Kendeda Advisory Board Members
Molly Aeck
Managing Director of New Ventures
Southern Company
Molly Aeck is a Managing Director of Southern Company’s New Ventures organization, overseeing the company’s venture capital investing activity in emerging technologies and business model innovations that are transformative to the energy and utilities industry. She works with Southern’s operating businesses to integrate and commercialize these innovations and supports the origination and development of new business ventures. Molly played a key role in creating Energy Impact Partners, the $1B venture fund in which Southern is founding partner and chairman. She has been recognized by Public Utilities Fortnightly Magazine for her impactful work in the utilities industry.
Molly is a Fulbright Scholar with a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Columbia University. In 2004, she received a Sustainable Energy Fellowship from Stanford to lead renewable energy research and consulting for the Worldwatch Institute. She spent the next 15 years working in clean energy project development and technology investing for EcoSecurities, Allotrope Partners and Southern Company.
Interesting Facts:
Molly once worked as a TIG welder at an architectural metalworks business then went on to co-own a metal fabrication compnay in Oakland, CA.
Beth Ament
Associate Director Market Transformation and Development
USGBC
Beth Ament is the Associate Director of Market Transformation and Development for USGBC. Beth has more than ten years of experience in Transportation Demand Management, community outreach, project management, sustainability consulting, and team management. She recently worked with the USGBC Georgia community as an independent contractor managing the Host Committee and coordinating education and networking events leading up to Greenbuild 2019. Prior to her work at USGBC she led the Creative Team, at a civil engineering firm, organizing, and facilitating strategic public engagement and education for the More MARTA Atlanta program.
Interesting Facts:
"I’m a certified yoga instructor and I’ve written a children’s book about mindfulness that I’m working on getting published."
Chris Burke
Executive Director of Community Relations
Georgia Institute of Technology
As executive director of Community Relations in the Office of Institute Relations, Chris spends his days enriching current relationships and cultivating new ones on behalf of Georgia Tech. Chris Burke is an educator, strategist, and public relations professional with more than twenty-years of experience in education, urban planning, and community development. Chris began his professional career working as a housing coordinator for The Atlanta Project, a non-profit created by former President Jimmy Carter focused on improving living conditions in Atlanta’s most impoverished neighborhoods. It was this experienced that spurred Chris’s interest in understanding the impact housing policies have on equity and quality of life.
Chris continued his career joining the research staff at the American Planning Association (APA) where he was a contributing writer for APA Publications including Zoning News, PAS Memo, and Planning Magazine. While at APA Chris’s research centered on zoning as an economic development tool to improve quality of life indicators such as access to food, transportation, and employment opportunities. After leaving APA, Chris joined the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association as a government affairs representative, and later as vice president. Chris is Board Chairman for the Partnership for Southern Equity, and also serves on LAB Atlanta, Centennial Academy, and Field of Dreams Academy.
Interesting Facts:
Chris is an avid music lover & collector who absolutely loves a good thrill that can be derived by sky diving, or just zooming around a NASCAR track at 140 mph, both experiences he’s relished.
Dr. Michael E. Chang
Deputy Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Michael E. Chang is the Deputy Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on the complexity of the urban and regional environment, and how nature, technology, economics, and culture lead to both environmental problems and solutions. In the past, Dr. Chang served as the founding Editor-in Chief (2013-2018) of the Sustainable Engineering domain of Elementa, an open-access scientific journal that publishes original research reporting on the “science of the Anthropocene;” and worked as an engineer/scientist in the School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech (1993-2009), the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (1992-1998), and the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (1988-1990). He holds degrees in atmospheric chemistry (MS, PhD), environmental policy (MS), and aerospace engineering (BAE) all from Georgia Tech.
Interesting Facts:
"I cast my very first vote as an 18 year old sophomore at Georgia Tech in November 1984 at the Home Park Elementary School on State Street, about 500 yards north of the Kendeda Building."
Kim Cobb
Director of Georgia Tech’s Global Change Program
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Kim Cobb is a Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Director of Georgia Tech’s Global Change Program. She is also the ADVANCE Professor in the College of Science, charged with furthering Georgia Tech’s goals in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Kim’s research centers on climate change, spanning from impacts to solutions. She has received numerous awards for her research, most notably a NSF CAREER Award in 2007, and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2008. She is a Lead Author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report, due for release in 2021.
She received her B.A. from Yale University in 1996, and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 2002. Kim spent two years at Caltech in the Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences before joining the faculty at Georgia Tech in 2004.
Interesting Facts:
Kim once had four children under four years of age, including identical twins born on 1/1/11.
Dennis Creech
Fund Advisor for Sustainability
Kendeda Fund
Dennis joined The Kendeda Fund in 2017 and serves as the fund advisor for a variety of sustainability initiatives in the southeast. In 1978, Dennis co-founded Southface, an Atlanta-based nonprofit promoting sustainable homes, workplaces and communities. He ran the organization for 38 years, and under his direction Southface has become a trusted partner to federal and local governments, utilities, businesses and nonprofits, as well as a valuable resource to consumers.
