Environmental Leadership Chronicles

CEQA Series: Fair Argument Standard, ft. Corinne Lytle Bonine, Kristin Blackson, and Matt Klopfenstein

In this episode, we have a panel of environmental policy and planning experts joining to discuss the CEQA fair argument standard. 
Corinne Lytle Bonine has over 18 years of environmental permitting experience and serves as the Director of Environmental Permitting  for the Western Region and Wind nationwide at AES. She also serves as the Administrative Vice President for AEP's State Board of Directors. 
Kristin Blackson has extensive knowledge as an environmental planner - with 25 years of experience, she is a CEQA practitioner, educator, and active participant in California's environmental policy conversations. Kristin is also the Director-At-Large on AEP's State Board of Directors 
And Matt Klopfenstein is Co-Founder and Partner at Summit Advocacy, a lobbyist specializing in CEQA, energy, and environmental policy who works extensively with the California legislature. 
Together, they'll share their perspectives on the fair argument standard including what it means, how it's applied, and why it matters for environmental professionals across California.  

Leading with Kindness and Joy, ft. Florentina Craciun, LSA

Florentina Craciun is an urban planner with over 16 years of experience in environmental compliance. As a Senior Planner at LSA , she guides agencies and private clients through CEQA for projects like housing and commercial developments, historic building adaptive reuse, and public infrastructure. 
Florentina earned her Master's in Urban Planning from UCLA with an emphasis on environmental planning. Since then, she's worked to bridge graduate school ideals with real-world practice—making environmental planning more accessible through teaching CEQA courses, mentorship, and championing streamlined processes. And for over a decade, Florentina served on the APA Northern Section Board, with roles from Membership Director to Awards Co-Director. 
Florentina has done this while pursuing her vision of transforming environmental planning from a "can't do" barrier into a "can-do" tool for building more just communities. 

Advancing California's Climate Agenda, ft. Senator Catherine S. Blakespear, California Senate District 38

Senator Catherine Blakespear represents California's 38th Senate District, covering northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. Senator Blakespear is a lawyer and former journalist with local government experience and elected the State Senate 2022. She currently chairs the Senate Environmental Quality Committee— a committee that covers legislation related to environmental quality, air quality, water quality, climate change, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 
Before entering state politics, Senator Blakespear served eight years in Encinitas city government, including six years as mayor. As a fourth-generation San Diegan, she's witnessed California's environmental challenges evolve firsthand—from local coastal access issues to regional air quality concerns to the transboundary environmental crisis at the Tijuana River. 
In just three years in the Senate, she's authored 24 bills signed into law, tackling issues from plastic bag bans to gun violence prevention to solar energy tax protections.  
Senator Blakespear has navigated the complex intersections of housing, transportation, climate action, and environmental protection—learning how policy decisions play out at different scales and how to balance competing priorities while advancing California's environmental leadership. 
Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy! 

Championing Coastal Resiliency and Environmental Policy, ft. Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, California District 77

We're honored to welcome Assemblymember Tasha Burner, who represents California's 77th Assembly District, encompassing coastal communities from Carlsbad and Encinitas south through La Jolla to Coronado. 
 Assemblymember Boerner has served in the State Assembly since 2018 and currently chairs both the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy—a committee to address the urgent threats facing California's coastline. 
Her environmental leadership is evident in her successful legislation, including AB 823, which unanimously passed to ban plastic microbeads in leave-on personal care and cleaning products, and groundbreaking work to address plastic glitter pollution. Before her legislative career, she served on the Encinitas City Council and Planning Commission, where her advocacy began with a simple goal: getting a stop sign installed near her children's school. 
Assemblymember Boerner holds a Master's degree in International Studies from Claremont Graduate University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from UC Berkeley. She brings a blend of local government experience, business acumen, and passionate advocacy for coastal resilience, environmental protection, and community-centered policy to her work in Sacramento. 
Join us as we discuss her approach to environmental leadership, coastal adaptation, and shaping California's environmental future. 
And to learn more about the work the Assemblymember is doing, check the video series, Tea Time with Tasha.
 

Bridging Sectors for Sustainable Solutions, ft. Anne Middleton, WILDCOAST

In this episode, we feature Anne Middleton, a conservation professional whose career has taken her from Montana to Cameroon and now to California, bridging the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. From investigating international wildlife crime with the Environmental Investigation Agency to procuring sustainable ebony wood in Cameroon for Taylor Guitars, Anne's journey reflects her commitment to collaborative environmental solutions. In the fall of 2025, Anne was invited to present at TEDx  – check out her talk on wildfire prevention, which is linked in the show notes. 
Currently with WILDCOAST, Anne previously served as Executive Director at ECOLIFE Conservation and held positions with the San Diego County Water Authority and Sustainability Matters. With degrees in biology from Oberlin College and Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara's Bren School, Anne believes that business can be a powerful instrument for positive change. 
We explore her perspective on coastal and marine conservation, public-private partnerships, and what it takes to create lasting solutions to our planet's most pressing environmental challenges. 

Amplifying Student Voices in Environmental Leadership, ft. Xela Brainin Godinez, CSU Channel Islands Student

In this episode, we feature Xela Brainin Godinez, a student at CSU Channel Islands studying Environmental Science and Resource Management with a marine and coastal emphasis. Having served as a AEP Student Council Member and participant on the People & Culture Committee, Xela brings a fresh perspective on entering the environmental profession. 
From hands-on conservation work with white abalone at the Aquarium of the Pacific to presenting before California's Lieutenant Governor about the Santa Rosa Island Research Station, Xela has already made meaningful contributions to marine science and student outreach. Her journey from studying horticulture at Long Beach City College to specializing in marine and coastal science reflects both personal growth and an evolving passion for environmental stewardship. 
As an advocate for diversity in environmental spaces, Xela is passionate about expanding representation in our profession. Join us as she shares her experiences working alongside seasoned professionals on AEP's People & Culture Committee, what draws her to marine conservation, and what gives her hope as she prepares to launch her career. 

