About

Jason Wiener (Media Outreach Coordinator)

Jason  now holds down the Colorado contingent of L4GJ in his new role as General Counsel of Namaste Solar in Boulder.  He was previously a Staff Attorney in the litigation department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He focused on international corporate litigation and devotes considerable energy to pro bono work, on Tibetan political asylum, habeas corpus petitions, and NGO trademark infringement issues. He was the Secretary of the New York City Bar Association’s International Environmental Law Committee and the author of five law review articles on various international and environmental law topics in U.S. and British law journals. Jason is a 2005 graduate cum laude from Suffolk University Law School where he completed a concentration with honors in international law.  Jason graduated with a B.S. from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  Melding his interests in labor and the environment, green collar jobs represent the nexus of his intellectual and professional pursuit.

Jason’s interest in environmental law stems from his passion for the outdoors, and environmental and ecological advocacy. Jason has traveled extensively in and around natural and urban environments in North America, Europe, South America and the Caribbean, and has become committed to environmental sustainability and a green economy.

Jason credits NYCELLI for imparting the necessary tools -both legal and practical- to more actively engage in environmental sustainability work. He embarked on a 3-month environmentalism research journey this summer around North America. The purpose was to meet with environmental advocates, researchers, green business leaders, technologists, and environmental stewards in government to build a broad-based coalition and document their cutting-edge work on regional and national issues. Jason hopes that this knowledge can inform the work of environmentalists here in New York City.  Documentation of his travels and research can be found at www.travelographer.org.  Jason had resided in Park Slope, Brooklyn where he could often be found on the bocce ball court.  He now calls Boulder, Colorado home, where he can be found pontificating ways to propogate solar and spend time outdoors.

J. Cullen Howe (State Policy Coordinator)

J. Cullen Howe is an environmental law specialist in Arnold & Porter LLP’s environmental practice group. He is the managing editor of Environmental Law in New York, a monthly newsletter, and edits the Environmental Law Practice Guide, Brownfields Law and Practice, and Environmental Impact Review in New York. He recently co-authored chapters on climate change and green buildings for the Environmental Law Practice Guide, and is the co-editor along with Michael Gerrard of “The Law of Green Buildings,” scheduled for publication in summer 2009.  Prior to joining Arnold & Porter, Cullen practiced for six years at two litigation boutiques in Manhattan, where he focused on commercial litigation and employment law.  He is a graduate of Vermont Law School, where he was the managing editor of the Vermont Law Review, and a graduate of DePauw University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Giselle Vigneron (National Policy Coordinator)

Giselle Vigneron is an environmental public policy Attorney, dedicated to the transition to a clean energy economy. She currently works as a Policy Intern at Green For All, a national green jobs advocacy non-profit organization. Prior to this pro bono work, Giselle worked for a number of environmental non-profits, the private sector and California State Government.

In 2002, Giselle was appointed by former California Governor Gray Davis, to serve as Assistant Secretary of the California State and Consumer Services Agency. In this position, Giselle launched and implemented California’s first state-run energy efficiency education program and directed a broad network of public and private partnerships to deliver energy efficiency education and facility improvements services to hundreds of schools in the underserved Central Valley.

Giselle is a published author of law review articles on international environmental law and co-authored articles on climate change and green collar jobs. She earned her law degree at the University of Paris in France and an LL.M. in International Environmental Law at the University of Washington in Seattle.

In 2008, Giselle joined the board of Solar Richmond (www.solarrichmond.org), a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to the use of solar energy and green collar jobs for low income communities and communities of color.

Delight Balducci (Legislative Coordinator)

Delight Balducci is an associate attorney at Periconi, LLC, an environmental law and litigation boutique firm in Manhattan, where her practice focuses on the prosecution and defense of private and government cost recovery actions, brownfields development, federal and state environmental quality review, innovative enforcement settlements, and advising property owners and developers in environmental due diligence. She recently co-authored, along with James Periconi, a piece for the New York Law Journal titled “New Duties to Tell Tenants If Indoor Air Test Exceed Markers” and regularly contributes to Periconi, LLC’s environmental blog. Ms. Balducci is proud of her participation and membership in the New York City Environmental Law Leadership Institute. She is also a member of the New York State Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section and the American Bar Association’s Environment, Energy and Resources Section. Prior to joining Periconi, LLC, Ms. Balducci practiced at an insurance boutique firm, focusing on coverage litigation and professional liability claims. Ms. Balducci graduated from Pace University School of Law, where she also received her Certificate in Environmental Law. She earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology along with a minor in French Language and Culture from The University of Scranton.

Stephanie Haas (Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator)

Stephanie Haas is a european attorney dedicated to social justice work.  After graduating from Pace Law School where she earned an L.L.M in Environmental Law, Stephanie worked for several non-profit organizations in Washington D.C. and New York.  She currently works for the New York Environmental Law and Justice Project, a non-profit organization that represents local communities that are particularly affected by toxic pollutants whether from indoor or outdoor sources, privatization of public spaces, land and water contamination, and many other environmental justice issues.  In 2008, Stephanie was part of a women’s delegation that met with Native Women in the South West to witness the struggles faced by Native Peoples, and to assist them on a pro-bono basis for any legal work they need.  As a public interest attorney, Stephanie strives to always examine the human right aspect of each legal issue she is confronted to in order to bring equal opportunities to members of a community.

Kara Murphy (State Policy Coordinator)

Kara Murphy found her passion for protecting the environment while working for Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey. While there, Kara worked on environmental issues concerning Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and Iroquois Gas Pipeline. Kara decided to pursue her passion by going back to school to gain knowledge of the laws promulgated, policies enacted, and the science established to protect the environment. She is a 2005 graduate of the first class of the joint program between Pace University School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor with a Certificate in Environmental Law, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she received a Masters in Environmental Management with a focus in water science, policy, and management. During her time at law school, she interned at the Pace Energy Project and the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic where she worked on the Catskill Mountains case, regarding litigation against NYC DEP to obtain a Clean Water Act permit for discharges of contaminated water into Esopus Creek. Kara is an Assistant Regional Counsel for the Office of Regional Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 office. Prior to joining Region 2, Kara worked as a Staff Attorney for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Administrative Law Judges located in Washington, DC.* Kara is thrilled that she was given the opportunity to be a member of NYCELLI which created a wonderful learning environment that inspired her and a group of others to improve the environment of New York and the health of its residents. Kara feels honored to be part of Lawyers for Green Jobs. Being a native New Yorker, it gives her great pride in advancing a legislative tool that will provide green job educational and training programs to low-income residents seeking pathways out of poverty while at the same time protecting the environment.

*Nothing herein is to be construed as an official pronouncement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Birgitte Rasine (Communications and Media Strategy Consultant)