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2009 SPEAKERS
Andrew Atkins
Carbon Project Manager, North Coast Resource Management
Nancy Bailey
General Manager, Quivira Vineyards & Winery; General Manager, Wine Creek LLC
Hector Bedolla
Vineyard Manager, La Crema
Lesley P. Berglund GREEN WINE SUMMIT CO-CHAIR
Co-Founder & Chairman, WISE Academy; CEO, Aged Cabernet Trust
Jean-Charles Boisset
President, Boisset Family Estate
Susan Boswell,
Owner, Chateau Boswell, Chair, Napa Green
Debbie Dawson
Director New Business Development, Tetra Pak, Inc.
Paul Dolan
Partner, Mendocino Wine Company
Rod Dole
Auditor Controller, Sonoma County
Patrick Egan
French rabbit® & Innovation Brand Manager, Boisset Family Estates
John R. Epperson
Special Counsel, Farella Braun + Martel
Prudence Ferreira
Principal, Integral Impact, Inc.
Alan R. Forkey
USDA, Natural Resources conservation Service
Nick Frey, PhD
President, Sonoma County Winegrape Association
Gil Friend
President and Chief Executive Officer of Natural Logic
Mimi Gatens
Director of Marketing, California Wine Tours
David Gates, Jr.
VP Vineyard Operations, Ridge Vineyards
Ron Glotzer
Global Brand Marketing Director, Cork Supply Group
David Goodwin
Fine Wine Buyer and Sales, The Wine Club
Jim Gordon
Editor, Wines & Vines
Peter Granoff
Partner, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants
Lisa Heisinger
General Manager, DeLoach Vineyards
Michelle Heston
Regional PR Director, Fairmont Hotels
Cameron Scott Kirk, Esq.
Of Counsel, Spaulding, McCullough & Tansil LLP
Brian Lechner
Director, Client Services, The Nielsen Company
Celeste LeCompte
Special Projects Editor, GigaOM Network Contributor, Earth2Tech
Laura Levy Shatkin
Executive Producer, Digital Media Strategy Consultant
Laurel Marcus
Executive Director, California Land Stewardship Institute, Fish Friendly Farming Certification
Christian Miller
Research Director, Wine Opinions / Proprietor, Full Glass Research
Julie Nord
Co-Owner & Vineyard Manager, Nord Vineyard Management
Kris O'Connor, M.S.
Executive Director, Central Coast Vineyard Team
Clifford P. Ohmart, PhD
VP of Professional Services, Sureharvest
Michael J. Osborn
Founder, Wine.com
Heidi Paul, Founder
FreenRun Technologies & Winecountry.com
Janet Pauli, Ph.D.
Chair, Mendocino County Inland Valley Water and Power Commission
Paige M. Poulos, APR
President, Paige Poulos Communications
Joel Quigley
Senior Director Creative Services, Paige Poulos Communications
Mike Reynolds
President, HALL Wines
Steve Rhea
SVP Strategic Development, Saint Gobain Containers
Pete Richmond
President, Silverado Farming Company
Jim Salomone
Ag & Food Processing Energy Efficiency Supervisor, PG & E
Aaron Schiller
Director of Sustainability Saatchi & Saatchi S
Mack Schwing
GREEN WINE SUMMIT CO-CHAIR
Co-Founder & Principal, WISE Academy
Jay Scripter
VP Sustainability, Owens-Illinois
Gopal Shanker
President, Récolte Energy
Joey Shepp
Founder Earthsite.com & Open Brands
Robert Smiley
Professor Emeritus, Director of Wine Studies
Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis
Steve Smit
Vice President Vineyards & Grape Management, Constellation Wines US
Anne Steinhauer
Industry Relations Manager, Napa Valley Vintners
James Tansey, Ph.D.
Co-founder, Offsetters Climate Neutral Society; Chair, Business Ethics, Sauder School of Business
Ann Thrupp, Ph.D.
Manager of Sustainability and Organic Development, Fetzer Vineyards
Bill Vyenielo
Principal, Vyenielo & Company LLC.
Phil Wente
Fourth Generation Winegrower, Wente Vineyards
Sean White
General Manager, Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District
Susanne Zechiel
Senior Client Manager, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
Jeff Zucker
Water Quality Manager, J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines
SPEAKER BIOS
Andrew Atkins
Carbon Project Manager, North Coast Resource Management
Andrew is a 2006 Graduate of Cal Poly SLO, B.S. Ag Business with a concentration in Finance and Appraisal and is currently Carbon Project Manager for North Coast Resource Management. Since joining the North Coast Resource Management (NCRM) team in 2007, Andrew has been responsible for developing the new carbon offset markets for NCRM’s clients. Carbon related policy and pricing are in a constant state of change; Andrew’s job is to keep on top of it all.
Nancy Bailey
General Manager, Quivira Vineyards & Winery; General Manager, Wine Creek LLC
Nancy is general manager of Quivira Vineyards & Winery, a family-owned, Biodynamic and organic certified estate winery located in the heart of Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley. She is also the general manager of Wine Creek LLC. Founded in 2009 by Quivira Vineyards & Winery proprietor Pete Kight, the company handles sales, importing and marketing for his winery interests, including Quivira in Dry Creek Valley, Torbreck Vintners from South Australia's Barossa Valley and Tandem Winery from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Beyond its business mission, Wine Creek represents a partnership between Pete Kight and world-class, independent-minded winemakers who embrace an environmentally friendly "vineyard first" approach to winemaking.
