Morning Workshops

The Pinnacle Model: How to move your organization and improve performance in 24 hours

At Pinnacle we believe strong leaders make stronger communities. Great leaders always start with what matters most: clear goals, hot issues with your top people, and aligned teams. If you aren’t focused there, you’re in the weeds and wasting time.

In this session, we’ll introduce GRPI, one of the most powerful tools for planning and assessment. You’ll learn about effective goal setting and the importance of clarity, focus and commitment in your organization. See how the key values of emotional maturity, risk taking, and open & honest communication can transform your team. 

Pinnacle is the top resource in New England for nonprofit leadership and team development. Since 1993, we’ve built up a record of proven results with leaders from 70 countries and over 100 teams.

Presenter: Danielle Giannone
Senior Vice President of Pinnacle Leadership & Team Development

An expert in leadership, team development and coaching, Danielle has spent the last 14 years transforming the performance of many organizations and helping leaders, teams and individuals reach their full potential. She has advised leaders at all levels of an organization and worked with teams on six continents. A skilled facilitator and trainer, Danielle pushes leaders to see the biggest obstacles that stand in their way, dig into the hot issues that hold them back and find the courage to lead effectively.

State Led Clean Energy Policy

In the absence of major federal climate legislation, it has fallen to states to drive the clean energy transition in the US. This presentation will be a survey of the landscape of state-level policies that are driving us towards a clean energy economy. Where is New Hampshire in comparison to states that are leading nationwide, and what will the next generation of innovative policy solutions be?

Presenter: Sam Evans-Brown
Executive Director, Clean Energy NH

Sam leads Clean Energy New Hampshire in its effort to create a cleaner, more affordable, and more resilient energy system in the Granite State. Prior to joining Clean Energy New Hampshire, he was an award-winning podcast host and radio journalist for nearly ten years, during which he wrote stories about New England energy issues and hosted NHPR’s Outside/In. He’s an excellent bike mechanic, a Spanish speaker, and a father of two.

Trees are Always the Answer: Reflections from Forester Pioneers

Jane Difley and Susanne Kibler Hacker are colleagues, friends, and foresters.  Alnoba’s Martha Prybylo will facilitate a conversation with two pioneering women. Jane decided to get her forestry degree on the very first Earth Day wanting something practical. She would go on to become the first women President/Forester of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and first women to lead the Society of American Foresters. Susanne used her forestry experience to become an expert in land use planning and then parlayed it to raise funds and engage support for the Forest Society and other community organizations.  Join us for a lively, interactive chat with these two extraordinary women.

Presenter: Jane Difley
Former President, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

For 22 years, Jane served as the president/forester of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, one of the country’s most effective land conservation organizations. Under her leadership, 85 new Forest Society reservations and 404 easements were in put in place to protect over 100,000 acres of land. The Forest Society also led the charge to defeat the highly controversial Northern Pass project during Jane’s tenure. Additionally she broke ground by serving as the first woman elected president of the Society of American Foresters.

Presenter: Susanne Kibler Hacker
Philanthropy Advisor, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Susanne Kibler-Hacker came to the Forest Society in 1999 as Vice President for Development and served in this role until 2019 when she moved into her current position. Susanne designed and implemented the Forest Society’s Centennial Campaign which raised $31 million in capital, endowment and project funds. Previously she served as The Director for Institutional Advancement, Director of Cooperative Education, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Land Use Planning for Unity College in Maine and work as project manager for consulting firms doing land use planning projects nationwide.

People, Planet Profit

Fiona Wilson leads a panel of creative, thoughtful and compassionate business leaders who are determined to harness the power of enterprise to address some of the most pressing issues of our time, while continuing to generate profit. These leaders will share their stories of how they use innovative approaches to achieve their vision of business as a force for good.

Moderator: Fiona Wilson
Director, Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire

Dr. Fiona Wilson is UNH’s deputy chief sustainability officer and the Executive Director of the Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise, which offers innovative research and engagement opportunities for students and faculty, applying market-based and cross-sector strategies to develop sustainable, scalable solutions to societal problems. Fiona’s own research and teaching focuses on innovative entrepreneurial companies with business models that are good for “people, planet and profits.”

