WSESA-2025

I am an Ecological Designer and Sustainability consultant with over 20 years of research, teaching and experience completing complex projects on local, national and international levels. My time is split between my consulting company, Design for Environment 40 LLC, and volunteering with local communities. I have presented to the Colorado legislature on “Air Pollution in Communities of Color” and on sustainability topics including renewable energy, water conservation and sustainable agriculture. I received my Master’s degree in Ecological Design from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture and an MFA in Art and Design from Radford University.

My work in sustainability began as a volunteer with Gro Fresh 365 providing food shares for at risk populations on the first hydroponic farm in Grand Junction, Colorado. I also consulted with Mesa Conservation District promoting sustainable farming techniques for growers in the Southwest region of Colorado. I have been interviewed by the National Green Resource Council regarding “Green Initiatives for Sustainable Development” and “How the Pandemic has Affected Urban Growth”. Interviews were published in the member journal. I am also an Artist. I exhibit work in the U.S. Mexico and Europe. I completed a large mural of endangered birds of Mexico in an historic café in Torreon, Mexico and have received multiple Awards of Excellence for Watercolors exhibited with Circle Arts in Lyon, France.

My work as Senior Advisor with Enduring Harvest starting the first off grid permaculture farm in southern Iraq, Children’s Garden Program for war orphans in Afghanistan and Women’s Empowerment programs in both countries was highly complex and challenging. Partnerships were established with local schools and Al Muthana University in Southern Iraq. Students were given the opportunity to volunteer for course credits on the farm in Iraq. We exported renewable wind and solar energy systems from the U.S. to Iraq. I worked with the Mideast plant specialist from the KEW Royal Botanic Gardens in the U.K. to help us establish a section of the farm for endangered medicinal plants which is the primary source of medicines for people in the region. Every project requires in depth research, communication, organizational skills and cultural sensitivity to achieve the desired outcome. Understanding cultures, languages, traditions and respect for religious beliefs are critical to the success of these challenging and rewarding projects.

I am currently working with the EUOC, a nonprofit in the UK, to provide sustainable education for teachers and students in Uganda with the course I designed, “Global Solutions for Sustainable Living”. I feel we can move the world forward towards greater sustainability by providing solutions based on research of past and current ecological systems to determine how these systems have changed and why. Renewable energy plays a critical role in providing the energy we need to move the world towards a more sustainable future. We need to understand how the broad range of factors such as culture, race, gender, language, social, political, economic and environmental forces have shaped our understanding of how we interact with ecological systems. Based on my experience I know we can establish the foundations to move the world towards greater sustainability.