Environmental Hnancial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios Alejandra Nunez Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mobile Sources EPA's Office of Air and Radiation Alejandra (Ale) Nunez is the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Mobile Sources, Office of Air and Radiation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ale's work at EPA focuses on reducing pollution from the transportation sector, including overseeing the development of emissions standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles, implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Clean School Bus Program, implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard Program, and the integration of environmental justice in climate policy. Prior to being appointed to her current position at the EPA, she served as a senior attorney at the Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program, where her work focused on litigation and regulatory advocacy on federal climate regulations. Ale holds Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D.) and Masters of Law (LL.M.) degrees from Harvard Law School, and a law degree (LL.B.) from the Institute Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico. Tim Prof eta Senior Advisor in EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Tim Profeta serves as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at EPA, with a particular focus on the Agency's approach to its power sector regulations. Profeta has served in this role since September 2021. Prior to coming to EPA, Profeta was the Founding Director of Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. Since 2005, the Nicholas Institute has grown into a major nonpartisan player in key environmental debates, serving both the public and private sectors with sound understanding of complex environmental issues. Profeta's areas of expertise include climate change and energy policy, the Clean Air Act, and adaptive use of current environmental laws to address evolving environmental challenges. His work at the Nicholas Institute has included numerous legislative and executive branch proposals to mitigate climate change, including providing Congressional testimony several times on his work at Duke University, developing multiple legislative proposals for cost containment and economic efficiency in greenhouse gas mitigation programs, and facilitating climate and energy policy design processes for several U.S. states. Prior to his arrival at Duke, Profeta served as counsel for the environment to Sen. Joseph Lieberman. As Lieberman's counsel, he was a principal architect of the Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act of ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios 2003. He also represented Lieberman in legislative negotiations pertaining to environmental and energy issues, as well as coordinating the senator's energy and environmental portfolio during his runs for national office. Profeta has continued to build on his Washington experience to engage in the most pertinent debates surrounding climate change and energy. Profeta is a member of the Climate Action Reserve Board of Directors, and is a member of The American Law Institute. Profeta also holds an appointment as an associate professor of the practice at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Profeta earned a J.D., magna cum laude, and a master's in environmental management in resource ecology from Duke in 1997 and a Bachelor's degree in political science from Yale University in 1992. Dan Utech Chief of Staff EPA's Office of the Administrator Dan Utech is the Chief of Staff of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Dan has over 20 years of experience in environmental policy. Dan served as Deputy Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Climate Change, leading The White House and cross-governmental teams to develop and implement energy and climate change policy, including President Obama's Climate Action Plan. Dan also served as a Senior Advisor to Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Prior to his federal agency experience, Dan worked in the Senate for 10 years, where he worked on a range of environmental and energy policy issues for Senators Clinton, Corzine and Baucus. Dan started his Washington career at EPA as a Presidential Management Intern. He has been a lecturer at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, from which he received a M.E.S. degree. He also holds degrees from the Yale School of Management and Amherst College. Jahi Wise Senior Advisor to the Administrator Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Program Acting Director EPA's Office of the Administrator Jahi Wise joins EPA from the White House Climate Policy Office where he served as Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy and Finance. In this role, Jahi was the principal advisor to National Climate Advisors Gina McCarthy and Ali Zaidi developing and leading the implementation of the Biden-Harris Administration's policies on clean energy project finance, economic development, climate-related financial risk and equitable climate investment. Prior to joining the Administration in January 2021, Jahi held climate policy positions in the Office of the Mayor of New York City and at the Coalition for Green Capital a national nonprofit focused on Page 2 of 7 ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios establishing and clean energy finance entities. Jahi also practiced law as an energy and infrastructure project finance attorney at Skadden Arps and as general counsel of BlocPower, a social enterprise focused on community scale clean energy deployment. He received his J.D. and MBA from Yale Law School and Yale School of Management and his B.A. from Morehouse College. Faisal Amin Chief Financial Officer EPA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer Faisal Amin began serving as EPA's Chief Financial Officer in July 2021. Previously, he served as Deputy Director of the Office of Administration in the Executive Office of the President. Mr. Amin also worked on the Executive Office of the President Management and Administration Agency Review Team, as well as the Vetting Operations team, on the Biden-Harris Transition. