Working to protect our environment for both people and wildlife requires many different skills and talents. Above all it requires a passion for the planet and everyone who calls it home. Our staff are all advocates for our planet and they bring with them a complex mix of skills and experience to help Friends of the Earth achieve its mission.

Our president | Our staff | Our board | Our consultants

Bob Alvarez, Senior analyst

Bob Alvarez serves as a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies and as a senior analyst at Friends of the Earth, focusing on nuclear disarmament, the safety risks of nuclear reactors and, in particular, the vulnerability of radioactive spent fuel that is piling up at reactor sites across the U.S. Between 1993 and 1999, Bob served at the Department of Energy as a senior policy advisor. Prior to joining the DOE, Bob served for five years as a senior investigator for the U. S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, chaired by Senator John Glenn, and as one of the Senate’s primary staff experts on the U.S. nuclear weapons program. Bob is an award winning author and has published articles in prominent publications such as Science Magazine, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Technology Review and The Washington Post. He has been featured in television programs such as NOVA and 60 Minutes.

Michelle Chan, Economic Policy Project director

Michelle Chan coordinates the Friends of the Earth's Green Investments project, which brings environmental advocacy to Wall Street. The Green Investments project engages in shareholder activism, promotes corporate environmental disclosure, provides outreach to financial analysts, and works with major financial institutions to develop environmental management systems. She is the founder of BankTrack, an international NGO network, and is currently coordinating Friends of the Earth's China-related work. Michelle has served on the Board of CERES, an investor-environmentalist alliance for corporate responsibility; the Council for Responsible Public Investment, and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment. She is a founding member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index Advisory Committee, and in 2002 received the Social Investment Forum's Service Award for outstanding contributions to the field of socially responsible investing. She graduated from the Division of Honors with degrees in Economics, Development Studies, and Geography from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Rebecca Connors, Online director

Rebecca Connors manages Friends of the Earth’s website, online advocacy and social media and is focused on strengthening Friends of the Earth’s online presence. One of her primary interests is exploring ways to use technology to build community and enact change. She also serves on the communications task force for Friends of the Earth International. Before moving to DC from Boston, she designed websites and provided content management as an independent consultant, working primarily with non-profit, academic and creative clients. She also has experience in competitive intelligence, event planning, census-taking and editing. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in English Literature and continues to hone her creative writing in her spare time.

Read Becca's blog. Follow Becca on Twitter: @becca_connors

Julie Dyer, Executive assistant

Julie joins Friends of the Earth as executive assistant to the president. In addition to supporting the president, Julie serves as a liaison to the board of directors. Julie has previously worked in higher education and as a judicial assistant. She has experience in administrative support, editing, and event planning. She looks forward to using her previous experience to help increase efficiency at an organization that helps to defend the environment. Julie is currently studying Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. She enjoys spending time with her husband and children at their home in western Loudoun County.

Caely French, Development associate

Caely French comes to Friends of the Earth with a range of development experience, including foundation fundraising, donor databases, and event planning. In her most recent position at a small sustainable economics nonprofit, her work focused on grant writing and database management. She has also managed a chiropractic office, where she customized and implemented a new client database, and she has assisted in faculty recruitment and event planning at a national retreat center. Caely holds a B.A. in Economics and International Development from Marlboro College, and she wrote her undergraduate thesis on dairy development and urbanization in Bangladesh. She has lived and studied in Bangladesh, France, and the Findhorn Foundation eco-village in Scotland.

Dave Hirsch, Managing director

David Hirsch manages the operations of Friends of the Earth. He has oversight over management and personnel functions, and works with the president to help set strategic direction for the organization. He also serves on the executive committee of Friends of the Earth International. His personal focus is on budget and tax matters that impact sustainable transportation policies. He is co-author of Road to Ruin, a report documenting wasteful and environmentally harmful highway projects. David has worked on issues related to the federal gasoline tax and the Highway Trust Fund. He has worked with environmental and community groups around the country to help them in their fights against destructive road projects. David received a B.A. in Political Communication from Ohio University and an M. A. in Environmental Politics and Issues Management from George Washington University.

