Sam Sankar
Phone: 202-266-4929 | Email: ssankar@ecos.org
Sambhav (Sam) Sankar is the Executive Director of ECOS. Prior to joining ECOS in March 2018, Sam served as Senior Advisor for Conservation Technology at The Nature Conservancy, and as Senior Executive Counsel and Director of Environment, Health and Safety for General Electric. Earlier in his career, Sam practiced environmental law at the Justice Department, intellectual property law at WilmerHale and clerked for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Ninth Circuit, and for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor of the U.S. Supreme Court. Sam holds environmental engineering degrees from Cornell and Stanford, and a law degree from U.C. Berkeley. Before acquiring a desk, he worked as a machinist and divemaster. But not simultaneously.
Carolyn Hanson
Phone: 202-266-4924 | Email: chanson@ecos.org
Carolyn Hanson is the Deputy Director at ECOS. She also supports the Cross Media Committee, Federal Facilities Forum, and ERIS. 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.
Sonia Altieri
Phone: 202-266-4921 | Email: saltieri@ecos.org
Sonia Altieri joins the ECOS staff for a year-long detail under the federal Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) program. Sonia has spent the last 18 years at U.S. EPA, where she has worked in a variety of programs and positions. Sonia currently works in the Office of Water, where she manages stakeholder relations for the Immediate Office. Prior to this role, Sonia managed the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), a federal advisory committee that advises the EPA Administrator on a range of environmental policy and technology issues. She also participated in developmental assignments in the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, EPA Regions 3, 5, 9, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. She holds a M.P.A. from the Monterey Institute of International Studies with emphasis in International Environmental Policy and a B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University. While at ECOS, Sonia will be focusing on infrastructure, compliance, and measures, among other issues.
Hibist Assegu
Phone: 202-266-4927 | Email: hassegu@ecos.org
Hibist Assegu is the Accounting Assistant at ECOS. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and worked for Goodwill of Greater Washington (GGW) as a staff accountant before coming to ECOS. Hibist is a native Ethiopian who went to college and began her professional career in the United Kingdom.
Judith Cummins
Phone: 202-266-4927 | Email: jcummins@ecos.org
Judith Cummins is the Manager of Finance at ECOS. Judy, a CPA, has 5 years of state environmental agency financial experience. Most recently, she served as Senior Financial Advisor to the State of Washington Department of Ecology with the fiscal group, where her duties included providing financial data to all environmental programs and overseeing all audits. She previously worked for The State of Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation handling the loan portfolio for the State Revolving Loan Funds and project audits. Judy has also served as the Co-Chair at the SRF EPA/State Work Group semi annual meetings and has represented both states there for the past 5 years.
Nia Duke
Phone: 202-266-4930 | Email: nduke@ecos.org
Nia Duke is the Communications Project Associate at ECOS, supporting E-Enterprise for the Environment and ECOS communications efforts. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University, where she studied digital communications, graphic design, and public engagement. Nia previously worked as a Social Media Fellow in U.S. EPA’s Office of Water.
Beth Graves
Phone: 202-266-4923 | Email: bgraves@ecos.org
Beth Graves is an Executive Project Manager at ECOS, supporting the Planning Committee, E-Enterprise effort, and Partnership and Performance Workgroup (P&P). Beth joined ECOS after having worked with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for 14 years. While at NC DENR, Beth was engaged with 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. Beth also 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, NC. Beth graduated from Duke University with a BA in Economics.
Sarah Grace Longsworth
Phone: 202-266-4926 | Email: slongsworth@ecos.org
Sarah Grace Longsworth is a Project Associate at ECOS. She previously interned at ECOS and joined the staff in May 2016 as the Administrative Assistant. Sarah Grace supports committees related to environmental science policy, chemicals management, sustainable materials management, and E-Enterprise. She also manages the website, newsletter, and registration for ECOS meetings. A native of Bethesda, Maryland, Sarah Grace graduated from Wake Forest University in 2016 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Science.
Connor MacCartney
Phone: 202-849-4981 | Email: cmaccartney@ecos.org
Connor MacCartney is a Project Associate at ECOS. He supports the Shale Gas Caucus, Compliance Committee, E-Enterprise, sustainable materials management, and ECOS’ Measures and Metrics project. Connor previously served as Special Assistant to the White House Liaison at U.S. EPA and as an intern at the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Connor earned his B.S. in International relations and Diplomacy from Seton Hall University.
Owen McAleer
Phone: 202-266-4922 | Email: omcaleer@ecos.org
Owen McAleer is a Project Associate at ECOS. He supports the Planning Committee as well as the Innovation & Productivity Committee’s E-Enterprise work. Owen is a native of Alexandria, Virginia, where he previously worked in project management for a small technology company. He received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he pursued an environmental concentration.
MC Murphy
Phone: 202-266-4920 | Email: mmurphy@ecos.org
Mary Carlton (MC) Murphy is the Administrative Assistant at ECOS. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, MC graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a degree in Ecology and Biodiversity, after which she interned for The Land Trust for Tennessee and U.S. Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia.
