On the Road

10:45am – 11:45am: Breakout Sessions
Participants used this time to evaluate the transportation policy and project ideas presented by panelists, within local contexts and needs.

Results of the small group discussions are HERE.

Our Panelists were:

• Lon Wyrick is Executive Director for Thurston Regional Planning Council, a post he has held for the past nine years. Lon recently chaired the Implementation Working Group on Transportation for the Governor Gregoire's Climate Action Team; the IWG produced a significant report and on recommended strategies and programs for creating a climate friendly transportation system in Washington. Lon is current President of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. He has held planning and community development leadership posts in Yakima, Mason County, and Lincoln County, Nevada. Lon holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Washington University. He loves outdoor adventures, and will participate in, attend or watch any sport.
• Anne Criss is the Climate Change Program Lead for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Anne has played a guiding role in responding to several pieces of groundbreaking state legislation including developing strategies to achieve aggressive per capita Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas reductions. Working with the Secretary of Transportation and executive management, Anne has led WSDOT's coordination with other WA state agencies, the state legislature, and the Governor's Office as well as national organizations. Prior to joining WSDOT, Anne worked as a program manager for the Puget Sound Action Team and as the director for policy and communications for the National Wildlife Refuge Association in Washington DC. Anne earned a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of Hawaii. She holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from the Evergreen State College.
• Karen Messmer has been an active volunteer in Olympia for the past seventeen years. Karen has served on most of the advisory committees that provide citizen input to the Olympia City Council. She worked with the community in numerous public processes, and conducted public hearings to listen to the concerns and ideas of hundreds of citizens. Her past volunteer service includes:
  • Olympia Planning Commission - 11 Years (4-term Chairperson)
  • Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
  • Urban Forestry Advisory Board
  • Design Review Board
  • Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • Climate Solutions Local Transportation Program Board member
  • Olympians for a Livable Community: Parks, Open Space, and Sidewalks steering committee member
  Karen has been a resident of Olympia since 1986. At the Washington State University Energy Program she helps public agencies save tax dollars by reducing waste of energy, water, and other resources. Karen also has experience in tourism promotion and economic development, shorelines planning and senior programs. She worked as a nature guide during college and still enjoys opportunities to share her understanding and the wonder of the environment.
• Kathy McCormick, AICP is a Senior Planner at Thurston Regional Planning Council. Kathy has served on the staff member of TRPC since 1985 involved in regional and local planning projects including: rail and trail corridor preservation; historic preservation; regional transportation planning; local transportation planning including multi-modal and street standard review; city comprehensive planning, amendment processes, corridor and downtown implementation studies; smart growth education tool development; and trip reduction planning and programs. Kathy also served on a compact and transit oriented development subcommittee of a State Climate Action Team.
• Dr. Gustavo Collantes is a Senior Energy Policy Adviser with the Department of Community, Trade & Economic Development (CTED) of the State of Washington, which he represents at local, state, and regional initiatives to reduced carbon emissions from the transportation sector. He is part of the state team on transportation electrification. He is currently leading work on stimulus applications related to alternative fuels. Before that, he was at Harvard University, where he led the transportation policy work within the Energy Technology Innovation Policy group. He does research and consulting on transportation technology, climate policy, and lifecycle analysis. He received his doctorate from the University of California at Davis.
• Peter Dorman teaches economics in the Masters of Environmental Studies Program at Evergreen and has served as a consultant to several state, federal and United Nations agencies.  He is the author of dozens of articles, book chapters and research reports on a range of topics, including environmental policy, economic development and international finance. For the past year Professor Dorman has worked on climate policy in conjunction with Economists for Equity and the Environment, a national research network, and the Sightline Institute in Seattle, which focuses on the Western Climate Initiative.  Peter's belief is that climate and economic goals can be achieved if policy is designed sensibly; and that special interest pressure on government must be countered, or the result will be dysfunctional policy or no policy at all.

Sponsors

The Evergreen State College, Thurston Climate Action Team, Thurston County Progressive Network, Washington State Department of Transportation, the Department of Community Trade and Economic Development, and Intercity Transit

*For information on the South Puget Sound Climate Action Series, and the previous two symposia , see http://www.evergreen.edu/sustainability/climateactionseries.htm.