Board of Directors
pamela lippe.jpg Pamela Lippe - Chair

Pamela Lippe is Executive Director of Earth Day New York and President of e4 Inc., a "green building" consulting firm. She is an innovative public affairs professional with almost thirty years experience in the environmental and communications fields.

For over a decade, Ms. Lippe has been Executive Director of Earth Day New York (EDNY), a tax-exempt educational organization. In 1990, for the 20th Anniversary, Ms. Lippe mobilized nearly two million people to attend the Earth Rising Ceremony in Times Square, the Environmental Exposition and Cultural Festival on Sixth Avenue, and a major concert in Central Park. Ms. Lippe's extensive public affair's work dates back to the 70's and illustrates a highly diverse skill set. Highly effective at popularizing social issues through the arts and media, Ms. Lippe developed and ran a celebrity clearinghouse from 1981-1986 for the National Committee for an Effective Congress; was the National Director of the Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) Foundation from 1979-1981; and co-organized two public events in 1979 in Washington (May 6) and New York City (September 23) with 150,000 and 250,000 attendees.

As Founder and Director of Citizens Vote Inc., she was involved in producing MTV's first get-out-the-vote campaign that involved over a million dollars of advertising time. Ms. Lippe was a founding member of the Earth Day Network and has served as its former President and as a Director since 1994. In addition, she is currently serving on the Board of Directors of Citizens Vote, Earth Share National and Earth Share New York.

brian ames.jpg Brian Ames - Vice-Chair

Brian Wesley Ames is a Division Chief in the African Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based Washington, D.C. He has over twenty years experience in international and corporate finance. His work experience and educational background has spanned both public and private sectors. At the IMF, he has worked as an international finance and development economist for 15 years, specializing in Africa, but with experience in Asia as well. With his focus on low-income countries and economic development, he has worked extensively with both governments and the international non-government organization community in the global effort to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Ames is also a Board Member of the Global Sustainable Development Project, a global effort to achieve sustainable development in both low-income and industrial countries worldwide. His private sector work experience has involved serving as President of Advanced Scientific Applications, Ltd. (a technology transfer company), President of Intercontinental Travel Services, Inc. (a full service travel entity), and Political and Economic Analyst for the Capital Group, Inc. (Investment Management).

Mr. Ames holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University), and B.A.’s (with honors) in economics and political science from Claremont Men’s College.

richard wegman.jpg Richard Wegman - Director and Co-Founder

Responsible for the management of Global Green USA's Finances and Administration, Richard Wegman has been helping to lead environmental companies since the late 1980s. Prior to coming on board at Global Green USA, he served as a consultant to many environmental and social justice organizations in the Los Angeles Area including El Rescate, Clinica Oscar A. Romero, Committee to Save Mono Lake, Coalition for Clean Air, Plaza Community Center in East Los Angeles, Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Audubon Society.

Previously he was the Chief Operating Officer of TreePeople, a local community environmental non-profit. He also served for 8 years as the CFO of PS Enterprises, Inc., an environmental public relations firm that works with numerous cities, agencies, and non-profits.

Richard holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Marketing from California State Polytechnic University. In addition he is a certified Yoga teacher.

steve pennington.jpgSteven W. Pennington - Director

From venture development and philanthropy, to corporate development and international business, Steven Pennington has developed expertise across diverse disciplines and industries. Steven is currently President of Quadramedia, a digital artist agency. He also manages Chophouse Records for label owner Jason Newsted (former bass player of Metallica), as well as his own label Pit Pony Records.

Previously, he was Director of Strategy and Business Development at Blue Fly Digital, a firm that specialized in building brand-focused and community centered Web sites; and strategic advisor to Artists Without A Label, an online artist management services company. As Vice President of Corporate Development at Fleetwood Owen, co-founded by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, Steven managed strategic business planning, product marketing, and corporate development activities. As Vice President of Corporate Development at ArtistOne, an Internet music startup, Steven designed a subscription-based business model centered around artist Web sites and devised a funding strategy that successfully closed the company's Series A round of venture investment. At Oracle Corporation, he successfully managed a network of strategic alliances with market-leading Internet and e-commerce companies, which led to his appointment to the Global E-Commerce Program Office.

Steven earned a BS in international marketing and finance from the University of Southern California and an MBA in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).

martha disario.jpgMartha DiSario - Secretary

For more than twenty years, Martha DiSario has provided award-winning communications and marketing programs for leading non-profit organizations and the federal government. In 1998, she founded Pacific Communications, a strategic communications consultancy, which has helped launch more than two dozen new ventures, primarily in the areas of telecommunications, biotech and cancer control and diagnosis.

Between 1996 and 1998, Martha was Vice President for Communications of the California Medical Association. Previously, President Clinton appointed her as Director of External Relations for the nation's Medicare and Medicaid programs. Prior to the Clinton Administration, she directed media relations and was spokesperson for the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), the consortium of nations that own and operate the global telecommunications system. For nearly a decade prior, she worked in senior positions on Capitol Hill - most recently, as Communications Director for US Senator John Glenn and the Committee on Governmental Affairs. Ms. DiSario began her career at the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), where she was on the team that developed the marketing plan for the all-volunteer Army.

Ms. DiSario serves on several Boards of Directors including Rainforest Action Network, and the Resource Center for the United Nations, a UN Affiliate. Ms. DiSario received a BA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an MEd with distinction from the University of Virginia, and an MA at Chapman College.