Presenter: Michelle Waring
Steward for Sustainability and Everyday Good, Tom’s of Maine

Michelle Waring leads the stewardship model, sustainability efforts, and the Giving for Goodness program at Tom’s of Maine. She manages key strategic partnerships and initiatives with 3rd party validators and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Tom’s of Maine, Michelle led the Communications Partnerships team at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Prior to NRDC, Michelle started her nonprofit career at UNICEF USA.

Presenter: Ben Conniff
Co-Founder, Luke’s Lobster

Ben Conniff co-founded Luke’s Lobster, a sustainable seafood company with a restaurant group, branded grocery business, and direct-to-consumer online market, in 2009. Luke’s is a Certified B Corp and has the highest B Corp score of any restaurant group or seafood company in the US. Ben has worn almost every hat through Luke’s Lobster’s evolution, but currently focuses on the brand’s innovation, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. He’s the author of Real Maine Food: 100 Plates from Fishermen, Farmers, Pie Champs, and Clam Shacks.

Presenter: Christopher Lyon
Director of Corporate Impact, Androscoggin Bank

Chris brings extensive nonprofit experience to his work at Androscoggin Bank, including serving as assistant director of the Seventh Generation Foundation and leading the United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Community Impact Committee. He also led grassroots employee engagement and impact strategy at Seventh Generation, a certified B-Corp. Chris serves on Androscoggin Bank’s MainStreet Foundation. He love spending time outdoors with his husband Brendan and dog Korra.

Decolonizing Our Landscapes with Indigenous Knowledge — Past, Present, and Future

We will work with attendees to explore how over millennia the Indigenous Peoples of N’dakinna stewarded the region’s natural resource base in sustainable ways by following seasonal rhythms and developing extensive reciprocal networks. We will examine how settler colonialism’s extractive approach to the natural environment transformed such longstanding relationships and devastated healthy ecosystems and how these legacies continue to shape today’s social and ecological systems. Finally, we will consider how attendees can develop a decolonizing approach in their environmental research and activism to help build more just and sustainable futures.

Presenter: Paul Pouliot
Chief and Speaker, Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook

Paul W. Pouliot has been the Sag8mo or Chief Speaker for the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook and Abenaki People and president of COWASS North America and the Abenaki Nation of Vermont since 1990. Paul is an Indigenous historian, lecturer, Federal Religious Advisor, and a founding member of the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective. He is also an Affiliate Faculty member of the UNH Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor and a founding member of the New Hampshire Commission of Native American Affairs.

Presenter: Denise Pouliot
Treasurer, COWASS North America

Denise K. Pouliot is the Sag8moskwa (Female Head Speaker) of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People and traditional artist.  She currently serves on the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs, is a Federal Religious Advisor, and a founding member of the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective. Denise is also an Affiliate Faculty member of the UNH Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor and is the treasurer for COWASS North America and the Abenaki Nation of Vermont.

Presenter: Meghan Howey
Hayes Professor of the Humanities, University of New Hampshire

Meghan C.L. Howey is an anthropological archaeologist who examines the effect human societies have on natural systems. Making use of geographic data and ethnohistoric research and collaborating with local tribal communities, Dr. Howey has explored how European colonists transformed the ecology of North American estuaries in the 17th and 18th centuries. She serves as director of the Great Bay Archaeological Survey, a community-based program focused on excavating and studying an early colonial site in New Hampshire.

The Power of Impact Finance and Tax Equity

Do you wish your local town or nonprofit had clean, renewable electricity? Are you interested in Impact Investing Finance and concrete examples of doing well by doing good? Nicolas will lead an interactive workshop about solar tax equity investing, arguably the most powerful strategy to accelerate the clean energy transition and how accredited investors take control of their tax money to reinvest locally in solar for nonprofits. You and Nicolas will discuss strategically and technically how the AMC, YMCA, Dartmouth University, and the Nature Conservancy have received large solar installations at zero up front cost with help from local impact investors and tax incentives.

We’ll cover Power Purchase Agreements, Renewable Energy Credits, the Investment Tax Credits, financial cash flows, and the solution for nonprofits that don’t receive clean energy incentives because they don’t pay taxes.

