Global Ambassadors Roundtable

Lucia Athens, a licensed Landscape Architect, served 12 years as the City of Austin’s first Chief Sustainability Officer. Under her leadership, Austin developed a Climate Equity Plan poised to achieve Net Zero GHGs by 2040. Previously she led the green building program for Seattle, the 1st municipality to formally adopt a LEED® policy.

Athens has served on the Board of Directors for USGBC, GBCI, and EcoDistricts. She assisted with the development of Austin’s Green Building program, LEED® Version 2.0, and LEED® for Cities and Communities. She is the author of two nonfiction books: Building an Emerald City and The Sustainability Revolutionists. She is currently completing her first novel, an Eco-Romance set in Austin

www.linkedin.com/in/luciaathens

www.luciaathens.com

Suzanne Deal Booth is an arts advocate, vintner, and specialist in the preservation of cultural heritage. She earned a BA in Art History from Rice University, as well as an MA in Art History and certificate in conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. During her studies, Deal Booth was mentored by the humanist and art collector Dominique de Menil, founder of the The Menil Collection in Houston. These early experiences working with de Menil continue to influence her to this day, as seen through Deal Booth’s own philanthropy and arts patronage. In 1998, Deal Booth founded Friends of Heritage Preservation, which has undertaken over 80 projects to protect cultural heritage around the globe. In addition to her preservation work, Deal Booth serves on the boards of the following cultural organizations: The World Monuments Fund, The Menil Collection, LACMA, Blanton Museum of Art, Atelier Calder, and the Centre Pompidou. Deal Booth is the proprietor of Bella Oaks, an organic vineyard in the Napa Valley that produces celebrated wines and award-winning olive oil, and recently acquired the Wheeler Farms winery.

Gay Browne, CEO of Greenopia, is an environmental advisor and author of Living With A Green Heart: How to Keep Your Body, Your Home and the Planet Healthy in a Toxic World (April 2019), a roadmap for making incremental changes that will not only transform your life, but heal the world we share.

She is also the Founder of Greenopia, a comprehensive guide to green businesses that takes the guesswork out of sustainability and helps people make healthy, green decisions in their everyday lives. Covering over 30 business categories—from restaurants to nail salons to burial services—Greenopia launched as a print series in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York before expanding online. In 2025, it will re-launch with a membership-based directory, mobile app, financial tracker, and green rewards program. Greenopia evaluates businesses based on life cycle analysis, social responsibility, and environmental impact to help consumers make informed, sustainable choices.

Her work has earned numerous honors, including the EPA Climate Protection Award and the Faith 2 Green Environmental Business of the Year award. In 2009, she spoke at the Green Inaugural Ball welcoming President Obama and Vice President Biden. She is a frequent media contributor, appearing in print, on radio, and on national television.

Marilu Hastings is executive vice president of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation in Austin, Texas. Marilu also directs CGMF’s Mitchell Innovation Lab, a varied portfolio of breakthrough sustainability ideas and opportunities that the foundation develops and incubates. In April, she launched the foundation’s most recent philanthropic venture, the Permian Energy Development Lab, a cross-sector consortium bringing advanced energy technology, workforce development, and community engagement to enrich the world’s most important energy producing region.

Marilu serves is a member of the National Petroleum Council and co-chaired the Societal Impacts and Considerations chapter of the NPC’s most recent study, Charting the Course: Reducing GHG Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain.

She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability. She is chair of the University of Texas’s Energy Institute Advisory Board; chair of Environmental Defense Fund’s Texas Advisory Board; and a member of the Advisory Board of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Marilu earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Duke University, an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

Maica Jordan is the Chief Development Officer of the Austin Theatre Alliance, where she leads both the Development and Education departments and serves as a member of the Executive Management Team. Over her 19+ years with the organization, Maica has helped transform the Austin Theatre Alliance from a small nonprofit generating under $1 million in annual contributions to a dynamic, mission-driven institution raising over $5 million in contributed revenue annually.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, Maica has helped guide strategic planning and organizational growth, playing a central role in expanding the Alliance into a $15+ million gross revenue operation. Her work has been instrumental in deepening community engagement, broadening access to arts education, and advancing the long-term preservation of the historic Paramount and State Theatres—two cultural landmarks in the heart of downtown Austin.

Whether leading capital campaigns, designing impactful donor experiences, or supporting the theatres’ iconic programming, Maica is most energized by connecting people to the arts and sharing the joy and magic of these beloved venues with generations of Austinites.

Michael Orlove most recently served as the Director of State, Regional & Local Partnerships for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). In that capacity, Orlove provided direction concerning the NEA’s funding and other assistance to the 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies, the six regional arts agencies, and local arts agencies across the country. Additionally, Orlove managed the agency’s international activities. He was the Agency’s director of Artist Communities and Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works from 2012 to 2019. Before joining the NEA, Orlove spent two decades as senior program director for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs focused on programming innovation and creativity in venues throughout the city including the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park. He has a BA in history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA in performing arts management from Columbia College Chicago.

Jeff is a co-founder, COO/CFO of Rambler Sparkling Water out of Austin, TX. As one of the founders, Jeff has touches almost all facets of the business including the establishment of its national production and distribution footprint and partnerships as well as spearheading product development efforts. Jeff is also responsible for financial forecasting and management and has successfully led the company through three capital raises.

Prior to Rambler, Jeff served in a variety of rolls ranging from lobbyist and government relations director to project development and fundraising across the renewable energy and sustainability sectors.

Jeff received his MBA from the University of Texas and his BA in Economics from the University of Michigan.