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Names in the News

Ballentine breaks ground at REBA; MetLife ensures sustainability

This sustainability roundup: Renewable Energy Buyers' Alliance appoints an Air Force bigwig, MetLife creates a CSO role, and California state government gets stacked.

It’s a bit of controversial common knowledge that January is the best time of the year to look for a job.

Regardless whether that’s true, we can confirm that the New Year was rung in with a whole new, exceptional class of hires and promotions in the sphere of sustainability, from business to nonprofits to public service.

Are your friends or coworkers in the sustainability space making moves? Send tips for our next installment of the Names in the News monthly roundup to [email protected].

Who's news

Miranda Ballentine

Miranda Ballentine was tapped as CEO of the Renewable Energy Buyers’ Alliance (REBA) last fall. At REBA — the coalition of WWF, WRI, RMI and BSR that organizes corporate buyers’ renewable energy deals — transitions to a membership-based coalition, Ballentine brings a breadth of experience. That ranges from serving as CEO of Constant Power, a Toronto-based distributed energy project developer, as well as managing director of RMI's Business Renewables Center. Ballentine's other high-profile positions include assistant secretary of the Air Force's energy division and director of sustainability of global renewable energy at Walmart.

Al Iannuzzi

Sustainability veteran Al Iannuzzi most recently lead environmental product stewardship and green marketing programs for Johnson & Johnson as senior director of environment, health, safety and sustainability. Now he will serve as vice president of global corporate citizenship and citizenship at Estée Lauder, where he steers reporting, surveys, greener power, environmental footprint reduction, sustainable packaging and safer chemistry.

Tim Ring

Lawyer Tim Ring, who served as senior vice president, associate general counsel and chief of operations for insurance giant MetLife’s Legal Affairs department, was appointed to the company’s newly created CSO role. "We recognize that the field of corporate responsibility is evolving rapidly and drawing increased attention from all stakeholders," said MetLife chairman, president and CEO Steve Kandarian about the new position.

Marshall Chase

The former associate director of BSR, Marshall Chase, recently started in a new position as sustainability director for semiconductor maker Micron Technology.

Nicola Peill-Moelter

Nicola Peill-Moelter is joining VMware as director of sustainability innovation. Dell subsidiary VMWare also works in the cloud computing field and Peill-Moelter will use her expertise in overseeing the sustainable digital revolution. She comes from a long tenure at distributed computing network Akamai, having served as senior director of environmental sustainability, senior product manager and principal solutions engineer.

William McDonough

The circular economy vanguard, co-author of "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things" and chief executive of McDonough Innovation has joined the Circulate Capital Advisory Board.

On the move

— Newly inaugurated California governor Gavin Newsom has appointed his senior staff, and it's already looking interesting.

  • Kate Gordon, clean energy and economic development expert has a new role — moving into the public sector, she will serve as the director of the Office of Planning and Research for the state under Newsom. Gordon is coming from the Paulson Institute where she worked as a senior adviser, as well as a fellowship at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.
  • Former Obama-era EPA official Jared Blumenfeld was named head of California's EPA. He previously oversaw federal environmental policy in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and the Pacific islands, and worked as director of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment.
  • Erin Suhr, who previously worked throughout national and state government as well as a director at Next Generation, Tom Steyer's nonpartisan think tank, will serve as Newsom's director of operations.

— Sustainability expert Scot Case recently accepted a position at the Shelton Group as senior consultant at the energy and environmental marketing agency. The coauthor of "Sins of Greenwashing" report, Case is returning to the sustainability game after a two-year hiatus spent honing his understanding of private, nonprofit and university sectors outside the so-called "green bubble."

— Fertilizer company Anuvia Plant Nutrients continued its expansion with a special focus in sustainability, with Paul Duncan coming on board as director of sustainability. Prior to this, he served as a Cargill director and founder of SciTech Partners.

— Scooter and e-bike startup Lime has picked up quite a valuation and a reputation. It looks to further both by launching Lime Green, its new sustainability initiative. To that end, the company's vice president of strategic development, Andrew Savage, is starting a new position as vice president and head of sustainability.

— Diageo, spirits and beer multnational, appointed its first chief sustainability officer: David Cutter, who also serves as president of global supply and procurement.

— Cloud-based waste management company Rubicon Global announced two new board members: former Indianapolis mayor and smart city expert Stephen Goldsmith, on the board of directors, and former Philadelphia mayor and sustainability policy champion Michael Nutter on the advisory board. They'll both work with executive leadership for technology adoption and the growth of Rubicon’s smart city platform.

Sandy Taft joins Sappi North America in Boston as director of sustainability, leaving National Grid, where he served as director of environmental and sustainability policy.

Bridget Sobek Dobyan accepted a new position at the Alliance to Save Energy as manager of government affairs. Prior to joining the Alliance, Dobyan worked in Michigan state government, with a portfolio including energy, environment, tax and health policy.

Thomas M. Kostigen joined JConnelly, a communications and marketing firm, to launch and lead a corporate social responsibility division that will shine a light on brands doing great things for the world and bring about highly effective results through our network of media contacts and CSR influencers.

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board selected as its next executive officer Michael Montgomery, a leader in protecting and restoring water quality within California and throughout the Southwest and the Pacific Islands. He replaces Bruce Wolfe, who is retiring. Montgomery has served in numerous other senior leadership and supervisory positions in his 30-plus years with the Federal government.

Julia Grant is moving from Micron to Hancock Forest Management (a subsidiary of John Hancock/Manulife, a financial services group). As the general manager of value-added services, she will provide management direction and oversight for projects including carbon and wetland mitigation banks, gravel sales, pine straw, recreational leases and renewable energy.

— Engineering and professional services consultancy WSP USA has a new senior vice president of its sustainability, energy and climate change (SECC) division: Michael Mondshine, an expert in greenhouse gas accounting, policy development, mitigation and resilience.

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