Michael has spent his career developing and facilitating community-based partnerships and collaborations, creating innovative programs and bringing key partners together to create community and statewide solutions. Michael has also served on a variety of boards, including the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and Tucson Clean and Beautiful. he was honored in as the USGBC 2016 Volunteer of the Year, Arizona Community.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR, Karen Peterson, Journalist and Climate Education Advocate
Karen Peterson grew up in Tucson and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in journalism. She worked at the San Francisco Chronicle for a decade before switching to web journalism in 1995 as an editor and producer at Macworld Online. As a reporter, she contributed to an investigative series that won a Pulitzer Prize for the weekly Pt. Reyes Light in Marin County, CA, and was a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award from the American Business Press Association. She began writing about climate change in 2006 and was a contributing editor to the Climate Change Business Journal, a national business intelligence publication. Returning to Tucson in 2013, Karen is the organizer of Climate Tucson, a community climate education group.
Bruce is a public interest attorney and solar advocate. He served as the City of Tucson’s Solar Energy Coordinator for 6 years, helping put solar on many city facilities, developing solar policy and spreading the word about the value of solar energy. He is the former chair of the Southern Arizona Solar Partnership and worked for several local solar companies. HIs home has PV and solar water heating and he hopes that everyone else will too and soon! His legal work has focused on environmental law and representing low-income clients, at Southern Arizona Legal Aid and elsewhere. He has been a frequent participant in hearings before the Arizona Corporation Commission relating to solar energy and energy efficiency, advocating that more of both be required of local utility companies.