Recognized as a national leader in sustainability, Dennis has received numerous professional awards, including the prestigious Hanley Award for Leadership in Sustainable Housing, the Argon Award for Leadership in Sustainability, the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance Legacy Award, the Residential Energy Services Network Leadership Award, and lifetime achievement awards from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, GreenLaw, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Urban Land Institute, Atlanta District. He has been designated by Georgia Trend as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians.”
Interesting Facts:
Spending time in nature, especially saltmarshes, helps Dennis unwind. For joy, Dennis loves to travel, cook with friends, and be surrounded by family.
Thiago Esslinger
Undergraduate Student
Georgia Institute of Technology
FORMER PRESIDENT OF STUDENTS ORGANIZING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Thiago Esslinger is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Georgia Tech studying biochemistry and earth & atmospheric sciences. At Tech, Thiago works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with Dr. Kim Cobb’s paleoclimate research group, and has served in numerous leadership and founding roles with sustainability organizations and initiatives on campus where he has worked to advance environmental awareness, expand student opportunities and education in sustainability, enhance sustainability-related communication and collaboration, and increase environmental impact considerations for the Georgia Tech Earth Day Festival and the Georgia Tech Foundation’s investment portfolio. He has also actively contributed to the Georgia Tech strategic planning process for 2020-2030 and is a Leadership Circle Member of RCE Greater Atlanta. Outside of his sustainability work, Thiago is an accomplished violist/violinist, having performed at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House, and is constantly curious to learn more and help where he can.
Interesting Facts:
In 2020, Thiago became a U.S. citizen just in time to cast his vote!
John Heagy
Senior Managing Director
Hines Southeast
John Heagy is a Senior Managing Director for Hines Southeast. He is responsible for the leasing and marketing of the office projects and for securing corporate services and mixed-use development assignments in the Southeast Region of the United States. John joined the firm in 1996 and has been active in Atlanta's commercial real estate market since 1977.
John received his BA in Political Science from the University of Georgia. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, Central Atlanta Progress, Metro Atlanta Chamber, and the Perimeter Community Improvement District.
Interesting Facts:
Johns favorite hobby is tarpon fishing on a fly.
Jennifer Hirsch
Director of Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Jennifer Hirsch is an applied cultural anthropologist recognized internationally for fostering university and community engagement in sustainability and climate action. Since August 2015, she has served as the inaugural Director of the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. SLS is a campus-wide academic initiative preparing students to use their disciplinary expertise to “create sustainable communities” in partnership with community, nonprofit, business, and academic stakeholders. Jenny’s research and teaching interests focus on equity in the sustainable built environment, grassroots sustainability innovation, and sustainability in cross-cultural perspective.
Interesting Facts:
"All I want to do right now is kayak."
Danny Johnson
Manager of Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District
Atlanta Regional Commission
Danny Johnson is the Manager of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, which is housed in the offices of the Atlanta Regional Commission. Danny works with over 100 jurisdictions across metro Atlanta on regional challenges involving water supply, wastewater, and stormwater management. Prior to taking this position in 2013, Danny worked in consulting for 11 years with CDM Smith and Hayes, James & Associates.
Danny graduated from UGA Engineering in 2002 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and an emphasis in Natural Resource Management.
Interesting Facts:
Once considered a bit of a daredevil, Danny jumped out of an airplane twice in one year, survived, and soon got married. He now has kids, a mortgage, and a restrictive life insurance policy.
Dr. Keona Lewis
Associate Director for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Keona Lewis is the Associate Director for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She oversees all research, program assessment, and evaluation for Institute Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She also develops and leads programs and projects that increase diversity, equity, and inclusion for faculty, staff, and students. Keona also works as an adjunct professor teaching both Anthropology and Criminology courses.
Keona worked for four years in the K-12 setting teaching diverse student populations. She continues to work with underrepresented students and has expanded her research to include a focus on equity and sustainability in Higher Education and beyond.
Keona earned both her Master’s degree in Criminology and her doctoral degree in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida where she focused on the social construction of race and its effects on both education and crime.
Interesting Facts:
"I was a lead performer in an African Ballet that performed in front of the Broadway cast of Sarafina!"
Odetta Macleish-White
Director of Georgia Initiatives
Center for Community Progress
Odetta MacLeish-White is the Director of Georgia Initiatives at the Center for Community Progress. Prior to that, Odetta was the Managing Director of the TransFormation Alliance, a partnership of nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses working to ensure that opportunities and benefits provided by investment in transit communities are made available to ALL residents.
