/ ENVX Symposium/Environmental Studies Program

Panelists

A panel discussion about the market challenges and opportunities of the transition to renewable energy will be held on Wednesday evening.

Panelists include:

Susan Bladholm has 35 years of transportation infrastructure, economic development, and strategic marketing experience in Portland, Oregon. She created Friends of Frog Ferry in 2017 to activate our riverways with an electrified public passenger ferry operation to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and build community resilience. Previously, she served as the Senior Director of Strategy and Communications at Erickson Inc. a
global helicopter company; Director of Corporate Marketing for the Port of Portland; Founder/Executive Director/VP Marketing for Cycle Oregon; and VP of Marketing for Greater Portland Inc. Ms. Bladholm also serves on the Providence Leadership Cabinet (Chair), the Human Access Project (Trustee), the Multnomah Athletic Club (Trustee); and Kinect Air.
Ms. Bladholm holds a BA in Communications from the University of Puget Sound.

Olivia Cowley ’23 is a recent Lewis and Clark graduate who double majored in environmental studies and international affairs. She wrote her senior environmental thesis (“ Is the future electric? What the renewable energy revolution means for the ocean’s seabeds”)on deep seabed mining and its implications for the stakeholders involved; highlighting its cultural, economic, and ecological impact on indigenous Pacific Islanders. As a recent graduate, she is working towards attending law school and aims to enroll in the fall of 2024 to pursue a career in environmental law.

Mica Miro began her career in International Development with a small microfinance NGO in Oaxaca, Mexico, supporting female entrepreneurs as they started and grew their businesses. Returning to the US, she was thrilled to connect with Green Empowerment, an internationally focused nonprofit that supports local leaders as they spearhead renewable energy and clean water infrastructure in their own communities. After receiving her BA in Modern Dance from Mills College, Mica spent her early career as an art teacher and program manager. Today she uses her creative talents to tell global stories as Green Empowerment’s Engagement Manager.

Joe Wachunas works at the nonprofit New Buildings Institute primarily focused on the Advanced Water Heating Initiative, which seeks to decarbonize water heating through heat pump water heaters. He believes that electrifying everything, from transportation to homes, is the quickest path to an equitable, clean energy future. Previously he worked on electric school buses and vehicle to grid charging at Forth. Joe educates on individual decarbonization through the all volunteer organization Electrify Now, sits on the board of PACE Ghana and contributes to the blog CleanTechnica. In a previous life, he was an Italian language teacher. Joe and his family live in an all electric, net zero energy home.

The panel will be moderated by Yuko Aoyama and Clarence Edwards will provide closing comments.

Environmental Studies is located in room 343A of John R. Howard Hall on the Undergraduate Campus.
MSC: 62

email envs@lclark.edu

voice 503-768-7790
fax 503-768-7620

Symposium Advisor Jessica Kleiss

Environmental Studies
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road MSC 62
Portland OR 97219