Robert Frisbee
CEO
Robert is a public and private sector executive experienced in building organizations, generating capital for growth, and building resources to accomplish vision. He has been centrally involved in four startup communications companies that grew to between $60 and $150 million in revenues during his tenure. His roles included CEO, COO and VP. His focus includes building successful partnerships, opening new markets, and developing products to meet customer needs.
Robert’s familiarity with procurement requirements includes managing GSA schedules and working with the US Department of Defense on standards-setting technologies. He comes to EPEAT after working as Development Director at the Oregon Sustainability Center, a public-private effort to design and build the country’s first high rise meeting the Living Building Challenge triple net zero goal.
Robert has a BS and MPA from Harvard University.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or RFrisbee@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Jeff Omelchuck
Executive Director of Registry Services
Jeff is responsible for overall management of the EPEAT registry, maintaining credibility of the registry through verification, and overseeing relationships with certification bodies around the world. Jeff organized the Green Electronics Council in 2005, and became the founding executive director of EPEAT in 2006 after a broad group of stakeholders selected GEC to manage the EPEAT system.
Previously, Jeff was the Managing Principal of a consultancy focused on helping companies develop effective management systems and achieve registration to ISO 9000 and ISO 14000. In this role Jeff worked with dozens of electronics and other companies to improve their environmental performance. Jeff started his career as an engineer in the computer industry in the Silicon Valley and held a variety of product development and manufacturing management roles where he often evaluated component and materials suppliers globally.
Jeff grew up in Montana and received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Montana State. He later received an MS in Management Systems Engineering from Stanford University on an executive fellowship in the Honors Co-op Program.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or JOmelchuck@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Wayne Rifer
Director of Standards
Wayne manages EPEAT’s technical product verification process and also is EPEAT’s primary liaison to the IEEE committees that develop and revise the IEEE 1680 series of standards on which EPEAT is based and is a co-chair of the IEEE Environmental Assessment Sub-Committee (EASC). Wayne is EPEAT’s primary liaison to the IEEE committees that develop and revise the IEEE 1680 series of standards on which EPEAT is based, and is a co-chair of the IEEE Environmental Assessment Standards Sub-Committee (EASC).
Wayne initiated and, as a contractor to the Zero Waste Alliance, co-managed the stakeholder process to develop EPEAT that resulted in the development and publication of IEEE 1680. Prior to that he participated as a negotiator in the National Electronic Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI), a project to design a system for recycling discarded electronic products in the US.. Prior to joining GEC, he managed a consulting practice and has worked with municipalities and other waste system operators globally to develop effective solid waste policies.
Wayne continues to undertake research and leadership activity in electronics and the environment. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER) and teaches graduate-level classes on Product Design and Stewardship in the Portland State University School of Business. Wayne has a BS from Amherst College and a MS from Harvard.
Contact at 503-644-0294 or WRifer@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Sarah O’Brien
Director of Stakeholder Engagement
Sarah educates purchasers about using EPEAT to reduce their organizations’ environmental impact, and collaborates with all stakeholders and staff to expand EPEAT’s reach.
Sarah participated as an expert on environmentally preferable purchasing on the original stakeholder Development Team that created EPEAT, and joined the EPEAT staff in 2007. Previously, with H2E/Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, she assisted health care organizations across North America to improve environmental performance through purchasing initiatives that affected billions of dollars of procurement each year. Earlier, as Senior Outreach Associate with the national nonprofit INFORM, she assisted state, local and federal government, education and enterprise purchasers to reduce purchase of products containing persistent toxic substances. As an environmental health advocate for the National Wildlife Federation and Vermont Public Interest Research Group, she was involved in legislative advocacy and public education efforts throughout the Northeast United States, with a specific focus on mercury reduction measures.
Sarah is an honors graduate of Yale University, with an MA in Anthropology from Temple University, and has served as a Board member of the US National Pollution Prevention Roundtable.
Contact at 802-479-0317 or SObrien@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Scott Davis
Director of Finance and Operations
Scott oversees the functions that support EPEAT’s program work including finance and accounting, HR, IT, contracts and compliance. He has extensive experience gained from a 25+ year career in the private sector.
Scott co-owned and operated PhotoCraft, a digital and photographic printer, where he served as President/CEO. Clients included major sportswear manufacturers, retailers, exhibit builders and others using photographic images in point-of-purchase and interpretive displays. During Scott’s tenure PhotoCraft experienced periods of rapid growth and transitioned from a darkroom operation to digital printer. After selling the business, Scott managed it for subsequent owners until he left to work in the nonprofit sector. Before joining EPEAT, Scott served as Accounting Supervisor at Volunteers of America Oregon, a social service nonprofit in Portland. Scott is a CPA.
Scott is a lifelong Oregonian. He and his wife Arden have two daughters and a son. He has a BS in Accounting and Masters of Taxation from Portland State University.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or SDavis@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Pamela Brody-Heine
Director, Standards Development Projects
Pamela is EPEAT’s lead for designing and managing standard development processes and special projects. As Principal of Eco Stewardship Strategies, Pamela was the project manager for the EPEAT Standards Development Roadmap, a national stakeholder process that developed recommendations for sequencing development of new product standards. Most recently, as co-chair of the IEEE 1680.2 Working Group Pamela also managed and facilitated the multi-stakeholder process for the electronic imaging equipment standard (IEEE 1680.2) and assisted in development of the parallel IEEE 1680.3 standard for televisions. Previously, Pamela managed and facilitated the development of the ground-breaking Outdoor Industry Association and European Outdoor Group Eco Index Green Standard and facilitated the multi-stakeholder process for the Council for Responsible Sport to revise and expand their sustainability standard for certifying sporting events.