Prior to joining Quivira, Nancy was a freelance marketing consultant for a number of Sonoma County wineries. Before that she was vice president of marketing for Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards. Previously, she worked as a brand manager for Beam Wine Estates, managing the Gary Farrell, Buena Vista Carneros and Wild Horse wineries. Nancy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Hamilton College and a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Hector Bedolla
Vineyard Manager, La Crema
After spending his early childhood on a quarter horse ranch in Lincoln, California, Hector Bedolla fell in love with wine and grape growing when his family moved to Yountville at the tender age of four. As a teenager, he spent summers working for various grape growers and wineries which ultimately inspired his career path. During his early career Hector held positions at Soscol Creek Vineyards, Iron Horse Vineyards, Hambrecht Wine Group and Stagg’s Leap Wine Cellars. He quickly developed a reputation as a highly skilled and respected vineyard consultant. Hector has also managed his own small vineyard company in a partnership that farmed 48 acres of vines in Alexander Valley, California.
At La Crema Hector is responsible for over 400 acres of prime Russian River vineyards. He and his team work closely with winemaking to tend the vines and ensure the best quality out of every grape. “My team and I are responsible for all aspects of quality in the vineyards. We strive to be good stewards of the land” says Hector. “It is also important to me to look after my employees and teach them to be craftsmen. I try to teach them everything I know.”
Lesley P. Berglund GREEN WINE SUMMIT CO-CHAIR
Co-Founder & Chairman, WISE Academy; CEO, Aged Cabernet Trust
Lesley is an accomplished wine industry entrepreneur, CEO and board member with a focus on change management. Over the past 18 years in the wine industry she has started up the equivalent of seven new businesses, acquired and integrated four companies and led during periods of dramatic change. As co-founder and former CEO of the Ambrosia Wine Catalogue/the Winetasting Network (which she sold to 1-800 Flowers in 2004) she developed significant expertise in consumer direct marketing of fine wines. Lesley has served on the board of nine wine-related companies and trade associations. In 2006, she co-founded the Specialty Wine Retailers Association. In 2007, she co-founded the WISE Academy, which provides education, training and certification for winery consumer direct professionals. Lesley serves as co-chair of both the Wine Industry Technology Symposium and the Green Wine Summit. She also owns and operates the Aged Cabernet Trust, an aged Cabernet investment company that has provided successful returns to investors for the past 25 vintages.
Jean-Charles Boisset
President, Boisset Family Estate
Jean-Charles Boisset grew up in Vougeot among the historic vineyards of the Cote de Nuits, where he was immersed from the very beginning in a family deeply involved in the world of wine, his parents having started the family wine business in 1961. He completed his studies at the University of London, including courses in Spain and Germany, and moved to the U.S. for graduate studies in business and finance. Integral to Jean Charles’ long-term vision has always been a dedication to innovation and the environment, two qualities that have led to pioneering efforts in sustainability from the vineyard to the vessel. At wineries from DeLoach vineyards to Clos Jordanne and Domaine de La Vougeraie, organic and biodynamic farming techniques have been implemented. Simultaneously, he has launched innovative new brands in alternative packaging that reduce a wine’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle. These successful new brands include French rabbit wines in Tetra Pak containers, Yellow Jersey in PET, and an AOC Beaujolais wine from Mommessin in the first 750ml aluminum wine bottle.
Susan Boswell
Owner, Chateau Boswell, Chair, Napa Green
As owner of Chateau Boswell Winery, Susan Boswell participated in the Napa Green pilot winery program achieving, in November of 2007, the first Napa Green Winery Certification. Susan currently serves as the Chair for the Napa Green Advisory Committee and as a member of the NVV Climate Change Task Force. Susan produces Chateau Boswell Wines under the direction of winemaker, Luc Morlet, with the desire to craft small production premium wines that display the unique characteristics of their vineyard sources through old world low intervention winemaking techniques. Susan strives to manage her winery, caves, and vineyards with the primary focus being that of responsibility toward her community’s ongoing dependence upon a strong environmental structure.
Debbie Dawson
Director New Business Development, Tetra Pak, Inc.
Debbie has over 18 years experience in the Sales and Marketing of carton packaging with Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Her experience spans across all types of food and beverage categories, working with small entrepreneurial firms to large multi-national and CPG organizations. Over the past five years, her focus has included the expansion of Tetra Pak's global experience in the wine market to the introduction and growth of carton packaging for wine in the U.S. Beginning her career in market research, Debbie created a full service department for a local field agency, conducted research for a major insurance company, managed a regional office for a national research firm, then established her own market research company, working with varying industries, products and services. She has a master's degree in business and psychology.
Paul Dolan
Partner, Mendocino Wine Company
During his 27 years at Fetzer Vineyards, 12 as president, he led a transformation that put the company at the forefront of organic viticulture and sustainable business. With the purchase of Parducci winery and the creation of Mendocino Wine Company (MWC), a partnership of the Dolan and Thornhill families, the mantle of leadership in sustainable winegrowing shifted from Fetzer to MWC, while remaining cradled in the open, creative atmosphere of Mendocino County.
Paul’s goal is to make Parducci and MWC a model for the wine business. He is spreading the word – for the good of business, the community and the environment. A sustainable business should be a whole business, like a whole person. It must have integrity. It must have a moral center. It must be connected to its values and the greater world. It must aspire to do what is right, not just for the bottom line, not just from a legal standpoint, but from a moral and ethical standpoint. It’s not only accountable, it’s responsible. Paul Dolan authored True to Our Roots, Fermenting a Business Revolution, 2003.
Rod Dole
Auditor Controller, Sonoma County
Mr. Dole is the elected Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector of Sonoma County. He is responsible for the County's $1.5 billion dollar short term pooled portfolio and is a Trustee of the Sonoma County Employee Retirement Fund, which totals $1.4 billion.
Prior to being elected Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector, Mr. Dole served as the elected Auditor-Controller for 20 years. He is a member of the State Controller's Statewide Accounting Standards Committee and Advisory Committee on Property Taxes, and of the County Auditors Committee on Accounting Standards & Procedures. He has served as president of the State Association of County Auditor-Controllers. He holds a B.S. in Business administration with major study in accounting from California State University, Hayward.