Molly Olonoff
Phone: 202-849-4982 | Email: molonoff@ecos.org
Molly Olonoff is a Project Associate for ITRC supporting various technical teams by managing projects, meetings, webinars, and other initiatives. Originally from New York, Olonoff earned a B.A. in Biology & Society from Cornell University, where she studied Biology, Environmental Sustainability, and Government. After graduation, she was an Intern and then a Research Assistant at Issue One.
Lia Parisien
Phone: 202-266-4931 | Email: lparisien@ecos.org
Lia Parisien is Executive Project Manager for ECOS, overseeing policy matters, strategic communications, and conference planning. Lia staffs the ECOS Waste Committee and manages its projects, including the Shale Gas Caucus that she helped spearhead and past grants on land revitalization and the Toxics Release Inventory. In her communications role, she acts as ECOS’ media liaison, handles communications for the joint ECOS-U.S. EPA E-Enterprise initiative, and is Chief Editor of weekly newsletter ECOSWIRE and periodic online publication ECOS Green Report. In the area of conferences, she plans ECOS Spring and Fall Meetings around the country and has organized several special conferences and cooperative meetings with U.S. EPA in Washington, DC. She developed ECOS’ annual State Environmental Protection (STEP) series to spotlight key issues and partnerships. Prior to her current position, Lia served as Senior Project Manager and Project Manager. Before joining ECOS, Lia was Group Manager and Chief Editor of five environmental newsletters and newsmagazines within the Inside EPA group of publishers. She also worked as a Production Assistant at CBS News 60 Minutes.
Layne Piper
Phone: 202-266-4928 | Email: lpiper@ecos.org
Layne Piper is a Project Manager at ECOS. She previously interned and worked as a Project Associate at ECOS after joining the staff in 2013. Layne supports the Water Committee, Data Management Workgroup, and Federal Facilities Forum. She also assists with ECOS meeting planning. A native Houstonian, Layne graduated from Davidson College in 2012 with a BA in History and a Concentration in Environmental Studies.
Kelly Poole
Phone: 202-266-4939 | Email: kpoole@ecos.org
Kelly Poole is a Senior Project Manager at ECOS. She supports the Air Committee, assists with the Compliance Committee, and works on E-Enterprise work related to air issues. Poole previously worked as the Policy and Legislative Affairs Coordinator for the Tennessee Environmental Council, where, in addition to her regular duties, she helped plant more than 47,000 native trees throughout Tennessee. She earned her Juris Doctor with a Certificate of Concentration in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Tennessee. She is admitted to practice in the state of Tennessee.
Kurt Rakouskas
Phone: 202-266-4935 | Email: krakouskas@ecos.org
Kurt Rakouskas is an Executive Project Manager leading the Exchange Network project and working on E-Enterprise for the Environment. Kurt previously worked at ECOS as Project Manager and Senior Project Manager for Exchange Network from 2004 – 2010. From 2010-2015, he was an independent contractor serving as the Exchange Network Coordinator. Kurt has an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Affairs from George Washington University and a Master of Public Administration, Environmental Policy from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Patty Reyes
Phone: 202-266-4933 | Email: preyes@ecos.org
Patty Reyes is the Director of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. A recognized leader in healthcare, environment, and energy with experience at the federal, state, and congressional levels, Reyes most recently provided oversight and management advice on critical healthcare initiatives for a federal client. She has a long relationship with the ITRC dating back to its inception. Previously, Reyes served as Presidential appointee and senior advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security, providing policy recommendations and strategic advice on Department of Defense (DOD) environment, safety, and occupational health communications with Congress, states, federal agencies, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and the public. In that role, she also oversaw DOD management of a cooperative agreement with the ITRC. Reyes’ robust federal experience is bolstered by her past work as an environmental analyst at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and at the National Governors’ Association, during which she served a detail to U.S. EPA.
Tadbir Singh
Phone: 202-849-4980 | Email: tsingh@ecos.org
Tadbir Singh joined the ITRC team in Spring 2018 as a Project Associate supporting the technical teams and managing PFAS issues. A Vermont native, she graduated in 2015 from Case Western Reserve University with a B.S.E.in Civil Engineering and a concentration in Environmental Engineering.
Carolyn Sistare
Phone: 202-266-4932 | Email: csistare@ecos.org
Carolyn Sistare is the ITRC Project Manager. She joined ECOS in March 1999. Carolyn is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a B.S. in Business Administration. She worked with the Government of Trinidad & Tobago, Ministry of Finance for 17 years before migrating to the United States in 1997. She is currently responsible for the management of ITRC’s financials, contracts, and grants.
Megan Swanson
Phone: 202-849-4984 | Email: mswanson@ecos.org
Megan Swanson is a Project Associate at ECOS, assisting senior staff with projects related to water and E-Enterprise, among other topics. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Environmental Studies, she moved to Washington, DC for an internship at Ocean Conservancy. Megan began work with ECOS in 2017 as the Administrative Assistant.