Presenter: Nicolas Warren
Director of Community Investment, ReVision Energy

Nicolas leads the impact investing program at ReVision Energy which provides tax equity opportunities to mission-aligned investors bringing solar to nonprofits. Nicolas is a commercial real estate finance professional and impact investor. Nicolas has completed over $100M in transactions and established his first sustainable timber farm in 2016.

Responding to the Urgency of the Climate Crisis: Demystifying GHG Emissions

Greenhouse gases (GHGs), the primary driver of the climate crisis, are emitted by virtually every organization and household in every community across the globe. To take action on the climate crisis requires action on GHGs, but understanding the how carbon footprints can be calculated, tracked and managed can seem daunting. As a customer or stakeholder, how can you make sense of these carbon reduction goals and claims? As an employee or citizen, how could you help your organization or community take this important step towards improved sustainability? UNH-based experts Dr. Allison Leach and Jennifer Andrews will share key carbon accounting concepts that can help us all support and hold accountable the organizations and communities we care about.

Presenter: Jennifer Andrews
Sustainability Project Director, UNH Sustainability Institute

For the past nine years Jennifer has led a range of sustainability programs, including UNH’s sustainability reporting to AASHE STARS and the Climate Commitment; its SIMAP initiative; and the Sustainability Fellows program. Before coming to UNHSI, Jenn spent 13 years at the nonprofit Clean Air-Cool Planet, where she helped to launch the Campus Carbon Calculator, which has become an indispensable carbon management and sustainability tool for hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide.

Presenter: Dr. Allison Leach
Postdoctoral Researcher, UNH Sustainability Institute

Dr. Allison Leach is a developer of the nitrogen footprint approach, and she is a co-developer of SIMAP, the campus carbon and nitrogen footprint tool hosted by the UNH Sustainability Institute. Allison leads the research, new development, intern recruitment and support, outreach, and user support for SIMAP. In addition, she is an active member of the international nitrogen research community and regularly gives talks on her nitrogen footprint research and food footprint label research. Prior to arriving at UNH, Allison was a researcher and graduate student at the University of Virginia where she developed the first-ever university level nitrogen footprint model.

Afternoon Workshops

The Pinnacle Model: How to move your organization and improve performance in 24 hours

At Pinnacle we believe strong leaders make stronger communities. Great leaders always start with what matters most: clear goals, hot issues on top people, and aligned teams. If you aren’t focused there, you’re in the weeds and wasting time.

In this session, we’ll introduce GRPI, one of the most powerful tools for planning and assessment. You’ll learn about effective goal setting and the importance of clarity, focus and commitment in your organization. See how the key values of emotional maturity, risk taking, and open & honest communication can transform your team. 

Pinnacle is the top resource in New England for nonprofit leadership and team development. Since 1993, we’ve built up a record of proven results with leaders from 70 countries and over 100 teams.

Presenter: Danielle Giannone
Senior Vice President of Pinnacle Leadership & Team Development

An expert in leadership, team development and coaching, Danielle has spent the last 14 years transforming the performance of many organizations and helping leaders, teams and individuals reach their full potential. She has advised leaders at all levels of an organization and worked with teams on six continents. A skilled facilitator and trainer, Danielle pushes leaders to see the biggest obstacles that stand in their way, dig into the hot issues that hold them back and find the courage to lead effectively.

Building Momentum for an Evolving Forest Economy

Buildings account for approximately 39 percent of all CO2 emissions globally, exceeding both the industrial and transportation sectors.  Fiberglass insulation manufacturing is among the most energy-intensive industries in the U.S., and both foam and fiberglass are also toxic and non- biodegradable.

Wood fiber insulation is renewable, recyclable, safe to handle and nontoxic. Made from residual wood chips, this insulator has a negative carbon footprint, is safer and healthier to install, and creates indoor habitats free of airborne toxins. Learn how TimberHP is transforming an abandoned paper mill in Madison, ME into a wood fiber insulation plant using lumberyard scraps, breathing new life into Maine’s forest products industry and building safer and more sustainable spaces.