Connecting People with Nature through Regenerative Design: ft. Andrea Doonan horticulture + design

In this episode, we're excited to feature Andrea Doonan, an ecological landscape designer based in San Diego who is transforming how we think about residential landscapes. Andrea specializes in designing spaces that connect people with nature while incorporating regenerative and sustainable practices. 
Her award-winning landscapes have been featured on garden tours and in publications throughout California. Beyond her design work, Andrea is deeply committed to education—teaching sustainable gardening practices through the G3 Green Gardens Group in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District, and mentoring emerging professionals through the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, where she also serves on the board. 
Andrea's approach combines ecological function with artistic beauty, creating habitat gardens and implementing watershed-wise methodologies that address California's water challenges. She's passionate about collaboration and giving back to her community through involvement in food, garden, placemaking, and art initiatives. 
Join us as we explore Andrea's journey, her design philosophy, and her vision for creating landscapes that truly sustain both people and planet. 

Building Partnerships for Regional Innovation, ft. Josh Metz, Monterey Bay DART

In this episode, we welcome Josh Metz, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Monterey Bay DART Initiative. Josh shares his winding career path from environmental biology and landscape architecture to leading regional economic development at the Fort Ord Reuse Authority and co-founding Monterey Bay DART.
Topics covered include the origins of MB DART (Drones, Automation, and Robotics Technology), partnerships with universities and industry, the FAA's UAS Integration Pilot Program, and the role of Joby Aviation in establishing a regional advanced air mobility cluster. Josh discusses workforce development programs, apprenticeship initiatives supported by the James Irvine Foundation, and real-world applications of drones and eVTOLs for public safety, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure inspection.
Tune in for insights on technology’s intersection with environmental stewardship, community development, and the 2026 Monterey Bay DART Live Summit (March 31–April 2, 2026) — plus personal stories from Josh’s fieldwork, lessons learned from Fort Ord’s reuse, and what innovation could look like over the next decade.

Launching a Community-Powered Climate Week ft. Erika Rodriguez, Nadi Marketing + San Diego Climate Week

In this episode, we meet with Erika Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of Nadi Marketing and Chair of the first-ever San Diego Climate Week. Erika shares her life-changing experience surviving a Category 4 cyclone in Fiji, how that moment shifted her career toward climate advocacy, and the story behind launching a partnership-focused marketing agency that serves sustainable and purpose-driven organizations.
Listeners will hear how San Diego Climate Week (October 1–8, 2025) was created as a grassroots, community-powered week of events emphasizing resilience, accessibility, and collaboration — from bike and transit rides to virtual panels and local art installations. Erika outlines practical partnership-marketing strategies, examples of community-centered campaigns, and the importance of storytelling, mentorship, and aligning values in purpose-driven businesses.
Expect actionable advice for professionals who want to apply skills like marketing, design, and finance to environmental work, plus information on how to get involved with San Diego Climate Week and support inclusive, year-round climate action.

Implementing California's Waste Reduction Goals, ft. Steve Weihe, County of San Diego & Lisa Wood, TRC Companies

In this episode, we explore the landscape of solid waste management and CEQA compliance with Lisa Wood, Environmental Planner with TRC Companies, and Steve Weihe, Recycling Specialist II at the County of San Diego.
Lisa brings decades of experience and was instrumental in updating CEQA guidelines for solid waste impacts – moving beyond the outdated "is there landfill capacity?" question to comprehensive impact analysis that considers state mandates and local infrastructure capacity.
Steve, a certified Master Composter and TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, has developed innovative programs including mattress recycling at Miramar Landfill. He discusses the County's approaches to organic waste diversion and meeting SB 1383's requirement for 75% reduction in organic waste disposal.
Together, they discuss how do we analyze solid waste impacts under CEQA when state diversion mandates increase but infrastructure capacity falls short? What happens when local agencies must balance ambitious waste reduction goals with limited processing capacity? 
This conversation offers insights for environmental professionals working at the intersection of CEQA compliance and sustainable waste management, from source reduction strategies to cumulative impact analysis.

Building an Employee-Owned Environmental Legacy, ft. Leslie Moulton-Post, Environmental Science Associates (ESA)

In this episode, we’re joined by Leslie Moulton-Post, President and CEO of Environmental Science Associates (ESA). A recognized leader in the environmental industry, Leslie has spent over 40 years at ESA, guiding some of California’s most complex infrastructure and water projects and helping shape the firm’s growth as a leading employee-owned environmental planning and science company. 
In her role, Leslie leads with a clear commitment to ESA’s core values—aligning business decisions with long-term vision, resource stewardship, and meaningful partnerships. She’s been recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business by the San Francisco Business Times, and continues to serve on numerous boards and associations focused on water, sustainability, and environmental progress. 
We’re excited to explore her path, her perspective on leadership, and the future of environmental practice. 

Building Inclusive Environmental Workplaces, ft. Taylor Morgan, Ascent

In this episode, we’re joined by Taylor Morgan, a key member of the People Resources team at Ascent. With over six years of experience in human resources, Taylor brings a thoughtful and strategic approach to building more inclusive workplaces—focusing on DEI programming, employee resource groups, equitable recruiting, and professional development. 
Taylor shares her journey into working with environmental professionals, her evolving perspective on the role of HR, and how organizations can reimagine hiring, internships, and culture to support equity and belonging. 
This conversation offers honest insights into the work still ahead and the opportunity to transform how environmental organizations include, support, and lead with intention.