Who We Are

Officers

SEI co-founders are Gary Lucks, SEI President and Executive Director, and Susan Sakaki, PEER Center Manager.

Gary Lucks is a senior environmental attorney and scientist with extensive experience in environmental auditing, compliance management systems, and environmental management systems development. He has developed Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and compliance management systems (CMSs) for DOD facilities and other federal agencies; currently he is overseeing the development of an integrated EMS-QMS (ISO 9000 Quality Management System) for a Bay Area water utility agency. In addition, Mr. Lucks has led or participated in major multimedia environmental health and safety compliance and management systems audits for private industry, school districts and federal facilities. He has also assisted private sector organizations in developing sustainability and CSR policies. He teaches several environmental and sustainability courses for universities and private industry. Mr. Lucks has a Juris Doctor. from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific and a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Sciences from Tulane University. He is a member of the California State Bar, a registered California Environmental Assessor, and co-author of California Law and Policy: A Practical Guide (2008).

Susan Sakaki is an environmental manager with 30 years of experience in environmental program development, regulatory compliance management, and environmental training. She began her environmental career in 1975, working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1986 she left the regulatory agency to begin a career in consulting. Ms. Sakaki founded EnviroSystems Group and has assisted public and private sector organizations on regulatory compliance and pollution prevention; clients have included Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Alameda County Green Business Program, and Pacific Gas & Electric. In 2004 she co-founded the nonprofit Sustainable Earth Initiative, and has focused on sustainability and environmental management systems (ISO 14001 EMS) development; she has been working with federal and state agencies, cities and utilities in EMS development. Ms. Sakaki teaches environmental and management skills courses for the University of California Berkeley Extension Program, and she has also conducted workshops on Sustainable Business Management. Ms. Sakaki has a Master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from Golden Gate University, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction and a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon.

Associates

Carol Misseldine has 20 years experience in fostering sustainable business practices. As the Sustainable Development Coordinator for Oakland, Carol works with the Planning Commission, the City Council, the City Manager’s office and the Mayor’s office in developing policies that promote sustainable building practices, the use of alternative fuels, and the promotion of local job training programs. She has conducted sustainability training seminars and assisted private and nonprofit clients in implementing sustainability polices in their operations.

Gil Friend specializes in strategy, design, productivity and information systems consulting, helping companies and communities prosper through exceptional environmental performance. He has inventoried and developed sustainability strategies for a large western city and conducted EcoAudits for businesses, assessing pollution prevention and energy-efficiency opportunities. He also conceived and developed environmental performance indicator software for companies and communities. Mr. Friend has provided sustainability training for leadership teams in various companies. He has guided a “sustainability indicators” task force for regional sustainability network and he developed Corporate Social Responsibility Reports and performance indicator systems for Fortune 200 companies.

Robert Bray has 19 years of experience in environmental, health and safety management and EMS implementation and auditing. Mr. Bray’s experience includes assisting several large corporations in the design and implementation of auditing programs and EMSs. Mr. Bray facilitated the development of a storm water management program within Orange County, California using ISO 14000 principles. Mr. Bray performed an evaluation of EMSs for a consumer product manufacturing division and developed a training program based on the assessment. He has a BS in Environmental Science from the University of California and is a Certified Professional Environmental Auditor and a Certified ISO 14000 Lead Auditor.

Ann Blake specializes in pollution prevention, toxics, and public health issues. Dr. Blake has worked the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) as a hazardous waste inspector, trainer, and Pollution Prevention Coordinator. Ms. Blake created and ran the local agency training program at DTSC, pioneering innovative training techniques for local agency inspectors; in this capacity, Dr. Blake provided training to over 300 local agency inspectors in federal and state regulatory issues, inspections, enforcement, and pollution prevention. Most recently, Dr. Blake has been involved in U.S. EPA Region IX’s efforts to find viable alternatives to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), used as flame retardants in consumer electronics and furniture. Dr. Blake is a frequent invited speaker at pollution prevention and industry meetings, speaking on chemicals policies and innovative regulatory approaches such as EMSs. Dr. Blake has a BA from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and neural development from the University of Oregon.

Board of Directors

Charles McGlashan is a well known figure in environmental and sustainability circles. Mr. McGlashan has implemented EMS and sustainability management systems in a variety of public agencies and companies around the world (Southern California Edison, Genencor International, Ford Motor Company, EPA Region IX, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), implementing ISO 140001 systems. He has been an active participant in numerous sustainability initiatives, including the ISO 14000 West Coast Working Group, the Bay Area Alliance for Sustainable Development, the Business Environmental Network, and the Environmental Partnership of the Silicon Valley Joint Venture. He has a B.A from Yale University and an MBA and a Certificate in Public Management from Stanford University. He is a Marin County Supervisor, an Environmental Commissioner for the Marin County Economic commission and serves on the Board of Directors for the Marin Conservation League.

John Wise joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Over his 31 year career he has developed considerable technical and managerial expertise in pollution control regulatory systems and environmental management. From 1982 to 2001, Mr. Wise served as Deputy Regional Administrator, the senior career manager in the Region IX Office of EPA in San Francisco; and was responsible for the executive leadership and management direction of 1000 employees. Mr. Wise has extensive experience in environmental regulation, and has championed the use of innovative business practices for improved environmental performance. He has researched and written extensively on the concept of sustainability; and is currently involved in providing training on “Sustainability and The EPA.” Mr. Wise earned a BS in Civil Engineering and a BS in Business Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder; he also earned a Masters Degree in Engineering-Economic Planning at Stanford University.

Clinton L. Whitney has had a long and successful career in government before turning to management consulting in 1995. He has held policy and executive positions in federal, state, and local government as well as in the corporate world, including Assistant to the Governor of California for Environmental Protection, Executive Director of the California Water Resources Control Board, General Manager of Ventura Regional Sanitation District and Vice President and Member of the Board of Metcalf & Eddy. He recently worked closely with California Environmental Protection Agency senior managers, assisting them in preparing the agency-wide Strategic Vision and developing implementation plans. He has also assisted in the development of information systems and environmental indicators for regulatory agencies, and prepared an analysis of the effectiveness of Environmental Management System (EMS) technology for sustainable environmental programs. Mr. Whitney holds a B.S. in Business Administration an M.S. in Public Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Eric D. Frothingham is a seasoned business and legal executive with international experience in deal structuring, negotiation and conflict resolution. He has worked as counsel for high technology companies in and around Silicon Valley, including as Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel for NightFire Software, and he has served as corporate counsel at Scient Corporation where he led the company’s secondary public stock offering and negotiated the acquisition of another company. Mr. Frothingham received his law firm training at Fenwick & West LLP and received his J.D. with distinction from Stanford Law School in 1995.

Robert Kopf bio coming soon