Speaker Series: Shades of Green: Washington's Emerging Ecodistricts

Richard Dooley is the Community Energy Coordinator in Arlington County's Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management. He ensures that all stakeholders’ voices are heard when it comes to shaping Arlington’s energy future. He continues to coordinate the work of the project's Technical Work Group and consultants, Advisory Group members, and other community members to finalize the Community Energy Plan (CEP), create the County's new Comprehensive Plan Energy element and CEP Implementation Plan. Mr. Dooley formerly worked as a Green Building and Land Development Specialist for the National Association of Home Builders Research Center. He attended Indiana University.

Scott Pomeroy is the sustainability manager for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District. Since 2008, he has managed the sustainability programs, including development of the DowntownDC ecoDistrict. From 2002-2005 he was the executive director of the 14th & U Main Street Initiative from where he managed the revitalization efforts of a twenty six linear block area that was recognized in 2011 by American Planning Association as one of their Great Places in America-Streets.

Diane Sullivan joined the National Capital Planning Commission in the fall of 2007. As lead sustainability planner, Ms. Sullivan focuses on implementing the goals of Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance throughout the agency’s long-term planning initiatives. Ms. Sullivan previously worked on waterfront redevelopment with both the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation and the Portland, Oregon Office of Planning. She began her career at the San Francisco Planning Department. Ms. Sullivan holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Howard Ways serves as the director of planning and sustainability for the University of the District of Columbia where he coordinates the university’s sustainability initiative. Mr. Ways previously worked for the District of Columbia and worked on various initiatives, including housing policy, targeted capital investments, and workforce development. In 2009, he completed the city’s first green collar jobs demand analysis. He also led the planning effort on reuse of vacant public schools and managed the District’s vacant property acquisition and process. Mr. Howard holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Morgan State University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Temple University.

Brandon Mitchell serves as a project manager and the sustainability coordinator in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). He also serves as the lead on the Northwest One redevelopment project, as well as the Sustainability Coordinator for the Walter Reed Army Medical Campus redevelopment. Prior to joining DMPED, Mr. Mitchell served as the Director of Development at Full Spectrum, LLC, a New York-based urban green development company. He received his Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, and a Certificate in Management and Entrepreneurship from the London School of Economics and Political Science.