Susan is an executive coach and consultant focused on the nexus among climate action, equity, urban design, clean energy, and jobs. For ten years, she was the Director of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and responsible for land use planning and design, zoning, climate protection, clean energy, recycling/waste management, and related environmental and economic development issues.

In 2000, Susan started the first municipal Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) in the United States. Portland’s OSD was known for getting results by building public/private partnerships, and for extensively leveraging very limited government resources. In the mid-1990s, Susan developed the first local government Climate Action Plan in the U.S.

Susan holds a Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Oregon, and B.A. in both Economics and Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has presented at more than 200 conferences and workshops focused on climate action, environmental protection, land use and transportation, energy efficiency and renewable energy, urban design and development, green infrastructure, sustainable industries, leadership and organizational development, and public/private partnerships. These included presentations in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.