Environmental Law and Policy Center

Environmental Law and Policy Center Logo

Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) "is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy organization". Environmental Law and Policy Center has been a member of the Apollo Alliance. They have worked with the Strategic Consulting Group and the Democracy Partners.

Background

From their website:

We develop and lead successful strategic advocacy campaigns to improve environmental quality and protect our natural resources. We are public interest environmental entrepreneurs who engage in creative business deal making with diverse interests to put into practice our belief that environmental progress and economic development can be achieved together. ELPC’s multidisciplinary staff of talented and experienced public interest attorneys, environmental business specialists, public policy advocates and communications specialists brings a strong and effective combination of skills to solve environmental problems.

"ELPC embraces smart, persuasive advocacy to win the most important environmental cases and create positive solutions to protect public health and economic development across the environment heartland. Our teamwork approach uses legal, economic, scientific and public policy analysis, and communications advocacy tools to succeed. ELPC’s strategic legal advocacy and business deal-making involve proposing solutions when we oppose threats to the Midwest’s environment.

"ELPC was founded in 1993 after a year-long strategic planning process sponsored by seven major foundations. We have achieved a strong track record of successes on both national and regional clean energy development and pollution reduction, transportation and land use reform, and natural resources protection issues. ELPC brings a new form of creative public advocacy effectively linking environmental progress and economic development that improves the quality of life in our Midwest communities.

Our People

From the Environmental Law and Policy Center website as of February 18, 2023:

Staff

• Howard A. Learner, President and Executive Director
• Daniel Abrams, Associate Attorney
• Jovito Alvarez, Accountant
• Shaheen Ashraf-Ahmed, Development Officer
• Tyler Barron, Policy Advocate
• Kevin Brubaker, Deputy Director
• Paul Dailing, Media Relations Specialist
• Alondra Estrada, Legal Assistant
• Steve Falck, Senior Policy Advocate
• Kathleen Garvey, Staff Attorney
• Jill Geiger, Special Projects Manager
• Pouyan Hatami, Data Scientist
• Robert Kelter, Senior Attorney
• Brad Klein, Senior Attorney
• Genevieve Kwan, Illinois Government Affairs Representative
• Josh Mandelbaum, Senior Attorney
• Mary McClelland, Director of Communications
• Erica S. McConnell, Staff Attorney
• David McEllis, Illinois Legislative Director
• Ann Mesnikoff, Federal Legislative Director
• Robert Michaels, Senior Attorney
• Susan Mudd, Senior Policy Advocate
• Judith Nemes, Media Relations Specialist
• Mary Frances O'Connor, Chief Development Officer
• Andy Olsen, Senior Policy Advocate
• Libby Prakel, Special Assistant to the Executive Director
• Lena Guerrero Reynolds, Communications Writer
• David Sacks, Major Gifts Officer
• Tanmay Shukla, Associate Attorney
• Scott Strand, Senior Attorney
• Samantha Suarez, Digital Communications Strategist
• Teagan Thune, Development Assistant
• Gillian Vaz-Cronin, Chief HR Officer
• Heather Vogel, Paralegal
• Ellis Walton, Law Fellow
• Mike Zoeller, Senior Attorney

Board

• Cameron S. Avery, Retired Attorney/Board Member Emeritus
• Alan Chang, Chief Investment Officer, Builders Asset Management
• Ellen C. Craig, Secretary of the Board. Consultant
• Harry W. Drucker, Chair of the Board. Managing Partner, North Shore Realty Partners
• Simon Fish, Chair of BMO Climate Institute
• Manny Flores, Vice Chair of the Board. President & CEO, SomerCor
• Stan Goldblatt, Attorney (Retired)
• Robert L. Graham, Partner, Jenner & Block
• Scott Heidepriem, Founder & Partner, Heidepriem, Purtell & Siegel
• Howard A. Learner, President and Executive Director
• Daniel Levin, Chairman, The Habitat Company
• Carl Lingenfelter, Treasurer of the Board. Chief Administration Officer, Northern Trust Alternative Fund Services
• Nancy Loeb, Director, Northwestern University Environmental Law Clinic
• Samir Mayekar, Former CEO, NanoGraf Corporation
• William McNary, Co-Executive Director, Citizen Action/Illinois
• Knute Nadelhoffer, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan
• Andrew Ross, Managing Director, Sovereign Infrastructure Group
• Carleen Schreder, Managing Partner, Levin Schreder & Carey
• Smita Shah, Founder & President, SPAAN Tech, Inc.
• David Wilhelm, Chief Strategy Officer, Hecate Energy
• Brady C. Williamson, Partner, Godfrey & Kahn

Advisory Councils

Iowa Advisory Council

• Laurie Belin, Environmental Advocate
• Liz Garst, Manager, Commercial Farm
• Charlotte Hubbell, Independent Writer and Editor
• Fred Hubbell, Former Chairman and CEO, Equitable of Iowa
• Mary O'Keefe, Entrepreneur
• Sally Pederson, Director of the Northwest Area Foundation, Former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
• Rob Sand, Attorney
• Barry Shear, President, Eagle Point Solar

Michigan Advisory Council

• Lauren Bigelow, CEO, Growth Capital Network
• George Covington, Land Use Attorney
• James Dearing, Professor, Michigan State University
• George D. Goodman, Former Executive Director, Michigan Municipal League
• Judith Goodman, Former Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Services, University of Michigan Business School
• Heidi Grether, Former Director, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
• Kiff Hamp, Policy and Advocacy Manager, After School Matters
• George Heartwell, Former Mayor of Grand Rapids
• Addison Igleheart, Attorney and Real Estate Developer
• Debby Igleheart, Trustee and Former President, Michigan Nature Association
• Knute Nadelhoffer, Ex-Officio. University of Michigan
• Thomas S. Porter, Entrepreneur and Investor
• Gary R. Rentrop, Chair - Founding Partner, Rentrop & Morrison law firm
• Tracey Shafroth, Philanthropic Advisor
• Gary Stewart, Former General Manager of Governmental & Public Affairs , BP
• Lorna Puttkammer Straus, Professor Emerita, University of Chicago
• Bob Zabors, Founder and CEO, Enovation Partners

Science Advisory Council

• Professor Joel Blum, University of Michigan
• Professor Bradley Cardinale, Penn State University
• Professor Tony L. Goldberg, University of Wisconsin
• Debby Moskovits, Vice President of Strategic Science Initiatives, The Field Museum - Chicago
• Professor Knute Nadelhoffer, Past Chair - University of Michigan
• Professor Jonathan Patz, Chair - University of Wisconsin
• Professor Barbara Peckarsky, University of Wisconsin
• Professor Mark Ratner, Northwestern University
• Professor Nancy Tuchman, Loyola University Chicago
• Donald M. Waller, University of Wisconsin - Retired
• Professor Donald Wuebbles, University of Illinois

South Dakota Advisory Council

• Van Fishback, President, Fishback Financial Corporation
• Christine Hamilton, Owner and Operator, Christiansen Land and Cattle
• Scott Heidepriem, Ex-Officio (ELPC Board of Directors): Founder and Partner, Heidepriem, Purtell & Siegel, LLP
• Robert Oliver, Former President, Augustana College
• Catherine V. Piersol, Retired Attorney