Southeast Green - Speaking Of Green

William M. Geist, Chief Executive Officer As the head of The Madison Energy Group, Mr. Geist drives the Vision of a greener, better future through innovative technology and services and has brought a team of professionals together with the ability to execute that Vision.  Mr. Geist takes a hands-on approach and works side by side with his Managing Directors and Reseller Channel in order to foster a team environment and flattened vertical corporate structure. He believes in a solid work ethic, team building, and a client-first philosophy to manage the organization.  Mr. Geist intends to take Madison Energy to a global level within five years.   Prior to developing The Madison Energy Group, Mr. Geist was a Wealth Advisor for both Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.  During this time, he focused on the management of individual and small to medium sized corporate investment assets.  As a Wealth Advisor, Mr. Geist was responsible for the creation, monitoring, and re-balancing of equity based client portfolios and co

Join us as we talk the Gulf Coast with the Environmental Law Institute located in Washington DC. Mr. Porter directs the Invasive Species Program at the Environmental Law Institute, where he also leads work related to seafood sustainability. Mr. Porter is the author of numerous reports and articles in academic journals on environmental law and policy, including contributions in the areas of invasive species, aquaculture and fisheries policy, and nanotechnology regulation. He is an expert on fisheries enforcement, comparative invasive species policies, and comparative ecolabel governance, among other topics. Mr. Porter also serves on the advisory board of the Maritime Environmental Resource Center, a ballast treatment technology testing facility based in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to joining ELI in 2006, Mr. Porter served as a law clerk for the Honorable Julia Smith Gibbons on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and was Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Environmental Law Review. Mr. Porter h

Coca-Cola recently announced PlantBottle test markets in Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville. Already being used in the Dasani bottles, PlantBottles will be available through May in these three test markets. Learn how Coca-Cola is lowering it's carbon footprint and dependence on petroleum with this new exticing recipe for sustainable success!

Georgia Conservation Voters works to elect and support leaders with conservation values, and to hold public officials accountable for supporting policies that ensure clean water and air, abundant wildlife, scenic landscapes, and ensure the economic opportunities that these vital resources provide.  Rob Teilhet joined Georgia Conservation Voters after serving four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives.  At 36 years old, Teilhet ran for Attorney General in 2010 and raised more than $630,000, garnering more than 115,000 votes.   Following the campaign, Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Teilhet Executive Director of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. 

Peter Krull has always loved the outdoors. Growing up in Western New York, he spent summers hiking and exploring at his family’s rural property. As an adult, living in Southwest Virginia, he regularly hiked the Appalachian Trail and camped in the picturesque area. More recently, he had the opportunity to live on one of Georgia’s undeveloped barrier islands – learning to appreciate its different ecosystem and coastal beauty. During his successful career with Merrill Lynch, Peter met his wife, Melissa Booth, who was working as a professor and research scientist, studying how microbes function in the environment. He learned much about ecology, environmental awareness and our connection to the earth. He also found love! About the same time, Peter had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with prominent green architect and philosopher, William McDonough, at his office in Charlottesville, VA. McDonough, the author of the book, Cradle to Cradle, and a major TED Conference speaker exemplified the potential for comb

Bob Munger is President and Founder of the Augusta Greenway Alliance, an Augusta-based nonprofit devoted to smart growth and sustainable transportation. He is also a licensed architect and a certified construction manager with roughly 30 years experience in the design and construction industry. An avid environmentalist, he has been LEED accredited since 2003 and is Vice Chair of the Auguta Branch of the Georgia Chapter, USGBC.   Bob holds a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the University of Arkansas, and is the author of two books, including The Architecture of Exclusion, an influential treatise examining the regulatory affairs of the architectural profession.

Michael Graff and Larissa Stewart are publishers of NaturalAwakenings magazine of Atlanta, a local healthy living publicationdedicated to providing insights and cutting-edge information forimproving quality of life and uplifting communities. After successfulcareers in engineering and information technology consulting, Mike andLarissa entered the green business world as owners of a yoga studio and wellness center, where they learned first-hand about thechallenges that face small, local businesses in promoting themselves.Out of this experience grew a passion for connecting green and healthyliving businesses to people that need their products and services, andhelping small business owners get smart about marketing.

Benefit Corporations, also known as B Corps, are a new trend in the business world for companies who know that they can be good stewards of their environment and communities and still make a profit. Join us as we discuss B Corps with Jeff Woodward who has helped more companies in Georgia than any other make this commitment to transparency and service.

Atlanta's champion of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is back to review the progress of the last year and what the legislature has instore for us this year.

Join us as we talk to Jennette Gayer of Environment Georgia as she shares with about her work to protect Georgia, our air, land and water.

Starting with the Downtown central business district, the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge will unite the public sector with the business and nonprofit communities to implement substantive building upgrades toward the goal of improving participating buildings’ energy and water performance. The effort is underway with a benchmarking initiative for Atlanta's 400-block Downtown area, including the Atlanta Civic Center and other municipal facilities, as well as eventually to include other landmark Downtown buildings. The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge aims to support President Obama’s goal of helping businesses save nearly $40 billion annually in energy costs, enabling them to grow, invest in new technology, and create American jobs. Atlanta is proud to be one of the three first-mover cities, along with Seattle and Los Angeles, selected for this important initiative.