Pamela received her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado and is a Registered Professional Engineer (Civil and Environmental).
Contact at 541-633-7254 or PBrodyHeine@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Jonas Allen
Director of Marketing
Jonas creates and directs EPEAT’s marketing programs to reach business, purchaser and consumer audiences. His role includes collaborating with multiple stakeholders to develop communications programs that demonstrate the integrity, utility and relevance of the EPEAT registries and rating system.
Jonas has more than 12 years of marketing and PR experience with regional and global technology companies. He worked most recently as worldwide marketing manager with Merchandising Technologies, Inc. (MTI). At MTI, Jonas led marketing initiatives resulting in business with international retailers and some of the world’s most recognized consumer electronics manufacturers. At Cricket Wireless, he managed the marketing activities of more than 100 Cricket Wireless stores in the Pacific Northwest and developed the company’s nationwide model for marketing its Lifeline program to low-income adults.
A lifelong Oregonian, Jonas began his career as a journalist after graduating summa cum laude from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. He currently lives in Portland with his wife and two children.
Contact Jonas at 503-279-9383 or jallen@greenelectronicscouncil.org.
Miansheng Wang, MBA
Executive Director of Greater China
Miansheng Wang has extensive experience working in the private and nonprofit sectors, building partnerships and mutually beneficial investment collaborations between U. S. and Chinese businesses, governmental, and non-government organizations. Miansheng has set up and managed the financial and internal control systems of joint ventures between the US and China in his roles as the Joint-Venture Liaison for China Operations, Ford Motor Company. Miansheng also manages the China US Center for Sustainable Development, an environmentally friendly non-profit initiative between US business sectors working with the Chinese ministries, universities and big state owned enterprises. In that capacity, Miansheng has coordinated and facilitated EPEAT development and growth in China with other key staffs since 2007.
Before coming to the United States to earn his MBA, Miansheng was the Deputy Secretary General of the All China Youth Federation. He was also the Executive Vice President of CYTS Corporation.
Miansheng received his M.B.A., with an emphasis on Corporate Finance, from Brigham Young University in Utah and a BA from Heilongjiang University, China.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or miansheng.wang@greenelectronicscouncil.org.
Erin Gately
Manager, Registry Services
As Registry Services Manager, Erin Gately manages EPEAT’s Quality Assurance programs, including the execution of EPEAT’s regular Verification Investigations, carried out by independent contractors. Erin also provides direct assistance to manufacturer Subscribers to ensure they understand the conformity requirements for product declarations, and participates in content development for EPEAT’s training programs.
Erin comes to EPEAT from Hewlett-Packard, where she worked over 19 years in a variety of roles, most recently as Worldwide Product Stewardship Manager in the Personal Systems Group. Her job functions included assuring Hewlett-Packard products’ conformance with environmental product requirements and certifications. She is familiar with the efforts required to comply with complex environmental specifications, and aware of the challenges manufacturers encounter in managing electronics supply chains that span the globe.
Erin has a MBA from Bainbridge Graduate Institute with a focus on Sustainable Business. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineer from the University of Miami. She is currently working in the Certificate Program in the Essentials of Green Chemistry through UC Berkeley Extension. Erin has been profiled by Sierra Club Magazine and by WGBH Boston as a sustainability leader.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or erin.gately@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Susan Herbert
Manager, Conformity Assurance
Susan joined EPEAT in January 2013 to help ensure the credibility and accuracy of EPEAT’s product registries. In her role, she develops verification processes, manages third-party auditors, provides technical support to participating companies and contributes to the ongoing improvement of EPEAT’s conformity assessment systems.
Susan has more than 20 years of experience designing and implementing conformity assurance programs, performing lifecycle-based investigations, developing environmental leadership standards and overseeing large multi-stakeholder consensus processes. She is a recognized expert in environmental standards development, independent verification processes and sustainability positioning. Most recently with TerraChoice / UL Environment, Susan spearheaded the development, implementation and launch of a new validation-services subsidiary and ensured the organization’s consulting services had the scientific rigor and responsiveness depended on by purchasers, stakeholders and the public.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from Purdue University, School of Mechanical Engineering, and undertook postgraduate studies in mechanical and biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto. She spends her time in both Ottawa, Ontario and Portland, Oregon.
Contact Susan at 503-279-9383 or SHerbert@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Andrea Desimone
Program Support Specialist
As EPEAT’s Program Support Specialist, Andrea assists both the Director of Outreach and Communications and the Director of Standards and Training.
Andrea joins EPEAT with eight years of communications, marketing and training development experience. Most recently, Andrea worked in communications for the Puget Sound Educational Service District. Previous to that, she managed marketing, training programs and was a technology instructor in the real estate industry.
Andrea received her BA in Business Marketing from Western Washington University in 2003.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or ADesimone@greenelectronicscouncil.org
Julia Bulfin
Executive Assistant
As EPEAT’s Executive Assistant, Julia assists the Director of Finance and Operations in ensuring effective operational support for the overall management of the organization.
Before joining EPEAT, Julia worked in administration at Mt. Hood Community College and the City of Fairview, Oregon. Julia received her BA in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Oregon in 2002.
Contact at 503-279-9383 or JBulfin@greenelectronicscouncil.org