Eric Hoffman, Biotechnology policy campaigner

As the biotechnology policy campaigner, Eric focuses on protecting people and the environment from emerging genetic technologies such as ownership and control of human genes, human genetic engineering, animal cloning, animal genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Originally from Baltimore, Eric earned a degree in political science and a minor in environmental studies from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. After graduation, Eric was an Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center. During the year-long fellowship he worked at the Community Food Bank in Tucson, AZ and the National Family Farm Coalition, focusing on the role and viability of local food systems and sustainable agriculture. Since then, he served as a policy assistant for the National Family Farm Coalition and the Community Food Security Coalition where he works on agriculture policy, including efforts to fight the genetic engineering of seeds, farm to school policy, as well as food sovereignty.

Read Eric's blog.

Kate Horner, Policy analyst

Kate Horner is a policy analyst at Friends of the Earth, leading the organization's work on forest protection, with a focus on ensuring that emerging climate policies lead to real emissions reductions, the protection of human rights and sustainable development. Kate tracks developments in U.S. policy, multilateral environmental agreements and international financial institutions. She has worked closely with indigenous peoples’ organizations, local communities, development organizations and economists to advocate for policies that address the real drivers of deforestation in both developed and developing countries, including demand-side measures, forest governance and land tenure reform, and policy coherence. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth in 2006, Kate held positions as a political campaign manager, a health and labor researcher and as an editor.

Read Kate's blog. Follow Kate on Twitter: @katefoe

Kim Huynh, Dirty fuels campaigner

Kim Huynh is the dirty fuels campaigner at Friends of the Earth. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, Kim was an organizer with Food & Water Watch, where she worked with local communities to fight corporate control and abuse of our essential resources in the mid-Atlantic region. Her work focused on the issues of sustainable agriculture and fracking. Kim has experience with online organizing and communications strategies around climate change, dirty energy, and biotechnologies. She was a part of the youth-powered direct actions team with the Avaaz Action Factory, which sought to pressure Congress and the Obama administration in the lead up to the 2009 Copenhagen climate negotiations. Outside of these campaigns, she currently organizes in the DC-area community for environmental and food justice, housing equity, and the commons. Kim graduated from the University of Florida with a B.A. in political science and a minor in international relations.

Follow the dirty fuels campaign on Twitter: @foe_dirtyfuels

Ian Illuminato, Health and environment campaigner

Ian's work focuses on protecting people and the environment from threats posed by nanotechnology. He has worked for Greenpeace Italy, Greenpeace International, and the United Nations Environmental Program in Italy and has extensive experience monitoring the impact of technological change on the environment. At Greenpeace he helped lead an international movement against genetically engineered crops in Europe and the Middle East. He persuaded Europe's largest rice company to stop importing American rice to keep its stock GM-free. He also works closely with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to remove toxins from beauty products. He has authored reports including, “Nano and biocidal silver: extreme germ killers present a growing threat to public health” and “Nanotechnology, climate and energy: over-heated promises and hot air?” His writing has appeared in publications including the Journal of Nanoparticle Research and the European Journal of Oncology. He has also appeared in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Scientific American, Business Week and Reuters. He has also served on the Executive Committee of Friends of the Earth International. Ian has a B.A. degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

John Kaltenstein, Marine program manager

John Kaltenstein combines an environmental/natural resources law background with a passionate commitment to advocacy on behalf of the environment and social justice. He has done legal work and analyzed compliance requirements for smelting and metallurgy operations in Peru, written amicus briefs on impacts of a proposed mariculture operation in Costa Rica as well as a shrimp aquaculture project in Belize, research Endangered Species Act issues and developed conservation recommendations on groundfish bycatch. He has also worked for the SEIU Health Care Workers Union, conducting training and education work, and managed litigation involving complex antitrust, securities and health care issues. While in law school, he co-chaired his law school’s environmental justice advocacy group. He holds a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, OR and a B.A. from Swarthmore in Political Science.