Patrick Egan
French rabbit® & Innovation Brand Manager, Boisset Family Estates
Patrick Egan is the Innovation Brand Manager at Boisset Family Estates, a family-owned global wine company rooted in Burgundy, France, with wineries on two continents. As a pioneer in alternative wine packaging, Boisset believes it’s essential to unite its dedicated organic, biodynamic and sustainable farming philosophy with an innovation strategy that addresses a wine’s entire life cycle from vineyard to vessel, including shipping, recycling and reuse.
Hence, in 2005, Boisset launched French rabbit® wines in Tetra Pak, which reduces packaging by 90% and has one-tenth the carbon footprint of traditional bottles. After leading French rabbit's ® US launch, Patrick is spearheading Boisset’s introduction of a complete portfolio of innovations that reduce wine’s carbon footprint while offering value and convenience.
John R. Epperson
Special Counsel, Farella Braun + Martel
John R. Epperson is Special Counsel in the Environmental Law Department. Mr. Epperson represents clients regarding a broad range of legal issues relating to environmental and occupational health and safety regulatory compliance counseling, including permitting, defense of enforcement actions, site investigations and remediation. His practice includes regulatory compliance and counseling in myriad facets of use of hazardous chemicals, including the areas of solid and hazardous waste, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, RCRA, CERCLA and state law equivalents, as well as federal and state OSHA and pipeline safety issues
Mr. Epperson is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar Environmental Law Section and is a former Committee Vice Chair for the ABA Superfund and Natural Resource Damages Litigation Committee. Prior to joining Farella, Mr. Epperson was an associate at the law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae. Prior to entering law school, Mr. Epperson had over ten years of technical experience in radiation safety in the nuclear power industry.
Prudence Ferreira
Principal, Integral Impact, Inc.
Founder and Principal of Integral Impact Inc, Prudence Ferreira is a green business, green building and energy consultant with a special focus on wineries and Zero Net Energy buildings and CSR Program Development based on LEED EBOM and the Natural Step.
Ms. Ferreira is a founding Executive Board Member of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association (FTSLA), Vice President of the USGBC Redwood Empire Chapter, and serves on the steering committee of Passive Buildings CA. Ms. Ferreira’s credentials include LEED AP, BPI trained
Building Performance Analyst, Title 24 Energy Plans Examiner, Certified Permaculture Designer, HERS I, II + PV Rater, GreenPoint Rater, and Certified Passive House Consultant. As an initiator of multi-stakeholder sustainability strategies, programs, education and advocacy, Ms. Ferreira brings extensive presentation and facilitative skills to her work and excels at manifesting concepts into functional programs, facilities and systems of change. Prior to founding Integral Impact, Prudence pioneered and directed the Sustainability Program at Amy's Organics and worked as an independent green building and business consultant.
Alan R. Forkey
USDA, Natural Resources conservation Service
Alan has 30 years of experience with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He began working as a Range Management Specialist in Greeley, Colorado, and then spent 13 years as a District Conservationist in Colorado and California where he worked with farmers and ranchers to apply conservation practices to address water conservation, wildlife habitat, water quality and soil erosion problems.
He held the position as the NRCS State Wetland Biologist in California from 1997 through 2005, and currently serves as the Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. Forkey’s responsibilities include administration of Farm Bill Title 2 Conservation Programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Conservation Stewardship Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, and several conservation and agricultural easement programs.
Nick Frey, PhD
President, Sonoma County Winegrape Association
Nick became President of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission in September 2006. The mission of the SCWC is to increase the value of Sonoma County wine grapes and to nurture and protect this agricultural resource for future generations. Previously, Nick was Executive Director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association (SCGGA) since May 1999.
Nick has served on the board of the Sonoma County Vineyard Technical Group. He currently serves on the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation Ag Trust Committee, Santa Rosa Junior College Viticulture Advisory Committee, Sonoma County Harvest Fair Board, and Sonoma County Tourism Board. Nick received the Friend of Agriculture award at the 2006 Sonoma County Harvest Fair and Leadership Santa Rosa Honors for Agriculture in 2007 by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. Nick grew up on a farm near Winterset, Iowa, received a B.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State University in 1970, and a PhD in Plant Physiology from the University of Minnesota in 1974.
Gil Friend
President and Chief Executive Officer of Natural Logic
A systems ecologist and business strategist with nearly 40 years experience in business, communications, and environmental innovation, Friend combines broad business experience with unique content experience spanning strategy, systems ecology, economic development, management cybernetics, and public policy. Tomorrow magazine called him “One of the country’s leading environmental management consultants—a real expert who combines theoretical sophistication with hands-on, in-the-trenches know-how.”
He is a founding board member of the Sustainable Business Alliance, Sustainable Berkeley, and the California Sustainable Business Council and serves on the executive board of OpenEco.org and the advisory boards of CleanFish, WattBot, Green World Campaign, and (past) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Clean Tech Advisory Council. Friend served in the California Governor’s Office, developing early sustainability policies and programs, was a founding board member of Internet pioneer Institute for Global Communications, was founder and Executive Director of Foundation for the Arts of Peace, and was cofounder and co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a leading urban ecology and economic development “think-and-do tank,” where he pioneered the current “green roof” trend more than 35 years ago.
Friend lectures widely on business strategy and sustainability issues and writes The New Bottom Line, offering strategic perspectives on business and environment. He has contributed chapters to several books, including Worldchanging: A User’s Guide to the 21st Century, Sustainable Enterprise Report, Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook, Sustainable Food Systems, and Stepping Stones, and is the author of the forthcoming books The Truth About Green Business and Profit on Purpose: Risk, Fiduciary Duty and the Laws of Nature.
He holds an M.S. degree in systems ecology from Antioch University, has a black belt in Aikido, and is a seasoned practitioner of “The Natural Step” environmental management system.
