Our Experts

Ann Alexander

Senior Attorney, Dirty Energy, Lands Division, Nature Program

Ann Alexander works as a litigator and policy advocate with the Nature Program's Dirty Energy Team—fighting to curb polluting fossil fuel development that threatens the integrity of our public lands, and harms communities living in proximity. Before arriving at NRDC…

Sylvie Ashford

Schneider Sustainable Energy Fellow, Western Region, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Sylvie Ashford works on building decarbonization, electricity planning, and other clean energy issues in California. Prior to joining NRDC, she worked as a research assistant at policy think tanks in the Bay Area and Washington, D.C., and completed her capstone…

Josh Axelrod

Senior Advocate, Nature Program

Josh Axelrod focuses on issues including public land protection and conservation, renewable energy siting on public lands, limiting oil and gas development on public lands, energy transmission, and climate policy. Since joining NRDC in 2013, Axelrod has also developed expertise…

Julee Boan

Manager, Boreal Partnership, International Program

Julee Boan works collaboratively with Indigenous peoples and organizations, local and national conservation groups, plus industry and governments to protect Canada's boreal forest. She has a PhD in forest sciences, where she researched approaches to mitigate the impacts of industrial…

Sharon Buccino

Senior Attorney, Lands Division, Nature Program

Sharon Buccino's current work focuses on energy policy and government transparency. She actively litigates in federal court and advocates before federal agencies and Congress. She has worked to implement effective environmental review and public participation for proposed pipelines, as well…

Giulia C.S. Good Stefani

Senior Attorney, Marine Mammals, Oceans Division, Nature Program

Giulia C.S. Good Stefani works to protect marine mammals, wild places, and communities from environmental injustices. Stefani has worked on a variety of cases and campaigns at NRDC, including the effort to secure greater protection for whales from the U.S…

Ralph Cavanagh

Energy Co-Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Since joining NRDC in 1979, Ralph Cavanagh has focused on removing barriers to cost-effective energy efficiency and on the role that electric and natural gas utilities can play in leading a clean energy transition. From 1993 to 2003, he served…

Julia de Lamare

Western Equitable Building Decarbonization Advocate, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Julia de Lamare champions policies that advance the equitable decarbonization of buildings, including building codes, utility regulation, performance standards, and air quality regulations with an emphasis on equity needs and affordability. Prior to joining NRDC, de Lamare was a senior…

Hilary Firestone

Senior Policy Advisor, City Energy Project, Resilient Communities, People & Communities Program

As a senior city policy expert for the City Energy Project, a collaboration between NRDC and the Institute for Market Transformation, Hilary Firestone works to advance policies and programs that cut energy waste in large buildings and make American cities…

Ericka Flores

Advocate, Clean Energy & Equity, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Ericka Flores provides technical and advocacy expertise for local and state-level equitable building decarbonization, building energy efficiency, and energy equity policies, programs, and initiatives. She works to develop and strengthen partnerships with diverse groups to collectively build a strong, inclusive…

Dr. David B. Goldstein

Energy Co-Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program

David B. Goldstein has worked on energy efficiency and energy policy since the early 1970s. He currently codirects NRDC’s Energy program. Goldstein has been instrumental in the development of energy efficiency standards for new buildings and appliances that are currently…

Kabir Green

Director, Federal Affairs, Government Affairs

Kabir Green, who joined NRDC in 2012, focuses on public lands issues, especially NRDC’s efforts to defend America's national monuments. He graduated from George Washington University's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration with a master's in public administration…

Debbie Hammel

Deputy Director, Lands Division, Nature Program

As director of the Land Markets Initiative for NRDC’s Land & Wildlife program, Debbie Hammel concentrates on issues relating to bioenergy and sustainable forest management. With more than 30 years of experience in designing third-party environmental certification systems, she is…

Sabrina Johnson

Senior Advocate, Housing Policy, People & Communities Program

Sabrina Johnson champions more equitable federal housing policy and programs, in partnership with national advocates that represent disenfranchised communities and low-income residents. Johnson serves on both NRDC’s national policy and building decarbonization teams. Her current focus includes building resilient communities…

Ashley Jordan

Boreal Corporate Campaign Advocate, International Program

Ashley Jordan provides technical and advocacy expertise for NRDC's corporate campaign to establish stronger protections for the Canadian boreal forest. Jordan joined NRDC in 2018 and previously supported the Canada Project as a program assistant and campaign coordinator. She holds…

Caroline Keicher

Director, City Energy Project and Policy Advisor, Buildings and Energy, People & Communities Program

Caroline Keicher directs the City Energy Project, a national initiative to create healthier and more prosperous American cities by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. She also works across cities in the American Cities Climate Challenge to advance energy efficiency…

Kit Kennedy

Managing Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program

Kit Kennedy leads NRDC's state and regional climate and clean energy advocacy across the United States with more than thirty years of experience as an environmental and clean energy attorney and advocate. She directed the Environmental Protection Bureau at the…

J.C. Kibbey

Advocate, Illinois Clean Energy, Climate & Clean Energy Program

J.C. Kibbey analyzes and advocates for policies that advance renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, sustainable development, and grid modernization at the legislature, Illinois Commerce Commission, state agencies, and with other partners and decision-makers. He also works to develop policy…

Taryn Kiekow Heimer

Deputy Director, Marine Mammal Protection Project, Nature Program

Taryn Kiekow Heimer directs two of the organization’s major campaigns: stopping the development of the environmentally disastrous Pebble Mine project proposed in Alaska’s Bristol Bay and putting an end to commercial whaling. She also leads our work to protect beluga…

Michele Knab Hasson

California Policy Manager, Energy Efficiency for All, People & Communities Program

Michele Knab Hasson leads EEFA’s healthy building materials work, as well as California policy for Energy Efficiency for All—dedicated to linking the energy and housing sectors together to tap the benefits of energy efficiency for millions of low-income families. Before…