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he served in several roles, including as Chief Financial Officer of the Executive Office of the President, where he led the team responsible for managing all aspects of finance and procurement for EOP components. Mr. Amin has spent the majority of his career as an appropriations attorney at the United States Government Accountability Office, researching and drafting appropriations law decisions, providing technical assistance to agencies and Congress, and teaching appropriations law classes. While on detail from GAO to the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee, he helped develop and advocate for EPA's fiscal year 2020 appropriation. Ellen Tarquinio Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center Acting Director EPA's Office of Water Ellen Tarquinio is currently the Acting Director for the Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center at the U.S. EPA. At WIRFC, she focuses on water affordability challenges, financing for stormwater programs and leading the technical assistance effort. She started at the EPA in 2004, developing the National Rivers and Streams Assessment and National Lakes Survey, as well as leading efforts to develop monitoring programs at states and other Federal Agencies. After a year working as Special Assistant for the EPA Administrator, she served as the Deputy Director for Water Policy at the White House. She has also worked in the Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water focusing on water system regionalization. Before coming to EPA, Ellen worked as a fisheries biologist at New York State and attended the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Maine. Page 3 of 7 ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios Jon Grosshans Senior Advisor EPA's Office of the Administrator Jon Grosshans AICP, LEED-AP, is a senior advisor with the US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Policy in Washington, DC. He works to align policies and resources that support environmental protection and community revitalization alongside City, County, State, and Federal partners. Much of this coordination focuses on recent Executive Orders and strategic initiatives such as coal and power plant community revitalization, supply chains, energy, critical minerals, and infrastructure. $ Michelle Madeley Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center EPA's Office of Water Michelle Madeley leads community technical assistance initiatives with EPA's Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Finance Center to help underserved communities access water infrastructure funding. She previously worked in EPA's Office of Community Revitalization (in the Office of Policy), supporting communities across the country that want help revitalizing their downtowns and neighborhoods, and communities that seek to develop more resilient practices and policies. She has also worked with FEMA and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and began federal service as a Presidential Management Fellow. Prior, Michelle worked in research and advocacy, and earned dual Masters degrees in Public Health and City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. David Widawsky Data Gathering and Analysis Division Director EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention David Widawsky, Ph.D. is the Director of the Data Gathering and Analysis Division, in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at EPA. He provides leadership for the EPA's mission focus on chemical safety and sustainability in the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Pollution Prevention Act, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. The multi-disciplinary staff under his leadership provide expertise, analysis, method development, and innovation for several pollution prevention programs at EPA, including grants to states and tribes for working with businesses to promote source reduction and an environmentally preferable purchasing program for federal procurement. He also leads programs in sustainability through safer and sustainable chemistry and chemical products, including EPA's Green Chemistry Challenge Awards and EPA's Safer Choice labeling program for safer Page 4 of 7 ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios chemical products. Dr. Widawsky is a graduate of the University of California with B.Sc. degrees in Political Economy of Natural Resources and in Plant and Soil Biology, received his M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University, and earned his Ph.D. in Applied Economics at Stanford University. He has worked at the U.S. EPA since 1998, where he has served in a number of leadership roles across the Agency. Wendi Wilkes Senior Advisor to Assistant Administrator Fox EPA's Office of Water Wendi Wilkes is a Senior Advisor to Assistant Administrator Fox in EPA's Office of Water. Previously, Wendi was the Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Manager for the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators where her work included regulatory analysis under the Safe Drinking Water Act, water infrastructure funding, and Congressional relations. Prior to joining ASDWA, Wendi worked for the American Water Works Association's Government Affairs Office in Washington, DC and at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality where she served in the Office of Water. Wendi earned a Bachelor's in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master's in Public Management at Johns Hopkins University. Michael Deane Clean Water State Revolving Fund Branch Chief