EPN's Speakers Bureau

The Environmental Paper Network's Speakers Bureau has a wide range of experienced presenters to speak to your organization or conference about the importance of implementing environmentally responsible paper practices and other paper-related sustainability issues.

• Nick Bennett, Natural Resources Council of Maine
• Shannon Binns, Green Press Initiative
• Pam Blackledge, Environmental Paper Network
• Andrew Goldberg, Dogwood Alliance
• Daniel Hall, ForestEthics
• Laura Hickey, National Wildlife Federation
• Frank Locantore, Green America
• Joshua Martin, Environmental Paper Network
• Tyson Miller, Green Press Initiative
• Neva Murtha, Canopy
• Todd Pollak, Green Press Initiative
• Scot Quaranda, Dogwood Alliance
• Nicole Rycroft, Canopy

Nick Bennett Natural Resources Council of Maine
Nick Bennett is the Staff Scientist and Watersheds Project Director at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). Nick is an expert on water quality and pollution issues from pulp and paper mills. His professional background includes work in PCB contamination, wetlands delineations, wildlife surveys, and analysis of fish, soils, surface and ground water. Prior to working at NRCM, Nick worked for an environmental consulting firm, the Center for Marine Conservation, and the Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole. Nick is a graduate of the Yale School of Forestry.
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Shannon Binns Green Press Initiative
Shannon Binns leads a number of programs at Green Press Initiative (GPI). He has a background in conservation, climate change science and policy and has expertise in the intersection of forests, paper, and climate change. As manager of GPI’s newspaper program, Shannon has been helping newspaper publishers and their supply chain partners to lessen the social and environmental impacts of newspapers. Shannon also serves on the Environmental Paper Network's Steering Committee, is a founding member and advisor to the innovative Carbon Canopy project, and is a member of the World Resources Institute's technical working group on land use for the GHG Protocol. Shannon brings a unique perspective having worked for a number of private and nonprofit organizations prior to GPI. At The Nature Conservancy his team worked with Congress to develop science-based climate change legislation. In the private sector, Shannon has worked as a manufacturing engineer with Motorola, General Motors, and Trane. He has also served with the Peace Corps in Senegal and as an English teacher in Prague. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University
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Pam Blackledge Environmental Paper Network
Pam Blackledge coordinates the Environmental Paper Network's RePaper Project, which is working to create partnerships, foster dialogue and advance policy reforms that improve and increase paper fiber recovery and the manufacturing of recycled paper.  Pam has lived coast to coast working on diverse environmental and social issues with a wide array of organizations as staff, coalition partner and board member. Pam's work on the RePaper Project focuses on building partnerships with key stakeholders that can help advance a sustainable paper industry and strong recycling systems in North America. She holds a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University and has recently presented to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc (ISRI) and Cascades Fine Papers.
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Andrew Goldberg Dogwood Alliance
Andrew Goldberg is the Director of Corporate Engagement for Dogwood Alliance, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes diverse voices to defend the unique forests and communities of the Southern U.S. from destructive industrial forestry practices. In addition to working on the Carbon Canopy project, Andrew serves as Dogwood Alliance's negotiator with campaign targets and as point person with large corporate paper customers working to develop and implement environmental paper procurement policies. Andrew has recently presented at the Annual National Ecosystem Markets Conference and the Sustainability in Packaging 2010 conference. His focus is on forest products supply chain sustainability, corporate social responsibility and emerging market tools for forest conservation. Prior to joining Dogwood Alliance, Andrew was the Coordinator of Environmental and Natural Resource Programs at Western Carolina University's Center for Regional Development and a visiting lecturer at WCU's College of Business. Andrew received a JD and Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from Lewis and Clark Northwestern Law School in Portland, Oregon where he was a Natural Resources Scholar. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tufts University in Boston.
