Hector De La Torre, Board Member, California Air Resources Board

Mr. Hector De La Torre serves on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a gubernatorial appointee, where he focuses on goods movement, mitigation in impacted communities, and bringing the benefits of new technologies to these communities.

Mr. De La Torre is the Executive Director of the Transamerica Center for Health Studies, a nonprofit focused on empowering consumers and employers to achieve the best value and protection from their health coverage, as well as the best outcomes in their personal health and wellness.

De La Torre is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Occidental College (his alma mater) in Los Angeles and the Board of L.A. Care, the largest public health plan in the United States. De La Torre served as a State Assemblymember for California’s 50th District from 2004-2010. Prior to that, he was Mayor and Councilmember in his hometown of South Gate.

Nancy Skinner, Senator, Senate District 9

A social justice advocate and sustainability trailblazer, State Senator Nancy Skinner coauthored last year’s SB 100 to get California to 100% renewable electricity by 2045. In the State Assembly and Senate she’s also authored bills to accelerate the uptake of electric & zero-emission vehicles, expand solar net metering, mandate energy storage so renewable electricity can be deployed when needed, and increase the energy efficiency of buildings built pre-Title 24. In 1990, Skinner co-founded ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and directed ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection program, the first effort to engage local governments in climate awareness and carbon reduction efforts.

Dr. Matt Miyasato, Deputy Executive Officer for Science & Technology Advancement, SCAQMD

Dr. Matt Miyasato is the deputy executive officer for Science & Technology Advancement at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). He is responsible for the SCAQMD’s Technology Advancement Office, Mobile Source Division, and Monitoring and Laboratory Analysis Division.

Dr. Miyasato’s principal charges are to identify, evaluate and stimulate development and commercialization of clean air technologies, develop and coordinate mobile source regulations, and to conduct ambient monitoring, source testing and laboratory analysis. He received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, and his Masters and Ph.D. in engineering from the University of California, Irvine.

Chelsea Jenkins, Executive Director of Government Affairs, ROUSH CleanTech

Chelsea Jenkins currently serves as executive director of government affairs for ROUSH CleanTech, the alternative fuels division of ROUSH Enterprises. Prior to this recent role change, Jenkins primarily managed school bus activities for the southeast region of the United States since joining Roush in 2011.

Before transitioning to Roush, Jenkins served as the Virginia Clean Cities executive director and as program coordinator for seven years. Jenkins helped grow the Virginia Clean Cities project portfolio from over $1 million in total petroleum displacement projects primarily focused in Virginia to over $20 million in total alternative fuel and vehicle projects covering the southeast and mid-atlantic regions. Jenkins, a recipient of the 2009 Clean Cities Coordinator of the Year award, was inducted into the Clean Cities Hall of Fame in 2011. Jenkins’ career began after a biodiesel project in Malta that later lead to helping establish Valley AIRNow, the air quality outreach program for Winchester and Frederick counties in Virginia.

Jenkins has also worked in several nondestructive evaluation laboratories, including NASA’s Langley Research Center. Jenkins graduated from James Madison University and received her degree in integrated science and technology with a triple concentration in energy, environment, and transportation.

Jack Brouwer, Director, National Fuel Cell Research Center

Through Dr. Jack Brouwer’s leadership, the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) and the Advanced Power and Energy Program are focusing research, education, beta testing, and outreach on high-efficiency, environmentally preferred energy conversion and power generation technology advancement with fuel cell and gas turbine systems as the principal targets.  Current research projects address ultra-high efficiency and ultra-low emissions high temperature fuel cell systems, integrated hybrid fuel cell gas turbine systems, renewable power intermittency and integration, battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle evaluation and infrastructure development, advanced fuel cell and gas turbine dynamic operations, hydrogen and electricity infrastructure development, and power electronics and energy conversion devices for the smart grid.  Prior to joining UCI, Dr. Brouwer was on the faculty at the University of Utah, a senior engineer at Reaction Engineering International, and a staff scientist at Sandia National Laboratories.

Julia Levin, Executive Director, Bioenergy Association of California

The Bioenergy Association of California’s executive director is Julia Levin, who served until recently as the deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Resources Agency. In that position, she chaired the Governor’s Inter-Agency Bioenergy Working Group and led development of California’s 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan.

Levin has also served as a commissioner on the California Energy Commission, where she was the presiding commissioner on renewable energy and the associate commissioner on energy efficiency. She presided over the adoption of RPS eligibility rules, power plant siting cases and other issues. Previously, she was the global warming director of the National Audubon Society, where she coordinated its policy advocacy and public education on global warming and energy issues.

Levin received a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1991 and a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Brown University in 1985.