Board Members
Naomi Cobb
ICL Board Chair, Environmental Educator, Lynden Sculpture Garden
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Naomi Cobb is a self-employed consultant and program designer, bringing integrated ecology and art education programs to low income schools in the Milwaukee area. In addition, she has committed her working career to advocating for the emotional and physical wellbeing of children. Her past employment history includes maintaining a private practice as a Child, Adolescent and Family, providing psychotherapy treatment and consultations to schools and community organizations, and working as an environmental educator. Her board experience includes The Institute for Conservation Leadership, Congregation Sinai, and she served as the Board President for The Counseling Center of Milwaukee.
Mauricio Velásquez
ICL Board Vice Chair, President and CEO of The Diversity Training Group
The Diversity Training Group
Mauricio is President and CEO of the Diversity Training Group, based in Herndon, VA. Mauricio started his firm specializing in Diversity Assessment, Design, Diversity Training, and Executive Coaching. In the 20 years of operation, Mauricio and his team have expanded into that nexus of where Respect in Workplace, Engagement, Trust, and Higher Performance meet. Mauricio also conducts Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, Mentoring Training, and all related employee retention related services (exit interviews, post-exit interviews, survey, focus groups, etc.). Mauricio earned a BA in Economics and Psychology (double major) from the University of Virginia and an MBA in Human Resource Management from the George Washington University. DTG past include National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, The Conservation Fund, Department of Interior and other “Green Organizations.” Past clients also include HP, Black & Decker, NASA, Visa USA, The White House, law enforcement, Native-American tribes, military and other organizations. Son of immigrant parents, Mauricio is bilingual and his work and life have taken him to every state but North Dakota and nearly 70 countries.
Kevin Brubaker
ICL Board Treasurer, Deputy Director Environmental Law and Policy Center
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Kevin Brubaker is the Deputy Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center and has served as the organization’s Project Manager for the Midwest High-Speed Rail Network Project since 1996. Mr. Brubaker served as the Principal Policy Associate and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Sundlun of Rhode Island, and as the Associate Director of Save the Bay, an environmental advocacy group. He was also the Outreach Director for the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment. B.A., Brown University, 1985.
Ed Gimenez
ICL Board Secretary, Director of Retirement Plan Services
Raffa Financial Services
CFP®, AIF®
As the Director of Raffa Retirement Services, Mr. Gimenez strives to create a culture of innovation among his team to enhance the experience Raffa Retirement Services’ clients have admnistering their retirement plans. He helps his clients manage plan risk and expenses while seeking to improve plan performance and preparing employees for a confident retirement. As a professional in the field, he regularly gives educational seminars to plan sponsors on Best Fiduciary Practices, Investment Due Diligence, and Preparing Employees for Retirement.
Prior to joining Raffa Retirement Services, Mr. Gimenez led the Retirement Plan division at Design Benefits, an employee benefits firm in Charlottesville, Virginia. For over 8 years, Mr. Gimenez used his expertise to help numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations develop well-administered, compliant retirement plan programs.
From 1999 through 2005, he headed up the Employee Benefits division of the Charlottesville, Virginia office of Northwestern Mutual/Strategic Employee Benefits. He worked with hundreds of organizations to implement quality and cost-effective employee benefits packages, including group health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance as well as retirement plans.
Mr. Gimenez began his career in 1994 as an Advisor at Life of Virginia, which later became Genworth.
A Biology/Chemistry Major at Hamilton College, Mr. Gimenez later found his calling in the financial services industry. A 21 year veteran as an advisor, he has earned the CFP® designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, the AIF® Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation from the Center of Fiduciary Studies, and the RPA Retirement Plans Associate designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. He speaks Spanish fluently.
Ed is an AMPRO certified racquetball instructor and has played competitively, earning many regional and state titles. Most recently, he was the racquetball pro for the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club in Charlottesville, VA. Ed resides in Rockville, MD.
John Eben
Vice President - Business Operations
Hunter Business Group
John Eben is Vice President – Business Operations for Hunter Business Group, a consulting company. John has over 25 years experience in leadership of professional services companies providing consulting, training and other services to clients. John has also served as Chairman of the Board of Second Harvest of Wisconsin, Treasurer of The Counseling Center, and Treasurer of Victory Gardens Initiative, all based in Milwaukee, WI. His experience includes financial management and other leadership roles. John is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a MBA from The University of Chicago.
Julian Keniry
Senior Director
National Wildlife Federation
Mikki Sager
Vice President
The Conservation Fund
Mikki Sager Is Vice President of The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving our nation’s working lands and advancing sustainable economic development. In her work with the Fund’s Resourceful Communities Program, Mikki helps communities across North Carolina and the South implement triple bottom line efforts that promote sustainable economic development, social justice and environmental stewardship.
Resourceful Communities provides capacity‐building and small grants to help communities implement triple bottom line efforts; helps more than 700 partner grassroots groups and resource groups connect with each other; and helps communities implement place‐based economic development projects, including sustainable agriculture, community gardening, youth development, ecotourism, community forestry and conservation‐based affordable housing, that leverage environmental techniques and resources. RCP has distributed more than $3.5 million in small grants, and helped partner organizations create more than 800 jobs in the last three years in urban and rural communities alike. Mikki is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.
Cynthia Sarthou
Executive Director
Gulf Restoration Network (GRN)
Cynthia (Cyn) M. Sarthou has been Executive Director of the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana since 1995. The GRN is a diverse network committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the resources of the Gulf Region. The GRN works to coordinate build the capacity of grassroots groups across the Gulf, and pursues regional campaigns on priority issues that include: (1) advocacy for restoration in the aftermath of the BP Oil Disaster; (2) reduction of water pollution entering the Gulf; and (3) increasing resilience of coastal communities.
Cyn received her B.A. from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, her law degree from the University of Mississippi in 1983 and her Masters of Law in Law and Marine Affairs from the University of Washington in 1992. She has received the River Hero Award for her work to stop the Yazoo Backwater Pumps Project in Mississippi, the Hero of the Seas Award for her years of advocacy for the marine resources of the Gulf, and the Brock Evans Award for Endangered Species Protection.