Archives: People

A member of the Jury since 1991, Alvaro Umaña’s international career spans academia, government, philanthropy, and NGOs. As Costa Rica’s first Minister of Environment (1986-1990), under President Oscar Arias, he was internationally recognized for his pathbreaking contribution to conservation, including the implementation of innovative financial instruments like debt-for-nature swaps. Dr. Umaña created the National Biodiversity…

Susie Gelman is a vice president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation. She is president and managing director of The Morningstar Foundation, a private family foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. She also chairs the board of the Israel Policy Forum, an organization that has existed since 1993 to advance and promote the two-state solution to the…

John Goldman is a civic volunteer, active in various philanthropic and community organizations following his business and government career. A passionate advocate for the environment, he is the current President of the Goldman Environmental Foundation. John is the immediate past President of the San Francisco Symphony and continues to serve on its board. He is…

Jennifer is a vice president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation. She started her career as a CPA in the audit practice at Ernst & Young and later created a mobile app to nudge users toward sustainable transportation decisions. During graduate school, Jennifer led the MBA Stanford Impact Fund’s Environment and Energy deal team. She also…

Harriett is thrilled to be part of the foundation’s global work acknowledging and supporting individual environmental activists. Prior to joining the Prize in 2020, she spent 11 years in nonprofit marketing and communications in the Bay Area, as well as 20 years as a teacher and a volunteer in education and animal welfare. Harriett has…

Ellen is excited to elevate the stories and amplify the impact of Goldman Prize recipients around the globe. She manages the Prize’s digital presence, produces written and visual content, and contributes to strategic communications planning. Prior to joining the Prize, Ellen held various roles in the solar industry, from marketing to education program management. She…

Katie has been with the Prize since 2012. She manages the Prize tour, nominations, as well as nominator recruitment and communications. Prior to joining the Prize, she worked at the American Jewish World Service and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society spearheading cross-departmental efforts to steward key donors and fundraisers. She received her BA in Family…

David is enthusiastic about empowering others to implement human-based solutions to local environmental challenges. Previously, he worked to strengthen partnerships between rural communities, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations within the Environmental Program of Peace Corps Panama, where he served as a volunteer and coordinator at the regional and national level. David received his BA in…

Prior to joining the Prize in 2013, Lindsey managed Kiva Microfunds’ South American portfolio, working with 22 partner microfinance institutions in six countries across the region to provide loans to small business owners. Prior to that, she spent a year volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Buenos Aires, Argentina, developing social performance metrics to measure…

An enthusiastic strategist, Ilan has worked in communications and media for more than 15 years—as a communications director for the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, and for Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY); and as a freelance journalist and writer for the New York Post, Architectural Record, the Forward, and beyond. A Bay Area…