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Daniel Hall ForestEthics
Daniel Hall is the Market Solutions Director at ForestEthics, where he helps companies develop more sustainable supply chain and environmental policies, publishes tools to reward corporate leaders and inform consumers, and supports ForestEthics' campaigns. An expert on forest certification, Daniel serves on the FSC US Standards Committee, has prepared definitive valuations of various programs, and served on the FSC US Board (2000-2003). As a climate advocate, Daniel has helped strengthen national and private-sector offset programs, contributed to IPCC reports, and developed model forest offset and low carbon fuel language. In his role as a biodiversity advocate Daniel reviewed "Habitat Conservation Plans" (HCPs) covering over 13 million acres, reformed federal HCP guidelines, developed the California Forest Legacy Program, and published in Environmental Law and Endangered Species Update. Prior to joining ForestEthics in 2005, he developed American Lands' Forest Biodiversity Program and served as a policy analyst for the Pacific Forest Trust and the California State Energy Commission. Daniel holds degrees in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, as well as the University of California, Davis
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Laura Hickey National Wildlife Federation
Laura Hickey is the Senior Director of Global Warming Education and Training and the Eco-Schools USA project for the National Wildlife Federation. Laura and her team have developed global warming training and advocacy programs for Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth program, hunters and anglers, birders (in conjunction with the National Audubon Society), watershed leaders (in conjunction with River Network), gardeners, financial institutions, and other non-profit organizations, as well as an award-winning global warming educational website, Climate Classroom. From 1986 to 1995, Laura was NWF's Director of Purchasing where she instituted the paper-purchasing program that combined NWF's environmental objectives with practical purchasing activities. From 1995 to 2006, Laura was the Senior Director of Production for NWF's four magazines. Laura was also instrumental in the development of Catalog Choice, a free, consumer-focused website aimed at reducing unwanted mail and promoting sustainable best practices for companies. Laura is the chair of an NWF task force that focuses on an environmentally-preferable paper policy and continuing to improve NWF's environmental footprint. Laura attended California State University at Bakersfield and San Diego State University, with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry.
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Frank Locantore Green America
Frank Locantore directs the Better Paper Project for the nonprofit Green America (formerly Co-op America's Magazine PAPER Project), working to protect forests, climate and communities by assisting publishers' efforts to create and implement environmentally responsible paper use practices. Better Paper provides publishers with direct assistance, promotes their achievements through the Aveda and the SustainPrint.com Awards programs, as well as through innovative bookstore promotions at retail stores such as Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and Hastings Books and Music, and online at Amazon.com and MagazineYellowPages.com. Working with mills, printers, and advertisers, the Project has helped over 120 large and small magazines begin and continue using environmentally responsible paper. Named in 2007 as one of the top industry influencers on the Folio: 40 list, Frank and the Better Paper Project provide the ecological, social, and business reasons for using environmentally responsible paper. The Project has been cited in New York Times, Folio: magazine, E magazine, Publishing Executive, CNN/Fortune, AdAge, PBS's Media Shift, Grist, and Ecorazzi among other TV, radio, and print stories. Frank has recently presented at American Forests and Paper Association's Paper Week, Folio: Show, Green Festivals around the country, IDEAlliance, and Leadership in Paper and the Environment.
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Joshua Martin Environmental Paper Network
Joshua Martin is the Director of the Environmental Paper Network. Joshua has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations and corporate leaders on sustainability issues, particularly forest conservation and responsible paper product procurement. He has a strong background in conservation policy including a Master's degree from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Joshua played a leadership role in a successful effort to include America's largest National Forest, the Tongass in Alaska, in the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, and several successful campaigns to change the purchasing policies of leading U.S. companies in order to protect Endangered Forests. Since 2005, Joshua has coordinated a diverse, international network of environmental non-profits working on sustainability in the paper industry and provided leadership to the creation of numerous successful projects including the State of the Paper Industry Report, the Indonesian and U.S. Southern Forest Business Roundtables, WhatsInYourPaper.com, Pulpwatch.org and The Paper Steps.
