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Meet the Team

Donna Walden

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

In her role as president of greenUP!, Donna partnered with Western Nevada College to secure funding and launch the Nevada Green Business Network. As founder and director of the Nevada Green Business Network, she manages partnerships, leads strategic planning, and oversees marketing and administration. Donna also develops educational programs and technical resources to help Nevada businesses green their operations. Donna is an independent filmmaker and likes writing scripts and producing films in her spare time.

(949) 306-3465

Erica Gallegos

PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Erica is the Program Coordinator at Western Nevada College. She manages the GreenBizTracker database and helps facilitate the green business program in Northern Nevada. She graduated with honors from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Renewable Energy. On weekends, Erica enjoys exploring nature and writing fantasy adventure novels.

(775) 220-7401

GREEN BUSINESS ADVISORS

Kim Rios

Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful

Kim is an environmental educator for KTMB who gained experience through teaching abroad. She has a degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Nevada, Reno. Apart from talking about trash, Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, exploring the great outdoors, and discovering new hobbies.

kimberly@ktmb.org

Sapphire Arana

greenUP!

Sapphire serves as the Green Dining Coordinator for Southern Nevada, collaborating with
restaurants to establish sustainable business practices. A Las Vegas native, her mission is to
introduce eco-friendly technologies to BIPOC and underserved communities. Sapphire's dedication to environmental equity drives her efforts to build a greener and more sustainable Southern Nevada.

sapphire@greenupnv.org

Mark Helleckson

Incline Village General Improvement District

Mark Helleckson joined the IVGID Waste Not team in December of 2023 and assumed the role of Green Business Advisor. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and minor in Psychology. He has directed outdoor leadership education programs that focused on environmental stewardship, and currently helps protect Tahoe’s drinking water by collecting data for IVGID’s long established surface water sampling program. In his free time he enjoys skiing and snowboarding all over the Tahoe Basin, hiking with his husky Luna, and relaxing on any of Tahoe’s beautiful beaches.

msh@ivgid.org

Michael Lubin

Western Nevada College

Michael Lubin is our new Green Business Program Assistant, aiding in the development of business relationships and applications of the Nevada Green Business Program. Michael obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He followed with a Master’s degree from George Washington University specializing in economic development. Outside of work, Michael enjoys the wonderful trail network we have in Northern Nevada.

michael.lubin@wnc.edu