plan.
Co-presenter Grayson Court is also working on this project, as well as finishing his graduate degree at the Evans School. In addition, he has worked with the City of Seattle in their solid waste division, putting together community outreach programs to promote recycling and e-waste disposal.
BCC Earth Week is organized by the BCC Student Science Association. For more information contact Rob Viens in the BCC Science Division at rviens@bellevuecollege.edu or (425) 564-3158.
