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XI Annual
Young Leaders Conference
Climate Change
Transportation. Infrastructure. Resiliency.
We are delighted to welcome local, national, and international leaders, experts, and practitioners to engage in important topics surrounding climate change. View the profiles below to find out more about this year's speakers and panelists.
SPEAKERS
Echols
Tim Echols
GA Public Service Commissioner
Tim G. Echols is an elected official originally from Clayton County, Georgia, who was elected to the Athens-area seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission.
The mission of the Georgia PSC is to ensure that consumers receive safe, reliable, and reasonably priced telecommunications, transportation, electric, and natural gas services from financially viable and technically competent companies.
The PSC's primary job is energy regulation. When Echols took office, Georgia was 34th in solar power. Now, 9 years later the state is10th in the nation in approved solar. In 2020, Conservatives for Clean Energy dubbed Echols the "Solar Architect of Georgia.
Blackman
Daniel Blackman
Climate and Environmental Justice Advisor at risQ
Daniel Blackman was the 2020 democratic nominee for the Georgia Public Service Commission where he garnered more votes than any African-American in Georgia election history. In 2016, he became the first person of color to run for office in Forsyth County, Georgia, and the first Democrat to run there in 30 years. He served with the Obama Administration’s Clean Power Plan and Power Africa Initiative and served as an advisor to the Congressional Black Caucus and EPA on Environmental Justice issues.
Daniel Blackman was one of 65 world leaders invited to Vatican City to discuss the global impact of the climate crisis ahead of the Paris Climate Accords.
Daniel Blackman has been featured on TV and radio including CNN, NPR, CBS Radio, CBS, Apple TV, PBS, and several podcasts and morning shows.
Dan Raudebaugh
Executive Director for the Center for Transportation and the Environment
Dan Raudebaugh has dedicated the last 27 years to fostering environmental and energy sustainability and creating jobs within US emerging technology sectors.
He has developed, secured funding for, and managed a varied portfolio of cost-shared research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects exceeding $800 million.
Through his work at CTE, Mr. Raudebaugh ensures that new and promising technologies have the opportunity to
flourish through demonstrations and ultimately deployment into the marketplace–thus reducing US dependence on
foreign oil, cleaning the air, and helping create US jobs in the critical technology sector.
Raudebaugh
Andrea Pinabell
President, Southface Institute
Andrea Pinabell has served as the President of Southface Institute since 2017, a nonprofit founded in 1978 that advances a regenerative future including healthy communities, resource efficiency, and clean energy solutions at the intersection of the built and natural environments.
She serves on the boards of 2030 Districts and Center for Responsible Travel. She has also been honored with multiple awards, including being among Georgia Trend magazine’s 2020 notable Georgians, Atlanta Magazine’s Atlanta 500 in 2020 and 2021, a 2018 Energy Leader 75, and Smart CEO Magazine’s 2015 Award honoring visionary leadership in the commercial real estate industry.
She has also served as the Director of the Sustainable Cities Institute & Program Manager of Sustainable Community Development with The Home Depot Foundation.
Pinabell
Betty Smoot-Madison
Mobility Planning Director, City of Atlanta Department of Transportation
Betty is an Urban Planner with expertise in Transportation and Community Planning. Betty began her planning career in Prince Georg County, MD, one of the nation's wealthiest predominantly African-American counties, located just outside of the National Capital, where she gained experience in transit-oriented development, implementation strategies, neighborhood revitalization, and university-oriented development, amongst other planning principles. Betty worked in Prince George’s County for 5 years, then moved on to work for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, where she advanced in several roles, including, Senior Transportation Planner, ADA Coordinator, and Ombudsman for the Automated Traffic Violation Enforcement System (ATVES).
Betty serves on the executive board for COMTO’s Atlanta Chapter and is an active member of the American Planning Association (APA) and WTS, and published author.
Smoot
Ted Terry
Commissioner
DeKalb County Super District 6
In 2020, Commissioner Terry was elected to serve as the Super District 6 Commissioner of DeKalb County. His district includes half of the County with portions of South, Central, and North DeKalb, totaling approximately 350,000 residents.
Commissioner Terry's policy focuses include affordable housing, transit equity, DeKalb Green New Deal, DeKalb voting rights, and criminal justice reform. He currently serves as Chair of the Operations Committee (OPS), as a member of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWI), and as a member of the DeKalb Community Service Board (CSB).
Prior to his election, Commissioner Terry served as the Mayor of the most ethnically diverse square mile in America: Clarkston, Georgia from January 2014 – March 2020, where he was the youngest Mayor in Clarkston’s 135-year history.
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