Staff

Staff Backgrounds

R. Steven Brown is the Executive Director. He joined ECOS in September 1996, after having assisted in ECOS' creation in 1993. He has worked on environmental protection since graduating from the University of Kentucky with an MS in Zoology and an MA in English in 1976. From 1985 to 1996 he was the director of The Council of State Governments' environmental policy center, where he conducted numerous environmental and technical policy studies on state-federal issues. He worked for Kentucky's Division of Air and the Division of Permits; later he spent four years with private engineering firms. A native Kentuckian, he is the author of numerous articles, monographs, and books on environment and technology. Some of the things Steve does for ECOS include:

* Working in concert with the officers and Executive Committee, oversees and manages entire ECOS operation;
* Proposes and develops strategies for consideration by leadership;
* Responsible for budget, planning and administrative tasks such as staff hiring and oversight areas;
* Organization's chief staff representative and spokesman on Capitol Hill, to federal agencies, to other state associations and to other organizations;
* Chief staff liaison with government agencies;
* Works directly with ECOS Officers and Executive Committee on planning meetings to discuss policy and make organizational decisions.

Carolyn Hanson is the Deputy Executive Director at ECOS, assisting as the Chief Operating Officer of ECOS.  Before holding this position, she was a Senior Project Manager at ECOS working with the Waste Committee, the ECOS-DOD Sustainability Work Group, the Federal Facilities Forum, the Quicksilver Caucus, and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC). She joined ECOS in September 2002 after working with the National Science Resources Center at the Smithsonian Institution to help develop an inquiry-based science curriculum. Prior to that she was a high school chemistry teacher in Asheville, North Carolina and Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Carolyn holds a B.S. in chemistry from Davidson College and a M.P.A. with a concentration in nonprofit management from George Mason University. She is originally from Florida.

Timothy R. Titus is the Program Administrator for the ITRC. Initially, his experience with ECOS was via an intergovernmental assignment from the USEPA until late 2003, serving ECOS as Counselor to the Director, and Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs. After his retirement from EPA, ECOS hired him in January 2004 to manage ECOS' affiliate ITRC. When at EPA he most recently was a senior advisor for small business in EPA's Office of Policy, Economics, and Innovation. From 1991 through 1995, Tim was with the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP). Prior to joining US-AEP, he was Director of the Gulf Task Force that coordinated the US Government response to the environmental crisis in the Persian Gulf following Operation Desert Storm. Other positions he has held at EPA include Director of the Science, Economics and Statistics Division and Deputy Director of the Existing Chemicals Assessment Division. Before joining EPA, he was a program analyst with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Tim grew up in Connecticut, and holds a JD degree from the University of Baltimore and a BA degree from the University of Wyoming. Some of the things Tim does for ECOS include:
* Working together with the ERIS Board, oversees entire administrative and program areas of ITRC
* Manages and directs ITRC staff

Lisa Matthews has served as Counselor to the ECOS Executive Director since late June 2007.  She is on a one-year Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment from the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development in Washington, DC.  Lisa has held a variety of positions at the agency including Special Assistant to the Administrator and Deputy Administrator and Executive Assistant to the EPA Science Advisor.  She served as the EPA point-of-contact for the National Science and Technology Council and as Executive Secretary for the interagency Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and its Subcommittee on Toxics and Risk.  A native North Carolinian, she holds a M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Chemistry from Wake Forest University.  Some of the things Lisa does for ECOS include:

• Primary staff to ECOS Air Committee and its Climate & Energy Subcommittee
• Primary staff to ECOS Environmental Health Forum
• Liaison with U.S. EPA and other federal agencies

Beth Graves began work at ECOS in August 2007 to support the Planning Committee. Beth joins ECOS after having worked with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for 14 years. While at NC DENR, Beth worked for the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance most recently supporting the department’s performance-based leadership program – the Environmental Stewardship Initiative - and leading work with industry, local governments, and hog producers on environmental management systems (EMS) related projects. Prior to these efforts, Beth worked with local governments on organics diversion, source reduction, and recycling initiatives and policy as well as grant and reporting efforts with local governments. Before beginning work in state government, Beth worked for a non-profit on a mixed paper/biosolids composting project with the City of Durham. Beth graduated from Duke University with a BA in Economics.