Marcie Keever, Oceans and Vessels Project director

Marcie Keever has a strong background in campaign implementation, expertise on air issues, and experience in dealing with agency relations and legislative initiatives. Previously, Marcie served as program director for San Francisco Beautiful where she implemented a campaign to stop the proliferation of digital billboards in California and prevented the placement of advertising on the Golden Gate Bridge. Prior to that she was a staff attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow for Our Children's Earth Foundation, conducting air pollution case work, including lawsuits against the Tennessee Valley Authority for its dirty coal fired power plants. She has also done work for a number of environmental justice organizations including as a staff attorney at the Golden Gate University Environmental Law and Justice Clinic. Marcie holds a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco with a certificate in Environmental Law, and a B.A. from U.C. Santa Barbara with a double major in Environmental Studies and Law and Society.

Lisa Matthes, Publications manager

Lisa Matthes joined our staff as an executive assistant in 2005 and currently works as our publications manager. She also serves as the liaison to the board of directors and internship coordinator at Friends of the Earth. In 2007 Lisa took over responsibility for managing our publications, the newsmagazine and annual report. She has traveled, studied and worked abroad. She taught English in Thailand and worked as a journalist in England and Wales. She also has an interest in photography and works part-time as a wedding photographer. Lisa has a B.S. in Magazine Journalism from Syracuse University.

Damon Moglen, Climate and Energy Project director

Damon leads Friends of the Earth’s Climate and Energy team. He came to Friends of the Earth from Greenpeace USA where he was the Global Warming Campaign Director. Damon started his work on environmental issues with Friends of the Earth in Washington, D.C. in 1984 -- since then he has worked on climate, energy and nuclear issues for nearly twenty years with Greenpeace, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Union of Concerned Scientists. He has also worked for the ACLU as a Field Director and for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids as their International Advocacy Director. He has extensive experience directing campaigns at local, national and international levels. Damon is married to an environmental engineer at the Inter-American Development Bank, has two sons, and lives in Takoma Park.

Karen Orenstein, International policy campaigner

Karen Orenstein comes to Friends of the Earth with more than a decade of grassroots advocacy experience in environmental and international human rights campaigns. Karen worked for 7 years at the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), where she led Washington efforts to support genuine self-determination and justice for the people of East Timor and human rights protections for the peoples of Indonesia and West Papua. Karen continues to serve on ETAN’s board. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, she was national outreach coordinator at National Audubon Society, where she focused on global warming. Karen has done research and volunteer work for the Maasai Environmental Resource Coalition and has lived in Tanzania. She also serves on the board of Pets DC and has 2 cute cats.

Read Karen's blog.

Erich Pica, President

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica is a nationally recognized expert on energy subsidies who for more than a decade has worked to reform U.S. tax and budget policy in ways that reduce pollution and spark a transition to clean energy.

Read an extended bio.

Follow Erich on Twitter: @erichpica

Michal Rosenoer, Biofuels policy campaigner

As the biofuels policy campaigner, Michal focuses on curbing the environmental and social costs of harmful biofuels and bioenergy policies. In addition, she is part of growing coalition of advocates from various organizations working to end economic incentives for ethanol production. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Michal earned a bachelors of science from the University of California, Berkeley in food security and environmental politics, with a minor in global poverty. During her time at Cal, Michal spent a semester in Kenya studying political famine and sustainable farming. She has also worked as an environmental and outdoor educator, leading service-learning programs for youth about environmental issues in California, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. After graduation Michal was an Avodah Fellow, working against poverty and oppression in the District of Columbia. In her free time, Michal likes to grow tomatoes, trail run, and explore the local mountain ranges.

