Our organization is staffed by a core team of professionals supported by a number of dedicated volunteer experts. We additionally often work on projects with other organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and internationally through our extensive worldwide network of ecocity practitioners.
Staff
Richard Register, President
Richard is an urban ecologist, city designer, writer and illustrator. He founded Ecocity Builders in 1992. Previous organizations founded by Richard include Urban Ecology (1980), Arcology Circle (1975) and No War Toys (1965). He has been invited to speak on all continents, and has in his travels visited and photographed many of the best approximations of “pieces of the ecocity” extant. He is the author of Ecocities, Rebuilding Cities in Balance with Nature (New Society Press 2006), Village Wisdom, Future Cities (Alonzo Press 1997) Ecocity Berkeley, Building Cities for a Healthy Future (North Atlantic Books 1987) which was reprinted in Japan in 1993 and China in 2005 and Another Beginning (1978). The first edition of Ecocities was printed in the US and in China by the Chinese Academy of Science Research Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences. Walter Truett Anderson says of Richard that he “belongs to the Ben Franklin tradition of inventors, generalists, and hopeful geniuses. His ideas about ecological cities are a valuable contribution to the great human task of figuring out how to mange the biosphere and enjoy life while we are at it.
Kirstin Miller, Executive Director
Kirstin is an environmental activist, community organizer, and a writer and editor. She has been with Ecocity Builders since 1997 and currently serves as Executive Director. Kirstin has presented for the organization locally, nationally and internationally. She was a speaker at the 7th World Wilderness Congress in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 2001, the 5th International Ecocity Conference in Shenzhen China in 2002, Towards CarFree Cities III in Prague, Czech Republic, 2003, and The 6th, 7th and 8th International Ecocity Conferences in Bangalore India, San Francisco USA and Istanbul Turkey. She was also a plenary speaker at two convenings of the Global Forum on Human Settlements in Shenzhen and Hueibi China (2008, 2009) and the 4th International Forum on Ecopolis Development, Chende China, 2010. Her articles and essays on ecocities, urban ecology and the environment have appeared in a number of publications, including Orion Afield, Ecotecture and Wilderness and Human Communities, The Spirit of the 21st Century.
Kirstin works closely with Ecocity Builders’ President Richard Register in the development of the organization’s “toolbox” of strategies, such as car free by contract housing, environmental restoration transfer of development rights, centers oriented development, ecological demonstration projects and ecological zoning overlay mapping.
She also helps coordinate an alliance of local environmental organizations working to promote and advance ecologically healthy urban policies and projects, including the development of an ecological demonstration project in the heart of Berkeley, CA.
In addition to serving as Executive Director for Ecocity Builders, Kirstin also teaches a class on The Ecological City Structure at the University of California, Berkeley Extension in San Francisco and is a Board Member of the International Ecocity Conference Series Committee.
Shivang Patwa, Urban Design Associate
Shivang Patwa graduated with an M.Arch from Berkeley focusing primarily on Architecture, computation and Urban Design. Prior to his masters at Berkeley, as a licensed architect in India with a B.Arch from CEPT, Ahmedabad, he practiced architecture for over five years realizing several projects from conceptual design to built reality. The built work encompasses institution, healthcare, residential projects and installations.
Marco Vangelisti, Co-Facilitator, International Ecocity Standards Project
Marco studied theoretical math (algebra, logic and topology) and applied math (statistics, operations research and theory of programming language design) at the University of Padova in Italy. He obtained an MBA from the school “Enrico Mattei” in Milan. He was a Fulbright scholar in mathematics and economics at the University of California in Berkeley. Marco worked for 11 years at BARRA in Berkeley – a think tank developing statistical risk models for equity and fixed income markets around the world. He worked as visual artist on a full-time basis for 5 years. Marco obtained a MFA focusing on the intersection between public art and ecology. He later worked for 6 years managing investment equity portfolios primarily on behalf of large foundations and endowments. Marco left the corporate world in April 2009 and is currently studying permaculture design and system theory.
Richard Smith, Project Associate, Researcher
Rick is a professor at Wayne State University. Prior to his involvement with Ecocity Builders, he served as a Presidential Management Intern at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and US Agency for International Development. As a desk officer for the Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community Initiative at HUD, he developed performance measures, coordinated information systems and advised CEOs and local government staff on ways of enhancing community development strategies. Smith also served in Peace Corps Mongolia, managed the Spring Institute English Language Center and consulted with the World Bank, UNDP and UNICEF. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University.
Christian Runge, Design Associate
Christian is a Masters student in landscape architecture at the University of Michigan. He is interested in urban ecological design and restoration, community oriented/participatory design work, urban design, social justice in design. In addition to his academic work at the University of Michigan, he has also studied landscape design and horticulture at Merritt College. Before returning to school, he worked for five years as a K-12 educator in a variety of formats, and with many demographic groups.
Tawni Aaron, Events
Tawni Aaron is a LEED certified architectural designer & marketing coordinator of residential, commercial and urban design projects. She is currently in the process of opening a coworking and small business collective in San Francisco called OURSpace; a place where independent workers, artists and variety of small business come to work, network, and socialize. She is passionate about creating a shared business community that has an emphasis on Green technology, education and collaboration. Tawni has enjoyed volunteering with many important organizations; Meals on Wheels, Green Century Institute, EcoTuesday and Ecocity Builders.
Sven Eberlein, Ecocity Media
Sven Eberlein is a writer, musician and activist living in San Francisco with roots in Germany. As an associate of Ecocity Builders, Sven has been intimately involved in the advancement of sustainable cities and urban design. His essays have been featured in magazines ranging from the SF Bay Guardian to Global Rhythm Magazine. His new book, Dancing on the Brink of the World, weaves themes of ecology, social justice and spirituality onto a canvas of art, music and creative storytelling. He is a founding member of the band Chemystry Set and publishes the creative portal Tuber Creations. You can read Sven’s creative musings at his blog, A World of Words.
David Reid, GIS Specialist
David Reid – Coastal Geologist / GIS Contractor with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Science Center in Santa Cruz, CA. Dave works on the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards Project in which he uses historical maps, lidar (light detection and ranging) data, and geographic-information-system (GIS) technology to calculate long-term (120-year) shoreline-change rates for the entire Pacific Coast of the U.S.
Max Heim, Webmaster
Max Heim developed the original design identity for Ecocity Builders’ including the website for Ecocity World Summit 2008, and Green City Visions (Ecocity Builders’ 2005 conference for World Environment Day). Max is a Principal with Studio L’Image, a collaborative creative studio.
Board of Directors
Richard Register, Board President, Founder of Ecocity Builders and Urban Ecology
Linda Levitsky, Board Vice President, Founder and Executive Director of East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse
Dr. Isabel Wade, Founder and President, Urban Resource Systems
Steven A. Bercu, Esq., CEO, Lime, llc – Lawyers for Interactive Media & Entertainment
Sylvia McLaughlin, Co-Founder, Save-the-Bay, Co-Founder, Citizens for East Shore Parks
Mark Baldridge, Co-Founder, Poetry Flash, Producer, Watershed Festival
Board of Advisors
Joan Bokaer
Ernest Callenbach
Fritjof Capra
Jorge Gonsalez-Claveran
John Cobb
Serigne Mbaye Diene
Paul Downton
Len Duhl
Gil Friend
Peter Harnik
Paul Hawken
Hazel Henderson
Cherie Hoyle
Huey Johnson
Jan Lundberg
V. Setty Pendakur
Deborah and frank Popper
Roger Pritchard
Gar Smith
Georgi Stoilov
David Suzuki
Brian Swimme
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Sim Van der Ryn