Richard joined the Port of Long Beach as an intern in 1996, and was hired as an Environmental Specialist late that same year. In 2006, he became Manager of Environmental Planning, and was eventually named Managing Director in February 2014. He has overseen the Environmental Affairs and Planning Bureau, and subsequently led efforts for the Port’s signature environmental program, the Green Port Policy, as well as the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. Under the Green Port Policy, his division coordinates programs to improve air, water, and soil quality, while preserving wildlife habitat and integrating sustainability into Port practices.

Mark is responsible for the establishment of sub-regional funding allocations for the 30 member agencies of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments under the Los Angeles County’s Measure M program, and represents the San Gabriel Valley on Metro’s Measure M and Long Range Transportation Plan Advisory Policy Council. He oversees all project implementation for programs including the Alameda Corridor-East program, which has been cited as a national model for addressing the impacts of freight rail traffic on local communities. Mark has been a practicing civil engineer in local government for more than 35 years, including 11 years in Long Beach. He was inducted into UCI’s Engineering Hall of Fame in 2017.

Sona Coffee is a sustainability professional who works with local governments to help transform cities into environmentally sustainable communities. She started her environmental public service career as the Environmental Manager for the City of Manhattan Beach, and her current work as Environmental Administrator for the City of Irvine is leading climate action efforts in Orange County. Sona earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Price School of Policy at USC, with an emphasis in environmental policy. She also volunteers on the Sustainable City Commission for her hometown of Long Beach.  

Debbie is responsible for the global development and implementation of environment, health, and safety programs as well as sustainability strategy. Debbie brings over 30 years of experience across the pharmaceutical, petrochemical and refining industries.  Prior to joining Takeda in 2015, Debbie served as the Head of Environment, Health, Safety and Business Continuity for Novartis Group; and held a variety of roles for Amgen, Inc., Sunoco Inc., Ashland Chemical Company, and Texas Instruments.  She graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and has received an MBA from California State University. 

In her current position since 2014, Holli is responsible for developing and implementing campus sustainability practices and programs; and engaging students, faculty, and staff in those efforts. She also plays a lead role in guiding the work of the Presidential Commission on Sustainability. Holli’s previous positions include Policy Analyst for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Office of Budget and Innovation; Student Program Director at the environmental education non-profit Sustainable Works; and Project Assistant at the City of Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment. Holli has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA, and a BFA in Photography from Santa Fe University of Art and Design. 

Holly Hill leads sustainability efforts across Southern California Edison (SCE). She drives cross-departmental initiatives to execute sustainability efforts and ensure operational adoption of SCE’s Pathway 2045. Prior to SCE, Holly held leadership roles in sustainability and green building at engineering, architectural, and consulting companies; and began her career at IBM ensuring environmental compliance. Holly is Chair of the USGBC-LA Board of Directors.

Joe Johnson manages an international team of environmental and legal professionals responsible for tracking and implementing regulatory and sustainability objectives to ensure compliance with global mandates and customer expectations. He represents Cisco in regional trade and standards associations such as the Information Technology Industry Council, DigitalEurope, and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Before joining Cisco, Joe led environmental activities at Mobil, Boeing, and Microsoft. He has served as a member of the EPEAT Advisory Council on Green Electronics, Chair of the iNEMI Environmentally Conscious Electronics Committee, and as regional director of the American Waste Management Association. Joe is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Washington.

Laurie Lombardi is a planning and finance professional specializing in long-range forecasting, grants strategies, mega-project design, and management. She has 28 years of experience, 
including 17 years in the Mass Transportation Industry in NYC and Los Angeles. 
At MTA Capital Construction, she successfully delivered the Second Avenue Subway 
Hudson Yard 7 Line extension and revitalization projects of Lower Manhattan. Laurie is currently focusing on funding initiatives, such as Measure M implementation and California’s Senate Bill 1, and project initiatives such as LA County’s Goods Movement Strategic Plan, Land Value Capture, and 2028 Olympics readiness. 

