Sustainability
Programs Manager
Heather
Higinbotham is a lifelong
Montana
resident who was hired as YBP Sustainability Programs Manager by YBP in
February 2008. Heather graduated from the University of
Montana with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and minors in
Environmental Studies, Wilderness Studies, and German. She spent a
semester in California studying solar home design and a semester in
Vienna, Austria, studying German. She received her Master of
Science degree from the University of Montana in 2003, in Environmental
Studies, Alternative Energy and Sustainable Building. Heather
is a licensed Real Estate Agent in Montana and Wyoming, practicing
conservation real estate. She serves on the board of
directors for the Montana Chapter of the US Green Building
Council. She and her family live in Bozeman, MT.
Heather is also a licensed private pilot.
UnCommon Sense
Volunteer Leadership Team
| Basil Barna is
a physicist who has conducted research in energy and transportation
systems for 25 years at the Department of Energy’s National
Laboratory complex in Idaho Falls. In 2001 he founded Wilderness
Systems and Technologies, a company that develops remote sensing
technologies. Basil also serves on the boards of both the Greater
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities Coalition and the Teton Area Advisory
Forum. He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in
physics from Ohio University and Ohio State University,
respectively. Basil is the lead instructor for the
Transportation module. |
Allison
Collins moved
to Montana in the fall of 1996 after graduating from the University of
Vermont. She received an environmental business degree with
an environmental studies minor. She was hired by Mackenzie
River Pizza Co. in Bozeman in the fall of 1997 as a prep
cook. She was promoted to General Manager of the 19th
Street location in the summer of 2004, and manages a staff of 30 people
and a 4 person management team. She hires, trains and reviews
employees as well as being responsible for customer service and
increased sales with a healthy bottom line. She was chosen to
represent the restaurant in the pilot group of the Uncommon
Sense program by the corporate
office for her outgoingness and positive energy. She is now
one of our learning team advisors for the “Seeker”
class, and remains very committed to the Uncommon
Sense program because
“I believe in its positive results for both my staff and our
healthy business. I am proud to volunteer my time as an
advisor.” |
Cari L. Hanson is
a consistent advocate for
environmental, economic, and social sustainability as means to change
and empowerment. Mrs. Hanson's professional experience includes
organizational development, experiential education, design, and event
management in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. She is
the founder of The Ripple Project,
an international non-profit working with African
women's
organizations, and currently consults with organizations on
sustainability and organizational management topics. She is an avid
gardener and cook, with a preference for leafy greens
and
citrus trees, as well as a designer and dog lover. She lives
in
Bozeman, Montana, with her husband, Andy Leider. Cari serves
as a
learning team advisor for the Not So Big Class. |
Deb Holmstrom-Friedel is
the Environmental,
Interpretive, and Risk Manager for Delaware North Companies Parks
&
Resorts at Yellowstone General Stores. Deb administers GreenPath, the
company’s environmental management system, and also develops
interpretive messages and experiential retail programs for Yellowstone
General Stores. As a trained facilitator, Deb volunteers as the Montana
state coordinator for the Leopold Education Project and is active in
the field of environmental education. Deb holds a Bachelor of Science
in Biology from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and
a
Master of Science in Biology with an emphasis in Ecology and
Environmental Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Deb
serves as the lead instructor for the Responsible Purchasing module,
and was a learning team advisor for the Seeker class. |
Stacey Kersens is
the Manager of the Grounds and
Garden Services Division for Blanchford Landscape Contractors in
Bozeman, MT. Stacey started in this industry 17 years ago
spending summers working at a local garden center in Colorado. She then
studied philosophy for five years at the University of Puget Sound
while receiving horticultural training working for their grounds
maintenance department. During this time she also developed my
expertise in perennials and annuals working in residential show
gardens. Thereafter she worked for several years on landscape and
irrigation install crews and as a supervisor of a landscape maintenance
crew in Colorado. This is Stacey’s eighth year with
Blanchford
maintaining properties in the area and designing flower gardens and
small landscapes. In 2003 she became a Certified Plant
Professional from the Montana Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA).
Stacey was chosen by Blanchford to represent them in the pilot group
for UnCommon Sense.
She remains actively involved with
the program and is a learning team advisor for the third class, the
“Growlers”. She spends her free time in
her garden,
on the mountains, in the rivers, reading and fine art
painting. |
Andy
L. Leider is
a
non-profit executive director, facilitator, and leadership coach,
specializing in experiential education and organizational management.