EPA's Office of Water Michael Deane is Chief of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to returning to EPA, he was the Executive Director of the National Association of Water Companies, the organization representing private water utilities and operating companies in the U.S. Before joining NAWC in 2009, he was Associate Assistant Administrator for Water in the EPA where he played a key role in developing and implementing national water policy. Previous to his appointment to EPA in 2006, he served as an executive at several water management companies, including SUEZ and Veolia, where he focused on innovative financing and infrastructure policy. He holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment and his bachelor's degree in biology and geography from Gustavus Adolphus College. Curt Baranowski Environmental Scientist, Creating Resilient Water Utilities EPA's Office of Water Curt Baranowski leads the EPA's Creating Resilient Water Utilities initiative, which provides resources for drinking water and wastewater utilities to address to climate change by promoting a clear understanding of climate science and adaptation options. Before working on climate-related water Page 5 of 7 ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios issues, Mr. Baranowski managed Agency programs that provided technical assistance and training to small community wastewater utilities. Mr. Baranowski has been with the US EPA's Office of Water since 1998. Prior to joining EPA, he worked in the water and air programs of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. April Karen Baptiste Colgate University NEJAC Member, Former NEJAC Finance Workgroup Chair April Karen Baptiste is a professor of Environmental Studies and Africana and Latin American Studies at Colgate University. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Faculty for Global and Local Initiatives. She has a PhD from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as well as an MSc and BSc from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad, her home country. Her research interests includes environmental psychology, environmental justice, and natural resource management, with a focus on the Caribbean region and central NY. She has published in a number of leading environmental, Caribbean, and interdisciplinary journals, and her book is Revitalizing Urban Waterway Communities: Streams of Environmental Justice (2018). Prof. Baptiste's new research looks at environmental worldviews in the insular Caribbean with a lens to understand the elements of Caribbean environmental worldview and the role of decoloniality in these worldviews. Prof. Baptiste serves as a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council ,as well as sits on the editorial board of the journal Environmental Justice. Rod Snyder Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the Administrator EPA's Office of the Administrator Rod Snyder was appointed Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in October 2021. He is recognized for his nearly two decades of leadership at the intersection of agricultural and environmental policy. From 2014-2021, Snyder served as president of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, which is the largest multi-stakeholder initiative working to advance the sustainability of commodity crop farming in the United States. In this role, he forged science-based consensus among diverse stakeholders across the food and agriculture value chain on complex issues such as climate change, water quality, biodiversity, and pest management. In 2015, Snyder co-founded the Sustainable Agriculture Summit, which has grown to be the largest and most prominent annual sustainable agriculture conference in North America. Prior to his time at Field to Market, Snyder held positions as Public Policy Director for the National Corn Growers Association and Government Affairs Leader for CropLife America. He has been a longtime champion of agricultural solutions to climate change and has on two occasions organized farmer delegations to participate in UN Climate Summits in Paris and Copenhagen. Snyder holds a B.A. in Political Science from Page 6 of 7 ------- EPA Environmental Financial Advisory Board January 2023 Meeting Speaker Bios Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He resides on his family farm in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia. Venus Welch-White Senior Advisor for Agriculture Advisor EPA's Office of the Administrator Venus Welch-White, Ph.D. serves as the Senior Advisor to the Agriculture Advisor to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. She joined EPA in November of 2020 as the Senior Policy Advisory in OLEM's Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division and supported initiatives, policy and programs across the division including Anaerobic Digester Grants and RCRA'S voluntary partnership programs. Prior to joining EPA, she served as the National Rural Energy Program Coordinator in USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service where she conducted stakeholder engagement, outreach, technical reviews, business strategy and development, policy support, and facilitated collaborations with internal and external partners in agriculture, renewable energy, biofuels, economic development, and financial lending partners. Venus was a 2014 Presidential Management-STEM Fellow and as part of the of her PMF program she completed a detail assignment in in the Office of the Chief Economists, supporting climate smart ag and forestry initiatives as well as in the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, where she analyzed policy and budget legislation for EPA, developed congressional reports, and supported implementation of executive orders and administrative initiatives of across federal agencies. Venus holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences from Tuskegee University in Alabama. Page 7 of 7 ------- |