DEBORAH FLEISCHER
390 Throckmorton, Mill Valley, CA 94941, (415) 381-1592 (415) 302-2655
Deborah@greenimpact.com

SUMMARY

Over 20 years of experience working on biodiversity protection, stakeholder engagement, carbon reduction strategies and green purchasing. Proven track record of successfully implementing complex, multi-stakeholder projects in partnership with business leaders, NGOs, and governmental agencies.

EDUCATION

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Master in Public Administration, 1995.
YALE UNIVERSITY, Master in Environmental Studies, 1985.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA, B.A. Environmental Studies, 1983.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GREEN IMPACT
Principal, October 2000 - present, San Francisco

Principal and founder of Green Impact, a successful sustainability and land conservation consulting practice. Green Impact helps NGOs and socially responsible businesses make a difference by offering services in sustainability strategy, stakeholder engagement, and written communications. For more details, see www.greenimpact.com. Key accomplishments include:

• BedZen
  Researched the cons of using polyester-based fabrics for a start-up company with bamboo-based products.
• City and County of San Francisco, Department of Environment
  Planned and implemented the 2007 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) conference. The conference aimed to be zero waste, with a composting and recycling program. Worked to build the City's green purchasing program for municipal departments, with a focus on greening computers, janitorial cleaners, and office supplies. Was a part-time City employee for 8 months.
• Marin Community Foundation
  Interviewed the key sustainability stakeholders in Marin and developed a funding strategy for the Earth Day Every Day Fund. Assisted with the development of a new school-based carbon reduction campaign called Curb Your Carbon. Coordinated key non-profit partners and facilitated meetings that resulted in the development of a new collaborative carbon reduction campaign. Oversaw the development of the web site and outreach materials. To date, 446 cars worth of emissions have been cancelled by the program.
• Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA)
  Researched and wrote Sustainable Consumption and Production: Strategies for Accelerating Positive Change. Developed a funding strategy to help foundations better understand the key leverage points for making an impact with their environmental funding.
• Climate Protection Campaign
  Developed a strategy and design principles for a successful Bay Area climate change conference for local business and governmental leaders with a focus on inspiring action.
• Natural Capital Institute
  Assisted in the development of a format and structure for the Institute's new Wiser Earth database of organizations worldwide working on sustainability.
• Sonoma Land Trust
  Wrote successful funding proposals to the Wildlife Conservation Board and The Moore Foundation for $16 million to support a large 2,300-acre land acquisition and wetland restoration project. Assisted with due diligence and title issues, obtained letters of support, and supported Wendy Eliot, Program Director.
• Sonoma Land Trust
  Assisted with the successful completion of the Sonoma Baylands Bay Trail. Developed the Trail Plan, obtained a California Public Utilities Commission permit to allow hikers to cross the rail road track to reach the trail, and developed the overall theme and content for the interpretive signage.
• LandPaths
  Worked with staff and the board to review LandPaths' accomplishments over the past ten years. Developed a marketing piece that highlighted their strengths and future vision to support fundraising efforts.

CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL DIALOGUE
Director, November 1996 - April 1999, San Francisco

Played a critical role in the design and implementation of a successful stakeholder dialogue that brings corporate leaders, from businesses such as Bank of America, Disney, Chevron, Hewlett Packard and PG&E, together with governmental and NGO leaders to develop new initiatives related to transportation, air quality, and habitat protection in California.

Key successes included:

• Wrote grants that raised $350,000 from the Hewlett, Packard, and Compton Foundations, and US EPA to support operating expenses.
• Produced important policy briefings for public and private sector stakeholders on transportation and habitat protection, including a consensus statement on habitat and its value in increasing California's prosperity.
• Worked with Peter Schwartz and the Global Business Network (GBN) to develop a two-day scenario-building workshop that allowed CED to identify key strategic issues to focus on over the next 3-5 years. Research and wrote the background documentation for the workshop, California at a Glance.
• Helped set the groundwork for the creation of a successful and on-going organization. See www.cedlink.org for more information.

SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION
Senior Project Manager, May 1996 - October 1997 San Francisco

Focused on the development of strategies that maximize conservation while providing an economic return. For more info see www.suscon.org. Key accomplishments included:

• Worked with Wells Fargo to help them sell a 60,000-acre ranch with conservation values in the Central Valley to The Nature Conservancy. Explored the full range of options for the property, ranging from development to preservation as a conservation bank.
• Supported founder Frank Boren's participation in the California Environmental Dialogue (CED) and ultimately left to be CED's first Director.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATES
Senior Associate, December 1989 - June 1993, San Francisco

Managed a variety of multidisciplinary environmental projects for local governments to assess the environmental impacts of development projects.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Energy Planner, September 1985 - February 1988, Santa Barbara

Analyzed impacts associated with major offshore oil and gas development projects.

Publications

• The Pitfalls and Challenges of Conservation Banks in Conservation and Biodiversity Banking
• Environmental Grantmakers Association, Sustainable Consumption and Production: Strategies for Accelerating Positive Change
• GreenBiz.com, The Greening of Take-Out
• GreenBiz.com, Greening Your Catalog: Why It's Good For Your Business
• Ecosystem Marketplace, Wetlands Mitigation Banking: Environmentalists Express Concerns
• Ecosystem Marketplace, Guest Editorial, Wetland Mitigation Banking

Relevant Trainings

• Harvard Law School, Month Long Negotiations Workshop, 1995
• MIT Center for Organizational Learning, Workshop on Dialogue, 1995
• Center for Whole Communities, Whole Thinking Retreats, Summer 2004 and 2005