Conference Schedule

Time	Activities
8:30	Breakfast + Registration
9:15	Welcomes, Introductory remarks
9:30	Morning Keynote Phil Angelides Chairperson, Apollo Alliance Phil Angelides has made his mark in California and the nation as an effective public leader, as a successful businessman, and as a trailblazing environmental innovator. He was the California State Treasurer from 1999-2007 and the Democratic nominee for Governor of California in 2006. For over two decades, Mr. Angelides has been a leader in the movement for sustainable economic progress. In the 1980’s, he pioneered the planning and building of smart growth communities long before the concepts of sustainability were embraced by the marketplace. Among his ventures was the town of Laguna West which was featured in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, and ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America,” and sparked a national dialogue around building more livable, environmentally responsible communities. During his eight years in elected office, Mr. Angelides transformed the State Treasurer’s Office into a force for progress, launching ground breaking policy initiatives. He directed $26 billion in state investments to promote smart growth and create jobs, housing, and opportunities in inner cities, catalyzing a wave of reinvestment in America’s urban centers. He put the weight of California’s $400 billion pension funds behind investment in clean energy and the fight against global warming – seeding the “green tech” investment revolution. And, he mobilized investors across the nation to usher in a new era of corporate social and environmental responsibility. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the National Inner City Leadership Award from the Initiative for Competitive Inner City; the California League of Conservation Voters’ Environmental Leadership Award; and the Congress for the New Urbanism’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
10:30	Workshop 1A: Sustainability 101 hosted by Trustee Nicky González Yuen and Robert Brem Nwamaka Agbo Ella Baker Center Ms. Agbo is the Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Statewide Organizer for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, California. She is also the former editor of the African American magazine and organizer of the Pan African Student Organization at the University of California, Davis. As a student athelete and double major, Agbo combined an interest in social justice and civil rights with concern for the environmental struggles of disenfranchised communities. Mark Rauzon Laney College Mr. Rauzon is Physical Geography faculty at Laney College. He is also a long-time environmental activist who has worked tirelessly to restore Sausal Creek in the East Oakland Hills, now the only creek in Oakland restored for public enjoyment. Mike Hazinski EBMUD Mr. Hazinski is a supervisor in the Conservation Department at East Bay Municipal Utility District. Reginald James AC Transit Mr. James was a former Peralta Student Trustee. He worked with others to establish the Peralta College's AC Transit pass pilot program. He continues to work for accessible transportation for students in the External Affairs department at AC Transit.	Workshop 1B: Green Collar Jobs hosted by Robin Freeman Nile Malloy Communities for a Better Environment CBE builds grassroots communities to pressure agencies, such as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, to achieve environmental health and justice in working class communities and communities of color. David Ralston CEDA, City of Oakland Mr. Ralston is Senior Redevelopment Planner for the City of Oakland’s Community and Economic Development Agency developing “Green Works” for green jobs, local sustainability and healthy city neighborhood based planning and building. He is also adjunct faculty in Environmental Management at Merritt College, a fellow at the Institute of Sustainable Policy Studies and principal of Oasis Planning and Design Consultants. George Kopf Rising Sun Energy Center George Kopf, Rising Sun Energy Center Program Manager, brings a hands-on approach to day-to-day management. After graduating from Cal. State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management, he fuses environmentalism with program design for the "Green Energy Training Services" (GETS), an adult green collar workforce development training program. Maria Morales Green Away Plant Control Ms. Morales works with private and public landowners on Wild Fire Management plans, Co-edited Conference Proceedings and is Adjunct faculty at Merritt Environmental Management and Technology where she encourages the next generation of environmental stewards to take charge of their world by starting in their backyard. She embraces new green technology and the challenge of bringing it into the mainstream. Ms. Morales holds a MS in Wildland Resource Science from UC Berkeley.	Workshop 1C: Justice for Our Health and Our Environment hosted by Nehanda Imara Margaret Gordon Port of Oakland Commissioner Over the last decade, Margaret Gordon has been respected locally as a strong voice of reason and intellect not only in her West Oakland community, but regionally as well. The longtime health and environmental advocate has earned statewide respect on Port issues. Ms. Gordon is one of the founding members of both the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project and the Alameda County Stakeholder Project. Carla Perez Movement Generations Ms. Perez is a 30 year old, dedicated single mother and community organizer of Native/Latin American heritage residing in Oakland, California. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1999 with a BS in Conservation & Resource Studies with an emphasis on Environmental Racism. She has worked with community groups from Yucatán, Mexico to Contra Costa, California on issues of environmental justice and sustainable agriculture. Ms. Perez most recently served as CBE’s Northern California Program Director.
