Board Member Biographies

Amanda Grint graduated from University of Nebraska Lincoln in Biological Systems Engineering and has worked for the Natural Resources District as the Water Resources Engineer for over four years focusing mainly on stormwater management. She currently serves on the Omaha Engineers Club Board and has been involved in the GOC PAC committee.

Bob Toy has worked for Union Pacific Railroad since 1990. His role is engaging employees on environmental stewardship initiatives. Previously, he held Marketing & Sales and technology roles at Union Pacific. Bob is a former TV news reporter and holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Journalism from University of Missouri. He is active in his church, several community organizations, and on the board of Faith Missions International which sustains an orphanage in Haiti.

Craig Moody is principal of Verdis Group and has an MBA from the University of South Dakota. He is chair of the Earth Day Omaha Coalition, a member of Environment Omaha’s core committee and natural environment sub-committee and serves on VOICE Omaha’s steering committee. Moody was a member of Omaha’s Downtown Master Plan Advisory Group, served as the 2009 chair of Omaha’s Young Professionals Council and was named to the 2009 list of Ten Outstanding Young Omahans by the Omaha Jaycees, who gave him a distinguished service award.

Dale Gubbels is the CEO of Firstar Fiber, one of the state’s largest recycling companies and the processor of the recyclables collected by the City of Omaha. Prior to the launch of Firstar Fiber in 1998, he was a consultant for almost twenty years, advising state and local governments, packaging manufacturers, businesses and trade groups on how to start or enhance their recycling programs. He is currently also president of the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters and on the board of the Nebraska State Recycling Association. He and his wife Mary live in Papillion. They have three children and a 2 ½ year old grandson, all of whom are reasons for his passion for resource conservation.

Denise Kuehn is the Manager of Demand Side and Sustainable Management for the Omaha Public Power District and has 20 years of experience in the energy and power market. Denise holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska Lincoln and has EIT professional certification in the State of Nebraska. She has held numerous leadership positions within the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers and is active the International Facilities Management Association, Building Owners and Managers Association, Junior League of Omaha, and the ICAN Defining Women Program.

Don Preister is the cofounder of Joy Creations Greeting Card Co. Inc. who serves on the Bellevue city council. He served for 16 years in the Nebraska legislature, advocating for clean renewable energy, sustainable family farm practices, open accessible government and environmental stewardship. He co chairs the state Wind Working Group, Chairs the South Omaha Environmental Task Force and the Green Bellevue Committee. Don is a Vietnam veteran, former Boys' Clubs of Omaha worker, and Deputy Omaha city clerk, who earned a BS in Education from UNO.

Jay is a registered Architect, a US Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Architects. Jay holds of BS in Architecture from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California-Berkeley College of Environmental Design. He is a board member of the Greater Omaha Chamber Young Professionals Council and a member of the Voice Omaha steering committee. Jay is an architect with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture.

Julie Harris earned a BS from Kearney State College and an MPA from University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has been with Activate Omaha as Outreach/Safe Routes to School Coordinator for four and a half years, is a member of the City of Omaha Transportation Master Plan Steering Committee, the Mayor's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and is a League Certified Instructor with the League of American Bicyclists.

Katie Torpy is Program Manager for the Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communities, a non-profit organization serving both Omaha and Lincoln. Katie holds a BA in Philosophy and a minor in Environmental Issues from the Colorado College. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Administration degree at the University of Nebraska.

Kristi Wamstad-Evans, LEED AP, became the City of Omaha’s first Sustainability Coordinator in September 2009. In this position, Ms. Wamstad-Evans manages a variety of efforts, including coordinating implementation of the City’s comprehensive sustainability vision, called the Environment Element, and overseeing $14 million in grant-funded project work, primarily focusing on energy efficiency and conservation. Ms. Wamstad-Evans draws upon 20 years of experience developing sustainable solutions as an organizer and business leader at the local, national, and international level. Prior to joining the City, she was the National Sustainable Solutions Program Coordinator for HDR, Inc. Ms. Wamstad-Evans holds a Master’s Degree in Planning from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Mr. Hopp received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University and is a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) and a Green Globes Professional. He has been working in both the heavy and the building construction market over the past 37 years. Mr. Hopp joined Kiewit Building Group in 1984 and has managed the construction of a wide variety of commercial, medical, hospitality, and specialty related building projects across the U.S. Larry is a founding member of the connect2engineering coalition, a group dedicated to inspiring engineers in the K-12 environment. Larry also serves as chair of the ISU Industry Advisory Council and is involved as an evaluator for the U.S. General Services Administration’s Design Excellence Program. He also is very active in his church, and serves on several community & service related boards.

Nancy Roberts is an Environmental Attorney at McGill, Gotsdiner, Workman & Lepp, a corporate law firm in Omaha. She graduated from the University Of Nebraska College Of Law and began a legal career at Union Pacific where she was Environmental Counsel before leaving for private practice in 1996. While Roberts represents private interests on many environmental matters, her personal interest is environmental conservation, specifically the natural landscape and wildlife habitat. Roberts has served on the Board of Directors of Fontenelle Nature Association in Omaha for 10 years, with one year as its President and is currently a trustee of The Nature Conservancy of Iowa. She is also a founding member of the Nebraska Land Trust and serves as its general counsel. Roberts also previously served on the Board of Directors of the YWCA Omaha and the Nebraska Trails Counsel. Roberts lives in Omaha with her husband, Doug Perry, and owns an acreage in the Loess Hills of Iowa where I practice conservation and garden organically.

Ms. Amundson is an Associate with Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects and has two decades of experience in the design profession. Nicolette holds a BA in Architectural Sciences from the University of Milwaukee and is a US Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional. She has helped propel her organization into the sustainable field and has managed the LEED certification submission process for clients. She has been instrumental in the formation of the Flatwater Chapter of the US Green Building Council and the Green Omaha Coalition.

Patrick Wheeler is the Environmental Advocate/Sustainability Champion at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a PhD student in UNL’s unified engineering program, with specialization in construction. Wheeler holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Regents College and a Masters in Public Administration from UNO. He has over 25 years experience in nuclear power, nuclear weapons and hazardous materials management. His interests in Sustainability, Energy Policy, Transportation Energy and Public Health have led him to help others learn about, and formulate solutions to, the complex problems we face today. The health impact of our built environment is the focus of his PhD research.

Teresa Gleason is the program manager at Omaha by Design, a civic planning organization dedicated to the development, implementation and monitoring of urban design and environmental public policy in the metro. She holds a B.A. in English and a minor in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University. Gleason previously served as director of communications at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is a former southwest Iowa newspaper reporter and editor. She currently serves on the leadership team of Activate Omaha and is a member of the advisory board for the Neighborhood Center.