Prior to joining the TransFormation Alliance, Odetta was a Senior Program Director with Enterprise Community Partners in their Southeast market. She supported comprehensive community stabilization efforts around the country with a focus on equitable Transit Oriented Development initiatives and nonprofit capacity building in the state of Georgia and the Southeast. Odetta has also served as a community development specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and was the staff director for Florida’s Affordable Housing Study Commission. Odetta earned a juris doctorate and LLM in International Law from Duke University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard-Radcliffe University.
Interesting Facts:
"I am obsessed with the smell of old books."
Michael Oxman
Managing Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Michael Oxman joined Scheller College in 2016 as the Managing Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business where he teaches business sustainability courses and oversees industry outreach, partnerships, and educational initiatives.
Prior to joining Scheller, Michael spent over 25 years working at the intersection of international business, sustainability, and risk management. His career spans assignments in the US and a broad range of international locations including two overseas residential assignments in Central Asia. He has advised companies on risk management, community engagement, reporting, corporate social responsibility, human rights, fiscal analysis, and strategic planning in a variety of global locations.
Michael has an MBA from Rice University, an MIA in International Political Economy from Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, and a B.A. from Trinity College in Russian Area Studies.
Interesting Facts:
I love hiking and backpacking with my wife, kids (when they are available), and dog. Or if you prefer, I came to sustainability through social license to operate and lots of time spent in interesting places.
Shane Totten
Director of Education & Research
Southface
Shane Totten is an architect and the Director of Education and Research at Southface. He leads efforts to identify and develop education, training, and research opportunities to pursue Southface’s vision of a regenerative economy, responsible resource use, and a healthy built environment for all.
Shane graduated from the School of Design at NC State University. He has over 29 years of experience in architecture, interior design, urban planning, historic preservation, building systems consulting, and sustainable design. His diverse professional experience includes teaching in higher education and public sector work in urban planning, downtown revitalization, historic preservation, and sustainability planning and implementation. His private sector work includes architectural consulting and practice, sustainability consulting, envelope commissioning review, and real estate portfolio management and strategy.
Andres Villegas
President & CEO
Georgia Forestry Association
Andres Villegas is President and CEO of the Georgia Forestry Association and Georgia Forestry Foundation. In this capacity, he is responsible for advocating for Georgia’s $36.5 billion forest products industry and connecting 10 million Georgians to the states 22 million acres of working forests. The Georgia Forestry Association is focused on ensuring that Georgia remains the #1 forestry state in the nation. The work of the Forestry Association and Foundation focuses on creating value for the entire forestry supply chain and ensuring that Georgia’s working forests continue to contribute jobs, clean air, drinking water, and wildlife habitat to the residents of the state and nation.
Andres has extensive private, public and NGO sector experience in forestry and natural resources having held domestic and international positions with Weyerhaeuser, Chevron, The Langdale Company, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Andres received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from The University of Georgia and an Executive Certificate of Management and Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.
Rand Zalzala
Graduate Student
Master of Architecture program at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Rand is in her final year of the 3.5-year Master of Architecture program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Originally from Iraq, she came to the United States with an interest architecture and its impact on human behavior. She graduated with a B.A. in Architectural Studies from Oberlin College where she found her passion in environmental design to reduce the impact of global warming on the built environment and people’s wellbeing. She then worked in Boston at architecture firms focused on historic preservation and adaptive reuse for three years before moving to Atlanta to pursue her professional degree and become a licensed professional. At Georgia Tech, she is a Graduate Ambassador at the School of Architecture, the President of Equity in Architecture (GT EQiA) and a co-founder of ECO. Both academically and professionally, Rand aspires to advocate for equitable and sustainable futures for everyone through design.
Interesting Facts:
Rand loves to cook vegetarian versions of Iraqi food which is traditionally very meat heavy.
Ex-Officio Members
Shan Arora
Director of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design
Georgia Institute of Technology
Shan Arora is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, a multi-disciplinary, non-departmental education building. It is pursuing the Living Building Challenge – the world’s most ambitious building performance standard. The project’s goal is to transform the built environment in the Southeast by advancing innovation, and by showcasing synergies between environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic development.
Prior to joining Georgia Tech in July 2018, Shan was with Southface Institute where he worked with local and regional partners to increase the amount of clean energy generated in Georgia, promote energy efficiency in the built environment, and expand the region’s clean energy workforce. Shan has an undergraduate and a law degree from Emory University.
Interesting Facts:
Shan has been to the second northernmost Taco Bell in the world.
Michael Gamble
Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Architecture
Georgia Institute of Technology
Michael Gamble is a registered architect, Director of Graduate Studies at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture, and creative director at Gamble + Gamble Architects in Atlanta. His design-driven research operates at a variety of scales, from house to city, with emphases on innovation, alternative energy, and building technology pursued within the context of a larger concern for the creation of healthy, well-conceived environments.
Michael has received numerous awards for excellence in design and scholarship. His love of design at all scales is evident in his teaching, research, and practice. Michael received a Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University in 1989, a Master of Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990, and a Master of Design Studies with Distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1996.