Moderator: Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, Aspen Journalism

Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is a freelance journalist based in Snowmass Village. She grew up in Aspen and has worked as an editor at Aspen Journalism, reporter at Aspen Public Radio and an English and journalism teacher at Aspen High School.

Catherine Coleman Flowers – Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice

Catherine Coleman Flowers is an internationally recognized environmental activist, MacArthur “genius” grant recipient and author. She has dedicated her life’s work to advocating for environmental justice, primarily equal access to clean water and functional sanitation for communities across the United States. Founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (CREEJ), Flowers has spent her career promoting equal access to clean water, air, sanitation and soil to reduce health and economic disparities in marginalized, rural communities. Flowers sits on the Board of Directors for the Climate Reality Project, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Geophysical Union, as well as serving as a Practitioner in Residence position at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. In 2021, her leadership and fervor in fighting for solutions to these issues led her to one of her most notable appointments yet — Vice Chair of the Biden Administration’s inaugural White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. In 2023, she was recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the world and was featured on Forbes’ 50 Over 50 list. As the author of Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret, Flowers shares her inspiring story of advocacy, from childhood to environmental justice champion. In the book, she discusses sanitation and its correlation with systemic class, racial, and geographic prejudice that affects people across the United States. She and her work have been profiled by CBS’s 60 Minutes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, PBS Newshour and more. 

Leia Guccione, Managing Director of Electricity, RMI

Leia Guccione is the Managing Director of RMI’s US Program where she leads RMI’s research and collaboration efforts to create an ambitious, unified, inclusive, and durable US clean energy and climate movement. Her work, and that of the team she leads, combines direct engagement with energy leaders at the federal, regional, state, city, and sub-national levels with cutting-edge research and analysis, and leading communications and collaboration support.

Prior to leading the US Program, Leia served as the Managing Director of RMI’s Carbon-Free Electricity Program. While at RMI, Leia has supported multiple engagements with utilities and corporate partners. Her work has focused on improving innovation programs and helping organizations to set and execute ambitious strategies for decarbonization and the energy transition. Leia also contributed to the growth of RMI’s Electricity Innovation Lab (e-Lab), a unique ongoing collaboration of leading electricity industry actors to develop, implement, and spread new solutions. She specifically led the design and development of eLab’s annual Accelerator and Summit programs. She has also led engagements with corporations and cities to support them in their procurement and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and advanced energy solutions such as microgrids. She is currently focused on the opportunity to reform and bring innovation to conventional policy and regulatory paradigms to support equitable and inclusive deep decarbonization in the U.S. and globally.

Before joining RMI, Leia served in the US Navy as a nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer and continues to serve in the US Navy Reserves as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer. She graduated from Iowa State University with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Political Science and has a Master of Science in

Sustainable Development from the University of London. She is a Professional Engineer, licensed in the State of Colorado.

Bryan Hannegan, President and CEO, Holy Cross Energy

Bryan Hannegan is President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy, a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative utility providing electricity and energy products and services to more than 42,000 customers in Western Colorado. Prior to joining Holy Cross in July 2017, Bryan was an Associate Laboratory Director at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he co-founded the US Department of Energy’s Grid Modernization Initiative and started up the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), a unique “distribution grid in a box” enabling utilities, entrepreneurs and consumers to work together on cleaner, more affordable and more reliable energy systems. Earlier in his career, Bryan held senior leadership roles at the Electric Power Research Institute, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Link to bio 

Chris Lane – Executive Director, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Chris Lane is CEO of Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), a 52-year-old nonprofit environmental organization. At ACES since 2012, Lane has led a staff of 45 employees who work with partner organizations, schools, government agencies, and other key decision-makers to tackle regional environmental issues around ecological literacy, forest health, regenerative agriculture, land restoration, and climate change to advance conservation and education outcomes.

Lane also has 30 years of executive environmental management and corporate sustainability experience across varying sectors. Prior to ACES, Lane was vice president of sustainability for Xanterra Travel Collection, the country’s largest national park and resort management company where he pioneered the development of environmental management systems in national parks and resorts around the world.

Earlier in his career, Lane served as director of environmental affairs at Aspen Skiing Company, the first such position in the industry. He has consulted with large corporations throughout his career. He has served as an elected official and on the Colorado Governor’s Pollution Prevention Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering and is a LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Environmental Systems Manager. He lives in Basalt with his wife and two kids.

An avid outdoorsman and life-long birder, Lane is always seeking out new places to get a glimpse of another bird to add to his life list.