He is Executive Director of MYE Foundation and Montana Yellowstone
Expeditions, a national outdoor education program specializing in
leadership, self-discovery, and sustainability education for high
school students. Mr. Leider began his career as an instructor for
Outward Bound, before managing and founding several small businesses in
the human development field, including his own company, Open Range
Consulting. He has facilitated team, leadership, university, and
organizational programs since 1990 for people of all ages. Mr. Leider
is certified as a Somatic Coach by the Strozzi Institute. He and his
wife, Cari Hanson, live in Bozeman, Montana, with their two dogs and a
small flock of chickens. Andy serves as a learning team
advisor
for the Not So Big Class.
|
Gina
MacIlwraith currently
directs the Environmental, Health, and Safety program for Grand Teton
Lodge Company. Ms. MacIlwraith is responsible for the EHS
performance of GTLC’s concessionaire operations at the Grand
Teton National Park, including management of the ISO 14001 certified
environmental management system and the only Voluntary Protection
Program Star certified health and safety program in the hospitality
industry. Additional focus areas include maximizing operation
sustainability, developing interpretive programs, ensuring guest
safety, and maintaining overall regulatory compliance. Prior
to
joining GTLC, she gained significant air, water, and solid waste
technical environmental experience as a senior environmental engineer
in a manufacturing setting. This background was complimented
by
positions in manufacturing plant and ESH department management in both
small and large operations along with directing the EHS department for
the concessionaire at the Grand Canyon National Park – South
Rim. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental
engineering from Montana Tech. An avid trail runner and
snowboarder, Gina enjoys national park life with her husband and
son. Gina joined the UnCommon
Sense leadership team in
January, 2008 and is lead instructor for the Waste Stream Management
Module.
|
Dan
Olson is a
senior manager in the Climate & Sustainability Solutions
divisions
of Ecos Consulting. Dan has worked on environmental sustainability and
climate change initiatives for seven years, creating GHG inventories
and mitigation action plans for, among others, Ted Turner Enterprises,
Harvard University and Yellowstone National Park. As owner of his own
consulting firm based in Jackson, Wyo., Dan worked with a cross-section
of public agencies, non-profits, and for-profit businesses to reduce
environmental impacts of operations, and was a consistent contributor
to the local dialogue on sustainability and climate impact mitigation
strategies. In addition to project management and business development
activities, Dan is actively tailoring Ecos services to address the
needs of outdoor apparel and gear manufacturers. Dan
graduated
magna cum laude from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, with a
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, and completed Environmental and Land
Management coursework through the Harvard University Extension
School. Dan was one of the original developers of UnCommon
Sense and is lead instructor for
the Business Response to Climate
Change module. |
Lander Purvis
is the Clinic Manager at
Community Health Partners in Livingston, MT. This organization has
grown to employ 90 people, serve over 7,200 individuals, and provide
services that attend to both short- and long-term health and well-being
needs. These efforts have been recognized nationally, with staff from
the organization frequently speaking about leadership, the connection
between health and literacy, change management, and patient
self-management of disease. Lander has been the program director of a
high school study-abroad program in South America and a Spanish teacher
and special education aide at the Monforton School in Bozeman. She
enjoys skiing (she also worked at Big Sky as a volunteer ski patrol),
trail running, kayaking—all things outdoor. When it is mud
season, she likes to read. Lander is the lead instructor for
the
Social and Community Investment module.
|
Dan
Verbeten is NOLS
Teton Valley's Operations Manager
|
| Wendy
Weaver is
an active Board Member and Green School Chair of the Montana Chapter of
the US Green Building Council, Co-Founder of the Gallatin Zero Waste
Coalition, and Founder of Gallatin Growth Solutions.
Wendy’s commitment to and involvement in her
community are
fundamental elements in her personal philosophy and work
ethic.
Wendy is also a Business
Leader for a Clean Energy Future,
Professional Mentor of MSU Engineers Without Borders, and is member of
the MSU Civil Engineering Advisory Committee. In 2007, she was chosen
as an engineer to participate in The Rotary Foundation Group Study
Exchange Program in Peru, and is now actively involved in the Bozeman
Sunrise Rotary Club. Wendy is also a licensed professional civil
engineer with over 15 years of civil engineering experience in the
built environment, and strongly believes in sustainable, green building
and design principles.
When she is not busy
trying to make the world a more resilient place
to live in, and teaching her community about the importance of
sustainability, she is truly a Montana girl at heart. Wendy is a loving
and involved mother of two children, endurance trail runner, avid page
6 chick, gardener, and snow angel designer.
|
Guest
Instructors
Dan Stevenson is
a native of Bridger, Montana,
who received his engineering degree from Montana State
University. Dan spent ___ years as a principal of CTA
Architects
Engineers focusing on Energy Engineering and running the Bozeman
office. He is now the Assistant Director of
Facilities
Services at Montana State University. Dan is the resident
guest
instructor for the Energy Efficiencies module.
"Projects that have meant the most to me are those that provide a
benefit to society. I helped a small hospital-Beartooth
Hospital-upgrade the ventilation system for their surgery suite. The
budget was extremely limited, but we managed to dramatically improve
the condition in the space. Although this was a very small project in
the scope of my career, it was very important to the standard of care
that this small rural hospital was able to provide."
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