Regenerative Procurement Speakers
Michael Aromolaran
Michael Aromolaran is Vice President, Impact and Accountability at the Center for Economic Inclusion, where he leads The Center’s team dedicated to deploying solutions and interventions for employers that produce results for employees, households, employers, and regions. Michael brings a career of consulting with Accenture, and other leading national firms, as well as local nonprofit organizations in Atlanta and the Twin Cities prior to joining the Center in 2020.
Dr. Margot Brown
Dr. Margot Brown is the Environmental Associate Vice President of Environmental Justice and Equity Initiatives at EDF. Margot has more than 20 years’ experience developing environmental health initiatives, community outreach, and education programs to advance environmental justice and equity in disadvantaged communities. Margot holds a Doctorate in Environmental Health Science and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University - where Margot’s work included serving communities in Louisiana’s industrial corridor. She went on to establish national partnerships to address children’s environmental health disparities at the US Environmental Protection Agency. Margot’s recent achievements include establishing EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection Strategic Plan initiatives to address children’s environmental health disparities and working with Louisiana’s first climate refugees, the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe, to formally conserve and curate their cultural practices. Since joining EDF, Margot has developed the framework for EDF’s new EJ strategy where she has integrated an array of competing perspectives to create a shared EJ goal for EDF.
Dr. Mijin Cha
J. Mijin Cha's research and teaching interests are in the areas of climate justice, environmental justice, labor movements, and the intersection of labor and climate justice. Dr. Cha is a fellow at Cornell University's Worker Institute, where she works on the Labor Leading on Climate initiative. Her recent research is on "just transition," how to transition workers and communities equitably into a low-carbon future. Dr. Cha is on the board of the Center on the Race, Poverty, and the Environment and is a member of the California Bar.
Lottie Ferguson
Lottie Ferguson is the inaugural Chief Resilience Officer of Flint, MI. Her long experience in the nonprofit sector, early childhood and after-school programs, small business support, information technology and public health initiatives converged in this position, designed to help Flint recover from economic and environmental crises and to create a more resilient community. Lottie is a graduate of Central Michigan University and the University of Michigan. She is a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint, Child Care Network, and continues her public service as chairperson of the Flint Promise Zone Authority, is a part of Mount Morris Township's Planning Commission and the Genesee County's Economic Development Corporation. She and her husband have three daughters.
Andaye Hill-Espinoza
Andaye Hill-Espinoza is the National Lead for Economic Impact within the Impact Spending department at Kaiser Permanente. In her role, she is tasked with leveraging Kaiser Permanente’s purchasing power and Total Health strategy as a vehicle for addressing the socio-economic determinants of health. She does this by using supplier diversity and sustainable sourcing as tangible tactics and powerful drivers of economic development and community sustainability. Andaye holds a BA in Medical Anthropology from The City College of New York, and a dual masters from Claremont Graduate University in Applied Women’s Studies and Community and Global Health
M. Erin Kelleway
M. Erin Kelleway joined Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) as Director of Strategic Sourcing & Procurement in 2018, to build TCCA’s Procurement capabilities, support new product development, and lead the Sourcing and Procurement Teams including the purchasing of ingredients, packaging, indirect materials and services, external manufacturing and supplier relationship management.
Erin grew up spending summers on family farms in Oregon and California and is now the fifth generation of her family to live in Oregon, and proudly says, “I work for farmers”. Erin has over 20 years of experience across an array of backgrounds including a progression of roles with Mars Inc. and Mars Chocolate North America from ingredients buying, managing external manufacturing, and strategic sourcing and 13 years as a successful litigation attorney as a member of the New Jersey State and Federal Bars.
Erin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of New Hampshire and a law degree from the Rutgers University School of Law. Erin is a passionate equestrian and avid gardener who loves the outdoors.
Mark Mills
As the University of Pennsylvania’s Chief Procurement Officer, Mark Mills oversees approximately $1 billion in University spend. Mark’s team performs a variety of services on behalf of Penn, ranging from strategic sourcing and contracting, supplier management, procure-to-pay systems management, travel services, and procurement card administration. In performing these services, Mark and his team are driven by core goals that address economic inclusion, environmental sustainability, cost containment, and service excellence.
Mark joined Penn in 2011 bringing over 20 years of procurement and financial management experience. Prior to Penn, Mark held positions with such firms as Cigna, Johnson & Johnson, Unisys, BearingPoint, and Siemens. Mark earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Delaware, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Temple University, and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Samuel Ndely II
Samuel Ndely, Director of Employer Inclusivity at the Center for Economic Inclusion, works directly with private-sector employers, regional leaders, and community champions to equip them with the knowledge, tools, resources, and networks to disrupt racially and economically exclusive policies and practices and institutionalize new, racially inclusive talent, procurement, investment, and stakeholder policies, practices, and actions.
Tiffany Rodriguez
Tiffany Rodriguez is a Supply Chain Environmental Sustainability Principal at PG&E. She has worked in the utility industry for nearly 20 years and has held positions in customer service, renewable energy, sourcing, and supplier diversity. Presently, she manages PG&E’s Supply Chain Sustainability efforts focused on reducing environmental footprint via product and service strategies and driving supplier environmental sustainability improvements. Annually, she engages hundreds of suppliers in a sustainability survey and environmental sustainability training. She led the creation of an innovative supplier training on greenhouse gas emissions business relevance and calculation methodology. Tiffany received her undergraduate degree in Global Leadership and Management and her MBA focused in Supply Chain, both from Arizona State University. Also, she holds certificates as Certified Professional in Supply Management and Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity from the Institute of Supply Management, as well as other sustainability related certifications.