Generation Green Board

Jessica Lee Reece, Board President

Jessica Lee Reece practices family law at Hedgepeth, Heredia, Crumrine and Morrison. She is actively involved in a number of community nonprofits, including the Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Organics, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and WonderRoot. She has authored numerous articles on renewable energy and sustainability topics. Prior to practicing law, Jessica received a degree in Newspaper Journalism from the University of Georgia and worked as editor-in-chief of LOUNGE: Augusta magazine. Jessica is a foodie who suffers from wanderlust and spends much of her free time traveling the globe, hugging trees, listening to live music and seeking out the perfect meal.

MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE

Brent Beatty (Chair)

Brent brings more than 10 years of interactive and social media marketing experience to Generation Green. Brent most recently worked with 360i and Coca-Cola, and he has been actively involved with the American Marketing Association, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Georgia Organics. For fun, Brent enjoys anything outdoors, including trail running, hiking and kayaking.

Jenah Zweig

Jenah currently serves as the policy manager at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. Prior to SEEA, Zweig worked with the City of Atlanta's Mayor's Office of Sustainability. She is a LEED Green Associate, a Presidential Volunteer Service Award honoree, and a certified mediator with advanced training in Georgia. Zweig graduated with honors from the University of Southern California and earned a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she served as editor-in-chief of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law. In her spare time, Zweig enjoys traveling, hanging out by the beach, reading and exploring Atlanta.

Brooke Hatfield

Brooke is the communications assistant at Georgia Organics. Since graduating from the University of Georgia, she's written, designed and edited for outlets like Washington City Paper, Paste Magazine, Creative Loafing Atlanta and Tomorrow Magazine, and will always remember fondly her time spent photographing large vegetables for small rural weeklies. Brook has won awards from the Associations of Alternative Newsmedia, the Georgia Press Association and the Magazine Association of the Southeast, and in 2011 was named Funniest Journalist in D.C. because Wolf Blitzer's limericks are terrible. Reading outdoors is one of her favorite things.

Jonathan Weidman

A native of Windsor, VT, Jonathan moved to Atlanta more than five years ago to attend Georgia Tech where he received his B.S. in Building Construction. Jon has been working on the Atlanta Streetcar project for the past 1.5 years and is a big transit nerd who likes to ride a bike anywhere he can’t take the train/bus. Jon enjoys skiing, the outdoors and traveling to cities with big transit/bike networks.

ADVENTURE & SERVICE COMMITTEE

Matt Elder (Chair)

Matt graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in economics and currently serves as a team lead at Primary Capital Advisors. He is also a passionate conservationist and an avid backpacker and skier who loves to travel the world for an amazing adventure. Elder is currently teaching himself how to play the banjo and ride a unicycle.

Jon works as the sustainability manager for URS, an engineering design services firm, where he advises public and private sector clients on sustainability. He also enjoys spending time hiking and walking with his wife and dog, bird watching, gardening, neighborhood clean-ups and anything else that gets him outside.

David Gaynoe

David works as a Finance Manager at Cox Enterprises Inc. Prior to joining Cox, he worked as an external auditor for Ernst & Young, providing assurance services for manufacturing, energy, and not for profit clients. David also served honorably in the US Marine Corps. When he is not working, David can be found hiking, trail running or training for Ironman distance triathlons.

Nell Fry

Nell currently works as an Energy Analyst for Sodexo where she is responsible for the creation of front-line employee and community training programs to ensure that those working, living and learning in their clients’ facilities are aware of their impact and operate within the building with the highest efficiency. During her time as Sustainability Coordinator for Georgia Tech Dining Services, Sodexo, Nell was charged with making the GT Campus Dining Program one of the most sustainable in the country. She also works to educate the campus about sustainable food through farmers’ markets, educational events and working with students.

SOCIAL COMMITTEE

Aliste Harris (Chair)

Aliste is an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. Prior to joining SELC, Aliste worked with the Tort Litigation and Environmental Practice Group at King & Spalding and served as a law clerk at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in Washington, D.C., where her primary focus was the development of environmental policies and initiatives as well as the interplay between the environment and public health. When she is not working, Aliste enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Carly Queen

Carly is a server at Local Three Kitchen and Bar, as well as a volunteer with the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Carly previously worked as the residential energy efficiency project coordinator for ICF International, supporting growth of Georgia Power's EarthCents Home Energy Improvement Program. Before joining ICF, Carly was the Southeast campus field coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program. While earning her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, Carly founded and served as president for Students Organizing for Sustainability (SOS), which was honored with Georgia Tech’s Environmental Leadership Award during her tenure. Outside of her professional pursuits, Carly enjoys cooking, gardening, traveling, music, photography, outdoor recreation and spending time with her loved ones.

John Haslam

John is a financial advisor with Palmetto Financial Group, which he started in 2006. Outside of work Haslam enjoys being outdoors in South Georgia and the Low Country with his wife and two daughters.

Joe Thomas

Joe is a native of Atlanta and a life-long resident of Georgia. He is a Development Intern with the Georgia Conservancy, as well as holding a fellowship through Outdoor Nation. Joe is studying English and Professional Communications at Southern Polytechnic State University, with an end goal of working in non-profit management or environmental public policy. When not working or in class, Joe spends his time following Atlanta and UGA sports, cooking, hiking, talking about public transportation in Atlanta, and playing with Winter, his black lab.

Neela Ram

Neela has worked for several environmental organizations in the Atlanta area. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2000 from Emory University and recently completed dual master’s degrees at Georgia Tech in public policy as well as city and regional planning with an emphasis on environmental planning and urban policy. Ram enjoys volunteering with Trees Atlanta and spending time with her husband Brian and two dogs, Cookie Monster and Banjo.

Samantha Sayer

Since moving to Atlanta in 2007, Sam has been extremely active in the local green community, with a focus on sustainability, conservation, energy and transportation issues. She has more than 10 years of experience in marketing, promotions and event planning, having worked with clients in the music, retail and credit industries. Sam currently heads up the non-profit Imagine Atlanta and also serves on the Board of the Georgia Solar Energy Association.