Toby Thaler, Director of Legal and Policy Contact: toby@mfpp.org
Todd Crossett, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Engagement and Leadership Training Contact: todd@mfpp.org
William Paddock, Director of Sustainable Practices and Education  Contact: Will@mfpp.org
Nancy Gilliam, Executive Director  Contact: ngilliam@mfpp.org
Gwen Griffith, Director of Watershed Integrity Contact: ggriffith@mfpp.org

 

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Toby Thaler, Director of Legal and Policy

Key Expertise:

1. Scientific Literature and Archival Research and Synthesis
2. Legislation and Regulation Research, Analysis and Drafting
3. Alternative Solution Development and Scenario Projection
4. Project Management and Oversight

Education:

BA: English and Political Science, Columbia College, New York City
JD: University of Washington School of Law, Seattle
CLE: Minimum 15 hours/year continuing legal education, natural resources policy and law

Background:

Toby has over thirty years experience in forestry and related natural resource management issues in the Northwest. He has worked for a broad range of clients-Tribes, public interest groups, local governments-to promote sustainable resource management policies, including forest practices and forest land conservation, shoreline and water resource management, and fish and wildlife conservation.
Starting his career as an attorney for Tribal governments, Toby was on the leading edge applying rapidly developing scientific work in the late 1970s and early 1980s indicating the nature and extent of the adverse impacts old-style forest practices have on fisheries and water resources. He joined the board of the Washington Environmental Council to press for changes in Washington State law and policy to establish instream flows and improve forest practices on state and private land.
In the early 1990s, Toby became WEC's first legal program director, managing numerous cases and volunteer counsel. During the same period, he was the lead negotiator for the conservation caucus at the Timber Fish Wildlife negotiations. In that role, he helped establish the framework for a robust adaptive management process that was incorporated into a major overhaul of the forest practices rules that were adopted in 2003. The new rules, including the adaptive management provisions, were the basis for federal approval of the largest forest land habitat conservation plan (HCP). In 1998, Toby became staff attorney at the Washington Forest Law Center to help ensure that Washington's new rules and HCP would be properly reviewed and implemented. Actions he took while at WFLC resulted in significant changes in implementation of watershed analyses, and in the state's forest practices rules.
Since 2006, Toby has been a private consultant and counsel. He worked on significant state trust forest land cases on behalf of local governments concerned about their water supply, and public interest groups advocating for sustainable forestry and conservation of regionally significant recreation and wildlife resources. Through MFPP he provided policy analysis to support the first major update of the Bonner County, Idaho zoning code in thirty years; among other provisions, shoreline forest buffers were added.
In his spare time, Toby advocates for sustainability and quality of life in his neighborhood and the City of Seattle.

Key Affiliations:

Environment and Land Use Section, Washington State Bar
Conservation Caucus to Forests and Fish
Olympic Forest Coalition Board

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Todd Crossett, Director of Strategic Planning, Community Engagement and Leadership Training

Key Expertise:

1. Facilitation, team building and consensus building, specializing in diverse and cross cultural groups.
2. Government and community relations
3. Strategic planning, transition and business planning
4. Organizational and Leadership development
5. Project management and oversight
6. Legislative and business advocacy in the fields of land-use planning, water resources, sustainable practices, climate change mitigation, and health care

Education:

BA: English Pre-law/Business, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Master of International Management and Development, Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
Russian Language, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Background:

Todd has over 15 years experience in government relations, strategic planning, facilitation, organizational development, project management and advocacy for sustainable practices.  He specializes in working with diverse cultures and viewpoints to build consensus, form high-functioning teams and realize shared vision.
Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Todd set up and served as executive director of a US Dept. of Commerce trade development program on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. He then spent 11 years as managing partner of an international consulting firm working with international companies, NGOs and the US and Russian governments to identify strategic solutions, build cross cultural teams and manage major projects never before attempted in the former Soviet Union. During this time, Todd set up and led the first-ever round table on health care in the Russian Far East and was invited by ExxonMobil to participate on a strategy development team to recommend new healthcare policy in the Russian Far East.
Bringing his skills back to his home in North Idaho, Todd served for two years as a County Commissioner. During his tenure, he set up and facilitated a diverse citizen working group to build consensus toward and pass the first land use code and zoning updates in 30 years. These codes introduced provisions to sustain watersheds, waterways, forests, habitat, wildlife corridors, agriculture lands and the local economy. Groundbreaking in conservative North Idaho, passage of this new legislation represented a significant paradigm shift. He also led and facilitated development of the County's first comprehensive strategic plan for sustainable mitigation of aquatic invasive species.