John is the Director of Global ESG at Ingram Micro, the Irvine, California-based global leader in technology and supply chain services. In this role, John manages and advances Ingram Micro’s ESG platform and programs, helping the company to meet its ESG goals and engage with its stakeholders. Prior to Ingram Micro, John led the energy management and environmental sustainability programs at AEG, the Los Angeles-based leader in live sports and entertainment. Previously, John held various roles at Southern California Edison, the law firm Ford Marrin, and at the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments. John also currently serves on the Traffic and Transportation Commission for the City of Claremont, California. 

With nearly 20 years of community organizing experience, Jeannine Pearce has delivered progress in her role as a Councilwoman in the city of Long Beach, as a non-profit Director, a Board Member, and as a political and strategic planning consultant. She served for four years on the Long Beach City Council representing the 2nd District. Pearce was previously a Director for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy; and she co-founded Long Beach Rising, a civic engagement coalition. At her consulting firm Fierce Courage LLC, Pearce helps leaders build progressive, strategic, and sustainable plans. 

At Caltrans, Alben Phung prepares environmental documents and analyses following CEQA/NEPA processes. He is also involved with coastal permits, climate change reviews, sea level rise analysis, community and equity studies, and public outreach. Before joining the state service, Alben graduated from CSULB with an Environmental Science and Policy Degree as a Distinguished Undergraduate. He then went on to serve as an Agriculture and Environment Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia. Shortly after his return, Alben earned his Masters of Urban and Regional Planning degree from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. 

John has led Sony Pictures Entertainment’s global sustainability department since 2009. The department is focused on driving value for the company through sustainable practices, primarily by integrating stewardship into the corporate culture, product marketing, and the company’s operations.  He previously spent 11 years consulting in a variety of sectors including technology, food and beverage, transportation, energy, and education. In 2007, he served as Environmental Director and eco-spokesperson for Live Earth, a worldwide campaign to drive action to solve the climate crisis. John is a graduate of Brown University and has a Master in Business Administration from Duke University, with a focus on social entrepreneurship. 

Larry helped create the Office of Sustainability in 2008 and currently leads a staff of 10 analysts, interns, and field workers in implementing the Sustainable City Action Plan and administering the Sustainable City Commission. Larry started with the City as an intern in 1991 while completing a degree in Geography at CSULB, and worked for the Community Development and Planning & Building Departments prior to coming to the City Manager’s Office. He has promoted the value of natural system services and has developed programs to expand the urban forest, capture rainwater, reuse green waste, and develop local food sources through urban agriculture.

Penny oversees a staff dedicated to the conservation of protected species and habitats including sea turtles, abalone, marine mammals, and essential fish habitats along the California coast. She has worked for NOAA Fisheries for 30 years, focused on the conservation of protected marine species and habitats under the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Penny and her staff are responsible for the analyses and minimization or mitigation of the impacts of major marine activities in the area including fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal development and restoration.

Clay is the energy market sector leader and a senior project manager at P2S. He has 30 years of experience in project development, renewable energy development, water/wastewater, engineering, environmental, and real estate development business. He provides integrated solutions to municipal, state, local, and federal government clients as well as private industry, ports, utilities, developers, and manufacturers. Clay’s primary focus is in the alternative and renewable energy arena working with new technology development, energy efficiency and storage, and microgrid development. He is focused on developing legislative and policy initiatives to facilitate the growth of renewable energy technologies for environmental projects and air-quality emission reduction.

Cherita previously worked at Alexandria Real Estate Equities, where she was responsible for developing the company’s utility data management process. She also worked in environmental compliance for Kern County and in corporate sustainability at Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in Los Angeles, where she monitored environmental footprints and implemented sustainability practices with professional sports teams, music and sports venues, and music festivals. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with minors in Green Engineering and Math from San Jose State University.