Bryan Schroeder is the membership director for the Georgia Conservancy. He has had a successful career leading premiere outdoor adventures that promote stewardship of natural resources. A special focus of that work has been to introduce diverse communities to the outdoor stewardship in a way that is safe and inclusive. Bryan graduated with honors from Piedmont College with a degree in Philosophy and Religion and with honors from the University of Georgia’s Nonprofit Management masters program. He was a therapeutic counselor at the State of Georgia’s Outdoor Therapeutic Program, an AmeriCorps Crew leader in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi tasked with rebuilding homes after hurricane Katrina and a crew leader for the Canyon Country Youth Corps in Monticello, Utah leading a backcountry chainsaw crew of Navajo youth  through the process of safely thinning forests to promote healthy fire management. Bryan started with the Georgia Conservancy in 2008 and is currently the Trips and Volunteer program director. Bryan curr

Steve Williams, LEED AP of Water Management will join us to discuss the ins and outs of water conservation and why it's so important for businesses.

Lena Stevens is the Resource Conservation Coordinator for the City of Decatur, GA. She began working with the City in June 2008, as a post-graduate intern, and began her current position in October 2009.  Originally from Michigan, Lena received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Economics and Policy from Michigan State University, and her Masters of Public Affairs from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.  She began her career in local government working for the State and Local Government program at Michigan State University Extension.  Her work focuses on Decatur’s four pillars of sustainability; environmental, community, economic, and organizational/institutional. Some highlights of her work include the DecaturWISE residential rebate program, Kilowatt Crackdown Neighborhood Energy Challenge, and training for Atlanta area code officials on the new Georgia commercial and residential energy code.  She is currently working with the City’s Environmental Sustainability Board to cr

VISVIVA is a master HVAC / Energy Saving Contractor located in Chamblee, GA. We offer advanced Commercial and Residential HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system installation and repair, air-sealing, insulation, crawl-space encapsulation, consulting, health and safety testing and other related services. We deliver great value to our customers by making it easy and affordable to do business with us. We are one of the real leaders in home and building performance in the Southeast having completed more than 240 energy upgrade projects in the last six months alone. We are also one of the fastest growing HVAC companies in the entire Southeast region. A fact that we attribute to our emphasis on performance.

John E. Noel is founder and president of Energy & Environment LLC, a lighting retrofitting company based in Atlanta, Georgia.  John has spent more than a decade in the energy efficiency field, working in commercial, industrial, local and state government and military sectors.  John’s company has engaged in projects such as Pearl Harbor Naval Air Station in Honolulu, Hawaii; Vermont’s Colchester Army Reserve Center; a chain of Ice Packing Plants across the South; and Former Vice-President’s Al Gore’s home in Nashville, Tennessee.  His business has grown to be one of the leaders in Georgia in the green energy field.   The company’s expertise also includes energy audits in commercial and public spaces.   Mr. Noel served in the Georgia Legislature representing parts of Northwest Atlanta, serving on the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee.  Mr. Noel introduced the first LEED construction bill in the General Assembly, and played an important role lobbying for the 2008 Georgia Clean Energy Tax Cr

We are talking Georgia's Dirtiest Rivers with April Ingle of the Georgia River Network. April joined Georgia River Network (GRN) as the Executive Director in June, 2003, and it’s fun to think back on how quickly time has passed and how far they’ve come in that time. At GRN, she works with the Board of Directors and staff to develop and oversee programs, projects, administration and fundraising so they can meet the mission to protect and restore Georgia’s rivers. April also manages the Advocate Program and coordinates efforts to gain strong protections for Georgia’s rivers.She serves on the Leadership Team and chair the Communications Committee of the Georgia Water Coalition, a coalition of 180+ environmental and sportsmen's organizations, homeowners' and neighborhood associations, faith-based groups and businesses who share the common goal of protecting and caring for Georgia’s water resources for current and future generations. April monitors and lobbies the state legislature and participate and comment on

Dagmar B. Epsten is the founder and owner of Epsten Group, recognized in 2011 as one of the Top 300 Small Businesses of the South and ranked on Inc.’s list of fastest-growing private companies in America. In its 20-year history, Epsten Group has grown to a 50-person multidisciplinary architecture and building consulting firm with an international reach and a broad range of services, including Architecture/Interior Design, LEED Consulting/BIM-Based Energy Modeling, Commissioning/Mechanical Engineering, Building Envelope/Roofing/ Waterproofing Consulting and Green Building/Product Certifications under ISO Guide 65.    Ms. Epsten is a registered architect, certified commissioning authority, certified construction specifier, and LEED specialist.  Having worked with LEED since the year 2000, Ms. Epsten is a pioneer and expert in all aspects of LEED, with LEED specialties in Building Design & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, Interior Design & Construction, Neighborhood Development, and Homes. 

Join us as we speak to the Savannah Riverkeeper, Tonya Bonitatibus. By growing up near it banks in Hephzibah, Georgia, Tonya's love and passion for the Savannah River began at a young age. Her career as an activist for water conservation took off when she was hired as Development Director for the Savannah Riverkeeper in 2007. She was also the Georgia Field Representative for Oceana's campaign to convince Olin to convert to a more efficient and - most importantly - mercury-free process. Tonya's Marketing degree and her extensive knowledge of the River make her an invaluable part of the Riverkeeper team.

Peter Callaro, Group Director of Integrated Marketing Content at The Coca-Cola Company and Sheri Turnbow, Director of Corporate Partner Marketing with World Wildlife Fund will join us to discuss why after over 100 years the iconic red Coca-Cola can is going white and the environmental mission behind it.