BOARD OF ADVISORS

Philip Kahn has been a New York City resident for 36 years, during the first 25 of which he worked for and eventually led his family’s textile manufacturing firm.  Prior to his moving to New York, he was graduate student at the University of Washington where he completed a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science.  Since the sale of the business in 2003, he has worked in renewable energy and educated himself about climate change.  In 2013 he became active in Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL, citizensclimatelobby.org) a volunteer group dedicated to putting a national price on carbon pollution; and he completed Al Gore’s presenter training at the Climate Reality Project’s Chicago 2013 meeting. Currently, he is the co-Leader of the New York City Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, hosting monthly chapter meetings at his apartment. In addition to working towards CCL’s primary goal of enacting federal carbon pricing legislation, Philip and other members of CCL in New York State are reaching out to state legislators in the pursuit of statewide action on climate mitigation and carbon pricing.

John Englander is an oceanographer, consultant and leading expert on sea level rise. His broad marine science background, coupled with explorations to Greenland and Antarctica, allows him to see the big picture of sea level rise and its revolutionary impacts. He brings the diverse points of view of an industry scientist, entrepreneur and CEO. For over thirty years, he has been a leader in the private and non-profit sectors, serving as CEO for The International SeaKeepers and The Cousteau Society.

Website: www.johnenglander.net

Joel Stronberg, MA, JD, is a senior executive and attorney with over 35 years of experience in federal and state energy, environmental and sustainability issues. He is the founder and principal of The JBS Group a Washington, DC consulting firm advising and representing public and private sectors clients since 1981. Services provided by the Group include policy analysis and advocacy, strategic planning, draft legislation, written and oral communications, and management and business services to small trade and non-profit organizations in the clean energy and climate fields.

Stronberg is recognized as a thought leader in the fields of climate and clean energy. He has served as a Special Counsel at the US Department of Energy at the Under and Assistant Secretarial levels. Stronberg has lived in Nicaragua and Costa Rica working with business and educational organizations on sustainable agricultural practices, the use of on-site renewable energy sources, e.g., digesters, and policy development.

Stronberg is a featured voice on Resilience.org; a Top Climate Change Writer on Medium.com, and, a highlighted contributor on Energy Central. His writings are linked to Stanford University’s Millennial Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) project.

Joel is also a regular contributor to other energy and environment publications like the Environmental Law Institute’s journal The Environmental Forum. His book, Earth v. Trump: A Failure to Protect, was released in November 2017. The second edition of the work was released in 2020.

Stronberg is currently working with clients in the development and implementation of strategic advocacy, and communications strategies focused on federal appropriations and proposed regulatory actions by the USEPA, e.g., rolling back Obama era climate-related regulations. He regularly reports and analyzes climate-related lawsuits for clients.

Desa Philadelphia is a journalist and communication strategist. She is the head writer/editor for the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She has worked as a journalist for many years, in staff positions at The PBS NewsHour and Time Magazine, as a contributor to CNN, and as a freelance writer, covering politics, culture and entertainment. In her work as a journalist, Desa has covered presidential campaigns, the white house and congress. As Time’s Movie Correspondent, she covered major film releases, movie awards, including the Oscars and Golden Globes, as well as major film festivals. As a communication strategist she has worked for UN Global Pulse, the United Nations’ big data project, and advised several non-profits and startup companies. In addition to her work with Climate Change Resources, she sits on boards or councils for the UCLA Lab School, Downtown Women’s Center, and Los Angeles Metro.

Desa was born and raised in Guyana, South America. She is the author of 111 Shops in Los Angeles That You Must Not Miss—an exploration of the city’s history and personality through the lens of its retail culture. She wrote, directed and edited a documentary short Aliens of Extraordinary Ability, which questions the lack of visa programs for highly-skilled agriculture workers in the United States.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, with honors for English Composition from City College of New York (CUNY); and a Master’s of Public Diplomacy (International Communication Strategy) at the University of Southern California.

As a journalist, Paige has reported extensively about the Middle East and contributed to Marin Magazine, New York Social Diary and the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations. She is the author of “Growing Up Belvedere-Tiburon.” With Christoper Cerf, she is the co-author and illustrator of “Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still,” and the illustrator of “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Jesse Kornbluth. As a painter, she is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery in New York and has been honored by The Guild Hall Academy of the Arts in East Hampton. Peterson is the Director of Marketing at Hadley General Contractors, Inc. and Ambassador for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. She is Author and Artist in Residence at Literacy Partners and a board member of Catmosphere, National Council on U.S. Arab Relations, Safari West Wildlife Foundation and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Vestry. Raised in Belvedere, Ms. Peterson has two adult children and lives in New York City.

PaigeMPeterson.com