Farhaana Holsey is the first point of contact for ECOS. She supports all of the project managers and staff, handles the registration process for our meetings, and administers and maintains the ECOS Contacts Database.

Matthew C. Jones is a Senior Project Manager with ECOS.  Matt supports the work of the Cross-Media Committee and the Quicksilver Caucus.  He also supports the work of the Federal Facilities Forum and the ECOS-DOD Sustainability Work Group, among other assignments.  Prior to joining the ECOS full-time staff in February 2008, Matt worked as a City Planner with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Prior to this, Matt served as an Intern for ECOS during the summer in 2001 and 2002.  Matt holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy/ Environmental Studies from Muhlenberg College.  Matt grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Frederick, Maryland.

Joanne Key is the Office and Grants Manager at ECOS. A retired federal civil service employee, Joanne is one of the longest serving ECOS staff members, having started in October 1996. She is responsible for all grants' fiscal and administrative accountability and reporting, management of the ECOS office including building liaison and a number of other administrative and logistics support areas. Joanne is a native Virginian. Some of the things Joanne does for ECOS include:

* Overseeing administrative operations (including grants management) in the office
* Maintains and collects staff quarterly project reports as well as contract and grant paperwork
* Payroll specialist
* Building liaison i.e. office supply and furniture and computer purchases
* In charge of maintaining and enhancing the organization's emergency preparedness plan (homeland security at Hall of States Office).

Lia Parisien is a Senior Project Manager (Editor/Planner) for ECOS. She joined ECOS in 1999 from Inside Washington Publishers (Publisher of Inside EPA), where she served as Group Manager and Chief Editor of a series of environmental newsletters and newsmagazines. Lia reported on the restructuring of the electric power industry and provided extensive coverage of state environmental activities. Previously, she worked as a Production Assistant for CBS News 60 Minutes and in media relations. She is a summa cum laude graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in foreign language and communication media and minored in international studies. Some of Lia's responsibilities with ECOS include:

* Chief editor of ECOStates, the ECOS quarterly journal. Involves compiling entire publication, developing overarching themes and story ideas, writing regular features, and coordinating production with graphic artist and printer.
* Chief compiler and editor for ECOSWIRE, the weekly ECOS newsletter.
* Editor of ECOS Annual Report.
* Chief planner for ECOS membership conferences and special events. Works with members to develop agendas and invite speakers, plans logistics for meetings and special tours and receptions.
* ECOS media liaison. Coordinates press events and drafts and disseminates press advisories.

Kurt Rakouskas is a Senior Project Manager for the Network Operations Board (NOB). The NOB is charged with implementing the National Environmental Information Exchange Network. Prior to joining ECOS, Kurt was the Operations Manager at Partners for the Common Good, a non-profit community development loan fund. He has also worked for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and served as a project manager for the development of the 2000 U.S. Census data capture system. Kurt holds an undergraduate degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University and an MPA with a concentration in environmental policy from the University of Massachusetts. Kurt is a Massachusetts native. Some of the things Kurt does for ECOS includes:

* Works as a project manager supporting the State/EPA National Environmental Information Exchange Network (Exchange Network).
* Works on the Exchange Network and with Kristen Dunne coordinating other state related information technology initiatives.

Carolyn Sistare is the Administrative Assistant at ECOS, which she joined in March 1999. Carolyn is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and holds a Diploma in Spanish, English Literature and Economics from St. George's College. She is responsible for administrative and logistics support for various ECOS projects, including ITRC. Some of the things Carolyn does for ECOS includes:

* Provides travel support and assists with meeting planning
* Maintains and updates membership and contact databases for ITRC
* Helps arrange and coordinates travel logistics for ITRC and other projects
* Works with ITRC on processing travel vouchers