Presenter: Matt O’Malia
Co-Founder, TimberHP by GO Lab

Matt O’Malia is the award-winning architect behind Alnoba. He founded GO Lab and is the is principal architect and co-founder of GO Logic and OPAL, an award-winning architecture firm with a nationwide reputation for innovation and expertise in the design of high performance residential and institutional buildings. A leader in Passive House design in the U.S., and named to Architect magazine’s Architect 50 list in 2018, Matthew is a frequent speaker at sustainable design conferences in the U.S. and abroad.

Presenter: Edith Gawler
Marketing Director, Timber HP by GO Lab

Edith Gawler brings over 15 years of experience in architecture, design, and construction to her leadership role at TimberHP. Edith began her career as a sheet metal fabricator with a focus on custom copper fabrication and unique architectural solutions. After graduating from Syracuse University, she worked as an architectural designer for GO Logic and OPAL Architecture before joining the GO Lab team in their mission to bring wood fiber insulation manufacturing to America.  As Marketing Manager, Edith has used her skills in graphic design, brand development, and visual storytelling to bring the compelling TimberHP narrative to life.

Defending Land, Respecting the Planet: Women’s Leadership in a Time of Crisis

For over 30 years, Great Old Broads for Wilderness have been dedicated to grassroots advocacy to protect America’s wild lands and waters through education, stewardship, advocacy, and fun. In this interactive workshop, we’ll discuss the current issues and share on-the-ground strategies to influence change from our backyards to the nation’s capital, including place-based leadership, partnership-focused organizing, indigenous relationships, fun as goal and strategy, ecological restoration as entrée to policy work, and older women’s leadership.

Presenter: Lauren Berutich
Associate Director of Great Old Broads for Wilderness

Lauren has nearly 20 years of experience teaching environmental education, grassroots organizing, conservation and stewardship coordination, advocacy, and public work for sustainable community development. She leads national advocacy campaign efforts and training and facilitates multiple weeklong advocacy trips in remote wild places annually. For 5 years, Lauren has served as Volunteer Coordinator with the Grand Canyon Trust engaging stewards of all ages in conservation and preservation activities across the Colorado Plateau.

Linda Graham
Co-Leader of Nor’easter Broads

Linda is a practicing artist with a deep interest in visual expressions of environmental concerns. She has practiced art all her life as a reflective approach to any work she is doing. As a career, she spent many working years with small children and their families as a teacher, literacy coordinator and a state administrator for family support in developmental services.

Nancy Frost
Co-Leader of Nor’easter Broads

Nancy’s passion is the transformation of conservation organizations, building Right Relationship with Indigenous Nations, Tribes, Indigenous researchers and environmental activists. She is also active in the food justice/food waste reduction movement. Her professional background includes work as a non-profit turnaround consultant and leadership roles in aging, health care, and domestic violence organizations. She finds renewal in Quaker community, solitary road trips, plant photography, hiking and cooking.

Pollution, Race and Poverty: A tale of two cities

Communities of color and low income neighborhoods are typically hit first and worst by the climate crisis, pollution, and other environmental harms, a pattern attributable to centuries of oppression often reinforced by the terms and structure of current environmental laws and policies.  This workshop will explore environmental justice challenges and strategies to address them in two New England cities: greater Boston and Manchester, New Hampshire. We’ll dig in to strategies that have helped empower historically marginalized communities stand up in the face of environmental challenges.

Presenter: Bradley M. Campbell
President, Conservation Law Foundation

Bradley M. Campbell is president of Conservation Law Foundation, which uses the law, science, and markets to achieve a healthy and thriving New England for all. Before leading CLF, his career holding polluters accountable included service as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, as a Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as a senior advisor in the Clinton White House, and as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Presenter: Stacey Rubin
Vice President Environmental Justice, Conservation Law Foundation

In her current role at CLF, Staci partners with residents of historically marginalized communities to solve some of our biggest environmental challenges and works with staff across the organization to embed environmental justice throughout CLF’s culture. As a CLF Senior Attorney for several years, Staci achieved several important victories using a community lawyering approach, particularly in the area of public transportation equity. Prior to CLF, she served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Senior Counsel at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), where she implemented multiple net metering laws and expanded public access to government records.