Mimi Gatens
Director of Marketing, California Wine Tours
A 17 year wine industry veteran, Mimi Gatens began her career at Merryvale Vineyards as Special Events Manager. She then spent 10 years with Pine Ridge and Archery Summit wineries as Vice President of Hospitality and Human Resources. She also was a member of the national sales team covering the Sierra Nevada and Las Vegas territories. Mimi then worked with Pat Kuleto for three years as co-general manager of his Napa Valley winery where she focused on sales, marketing and hospitality. She joined Benziger Family Winery in 2005 as Vice-President of Marketing and in 2007 focused her efforts on the winery’s many green business practices, including its energy efficiency and recycling systems, environmentally preferable purchasing, educational outreach and the family’s comprehensive certified-sustainable farming program. She now has her own sales and marketing consulting firm focused on assisting small wineries with national sales, consumer direct sales, sustainability, marketing and public relations. Mimi graduated from Chico State in 1990 with a M.A. in Business Communications.
David Gates, Jr.
VP Vineyard Operations, Ridge Vineyards
David Gates, Jr. is Vice President of Vineyard Operations for Ridge Vineyards. David grew up on a hundred-and-sixty acre farm in central Minnesota, and decided to escape the cold winters by coming to California for school. His love of plants and agriculture led him to UC Davis, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Viticulture, and met and married his wife, Donna. After an obligatory stint in Napa Valley he made his way to Ridge in 1989. David’s duties include managing the Monte Bello vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Whitten Ranch at Geyserville, and the Lytton Estate vineyards at Healdsburg, as well as monitoring and helping all Ridge growers in Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Ron Glotzer
Global Brand Marketing Director, Cork Supply Group
Ron leads global marketing strategy for Cork Supply Group and its brands: Cork Supply, Tonnellerie Ô, VinOak and Studio Labels. Since 2008, Ron's guided CSG in undertaking and promoting meaningful sustainability initiatives, including: certification by FSC, Rainforest Alliance Smartwood, and Soil Association Woodmark; strategic partnerships with WWF-GFTN Iberia, Cork ReHarvest and Presidio Graduate School's Sustainable Management Program; cork grower forestry programs, waste reduction campaigns, and independent carbon footprint/life-cycle assessments and sustainability audits. Ron is also responsible for corporate and brand communications, creating web and print media to inform wineries and consumers about CSG companies, products and commitment to sustainable business practices.
Previously, Ron headed CamelBak's international sales division, directing its launch of the first BPA-free plastic bottle. Ron's twenty years experience creating and building brands and businesses in global markets includes seven highly entrepreneurial ones based in Shanghai, helping companies large and small develop and implement effective market-entry and marketing strategies in China.
David Goodwin
Fine Wine Buyer and Sales, The Wine Club
David is a fine wine buyer in the San Francisco office of The Wine Club. With over 20 years in operation & three retail California locations plus the online store, The Wine Club is the largest wine merchant west of the Mississippi.
Jim Gordon
Editor, Wines & Vines
Jim Gordon has been covering the wine industry as an editor and reporter for more than 25 years. In 2006 he became editor of Wines & Vines, the magazine for North American winemakers and grape growers, based in Marin County, Calif. Wines & Vines celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2009. He also directs the annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley. Gordon was the editor of the St. Helena Star newspaper in Napa Valley in the 1980s. He was managing editor of Wine Spectator for 12 years, and editor in chief of Appellation / Wine Country Living magazine for four, during which time he helped create Wine Country Living TV for NBC station KNTV in San Jose. He began his journalism career on the campus newspaper at Denison University in Ohio.
Peter Granoff
Partner, Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants
In his more than 30 years in the wine business, Master Sommelier Peter Granoff has worn lots of hats. From schlepping boxes and busing tables to receiving the "Sommelier of the Year" award from the James Beard Foundation and launching Virtual Vineyards (the first U.S. entity to sell wine on the internet), Peter has traveled the world to immerse himself in almost all facets of the wine industry. He is an adjunct member of the faculty at the Culinary Institute of America's new Professional Wine Studies program, and is internationally known as a speaker, wine educator, wine competition judge, and provider of free wine consulting. His goofy sense of humor and unconventional approach to the business of wine bring a refreshing change of pace to San Francisco's wine shops.
Lisa Heisinger
General Manager, DeLoach Vineyards
Lisa Heisinger began her career with Boisset America in 1999, and rapidly rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming director of marketing, overseeing 50 wine and spirit brands from around the globe. Heisinger worked full time for Boisset America while completing her Master of Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley, before taking on the role of DeLoach Vineyards general manager in 2007.
Lisa Heisinger’s love for Burgundian-style wines, extensive understanding of the behind-the-scenes business operations in the wine industry and international wine know-how make her a natural fit for DeLoach Vineyards. Whether brainstorming the latest marketing concept or collaborating with the winemaking team on a new blend, Heisinger is committed to continuing the world-class DeLoach Vineyards experience.
Michelle Heston
Regional PR Director, Fairmont Hotels
Michelle Heston has been employed with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for over five years. In her current post as Regional Director of Public Relations she oversees marketing communications for nine Fairmont properties in the western United States and Hawaii. Prior she held posts with both InterContinental and Sheraton Hotels, where she held management positions in sales, catering and food and beverage.
Holding a BS in Business Administration and an MBA in Marketing, Michelle also serves as an Associate Professor at Golden Gate University. She currently serves on numerous boards including Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and newest seat with the California Travel and Tourism Commission, where she helps lead the state’s Green Tourism drive.
Cameron Scott Kirk, Esq.
Of Counsel, Spaulding, McCullough & Tansil LLP
Cameron Scott Kirk emphasizes environmental, real estate, land use and water law in his litigation and regulatory practice of more than 20 years. He has successfully represented major international corporations as well as local companies in complex multimillion-dollar lawsuits—winning favorable resolutions for his clients. Mr. Kirk also provides expert counsel, advising clients on compliance with existing water law, environmental law, contaminated property remediation and other regulatory matters, as well as keeping clients informed of recently enacted or proposed legislation.
