By Judith Katz and Amy Elizabeth Johnson
The Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment (CLEE) is excited to announce the addition of five new members to its Advisory Board in 2024. These individuals were chosen after an extensive search and recruitment process based on their alignment with CLEE’s mission and strategic priorities. They all come to CLEE with strong backgrounds in environmental law and policy and a track record of public service contributions.
CLEE Board Nominating Subcommittee Chair Sky Stanfield shared that she is “extremely enthusiastic about this great group of new members who will bring invaluable experience and diverse perspectives to CLEE’s Board. We welcome these exceptional individuals and look forward to working with them to help advance CLEE’s critical work.”
The new members are:
Veronica Eady. Veronica is an adjunct professor at Berkeley Law, concentrating in air quality and environmental justice. Veronica started her commitment to the environment at the US EPA. Since then, she has also contributed to various environmental organizations like the Conservation Law Foundation and the California Air Resources Board. Prior to teaching at Berkeley, Veronica taught at UC Davis School of Law, Vermont Law School, and Stanford Law School. Veronica earned her JD from UC Law San Francisco. She currently serves as the Vice President of Equity and Justice at the Resources Legacy Fund.
Ruth Greenspan Bell. Ruth is a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. As a Berkeley Law alumna, she directed the US Climate Policy Objective at World Resources Institute and the International Institutional Development and Environmental Assistance at Resources for the Future, and held various domestic management positions in the US EPA’s Office of General Counsel. Ruth’s support of CLEE extends far beyond her new advisory commitments; in 2021, she and her husband Joe created three new funds to support Berkeley Law student scholarships and programs.
Sharon Jacobs. Sharon is a tenured professor at Berkeley Law, where she teaches and writes in the areas of energy law, environmental law, and administrative law. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law and has an extensive legal background, including working at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, D.C., focusing on energy and environmental regulation. Before her legal career, she was a professional cellist, holding a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her scholarly work, which considers questions at the intersection of energy and administrative law, is published in top journals such as the Harvard Law Review and the Yale Law Journal.
William Kissinger. Bill is a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP in San Francisco. While completing his JD at Berkeley Law, he served as a notes and comments editor for Ecology Law Quarterly. Bill has extensive and diverse experience in energy and environment policy from his time working on Governor Davis’ energy task force during the California 2000-2001 energy crisis, the White House National Economic Council, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and 30 years in private practice. At Morgan Lewis, Bill’s work involves advising clients on energy transactional and regulatory matters before the CA Independent System Operator, CA Public Utilities Commission, CA Energy Commission, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as well as handling disputes arising out of the purchase and sale of electricity.
Liwen Mah. Liwen is a conservationist at The Nature Conservancy. As a double UC Berkeley alumnus, Liwen holds a Bachelors in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research and a JD. In his time at Berkeley Law, he was an article editor for Ecology Law Quarterly, publishing three articles of his own. While working in intellectual property law at Fenwick & West, Liwen conducted pro bono work in environmental conservation and other areas. In addition to now serving on CLEE’s advisory board, Liwen has served on the board of Justice Outside and is a current Board member of the Berkeley Law Alumni Association.
Honoring CLEE’s Outgoing Board Members
Three longtime Advisory Board members—Megan Jennings, Dave Owen, and Richard Roos Collins—have just completed their full terms, and are transitioning to CLEE’s Emeritus Board. During their tenure, CLEE’s staff quadrupled in size, successfully brought on a new executive director, and saw significant growth in the organization’s project portfolio and budget. “As we welcome our new Advisory Board members,” said Advisory Board co-chair Daniel Yost, “we also want to sincerely thank our outgoing members. Megan, Dave, and Richard, who have all played key roles in CLEE’s growth over the past few years.”
Over the course of her term, Megan Jennings contributed her California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) expertise to CLEE’s groundbreaking work on considerations for the State’s Vehicle Miles Traveled programs, which has since been embraced by the California Air Resources Board. She has also been a pillar of support for CLEE’s student-facing programs, serving on the Host Committee of the Ecology Law Quarterly Banquet since its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2022, and as chair of the Student Programs Subcommittee. She has also been a key member of CLEE’s Nominating Subcommittee, helping catalyze a great inflow of new board members.
As one illustration of his broad range of collaboration with CLEE’s water team, Dave Owen has been focused on improving water rights administration in California. This body of work, which aims to ensure the law is properly applied while paving the way for future improvements, has already made a significant contribution to the field. Thanks in part to Dave, CLEE is influencing thinking, policy, and decision-making on this and other topics. Dave has also helped CLEE secure millions of dollars in research grants and contracts as a co-investigator.
Likewise, Richard Roos Collins has made significant contributions to CLEE over the course of his term. In 2014, before he was a board member, Richard co-organized CLEE’s first major water-related event, a major symposium on the Mono Lake which marked the beginning of a transformative journey. Over the next six years, Richard helped CLEE secure funding from various sources and conduct extensive engagement, on the way to co-authoring a comprehensive report on water rights data in California and a pilot database to track them. This effort ultimately secured $61 million in state funding and expedited project implementation. This achievement stands as one of CLEE’s biggest successes to date due to its clarity, innovation, and the future possibilities it unlocks.
We are excited about the future and look forward to the new perspectives and ideas our incoming Board members will bring to CLEE. By joining a select group of former policymakers, policy experts, and former business and community leaders, they will enhance CLEE’s collective expertise. Their drive and commitment will help CLEE create change at scale, while nurturing the next generation of environmental leaders.