Speakers

Sam Adams - Mayor, Portland, Oregon

The Portland Tribune called Sam Adams "The council’s most vocal advocate for public arts, neighborhoods, diversity, transportation, economic development, and transparency and accountability in government." Mayor Adams’ well-known work ethic was born from childhood experiences that included public housing and public assistance. He says that these experiences fuel his passion for making government work better for people.

In his new role as Mayor, Sam is the lead Council member on Economic Development, Planning and Sustainability, Education, Arts and Culture, and Transportation. As a City Commissioner, he was Commissioner in Charge of Portland’s Office of Transportation and the Bureau of Environmental Services, among other responsibilities.

Rick Ridgeway - VP of Environmental Initiatives and Special Media Projects, Patagonia

Rick Ridgeway oversees Patagonia’s environmental grant-making, internal and external environmental education, and special multi-year environmental projects. Rick is one of the world’s foremost mountaineers and adventurers. Along with three companions, he became the first American to summit K2, considered the hardest mountain in the world to climb, and he has done many other significant climbs and explorations on all of the world’s continents. He is the author of six books, including the highly acclaimed Seven Summits, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro and Below Another Sky.

Rick is Board Chairman of Freedom to Roam Coalition, a broad coalition of businesses, government agencies and environmental groups committed to the protection of wildlife corridors and connected landscapes.

Bruce Poon Tip - Founder, Gap Adventures

In 1990, Bruce Poon Tip founded Gap Adventures in order to deliver an authentic travel experience to travellers, who, like himself, craved adventures that went beyond all-inclusive resorts. Since then, Gap Adventures has grown to become a world leader in adventure travel, offering more than 1,000 small group experiences on all seven continents to more than 100,000 travellers a year.

In recognition of this dedication to ethical business practices and sustainable tourism, Gap Adventures has been awarded a 2009 World Savers Awards by Condé Nast Traveler magazine and the 2009 Travel+Leisure’s Global Vision Leadership Award for voluntourism. Bruce has been honoured twice with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has been recognized as the 2009 Awards of Merit, Travel Personality of the Year.

Earl Blumenauer, Congressman (D-Ore)
Elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996, Mr. Blumenauer has created a unique role as Congress’ chief spokesperson for Livable Communities: places where people are safe, healthy and economically secure. From 1996 to 2007, he served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he was a strong advocate for federal policies that address transportation alternatives, provide housing choices, support sustainable economies and improve the environment. He was a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2001 to 2007. Now a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee, Congressman Blumenauer also serves as Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Erika Harms - Senior Advisor on Tourism, UN Foundation
Ms. Harms manages and oversees the implementation of activities under the framework of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), a cutting edge initiative that provides a clear set of standards, protocols, processes and measurements for sustainable tourism. As Advisor on Tourism, Ms. Harms supports the UN Foundation’s tourism and conservation efforts. An experienced executive who has a background in business, government, and philanthropy, Ms. Harms has focused on creating platforms to bring together the private and public sector in support of the United Nations’ conservation priorities.

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols - Co-Founder, SEE Turtles
Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is co-founder of SEE Turtles, and has been a leading ocean conservationist for over 15 years. He is a Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences, former President of the International Sea Turtle Society, and Eastern Pacific co-chair for the IUCN’s Marine Turtle Specialists Group. He co-founded Ocean Revolution and WiLDCOAST, two international advocacy groups, as well as the Grupo Tortuguero, an award-winning coalition of fishermen, local residents, and conservationists spanning Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Tamara Kennedy-Hill - Executive Director, Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC)
Tamara Kennedy-Hill has learned quickly that “green” is a global language. The GMIC has grown more than 230 percent and spread to 16 countries under her watch. No stranger to sustainable meetings prior to joining GMIC, she had cofounded the Green Team at Travel Portland as a convention sales manager focused on the green market. She is also working with the APEX Green Meetings & Events Practice Panel, and oversaw the launch of GMIC’s Green Meetings Portal, gathering news and ideas about sustainability from meetings and conferences internationally.

Andy Woods-Ballard - Director of Operations, Global Vision International (GVI)
Andy has worked in America and Scotland with marine mammals; and extensively in the tropics studying lemurs and a range of freshwater, sub-tidal, inter-tidal and coastal habitats and species in Zambia, Tanzania and Madagascar. Using Participatory Appraisal techniques he has aided the interaction of local peoples and protected area managers. Andy has experience working internationally with non-profit and commercial, governmental and non-governmental organisations through the set-up and successful continuation of various projects.

Ronald Sanabria - Vice President, Sustainable Tourism, Rainforest Alliance
Ronald Sanabria has worked with the tourism industry on certification, productivity, quality assurance and sustainability since 1992. He joined the Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Agriculture program in 1998, and two years later began developing the organization's tourism program. During his tenure with the Rainforest Alliance, Sanabria has coordinated projects in a dozen Latin American countries, supporting sustainable tourism training and technical assistance for hundreds of tourism businesses and community-based operations while connecting them with the marketplace.

Oliver Hillel - Programme Officer, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Oliver Hillel is responsible, among other issues, for Sustainable Tourism, Island Biodiversity, Cities, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity. A biologist with a master's Degree in Environmental Education and MBAs on Managerial Accounting and Hotel Management, Oliver has over 23 years experience on sustainable tourism, international negotiations, event organization, and training and capacity building programs. Previously, he was the team leader for the Sustainable Environmental Management Plan in Northern Palawan, the Philippines, and Tourism Programme Coordinator for UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics based in Paris, France.

Steve Faulstick, General Manager, Doubletree Hotel Portland
Steve Faulstick, general manager of the Doubletree Hotel Portland, is also a former Board President for Travel Portland, the City of Portland’s official destination marketing organization. Steve is currently chair of Travel Oregon. In 2006, the hotel became Oregon’s first Green Seal-certified property. Under his leadership, the Doubletree Hotel Portland has become an industry leader in sustainability, receiving local, state and national recognition for its efforts. Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and more than 20 years of diverse hospitality experience, ranging from resort food-and-beverage management to convention hotel operations.