our team
Sustainability is multi-dimensional, and delivering sustainable solutions requires a diversity of perspectives and skills. Our core team has expertise on policy, technical, environmental, socio-economic and financial aspects of water and energy resources. And we can leverage an extensive global network of associated colleagues and firms, depending on project needs.
CORE team
Dr. Joerg Hartmann
Joerg has supported water, power and natural resources projects in over 45 countries. After working for a development bank and an environmental NGO, he has been an independent consultant since 2012. He provides advice on all aspects of sustainable water and energy development, with a particular focus in economic, financial, social, and governance issues. He has assessed multiple projects against sustainability protocols, bank safeguards and other standards, and is a qualified lead auditor. He has a PhD in environmental and development economics, and is fluent in German, English and Spanish.
Joerg's CV
Joerg's CV
Dr. Kendra Ryan
Kendra has over 20 years experience working internationally on environmental engineering, policy and security issues. She has a particular interest in the relationship between environmental issues and conflict avoidance and resolution. She brings this expertise to the renewable energy and sustainable water fields by advising clients on project selection and design, stakeholder engagement, and permitting. Kendra has BSs in chemical and environmental engineering, a masters of marine affairs, and a PhD in marine sciences, focused on renewable energy siting.
Kendra's CV
Kendra's CV
associates
David L. Harrison - Water Resources Consultant
David Harrison is a water resources lawyer in Boulder, Colorado, retired and of counsel with the firm of Moses, Wittemyer, Harrison and Woodruff, P.C., and practicing as an independent consultant for the conservation of rivers and clean energy. He worked for 25 years as senior advisor to The Nature Conservancy’s global freshwater team, with a particular interest in the Yangtze Basin and Amazon basins. He has also worked with the IHA to develop global protocols for sustainable hydropower. David was a member of the Board of Governors of TNC from 1980-1990, and Chairman during 1988-1989. He holds degrees in law and civil engineering (hydraulics).
Dr. Helen Locher - Non-Executive Director and Independent Consultant
Helen Locher has almost two decades of operational experience at Hydro Tasmania, more than 20 years of international consulting and 13 years on statutory and corporate boards, currently a Director with TasWater and Icon Water. She is an independent consultant, primarily focused on hydropower sustainability issues in a variety of countries and contexts. She is a qualified lead auditor, has assessed multiple hydropower projects, and leads a Panel of Experts for a major resettlement program. Helen has degrees in civil engineering (river hydraulics & sediment transport), environmental and earth science, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Doug Smith - Independent Environmental and Social Specialist
Doug Smith has over 25 years of international experience, in environmental and social assessments, action plans, and due diligence assessments in renewable energy. He is highly familiar with the standards and guidelines of international financial institutions. As a lead accredited assessor, he has assessed numerous hydropower projects in all regions of the world, provided capacity-building programs, and authored publications on hydropower sustainability. Doug is based in the UK and was previously based in China. He is a keen conservationist and has worked for the RSFB, DFID, consulting firms and the IHA. He has degrees in conservation and biology.
Margaret Trias - Independent Consultant
Margaret Trias has 20 years of engineering, environmental, and social experience in the hydropower, wind, solar, infrastructure, and mining sectors. She has been involved in impact assessments, due diligence and dam safety reviews around the world, and has conducted resource assessments for a wide range of renewable projects. Her experience includes the application of bank safeguards and sustainability standards, including as an assessor accredited by IHA. Margaret has degrees in biology and civil engineering, and has worked with several consulting firms. She is fluent in English, French and Spanish, and is based in Canada.
Pablo Barañao - Consulting for Environmental Management
Mejores Prácticas (Best Practices) is a Chilean consulting firm established in 2012. With 10 professionals, from offices in Santiago and Puerto Varas, Mejores Prácticas helps their clients meet the challenges from investors, citizens, regulations and international standards. Mejores Prácticas is led by Pablo Barañao, former executive of one of Chile’s largest power generation companies, who has more than 20 years of international experience in the energy industry as well as in impact assessment, audits, training courses, due diligences and risk assessment. He has civil engineering and applied sciences degrees and is also accredited as a sustainability assessor by the IHA.
Ed Wojczynski - Sustainable Hydropower Consultant
Ed Wojczynski has 35 years of experience in energy planning, project preparation, and regulatory affairs. He worked with Manitoba Hydro for 33 years with the last 15 years as an executive responsible for project development. He was preconstruction manager for three large hydropower projects, with a particular emphasis on building partnerships with local indigenous communities. Ed has been engaged with the IHA and CHA, has chaired boards and working groups, and served as interim president of WaterPower Canada. Since 2015 he has worked as an independent consultant with private and government clients.
Daryl Fields - Independent Water and Energy Consultant
Daryl has focused on energy and water management - and the energy-water nexus - for thirty years. She held numerous technical and managerial positions in a major North American electric utility. At the World Bank, Daryl worked in more than 20 countries on 8 major river basins (including the Mekong, Columbia, and Nile). She covered transboundary cooperation, investment projects, operations, and policy development. Combining economics and decision sciences, Daryl successfully integrates structured decision-making into inclusive stakeholder engagement, consensus decision-making, and risk management. She holds degrees in economics, and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Hannah Baleta - Water Consultant and Researcher
Hannah has ten years of experience in the water sector, working on topics such as water stewardship, water risks, and water security. She worked in the private sector as a consultant and as a researcher for NGOs, focusing on the relationship between water resources and water users, from small-scale farmers to large corporates. She led WWF’s water program in Myanmar, and has been associated with the Pacific Institute and the CEO Water Mandate since 2018. Hannah has degrees in biochemistry and microbiology as well as water science, policy and management. She is based in South Africa, and has experience across several African and Asian countries.
Dr. Alison Bates - Lecturer, Renewable Energy & Sustainability, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Alison has 15 years of experience working on conservation planning, energy policy, and public acceptance of energy systems. She is interested in social and environmental considerations around marine energy systems, such as tidal and offshore wind energy. Her expertise is in developing statistically robust surveying of communities, stakeholder engagement processes, and spatial models to identify priority areas for energy siting. She also has project management skills and experience with grant development, budgeting, and project planning. She holds degrees in biology and marine policy, with a focus on offshore wind energy planning.
Sarah Becker - Marine and Aquatic Ecologist
Sarah Becker has over eight years of experience working in field research, protected area planning, endangered species conservation, and natural resource management. Previous projects included spatial modeling to inform the effectiveness of a marine protected area in the U.S. Virgin Islands, assessing population densities of sea turtles in the U.S. Pacific, and identifying high priority culvert replacements in order to mitigate habitat fragmentation in New England. Sarah has a strong statistical background and a passion for developing applied management tools to build sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. She holds degrees in environmental studies and ecology.