Presenter: Arnold Mukwanga Mikolo
Environmental Justice Community Advocate for New Hampshire, Conservation Law Foundation

Arnold was born in the Northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and lived there until he was 11-years-old. He currently serves as the branch 1st Vice President of the Manchester NAACP chapter. To give back to the community, Arnold volunteers with New Hampshire Legal Assistance, where he serves as a housing tester to end housing discrimination. Arnold won the “Civic Leader of the Year” in 2016 with Stay Work Play, “40 under Forty” in 2017 with the Union Leader, and was featured in the “2018 It List” with the New Hampshire Magazine.

Presenter: Erika Brooks
NH Advisory Board Member, Conservation Law Foundation

Erica Brooks is the Community Building Manager and manages all of NeighborWorks® Southern New Hampshire’s Community Building and Engagement initiatives. Erica joined the team in 2014 and has excelled in her role working with residents in our target neighborhoods and overseeing our Tenant Services Coordinators and all of our tenant services coordination programming. She sits on the Mayor’s Multicultural Advisory Committee, the Conservation Law Foundation’s Advisory Committee, and is a board member for ROCA Kidz, all with a focus on the Center City of Manchester.

Strategic Land Conservation in New Hampshire

This workshop will explore New Hampshire’s Coastal Watershed Conservation Plan that was completed last summer by The Nature Conservancy. It’s a comprehensive plan that prioritizes the protection of wildlife habitats and corridors, climate resilience, water resource protection, and climate adaptation strategies for flood risk mitigation and the protection of public water supplies. We hope this will be a highly interactive session to answer your questions and provide the resources you need. You will be better equipped to advance the conservation of our most important natural resources, whether across New Hampshire’s coastal watershed or elsewhere.

Presenter: Pete Steckler
Associate Director for Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy

Pete has supported and advanced conservation initiatives with The Nature Conservancy for the past thirteen years. He leads the New Hampshire branch’s climate adaptation work, conservation science and planning initiatives, and wildlife connectivity and corridors projects. Pete is the lead author of the New Hampshire’s Coastal Watershed Conservation Plan. He has a background in environmental science from the University of Vermont and is a certified wetland scientist in New Hampshire.

Presenter: Rachel Rouillard
Director of Conservation Strategy, The Nature Conservancy

Rachel directs and manages The Nature Conservancy’s conservation program in the Granite State, assuring its capacity to advance conservation priorities. Prior to joining TNC in November 2021, Rachel served as Executive Director of the Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership for 11 years. Prior to that, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (L-CHIP), and invested in the protection of over 200,000 acres across the state.

Engaging Community on Conservation Lands

In this workshop, participants will learn why engaging the public on protected lands is critically important for the future of land conservation and outdoor recreation in our region.  Dave and Carrie will discuss how land trusts, municipalities, and other conservation landowners can engage a diverse cross section of community members via educational events, stewardship volunteerism, citizen science, and recreational initiatives and challenges.  Case studies from the Forest Society’s properties and engagement programs will be explored, with emphasis on what worked well (and what did not) and how you can get involved on conservation land in your community.

Presenter: Dave Anderson
Senior Director of Education, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Dave Anderson joined the Forest Society in 1990. Anderson is responsible for design, development and delivery of conservation education programs including field trips, workshops and presentations for Forest Society members, conservation partners, schools and the general public. Anderson is well known as a naturalist and educator, guiding field trip tours on the Society’s Forest Reservations statewide. He co-authors the “Forest Journal” column in the statewide New Hampshire Sunday News and is writer and co-host of the “Something Wild” podcaset on New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR).

Presenter: Carrie Deegan
Reservation Stewardship & Engagement Director, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests

Carrie Deegan has worked for the Forest Society since 2008, when she was hired to coordinate the volunteer Land Steward Program. Carrie completed a Master of Science degree at the University of British Columbia in 1999, studying grizzly bear mortality in the border region surrounding Waterton Lakes and Glacier National Parks.  After several years a field biologist, living out of a tent or (when lucky) a bunk house and not typically showering on a weekly basis, she was happy to move on to the relatively civilized field of land conservation & stewardship.