TASK FORCE MEMBERS JAC K I E C A R R E R A President and CEO of Parks and People Foundation (Baltimore, MD), a non-profit that supports a wide range of recreational and educational opportunities, creating and sustaining lively parks and promoting a healthy, natural environment for Baltimore. Ms. Carrera is the former chair of Revitalizing Baltimore, a USFS Urban and Community Forestry project and is a co-principal investigator for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study. She also serves as Secretary for the national advocacy City Parks Alliance and as co-chair for Governor O’Malley’s Partnership for Children in Nature’s Community and Public Lands Working Group.
MARTIN J. CHÁVEZ Executive Director of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA (Washington, DC), the nation’s leading advocate for more than 600 local governments on climate change and sustainability. Prior to becoming ICLEI USA’s Executive Director, Mr. Chávez, a three-term former mayor of Albuquerque, NM, served as a trustee of the United States Conference of Mayors and chaired the Urban Water Council. He is currently the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council.
A A R O N D U R N B AU G H Deputy Commissioner for Chicago Department of Environment (Chicago, IL), the lead agency developing and implementing the Chicago Climate Action Plan, and Vice Chair of Chicago Wilderness, a regional alliance of more than 260 organizations connecting people and nature towards biodiversity conservation for landscapes at the southwest corner of Lake Michigan. Mr. Durnbaugh is a LEED™ accredited professional. He serves as Co-Chair for Chicago’s Nature and Wildlife Advisory Committee, Chair for the Chicago Trees Initiative and coordinates the adaptation and preparation strategies of the city’s climate action plan.
MARK GARVIN President of Tree Care Industry Association (Londonderry, NH), a public and professional resource on trees and arboriculture representing approximately 2,000 tree services and affiliated companies. Mr. Garvin joined TCIA, then the National Arborist Association, in 1996 as editor of Tree Care Industry Magazine. He is a member of the Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition, Greenscape Business Alliance and Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association.
JOHN GIEDRAITIS Texas Urban Forestry Program Manager for Texas Forest Service (College Station, TX), assists local communities with trees throughout Texas. Prior to his 13-years’ work with the Texas Forest Service, Mr. Giedraitis was City Forester for the City of Austin, a position he also held for 13 years. He is an SAF Certified Forester and ISA Certified Arborist and has served on the board of the Texas Urban Forestry Council since 1987. He is past president of the Texas Chapter ISA and is currently the Secretary of the ISA Council of Representatives.
MIKE HOUCK Executive Director of Urban Greenspaces Institute (Portland, OR), an organization dedicated to integrating green spaces with the built environment of the Portland-Vancouver region. Mr. Houck has worked on local, regional and national urban park and greenspace issues since 1980, when he founded the Urban Naturalist Program at the Audubon Society of Portland. He is Co-Founder of The Intertwine Alliance, which is dedicated to creating a world-class park, trail and natural area system for the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region. The Alliance is also a member of the national Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance.
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