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Tyson Miller Green Press Initiative
Tyson Miller is the Founder and Director of the Green Press Initiative, a program that works with book and newspaper industry stakeholders to conserve natural resources, preserve endangered forests, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize impacts on indigenous communities. Tyson graduated from UCLA's Environmental Studies department and has worked in the non-profit environmental field since 1992. Starting at age 20, Tyson has focused his efforts on increasing public awareness, spreading success models, and catalyzing sustainability in markets. Since that time, he has completed a documentary and founded or co-founded four organizations, including the Environmental Paper Network. As Director of Green Press Initiative, Tyson focuses on large publisher outreach and implementation assistance in the book industry, supply-chain outreach and engagement in the book and newspaper sectors, and coordinating the Book Industry Environmental Council. Tyson brings expertise in partnership formation and issue visibility and he has conducted numerous industry presentations and authored many articles for industry and NGOs.
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Neva Murtha Canopy
Neva Murtha is the Printer, Magazine and Second Harvest Campaigner for Canopy where she works with North American printers to develop Ancient Forest Friendly paper policies and drives Canopy's innovative Second Harvest campaign to build the case for investment in non-wood paper development. Neva serves on the board of the Environmental Paper Network and led the development of EPN's Paper Steps. Neva also created and manages the development of Canopy's Eco Paper Database, a listing of environmentally preferable papers available in the North American marketplace. Neva regularly conducts presentations and webinars for a wide range of constituencies.
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Todd Pollak Green Press Initiative
Todd Pollak is the Book Sector Program Manager for the Green Press Initiative. Todd has spent nearly six years working collaboratively with book publishers and their suppliers to reduce social and environmental impacts. In addition to conducting and synthesizing research on the book industry's impacts and solutions, Todd works with publishers to develop and implement social and environmental policies. Todd also plays a key role in coordinating the Book Industry Environmental Council, a group of about 40 book industry stakeholders working on a number of priorities including the development of an eco-label for environmentally responsible publishers and carbon emissions targets for the book industry. Prior to joining Green Press Initiative, Todd worked with a variety of environmental organizations including INFORM, Inc., Waterkeeper Alliance, Leslie Science and Nature Center, and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. Many of these positions focused either on environmental education or business solutions to environmental problems. Todd graduated from the University of Michigan's Program in the Environment where his studies focused largely on climate change and the role of business in solving environmental problems.
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Scot Quaranda Dogwood Alliance
Scot Quaranda is the Campaign Director for Dogwood Alliance, an environmental organization based in Asheville, NC that works to build broad and diverse support to end industrial forestry practices in the Southern U.S. Scot has worked for Dogwood Alliance for over ten years as a state and regional organizer, a communications specialist, and for over three years in his current position. Scot is well versed in grassroots organizing, strategic thinking and planning, media and communications, Web 2.0, the emerging threat of forest-based bio-energy, the paper industry's impact on forests and communities, and on the role of corporations in protecting Southern and global forests. He has spoken at a variety of events and conferences ranging from community and environmental conferences to global meetings and corporate events.
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Nicole Rycroft Canopy
Nicole Rycroft is the Founder and Executive Director of Canopy, an organization that safeguards forests and the environment by harnessing the power of the marketplace and changing business practices. Canopy drives North American demand for green paper products by shifting heavy paper consuming sectors away from unsustainable sources. Fueled by a deep commitment to social justice and a passion for wild places, Nicole strives for the creation of a compassionate society where our natural world is respected and valued beyond its resource values. Nicole is committed to ensuring on the ground conservation gains for the world's forests, species and climate. Nicole is the recipient of an Ashoka Fellowship, a Canadian Environment Award Gold Medal and numerous print and publishing industry awards. Named one of Canada's 50 Most Influential People in Graphic Communication for the past four years, Nicole sits on the board of Students for a Free Tibet and the Environmental Paper Network, among others. She has also accepted numerous awards on behalf of Canopy including the Benny Award for Outstanding Corporate Campaigning.
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