Boards of Directors - ASBN & ASBC
Juan Saldaña III – Chair
Founder & Managing Principal, P3 Markets, LLC
Juan Saldana is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovator with a passion for real estate and entrepreneurship. Currently, he serves as the Founder and Managing Principal of P3 Markets, LLC, a position he’s held since February 2018. At P3 he co-developed a 100MM mixed-use/mixed-income commercial/retail property that includes 50% affordable housing, and leads efforts with TIF, acquisition, project investment, community equity RDA, WBE/MBE procurement opportunities, local ownership/leasing, and project management.
April De Simone – Vice Chair
Founder, The Practice of Democracy
April De Simone is a transdisciplinary practitioner working at the intersection of architecture, planning, and systems thinking. Her work is inspired by her experiences growing up in a Bronx, New York neighborhood, steeped in the collateral consequences of intentionally designed systems of inequity. In partnership with diverse stakeholders, she seeks to cultivate reframed opportunities within spatial practice to advance equitable, humane, and just frameworks and projects shaping the conditions of our society.
Denise Bowyer
Consultant, American Income Life
Denise Bowyer is a Mission based leader with a lifelong passion and vocation in advocating for Workers’ Rights, while contributing to key support in building and growing a billion – dollar company.
As Secretary of the National Labor Advisory Board and National Vice President of Public Relations for American Income Life, she successfully built trusting, lasting relationships with 45 International Union Leaders, State AFL-CIO Leaders, Central Labor Council and Local Union Leaders with American Income Life.
Vicki Lee Parker-High
Executive Director, North Carolina Sustainable Business Council
Vicki Lee Parker-High is the Executive Director of the NC Sustainable Business Council (NCSBC), a statewide organization that aims to help business leaders become a force for good and build a vibrant economy that benefits all people. Before joining NCSBC, Vicki served as the Communications and Development Director at the Carolina Small Business Development Fund, where she helped secure over $11 million in funding to provide loans to hundreds of small businesses in underutilized markets across North Carolina.
Anne Robertson
Founder, Toxic Free Future for Our Children
Anne is a dedicated advocate of environmentally conscious organizations and has served on the boards of several national environmental health organizations and has concentrated her energies on toxic chemicals and human health, especially the health of our children. She has recently launched Toxic Free Future for Our Children to address the global toxicity crisis.
Jason Rubello, MBA
Managing Partner, Firefly Inclusion Solutions
Jason is a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader with over 15 years of experience driving innovation through inclusivity and collaboration. As Managing Partner of Firefly Inclusion Solutions, he has become a leading expert in adaptive leadership, high-trust cultures, helping organizations leverage diversity for organizational success. Jason’s work spans startups, established businesses, and large corporations, where he has trained and advised over fifteen thousand leaders in forty three countries to create inclusive, purpose-driven organizations through strategic frameworks and leadership transformation
Gay Browne
Greenopia, Founder
Gay Browne is the Founder of Greenopia, a sustainable living app that makes eco-friendly choices easier for busy people. Inspired by her health challenges and passion for sustainability, Gay created Greenopia as a trusted source for verified green businesses and products. The platform focuses on product health, business sustainability, social equity, and community engagement.
OJ Semans Sr.
Coalition of Large Tribes, Executive Director
OJ Semans Sr. is dedicated to improving economic and social conditions for Tribes. He collaborates with the U.S. Congress to create and amend legislation benefiting Tribes in accordance with Treaty rights. OJ also works to remove barriers to equal access in elections at all levels, helping Tribes gain greater visibility with Congressional delegations. By fostering partnerships between Tribes and non-Indian organizations across the country, he strives to enhance living conditions for Tribal communities. OJ operates under the guiding philosophy: “Never do Tribes harm.”
Pat Heffernan, Chair
Founder and President, Marketing Partners, Inc.
Pat established Marketing Partners, Inc in 1992, where she has produced a portfolio of award winning marketing, communications, and media plans for public information campaigns and products. Prior to founding Marketing Partners, Inc., she served as the associate dean at the Vermont Law School. She is a founder and first president of Vermont Businesses for
Susan Inglis – Vice Chair
CEO, Sustainable Furnishings Council
Susan served as founding Executive Director of Sustainable Furnishing Council (SFC) and continues to support the organization. She has worked alongside furniture industry leaders to establish a set of standards for the sustainability of furniture products and manufacturing practices. Susan developed programs to promote and educate the industry and attracted hundreds of companies to join the organization.
Steven P. Salsberg – Treasurer
Chairman, Global Access Group
Steven is the Chairman of Global Access Advisors and serves on the Board of GROWNYC (formerly the Council on the Environment of New York City), where he was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Steven is also an active member of numerous other boards including the Board of Visitors of the CUNY School of Law, The Friends of Hudson River
Kyle Datta
Senior Advisor, Roland Berger
At Ulupono, Kyle is responsible for developing partnerships with stakeholders, policy makers, and community organizations. He also oversees the systems thinking approach for Ulupono, where he supports sustainability by promoting the acquisition of large-scale catalytic changes to improve the quality of life for and self reliance by promoting
Sandra McCardell
President, Current-C Energy Systems, Inc.
Sandra has been active in the sustainability field, furthering a green and inclusive economy through her work as a consultant to businesses and institutions on ways to become more energy effective and as proponent and practitioner of construction using sustainable non-toxic building materials through her company, Current-C Energy Systems, Inc..
Juan Verde
President, Advanced Leadership Foundation (ALF)
Juan is an International expert on strategy, innovation, and sustainability and former co international director of the 2012 Obama campaign. Currently, President of the Advanced
Leadership Foundation, a Washington DC based 501(c)(3) organization devoted to identifying and developing the next generation of social, business, and political leaders.
Eryn Banton
Founder, Color in Green
Eryn Banton is the visionary founder and executive director of
Color in Green, a global education-to-advocacy platform committed
to elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color
in the fight for equitable climate solutions. Inspired by her
experience in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
sector, Eryn launched Color in Green to bridge the gap between
environmental advocacy and the lived experiences of minority
communities.
Kevin Christensen
Strategic Campaign Lead, Oregon New Economy Project
Kevin has decades of experience and expertise working at the intersection of economic, climate and social justice issues with diverse communities across the US. Over his career he has worked for the National AFL-CIO, the California Labor Federation, and the Service Employees International Union. In 2019, he launched a consulting firm, Take Bread Strategies, where he works with a variety of clients organizations including the National Employment Law Center, Climate Justice Alliance, Rutgers University, University of California and many others. In addition to his paid work, he has volunteered with grassroots community groups on a variety of issues in his community. For over a decade, Kevin has advocated and supported economic democracy through worker owned cooperatives and co-founded the Oregon New Economy (ONE) Project to anchor these efforts in his new home state.
Michael H. Shuman
Publisher - Main Street Journal
Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and a leading visionary on community economics. He is an Adjunct Professor at Bard Business School in New York City. He is also a Senior Researcher for Council Fire, where he performs economic-development analyses for states, local governments, and businesses around North America. And he publishes a weekly newsletter on local investment called The Main Street Journal that reaches 8,000 readers.
Frank Knapp, Jr.
President and CEO, South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Frank Knapp is ASBN’s Director of Business for Democracy. He is also president and CEO of the 5000+ member South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, which he co-founded in 2000. Under his leadership his organization has made South Carolina more small business friendly with fair taxation, affordable health insurance, and utility policy favorable to renewable energy.