12:00	Lunch Tour of Self-Reliant House Tour of Landscape/Horticulture Greenhouse
1:30	Afternoon Keynote panel Starting the Green Life, with Peralta at Merritt College hosted by Jack Lin Marisha Farnsworth Instructor, Natural Building, Merritt College Ms. Farnsworth is the co-owner of The Natural Builders, a contracting company based in the East Bay that focuses on green, ecological and indigenous building systems. She also works as an organizer and a teacher with the non-profit Kleiwerks International. Tom Branca Chair, Landscape Horticulture and Environmental Studies Department, Merritt College Mr. Branca has taught at Merritt College since 1980, after graduating from UC Davis. His educational pursuits began after serving four years in the navy during the Vietnam War. Upon being discharged he attended Laney College where after 3 years he earned an AS degree in computer science/data processing. During his last semester there he was introduced to the wonderful world of plants so he continued his education at Cal State Hayward in the Biology Dept, ultimately transferring to UC Berkeley where he received his BS in Botany. He continued as a grower at a local wholesale nursery, and soon took up graduate studies in horticulture at UC Davis. Leslie Geathers Instructor, Green Building and Agro-Ecology, Merritt College ... Jack Lin Organizer, Sustainable Peralta Initiative Mr. Lin has worked with the Peralta Colleges over the last 2 years to infuse Sustainability as a core value with the Department of General Service, which oversees maintenance, operations, planning and construction of all the buildings and physical infrastructure with the District. He lead the implementation of the recycling program on all campuses, and he has organized previous Sustainability Conferences. Mr. Lin also support instructors and administrators efforts to infuse principles of Sustainability into curriculum.
2:30	Workshop 2A: Better, Healthier Makeup hosted by Marla Leech Stacy Malkan Author, "Not Just a Pretty Face" Lead in Lipstick? Carcinogens in baby shampoo? What’s going on? Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, will discuss the latest research about toxic chemicals in personal care products – and what that means for your health. Ms. Malkan is a former teenage make-up diva, who applied approximately 200 chemicals to her body every day — before even getting on the school bus. Her award-winning book, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, investigates the toxic chemical problem and describes the ongoing effort to give the beauty industry a safety makeover. Ms. Malkan still use plenty of products, but the old brands are gone in favor of safer alternatives.	Workshop 2B: Sustainable and Healthy Food Choices for All hosted by Amy Bohorquez and Janet Zepel Willow Rosenthal City Slicker Farms Ms. Rosenthal is director of City Slicker Farms, a non-profit group that works with West Oakland resident to create organic, sustainable, high-yield urban farms and back-yard gardens on the residents’ properties. These spaces provide healthy, affordable food and improve the environment. City Slicker Farms seek to serve all West Oakland residents, prioritizing people who have least access. Their farms and gardens demonstrate the viability of a local food-production system, serve as community spaces, empower children and adults who want to learn about the connections between ecology, farming and the urban environment, and give West Oakland residents tools for self-reliance. Diana Aberella People's Grocery People's Grocery builds a local food system that improves the health and economy of the West Oakland community. Grey Kolevzon East Bay Asian Youth Center, and Urban Youth Harvest	Workshop 2C: Eco-Art: Creativity for People and Planet hosted by Andrée Thompson Sharon Siskin Artist and Activist Ms. Siskin is a long-time activist and artist addressing AIDS, homelessness, socioeconomic justice and the environment. Her work has appeared in public spaces around the country and in nation-wide publications. Ms. Siskin has also developed many community arts programs as an instructor at John F. Kennedy and University of San Francisco. She now teaches at University of San Francisco and Berkeley City College. Ms. Siskin is also a member of the Board for the Women's Enviromental Artists Directory (WEAD). Daniel McCormick Watershed artist Using natural materials and native plants, Mr. McCormick makes beautiful sculptures that repair damaged environments. Sam Bower Executive Director, Green Museum Based in Corte Madera, California, just north of San Francisco, but Mr. Bower leads the online Green Museum. Green Museum does not have a physical space filled with a bulky art collection. Instead, their strategy allows for displaying a wide range of art works from around the globe with very small ecological footprint. Green Museum hopes to show a breadth of approaches and give some sense of the global range of this work.
4:00	reception: Celebrating Sustainability Glen Pearson and the College of Alameda Jazz Ensemble Poetry readings Raffle Prizes, hosted by Dr. Bobby Adams (President, Merritt College)