Previously, Mr. Kirk was a partner at Beyers|Costin and Lanahan & Reilly in Santa Rosa. Prior to moving to Santa Rosa, he practiced law in San Francisco and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Brian Lechner
Director, Client Services, The Nielsen Company
Brian is the Client Director – West of AC Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol team, covering over 20 Beer, Wine and Spirits clients. He has previously held positions in marketing, sales and research, most recently at The Clorox Company, as well as Foster’s Wine Estates. Brian also confirms that the tastings as Clorox were not nearly as good as those at Foster’s.
Celeste LeCompte
Special Projects Editor, GigaOM Network Contributor, Earth2Tech
Celeste LeCompte, Special Projects Editor for GigaOM Network and contributing writer to Earth2Tech, will share her expertise in new media and consumer culture to understand evolving consumer needs and expectations in "greening" their lives, and how we can plan to meet them going forward.
Laura Levy Shatkin
Executive Producer, Digital Media Strategy Consultant
Ms Levy Shatkin, a veteran food and wine critic for the Chicago Reader Newspaper, also served as Emmy-Nominated Executive Producer and Food/Wine Critic for "Taste," a 30-minute food and wine show on NBC5 Chicago. Following emerging trends in the rich media landscape, Ms. Levy Shatkin brought the Taste onto the internet for on-demand viewing via www.WinePeeks.TV, the web’s most comprehensive wine video channel. After great success with viral distribution on videos, WinePeeks.TV merged with www.WineTasteTV.com, where Ms. Levy is a Partner/Owner. Keeping with today’s constantly changing social media landscape, Ms. Levy now consults the wine industry on leveraging social media to drive new customers via her site www.theWineMagnet.com. She teaches private wine classes in Chicago to consumers and corporations and continues to tell the video stories of wine, girl friends and wine travel on the YouTube channel www.YouTube.com/flippinwinefood.
Laurel Marcus
Executive Director, California Land Stewardship Institute, Fish Friendly Farming Certification
Laurel Marcus has over 25 years of experience in watershed, river and wetland restoration work in California. Laurel has worked extensively in the watersheds of northern and central California on restoring fish and riparian habitat, repairing erosion sites and working collaboratively with private property owners. Ms Marcus is the author of the Fish Friendly Farming Program, which she directs in the Russian, Gualala, Navarro and Napa River and other watersheds. This program focuses on using incentives for recovery of listed salmonid species and water quality improvements. In conjunction with a group of grapegrowers and ranchers, Laurel formed a nonprofit organization, the California Land Stewardship Institute, which operates the FFF program and evaluates additional methods to improve the California environment by working in conjunction with economic uses. Since its incorporation in 2004 the Institute has received over $4 million in grants. In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the nonprofit, she owns her own consulting business which specializes in natural resource planning.
Christian Miller
Research Director, Wine Opinions / Proprietor, Full Glass Research
Christian Miller has worked in the wine industry since 1983, primarily in marketing. His industry experience includes restaurant and retail wine sales, work as a consultant and negoçiant, marketing management and market research. He is currently proprietor of Full Glass Research and a founder of WineOpinions.com, where he is responsible for research design and development. Full Glass Research has produced numerous marketing, economic and industry studies for clients ranging from the Oregon Wine Board to Vintage Wine Trust to small high end wineries. Wine Opinions maintains a representative consumer panel of over 4000 high-frequency and high end wine consumers and a trade panel of over 800 employees and owners working in the U.S. wine trade. These unique resources are used by wineries, importers, consultants and regional organizations to better understand trade and consumer trends.
Christian co-manages the OIV Wine Marketing Short Course at U.C. Davis, is a regular lecturer at several universities, and is often quoted in trade publications. Previously, he was Director of Research for MKF, a leading CPA-consulting firm in the California wine industry. Christian has worked at some of the leading California wineries in brand and category management, consumer research and sales promotion.
Julie Nord
Co-Owner & Vineyard Manager, Nord Vineyard Management
Julie Nord is one of the few women vineyard managers in California. Since she joined Nord Vineyard Services in 1994, the company has quadrupled in size, now managing nearly 1000 acres of Napa Valley wine grapes and selling fruit to over 60 ultra-premium wineries. She also operates Nord Estate Wines a fledgling 1000 case Napa Valley winery. Julie received her B.A. in Chemistry and Music minor from U.C. Davis and went on to Texas A&M University for a M.S. in Soil Science. After spending time as a lab director for a soil testing and remediation lab in Texas, Julie returned to Napa Valley as a co-owner of Nord Vineyard Services. Julie has served as a board member of numerous California wine grape committees and organizations. She is a current member of the board of directors for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and has been active in Napa Valley Vineyard Technical Group, California Association of Winegrape Growers Pesticide Alliance, and North Coast Pierce’s Disease Task Force.
Kris O'Connor, M.S.
Executive Director, Central Coast Vineyard Team
Kris O'Connor began with CCVT in 1998 and helped develop and institutionalize CCVT's research, demonstration, and education programs. Prior to her work with the Central Coast Vineyard Team, Kris taught irrigation classes at Cal Poly, co-authored a Fertigation textbook, and conducted irrigation trials in the San Joaquin Valley. As a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program, she facilitated meetings with the President of Panama, toured organic farms in El Salvador, and met with Nobel Laureate Oscar Arias.
Clifford P. Ohmart, PhD
VP of Professional Services, Sureharvest
Cliff Ohmart was Research/IPM Director for the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission where he helped California winegrape growers implement sustainable farming practices. He has a Bachelor’s degree in forestry from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of California Berkeley. He was a principal research scientist for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia for 13 years working in forest pest management. From 1989 to 1995 he worked for Scientific Methods, Inc. in Chico, CA helping growers develop integrated pest management programs for almonds, walnuts, prunes, pistachios, and apples.
