Presenter Bios
James Anaya has taught and written extensively on international human rights and issues concerning indigenous peoples. Among his numerous publications are his acclaimed book, Indigenous Peoples in International Law (Oxford Univ. Press (1996); 2d ed. (2004)), and his widely used textbook, International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy and Process (Wolters/Kluwer, 6th ed. 2011) (with Hurst Hannum and Dinah Shelton). He served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from May 2008 to June 2014.
Dean Anaya has lectured in many countries throughout the world. He has advised numerous indigenous and other organizations from several countries on matters of human rights and indigenous peoples, and he has represented indigenous groups from many parts of North and Central America in landmark cases before domestic and international tribunals, including the United States Supreme Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Among his noteworthy activities, he participated in the drafting of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and was the lead counsel for the indigenous parties in the case of Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua, in which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the first time upheld indigenous land rights as a matter of international law. As UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Dean Anaya monitored the human rights conditions of indigenous peoples worldwide, addressed situations in which their rights were being violated, and promoted practical measures to secure indigenous peoples' rights, travelling frequently to meet with government officials and visit indigenous communities.
Prior to becoming a full time law professor, he practiced law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, representing Native American peoples and other minority groups. For his work during that period, Barrister magazine, a national publication of the American Bar Association, named him as one of "20 young lawyers who make a difference." Dean Anaya served on the law faculty at the University of Arizona from 1999 to 2016 and on the faculty of the University of Iowa from 1988 to 1999. Additionally, he has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the University of Toronto, and the University of Tulsa.
Koehn has been a leader on Boulder’s Climate Initiatives Team since 2006 when he joined the organization as the Manager for the Office of Environmental Affairs. He came from Flagstaff, AZ, where he oversaw the city's conservation and sustainability programs.
In his tenure with Boulder, Koehn was instrumental in the decade-long effort to create a locally owned and operated electric utility followed by building the city’s innovative partnership with Xcel Energy to help move the city toward its energy, equity and resilience goals. Additionally, he has spearheaded the city’s efforts to slow climate change and build a more resilient community through his work in renewable energy, natural climate solutions and the circular economy.
Koehn also shares his knowledge and experience with the leaders of tomorrow by teaching for the Masters of the Environment School at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Representative Joe Neguse has served as the Congressman for Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House since being first elected in November 2018. He currently serves as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), the No. 5 elected position in House Leadership, and is the first Coloradan to serve in senior leadership in over 85 years. During his three-terms in the House, the Congressman has earned national praise for his ability to craft and enact legislation, and as the former Chairman of the Public Lands Subcommittee, has been identified as one of the most effective legislators in the Congress. He has had 22 pieces of legislation signed into law, by presidents of both political parties, and has been recognized nationally as one of the most bipartisan lawmakers in the country, including through his role as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus. He currently serves as a member of the Natural Resources, Judiciary, and Rules Committees. Before being elected to Congress, Rep. Neguse led Colorado’s consumer protection and business regulatory agency as a member of then-Governor John Hickenlooper’s Cabinet and Executive Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies. An attorney and civic leader, Rep. Neguse also served six years on the University of Colorado Board of Regents, where he earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, and Juris Doctorate.
The 2nd Congressional District, which is geographically larger than eight U.S. states, is home to both of Colorado’s major research universities and includes suburban cities, rural communities, and the most iconic mountain towns in America. The district spans 11 counties in Northern and Western Colorado, stretching up to the Wyoming border and west across the Continental Divide, and includes Fort Collins, Longmont, Boulder, Vail and Steamboat Springs, among many other communities.
Benjamin Schachter is a Human Rights Officer and the focal point for climate change and the environment at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Prior to joining OHCHR, he worked as an attorney in the United States and as a Research Assistant to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples at the University of Arizona.
His current work focuses on the human rights impacts of climate change and other forms of environmental degradation and the corresponding obligations of States. Benjamin has also coordinated and led OHCHR’s delegation to the UNFCCC since 2015, organized Human Rights Council panel discussions on climate change in each of the last three years and prepared the related Human Rights Council reports including an analytical study on climate change and its impacts on the enjoyment of the human right to health (A/HRC/32/23), one on climate change and its impacts on the full and effective enjoyment of the rights of the child (A/HRC/35/13), and one on climate change and the rights of migrants (A/HRC/38/21).
Benjamin studied environmental, international, and human rights law at the University of Arizona, New York University and the National University of Singapore.
In January 2019, Will Toor joined the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) as its Executive Director appointed by Governor Jared Polis. Will’s background spans transportation electrification, sustainable transportation, smart growth, electric vehicle policy, clean energy finance, green building policy, local government policy and regional planning.
Prior to CEO, Will was Transportation Program Director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). Before SWEEP, Will served as Boulder County Commissioner for eight years where he led the effort to create and adopt a countywide Sustainable Energy Plan, the BuildSmart green building code, the EnergySmart program, and the ClimateSmart Loan Program. Prior to being elected Boulder County Commissioner, Will served as Mayor of Boulder for six years where he developed Boulder’s community transit network, EcoPass unlimited access transit pass programs, and policies for denser, mixed-use urban infill development as an alternative to sprawl. Will previously served on and chaired the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG).
He was appointed by Governor Ritter to the state Transportation Funding and Implementation blue ribbon panel, the Governor’s Climate Action Panel, and the Regional Air Quality Council. He was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Air Quality Control Commission and the state oil and gas taskforce. Will spent 12 years as Director of the University of Colorado Environmental Center, where he developed campus sustainability programs in the areas of solid waste, building energy use, and transportation planning.
Will holds a BS in Physics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago.
Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business
Kathryn has over two decades of experience leading global social impact and sustainability programs within the public, private, and higher education sectors.
As the Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business, Kathryn helps to empower business leaders to drive solutions to environmental, social, and ethical challenges. Previously, Kathryn was the Director of Program Delivery at Stanford University's Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (known as Stanford Seed). Earlier in her career, Kathryn worked as a Corporate Responsibility Manager at Chevron Corporation, a Sustainable Development Specialist at the World Bank, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. Kathryn currently serves as an Advisor to The Climate Initiative (TCI), a national nonprofit organization.
Kathryn has an MBA from UC Berkeley, an MA in Forestry & Cultural Anthropology from Yale, and a BA with honors from Dartmouth College. She enjoys adventure traveling and has visited over 80 countries around the world.
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