Read Michal's blog. Follow the biofuels campaign on Twitter: @foe_biofuels

Madelyn Rygg, Financial controller

Madelyn fills Friends of the Earth’s key financial position. She brings to Friends of the Earth 12 years of nonprofit accounting and over 25 years overseeing the financial management and reporting, IT, tax and legal matters in multi-company, non-profit and for-profit organizations. She has established and operated import and export businesses in the wholesale computer products and footwear industries, dealing with customers and manufacturers in Europe, South America, Russia, the Middle East and the Far East. She holds a B.S. in accounting from Frostburg State University. Her strength lies in overall business operations, automation and process improvement.

Kathy Sawyer, Director of foundation relations

Kathy has more than 15 years experience raising funds for community-level, national and international nonprofits based in the DC metropolitan area focusing on peace, social justice, conservation and green building.  She has extensive editing experience in a variety of print media.  Kathy has a B.A. in French from Illinois State University and an M.A. in International Development from American University.  She has lived and traveled extensively in Japan, Europe and Africa, as well as the Kyrgyz Republic.  In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for local organizations, reading, writing, traveling and attending film festivals and live music.

Benjamin Schreiber, Climate and energy tax analyst

Benjamin Schreiber is the climate and energy tax analyst at Friends of the Earth. His focus is on the tax code with a goal towards fighting tax incentives to global warming gas intensive technologies and promoting tax incentives for technologies that have greenhouse gas benefits. He also works on stopping subsidies for nuclear reactors, liquid coal and other dirty technologies. Ben came to Friends of the Earth from Environment America where he worked as an energy advocate, fighting subsidies to dirty technologies, increasing fuel economy standards and promoting renewable energy. Ben received a B.A. in sociology from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He is barred in Maryland.

Sharon Smith, Accountant

Sharon Smith is Friends of the Earth's accountant. She brings with her more than 20 years of accounting experience. Her tremendous organization and commitment to producing results above and beyond expectations are an asset to the organization. In her spare time she enjoys creating personal calendars, all occasions’ cards and photo collages. Sharon also has an interest in computers and electronic gadgets.

Peter Stocker, Membership director

Peter Stocker directs our membership program and has a wide range of development experience in Europe, Central America, and the U.S. His experience includes delivering humanitarian aid to Bosnia, fundraising for women’s rights in Nicaragua, and managing the membership and institutional giving programs at Youth Radio in Berkeley and the Eviction Defense Collaborative in San Francisco. His development background includes in-depth experience with direct mail, online fundraising, grant writing, and data management. Peter is a graduate of U.C. San Diego and received his Master's in Rural Development from Sussex University in the United Kingdom.

Kelly Trout, Communications manager

Kelly Trout works with the communications team to get our messages out to the media and keep our members and activists informed about key environmental issues. Before joining Friends of the Earth, Kelly advocated for more just and sustainable U.S. trade policies and mobilized activists to influence legislative debates with NETWORK. She also has experience volunteering for political campaigns and tutoring refugees in English language and job skills. Kelly is a graduate of Brown University, where she studied international development. During college, Kelly spent two semesters at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where she took courses and researched participatory approaches to improving the urban environment.

Read Kelly's blog.

William Waren, Trade policy analyst

Bill Waren is a trade policy analyst for Friends of the Earth. He works to protect the environment from the negative impact of international trade and investment agreements.  Bill contributes to the policy discussion about trade and environment issues as they arise in community forums, the U.S. congressional debate, the federal agency process, international negotiations, and litigation before international trade and investment tribunals. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, Bill worked at the Forum on Democracy & Trade and its sister organization, the Harrison Institute for Public Law at Georgetown University. Earlier in his career, Bill served as federal affairs counsel for the National Conference of State Legislatures and as a staffer for the Illinois General Assembly.  A native of rural, downstate Illinois, Bill is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Duke Law School.