Michael J. Osborn
Founder, Wine.com
Michael Osborn founded Wine.com, initially known as eVineyard, in 1998 and directly manages the company's product merchandising, including supplier, wholesaler and industry relationships. Prior to starting eVineyard, he was a leading authority in the field of relational database design, and over an eight year period served in executive roles managing engineering and sales for CTR Business Systems, Inc., a privately held technology firm. In pioneering online wine sales, Michael combined his database and marketing experience with his passion of wine.
Heidi Paul
FreenRun Technologies & Winecountry.com
Heidi Paul is co-founder of Freerun Technologies, Inc. Paul and co-founder, Frank Forbes, established Freerun Technologies, Inc. in March of 1993. Paul has more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the high-tech industry including senior positions with AT&T, Southwestern Bell, and Memorex Telex. Prior to establishing Freerun Technologies, Inc. Paul was the Channel Director for IPL, a computer hardware company. With a passion for her community, Heidi Paul has served on a variety of boards including being President of the Napa Valley Conference and Visitor's Bureau Board of Directors (prior name of the Napa Valley Destination Council). Currently she is enjoying active participation with the Diablo Valley Chapter of WPO, Women’s Presidents Organization.She also supports and encourages corporate sponsorship for various charities and philanthropic art endeavors including the Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Napa Valley Symphony, Sonoma International Film Festival, Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health, Wine Women & Shoes.
Janet Pauli, Ph.D.
Chair, Mendocino County Inland Valley Water and Power Commission
Janet Pauli is the Chairwoman of the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission, a Joint Powers Authority representing the County of Mendocino, City of Ukiah, Russian River Flood Control, Redwood Valley County Water District and Potter Valley Irrigation District. She is a Director and Vice President of the Potter Valley Irrigation District, a member of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau Water Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Upper Russian River Stewardship Alliance. Janet received her PhD in Zoology after studying and doing research at the University of Hawaii and the University of Washington.
Paige M. Poulos, APR
President, Paige Poulos Communications
President and founder of Paige Poulos Communications, Inc., Paige is a 30-year wine industry public relations veteran. At the helm of her own agency for the past 20 years, she has been widely recognized for innovation, bottom line results and ability to spot trends in consumer wine interests and capitalize on them. Best known for its work with California's elite family-owned and operated wineries and vineyards, her agency has been at the forefront of communications surrounding sustainable and earth-conscious practices and philosophies. Paige has followed water conservation policy for more than two decades. She serves on the executive committee of URSA, the Upper Russian River Sustainability Alliance, and has worked with Farm Bureau on water and resource messaging.
Joel Quigley
Senior Director Creative Services, Paige Poulos Communications
Joel Quigley’s career in wine marketing and communications spans 15-years. For the past six years, Joel has been Senior Director of Creative Services at Paige Poulos Communications (PPC). Prior to joining PPC, he was Executive Director of Wine Brats, which he grew in his tenure to become the world's largest consumer wine organization.
A committed environmentalist, the Quigley home is the featured project house for the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program. Joel has played a leading role in developing strategies for creating authentic, sustainable communications narratives to drive long-term public relations efforts, consumer education, eco-tours and special events, as well as assisted in the creation of green packaging strategies for a number of PPC clients.
Mike Reynolds
President, Hall Wines
Since joining HALL Wines in 2002, Reynolds has overseen development of the HALL brand, wineries, and vineyard operations. Mike played an instrumental role in the completion of the new state-of-the-art winemaking facility at HALL Rutherford and the new LEED® certified winery in St. Helena. He has also spearheaded the vineyard acquisition program for Kathryn and Craig Hall, who now own close to 500 acres of premier organically farmed vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties.
Mike previously worked for Jackson Family Farms where he was general manager for both the Stonestreet and Verite wine facilities. Before joining Jackson Family Farms, he worked for 11 years at Schramsberg Vineyards in the Napa Valley where he was winemaker for eight years prior to assuming the additional role of general manager. Mike holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
Steve Rhea
SVP Strategic Development, Saint Gobain Containers
J. Steven Rhea, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development for Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc. has 28 years experience in the glass container industry. He has held esteemed positions throughout his career including Plant Manager, Vice President and Senior Vice President. Mr. Rhea is Chairperson for the United Way Campaign and Board Member for Ball Memorial Hospital, both in Muncie, IN. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Clarion State University from Clarion, Pennsylvania.
Pete Richmond
President, Silverado Farming Company
Pete Richmond founded Silverado Farming in 2001 after spending 15 years working as a vineyard manager in the Central Coast and Napa Valley. After receiving his degree in Agriculture Business from Fresno State University in 1987, Pete was hired by the Miller Family owners of Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria. After several years Pete became vineyard manager of Bien Nacido. In 1991 feeling a desire to move closer to their family Pete and his wife moved to Napa. During this period he worked for a number of wineries ending with managing the Napa and Lake County Vineyards for Kendall Jackson.
In 2001 Pete founded Silverado Farming Company with the goal of working with small estate wineries where the focus was on the quality of the wines and not the short term bottom line. In 2006 Pete with his two partners founded Silverado Farming’s One Percent for the Community Fund. Each year Silverado Farming pledges one percent of their gross revenues to at risk children and farm worker related issues in Napa County.
Jim Salomone
Ag & Food Processing Energy Efficiency Supervisor, PG & E
Jim Salomone is the PG&E Ag and Food Processing Energy Efficiency Supervisor. He manages the Customer Energy Efficiency programs for winery, agricultural production, fruit and vegetable processing plants and other food processors for the Northern PG&E territory. Prior to his current position Jim was the PG&E Account Executive for the past 8 years servicing large corporate and family owned wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties.