Affiliations:

Pend Oreille Water Keeper Board
Tri State Water Quality Council Board, Lake Committee Member
Panhandle Lakes RC&D, Board
Bonner Partners in Care, Board
Sandpoint Transitions Initiative
Mankind Project International
Idaho/Washington interstate mayors' working group on water resource planning for the Inland Northwest
Gore Chernomyrdin US West Coast Russian Far East Ad Hoc Working Group

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William Paddock, Director of Sustainable Practices and Education

Key Expertise:

1. Environmental Issue Identification
2. Improving Sustainable Practices in organizations
3. Facilitation and consensus building between diverse interest groups
4. Public Relations and Government Affairs
5. Grassroots Community Organization
6. Social Media and Communication Strategies
7. Corporate and Government Communication Strategies

Education:

BS: Environmental Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
Master in Business Administration, the Institute for Sustainable Practice at Lipscomb University, Nashville TN
Certified Sustainability Professional, the Institute for Sustainable Practice

Background:

Working with the Model Forest Policy Program, William serves as the Director of Sustainable Practices. William began his work with MFPP as the Project Director for the Community Stewardship Project, a joint effort of the City of Cookeville and Putnam County. The Community Stewardship Project is composed of 15 community leaders that meet bi-weekly to explore forest, water and climate issues and their effects on the Highlands area of the Upper Cumberland. In addition to organizing and facilitating the activities of the Community Stewardship Project, William creates educational programs for members of the Cookeville community. These educational programs aim to educate local residents on water, forest and climate issues that impact the quality of life in the Highlands region. William is also an active communicator, engaging local residents on water, forest and climate issues through media outreach, social networking, and public forums.

William brings to the MFPP team over ten years of environmental affairs experience. Over the last decade, William has worked with a variety of organizations on sustainability issues including The Kroger Company, Smart Data Strategies, The United States Air Force, University of Alabama, M&M Mars, Environmental Solutions and Innovations, Custom Packaging, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In October of 2008, William worked with Al Gore's, the Climate Project, helping in the training of 132 faith-based leaders.

In addition to leading the Community Stewardship Project, William serves as the Director of WAP Sustainability, a boutique-consulting firm helping businesses and organizations generate competitive advantages by implementing sustainable strategies.

Affiliations:

Net Impact, Nashville Professional Chapter
Friends for GIS
Nashville Clean Water Project, Board of Advisors
Tennessee Green Business and Living Summit
Wal-Mart Land, Air and Water Sustainable Value Network
Tennessee Department of Forestry Carbon Sequestration Advisory Committee

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Nancy Gilliam, Executive Director

Key Expertise:

1. Group Facilitation and Training
2. Applying Climate Trends and Analysis for Local Government
3. Sustainable Forestry for Landowners
4. Capacity Building for Organizations

Education:

BA Psychology, Salem College, Winston-Salem, NC
Masters in Education, Counseling, Citadel, Charleston, SC
Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, Union Institute, Cincinnati, OH

Background:

As founder and director of the Model Forest Policy Program, Nancy guides the overall direction of the group. Steeped in forest policy guidance, its application to water resources, she leads programmatic development, creates the expert advisory group, and is the primary spokesperson.  Since 2000, she has worked to bring sound sustainable practices to the southeastern states, helping citizens and NGOs develop ecologically sound forest policy for their states. Her work also includes locating the best scientists, attorneys, economists in the country to develop model forest policy. In 2007, she was privileged to be trained by Al Gore in climate science, and works now nationally to integrated sound forestry as a primary global warming adaptation strategy. Prior to developing MFPP, she was in private practice, worked for Outward Bound, and provided Organizational Development training for national corporations and university faculty. She lives in northern Idaho with her "significant other" and hikes the backcountry whenever she can!
 

Affiliations:
 

Founder and Advisory Committee for ClimateCAN, Sandpoint, Idaho
Founding member, Virginia Forest Watch
Sandpoint Transition Initiative
Dogwood Alliance former Advisor
Founding member Patrick Environmental Awareness League, Patrick County, Virginia
Licensed Professional Counselor, Virginia

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Gwen Griffith, Director of Watershed Integrity

Key Expertise:

1. Watershed Protection
2. Sustainable Building Practices and Water Efficiency
3. Principles of Smart Growth and Low Impact Development
4. Watershed Stakeholder Outreach
5. Sustainability Funding Sources

Education:

DVM, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, AL
MS, Texas A&M University, College of Veterinary Medicine, College Station, TX
Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Center for Nonprofit Management, Nashville, TN
Certificate in Nonprofit Development, Center for Nonprofit Management, Nashville, TN

Background:

Gwen is a veterinarian turned conservationist who focuses her work on sustaining healthy ecosystems for people, animals and nature at the watershed scale. As a program director in sustainable building and low impact development for the Cumberland River Compact, Gwen brings the watershed perspective to the work of climate change mitigation and adaptation. She takes the continuum of care approach from land use planning to smart growth to green building to low impact landscaping to efficient site management. She provides in-depth education on the energy, water, climate connection with an emphasis on water efficiency and source water protection. She has administered large federal grants and managed multiple award winning sustainable building demonstration projects in partnership with private developers and municipal governments. She's overseen the integration of green infrastructure, stream restorations, and green building with overall watershed planning and municipal planning efforts. She works in partnership with other Compact programs that focus on education of local officials, watershed stakeholder outreach, and hands-on volunteer stream restoration projects. Gwen is also a volunteer presenter for The Climate Project where she focuses on educating health professionals about the impacts of climate change on health and solutions the health sector can offer to communities by example and through public education.

Key Affiliations:

Program Director, Building Outside the Box, Cumberland River Compact, Nashville, TN
Co-Found and Director, Alliance of Veterinarians for the Environment
Middle Tennessee District Manager and Volunteer Presenter, The Climate Project.

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