Biographies

	Biographies

	Andrew Keenan Partner Andrew knows the important role public relations takes in building awareness for climate change. He also understands that businesses play a huge leadership role in driving carbon reductions. With over twenty years experience in advertising, Andrew has worked for agencies such as JWT, Chiat/Day, DDB Needham and Leo Burnett. Andrew earned his Executive MBA from Georgia State and completed his under graduate degree at the University of Michigan. He is a founding board member of Live Thrive and the Georgia Sustainable Business Coalition and also serves as Vice President on the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center board of directors. As Chief Marketing Officer, it is Andrew's responsibility to stay on top of the latest advances in all things that reduce environmental impact and make sure Verus clients stand out as leaders in the fight to end climate change. 404.379.9484 email
	Bethanie Maples Director of Business Development Bethanie joins Verus with experience in delivering best-in-class solutions to companies internationally, as well as project management and financial services expertise. Starting her career in New Zealand, she delivered business development, technology and IP portfolio analysis as an Associate for EverEdgeIP, a New Zealand Intellectual Property consulting company. Other roles include strategic marketing with INRO, a robotics technology provider, business development for Axi Web Solutions, a .NET based services firm, and President of the AUSA, a national representative body. Prior to joining Verus Carbon Neutral, Bethanie led marketing for NPI Financial, an Atlanta-based financial services firm. As Director of Business Development, Bethanie is dedicated to helping clients achieve their energy sustainability goals as well as deliver near-term ROI. Bethanie holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Mandarin, both from the University of Auckland.
	Dr. Bert Bras Technical Advisor Dr. Bert Bras is a Professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. He came to Georgia Tech in 1992 and started working on incorporating environmental issues into mechanical engineering. His research focus is on sustainable design and manufacturing, including design for recycling and remanufacture, bio-inspired design, and life-cycle analysis. His primary research question is how to reduce the environmental impact of companies while increasing their competitiveness, i.e., how to promote sustainable development from a triple bottom line perspective. For his research, he has collaborated and received funding and donations from institutions such as the National Science Foundation, the Georgia Research Alliance, Army Environmental Policy Institute, AT&T, Motorola, Chrysler, Lucent, Interface Flooring Systems, and Ford Motor Company, among others. He has authored and co-authored over 140 publications in his research area. He has developed and taught undergraduate courses related to Environmentally Conscious Design & Manufacturing since 1993. He is also a member of the Systems Realization Laboratory. In 1999-2000, he was part of a group of experts charged by the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy through the WTEC - World Technology Evaluation Center with evaluating the state-of-the-art in environmentally benign manufacturing. He visited companies, universities, and governmental institutions in Europe, Japan and the US. In 2000, he co-authored with a former student Jan Emblemsvag a book titled “Integrated Activity-Based Cost and Environmental Management - A Different Approach to ISO 14000 Compliance”, published by Kluwer Academic Press. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for Sustainable Technology and Development. He has provided consulting services for the Chrysler Corporation, United Technologies Corporation, LG Electronics, and BFGoodrich. Dr. Bras was named the 1996 Engineer of the Year in Education by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers, received a NSF Young Faculty Career Award in 1996, a Society of Automotive Engineers’ Ralph R. Teetor Award in 1999, and the 2007 Georgia Tech Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award. A native of The Netherlands, Dr. Bras obtained his Master of Science (“Ingenieur”) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Twente, The Netherlands, in August 1987. After completion of his M.S. thesis he was hired as a full time research associate at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands’ (MARIN) Design Research department. He was sponsored by MARIN to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Operations Research from the University of Houston. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in May 1992, he received a Post-Doctoral grant from the Institute of Space Systems and Operations at the University of Houston.
	Bob Benson Consultant Bob spent 37 years with Owens Corning in several capacities: Industrial Engineering Manager, Production Planning Manager and Project Manager with sole responsibility for packaging design in the Insulation Division. Achieved several awards, patents, etc. along the way but most significant achievement that has a direct bearing on the understanding of data as it relates to the environment was the certification as a Black Belt in Six Sigma. All new package design and modification considered the impact on the environment (i.e. manufacturing process, recycled content, recyclable, re-use, source reduction, source elimination, etc.). Bob has a deep understanding and close relationships with a diverse group of industries including packaging and material converters and suppliers, equipment designers and suppliers, insulation contractors, printers, transportation industry, retail (big boxes, hardware, lumberyards, etc.). Bob graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1970.
	Tim Baxter Green Building Liaison Tim is a business attorney. Tim has represented small businesses for over sixteen years. More recently, Tim has been advising green building trades whose missions support sustainability. He holds juris doctor and masters degrees from Duke University, and completed his undergraduate education at the University of Rochester. Tim has a passion for helping green businesses realize their potential through the strategic use of CO2-reducing offset projects.