Jim has been with PG&E for over 25 years and has held a variety of customer contact management positions in the Central Coast, Central Valley, North Coast and PG&E's Corporate Headquarters in SF. Jim holds a BS in Agriculture from CSU Chico and an M.S. in Business Management from University of San Francisco. He has also completed UC Davis’ Land Use and Environmental Planning Program.
Aaron Schiller
Director of Sustainability, Saatchi & Saatchi S
Aaron Schiller, Director of Sustainability, Saatchi & Saatchi, whose firm has developed landmark sustainability strategies for Walmart, Dell and General Mills, will prognosticate the future of retail to help guide us in actions and communications strategies to succeed in the distribution and sales channels of tomorrow.
Mack Schwing GREEN WINE SUMMIT CO-CHAIR
Co-Founder & Principal, WISE Academy
Mack Schwing is a co-founder of WISE Academy, a new company offering education and certification for wine industry professionals who are directly serving customers. Previously, he was Director of the Wine Business Program at Sonoma State University for five years following his retirement from Deloitte Consulting. At the University, he was responsible for all wine industry business education and developed a passion for wine industry professional education. During his thirty years at Deloitte, he held several senior management positions including Global Director of Information Systems Consulting and Director of Management Consulting for Asia-Pacific. Mack has an M.B.A. and a B.S. in Mathematics from Michigan State University. He is a Board member of the Sonoma County Food & Wine Center and of Webview, Inc. He shares his wine knowledge as Chairman of the Wine Committee at Fountain Grove Resort & Country Club.
Jay Scripter
VP Sustainability, Owens-Illinois
Jay Scripter is vice president of sustainability at Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE: OI). He is based at the company’s worldwide headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio. Jay joined O-I in July 2008. He is responsible for shaping the company’s sustainability priorities and developing strategies and processes aimed at improving.
Jay has 20 years of general management, operations, Lean Six Sigma and engineering experience in the chemicals and building materials industry. Prior to joining O-I, he spent five years at H.B. Fuller Company, a $1.5 global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and coatings in St. Paul, Minn., where he served as North American vice president for more than a year, and president and CEO of an automotive joint venture between Fuller and EFTEC for three years. He started at Fuller as operations manager for their adhesive polymers business.
Gopal Shanker
President, Récolte Energy
Gopal Shanker has lived in the Napa Valley since 1994. His first job in Napa involved running the business operations for a winemaking consultant and developing accounting systems and financial models for wineries. Six years later, he started Wine Business Strategies to directly offer these services to other wineries. In 2002, when he first learned about various global energy-related issues that potentially threatened Napa Valley’s future, he expanded his service offerings to include renewable energy consulting. In 2004, he set up Récolte Energy to focus exclusively on energy and expand his client base beyond the wine industry.
He served on the board of the New Technology Foundation from 2003 to 2008, is a member of the advisory council for Sustainable Napa County, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Calistoga.
Joey Shepp
Founder Earthsite.com & Open Brands
Joey has over 10 years experience guiding companies in sustainable practices and green marketing. He is the founder of Earthsite.com a web strategy company for sustainable brands; Open Brands – social marketing monitor and Green Maven a green search engine.
Robert Smiley
Professor Emeritus, Director of Wine Studies
Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis
Robert H. Smiley was Dean of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management from 1989 until 2003. Prior to joining UC Davis, Bob held the position of Professor of Economics and Policy at the Johnson School of Management, Cornell University. His educational background includes two degrees from UCLA: a B.S. in Engineering and an M.S. in Business Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
During his years at Cornell and UC Davis, Robert has done consulting work for a wide variety of public and private sector businesses. His clients have included Unisys Corporation, IBM, General Motors, Shearson/Lehman American Express, U.S. Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Attorney General of the State of California and McCaw Cellular Communications. He has also served as a visiting professor of Economics at Bocconi University in Milan and at the University of Pisa, and John Hopkins University in Bologna, Italy. Bob is a member of the Board of Directors for Calpine Containers Inc. and Cakebread Cellars.
During his tenure as Dean, U.S. News&World Reports, Wall Street Journal and Business Week ranked the School among the top 20 public MBA programs in the Nation. Under the Dean's leadership, the School successfully launched the Working Professional MBA program, which now boasts 300 students, and the Business Partners program, which has more than 75 regional companies participating.
Steve Smit
Vice President Vineyards & Grape Management, Constellation Wines US
Steve has been in the grape growing business for about 25 years. After working at FPMS in the fields, he became a vineyard manager in Sonoma County at Clos De Bois. He took on the responsibilities of buying grapes from many parts of the State, eventually buying over 20,000 tons per year. After becoming V.P. General Manager of Production, Steve left to join Vino Farms/Silverado Premium Properties for a year, returning to vineyard Management and winery relations. He is now VP Vineyards and Grape Management for Constellation Wines.
Anne Steinhauer
Industry Relations Manager, Napa Valley Vintners
Anne Steinhauer is the Community Relations Manager for the Napa Valley Vintners, a non-profit trade organization representing over 350 wineries located in the Napa Valley. As part of her community relations duties, Steinhauer oversees the NVV sustainability programs, Napa Green Certified Winery and Napa Green Certified Land which is open to all Napa County vintners and grape growers. The program focuses on building environmentally sound, sustainable practices that meet and exceed more than twenty local, state and federal land or production “best practices” and is certified by an independent third party. In addition to the Napa Green program, Steinhauer oversees community outreach programs including Adopt-a-School, Napa Neighbor and supports the Napa Valley Vinetrail Coalition.
Anne is a Napa Valley native and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce and as an alternative on the Napa Valley Vinetrail Coalition. Prior to working for the NVV, she spent seven years living and working in Washington DC after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz and a Masters in International Policy from the Monterey Institute for International Studies.
James Tansey, Ph.D.
Co-founder, Offsetters Climate Neutral Society; Chair, Business Ethics, Sauder School of Business
James joined UBC in 2006 and is jointly appointed between the Sauder School of Business and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics. James’ research activities cover a number of areas including the social impacts and acceptability of new technologies including stem cells and biobanks. He has written extensively on the role of public consultation in the governance of industrial societies, industrial ecology, scenario methods and climate change. His current research focuses on emerging international markets for carbon exchange, social determinants of health in developed countries and the governance of biotechnology and genomics in Canada.
James is Managing Editor of the journal Integrated Assessment and co-founder of a Canadian carbon offset entity called offsetters.com. He has taught on MBA, EMBA, Executive Education, MSc and Undergraduate programmes in the UK and Canada. He currently contributes to the MBA core and to graduate teaching in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. James has recently worked as an advisor and contributor to the World Economic Forum, the UK National Audit Office, Oxford Analytica, Cisco, Isis Innovation (Oxford), Environment Canada, Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and the Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance.
Ann Thrupp, Ph.D.
Manager of Sustainability and Organic Development, Fetzer Vineyards
Dr. Ann Thrupp, Manager of Sustainability and Organic Development at Fetzer Vineyards, will present her case study on how the Mendocino winery has been an industry icon and leader in sustainability with its decades' long strategic actions and communications.
Bill Vyenielo
Principal, Vyenielo & Company LLC.
Wine Industry veteran, Bill Vyenielo’s love for agriculture was instilled growing up in Sonoma County. A UC Davis graduate, he began his career 28 years ago as an agricultural lender with American Ag Credit in St. Helena. He later served as Controller and Vice President of Monticello Cellars and Vineyards in Napa. After a sabbatical to earn an MBA at Pepperdine University, Bill spent the next 14 years from 1991 through 2005 leading the highly regarded Peter Michael Winery as General Manager and Chief Executive. Under his leadership at Peter Michael, Bill set a steady course for his team, helping guide the winery and vineyard estate from a fledgling start-up to one of the most respected producers of limited production, ultra-premium wines in the world.
Bill, who left Peter Michael to found his own consulting business, knows the “daunting feeling” that can accompany the many challenges faced by winery principals. He draws on the experience he’s gained in successfully developing and managing luxury-focused winery operations and brands, to help winery clientele who are committed to succeeding in the ultra premium and luxury niches. Bill helps guide them through challenges spanning marketing, operations, winery and vineyard development.
Phil Wente
Fourth Generation Winegrower, Wente Vineyards
Philip R. Wente is a leading advocate for the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco as winegrowing regions and is actively involved in land use and planning issues in the Livermore Valley. In 1986, Philip spearheaded the South Livermore Valley Planning Process that created a General Plan Amendment adopted in 1993. This plan outlines a progressive vision designed to preserve and enhance the Livermore Valley viticultural region. One of the many tools developed during this planning progress was the formation of the Tri-Valley Conservancy, an innovative agricultural land trust that harmonizes real estate development and agricultural land preservation in Alameda County, California. These initiatives were so successful that they are being used as a model in many other areas of the country. Philip is currently the chairman of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center and The Community College Foundation. He is also an active member of the Board of the Tri-Valley Business Council and the Alameda County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
Sean White
General Manager, Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control & Water Conservation Improvement District
Sean White has been working on regional water issues since 1994 after being elected to the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors. During his tenure at MMWD, Sean helped resolve many issues including long-term disputes about instream flow requirements on Lagunitas Creek.
After leaving MMWD, Sean joined the Sonoma County Water Agency were he lead the Natural Resources Section for over 13 years. While at SCWA he served as Project Manager for the Agency’s Fisheries Enhancement Program as well as a variety of other projects including the Napa-Sonoma Marsh Restoration Project. Mr. White also acted as staff liaison with many State and Federal resource agencies. During his service at SCWA, Sean was awarded the NOAA Environmental Stewardship Award as well as the National Performance Review from Vice President Al Gore.
Sean has recently been named General Manager of the Mendocino County Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District, the entity that holds the rights to inland Mendocino County water stored in Lake Mendocino.
Susanne Zechiel
Senior Client Manager, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
Susanne Zechiel is Senior Client Manager with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants and a member the firm’s Winery Services Team. Kennedy/Jenks designs sustainable winery process water management solutions that address both technical and regulatory challenges. The company recently developed the “Comprehensive Guide to Sustainable Management of Winery Water and Associated Energy” on behalf of Wine Institute, and has conducted workshops on use of the guide throughout the state.
For nearly two decades Susanne has been a strong advocate for sustainable business practices in California, working on a broad array of environmental issues ranging from alternative energy to water conservation. She previously spent nearly 10 years with Brown-Forman Wines, providing leadership to a broad array of sustainability programs and developing their award winning green programs including clean energy, energy efficiency, waste minimization, recycling, water conservation, and GHG emission management. She also directed environmental compliance activities at three of their wineries and several hundred acres of vineyard. Most recently, she was the Director of Business Development at Renewable Ventures, a renewable energy company. While at RV, she helped accelerate the adoption of solar energy facilities at schools and universities, making campuses greener while freeing up operating funds.
Jeff Zucker
Water Quality Manager, J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines
Water Quality Manager Jeff Zucker has spent the last 10 years at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines working to ensure the winery makes the most out of every drop of water. He began his career at J. Lohr in 1999 as a temporary harvest worker, and quickly moved his way up when he assumed responsibility of the wastewater system in 2000. During that time, Jeff focused on improving the system by adding new technology, such as equalization tanks, a Dissolved Air Flotation system, and a dewatering press. In 2003, he started a comprehensive water conservation program, which has cut water usage by 30 percent, or an average of one million gallons of water per year. This program has also helped to optimize the use of waste water to improve system performance. He is currently a member of the Sustainability Task Force, where his responsibilities include handling water and air quality issues.
Jeff earned a degree in Business Administration from U.C. Berkeley in 1983, and subsequently received a certificate in Business Computer Programming from California State University, Los Angeles.
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