Green Newton

Alan Gordon, President

Alan has been a Newton resident since 1994. Alan has been the Green Newton President since September 1, 2024. In addition, Alan was appointed to the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission, where he advocates for zero waste policies, single use plastic reduction, and the adoption of residential and business composting. Alan previously worked at Harvard University helping faculty launch new startups based on their research innovations.

Sunwoo Kahng, Vice President, Marketing & Zero Waste Committees

Sunwoo is currently chair of the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission. She enjoys being on the bleeding edge of sustainable tech but otherwise tries to lead a life of 'less is more.'

Don Ross, Treasurer

Don has been a Newton resident since 1983. Since 2015, he has had solar panels on his roof that power his BMW EV. As a member of the Electric Vehicle Taskforce, he promotes purchasing and using electric vehicles, bikes, and buses. He is an active member of the Friends of Hemlock Gorge and Friends of Cold Spring Park. As Treasurer of the Newton/San Juan del Sur Sister Cities Project, he travels to Nicaragua to support the Free High School for Adults, the Technical School, water filters, and smoke-free chimneys.

Barbara Brousal-Glaser, Clerk, At-Large

Barbara served three terms as a Newton City Councilor where she helped pass the city’s plastic bag reduction ordinance, the ordinance to ban styrofoam and spearheaded the resolution to support the Green New Deal. She is interested in looking for ways for the private and public sector to work together to support a greater urban tree canopy in Newton.

Dan Ruben, Chairman of the Board, Buildings Standards Committee Chair

Board member since 1996, Dan leads the Building Standards Committee, which advocates for sustainable construction in Newton. Also, he has coached over 200 residents to live greener lifestyles. As a professional, Dan teaches Sustainable Hospitality and Sustainable Tourism at Boston University. Previously, he founded and led Boston Green Tourism, which helped hotels be more sustainable, and he led an organization that brought environmental best practices to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Marcia Cooper, President Emeritus, Public Affairs & Schools Committees

Board member since 2005, Marcia leads Green Newton Public Affairs Committee and outreach to schools in support of Green Newton's mission.
She also serves on the Environment Committee of the Charles River Chamber, and Newton's Electric Vehicle Task Force, as well as a liaison to the Massachusetts Climate Action Network. Additionally, she coordinates assignments for Green Newton's Youth leaders and spearheads creative environmental projects to engage residents in taking steps for energy efficiency and the protection of our natural resources.

Sharon Cushing, At-Large

Sharon Cushing taught social studies for 10 years and has worked for 25 years as a financial/retirement advisor. She believes it is our responsibility to honor, protect and enjoy our beautiful planet.

Craig Forman, Energy Efficiency Committee Chair

Craig has been a Newton resident for over 30 years and a Board member since 2016. He holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, as well as an MBA. Craig believes that we must take it upon ourselves at the personal, neighborhood, and city levels to take bold steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels to address the climate crisis. He served as chairperson for the 2017-2018 Newton Goes Solar campaign. Since 2020, he has led the volunteer team for HeatSmart Newton, a city initiative to encourage adoption of heat pump heating and cooling technology to help move residents towards electrification of their homes. He also serves as a Newton Citizen Energy Coach.

Brian Hodgson, Marketing Committee

Brian has 25 years experience in marketing in high technology. He believes that climate change is the most important challenge of our time, and that individuals can each make a difference within their local community.

Karen Kipman, Marketing Committee

Karen joins Green Newton's Board with over 15 years of Marketing experience. She lives in Newton with her family, and is passionate about leading a green lifestyle. She believes the environment is the biggest challenge our children will face, and is inspired to help educate & mobilize our local community for a greener tomorrow.

John Lewis, Marketing Committee & Business Liaison

John has been living in Newton for 10 years with his family of 5. He co-chairs the Environment Committee of the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce, working with local businesses to become more sustainable, and is a member of the Newton Sustainable Materials Management Commission, focusing on increasing the adoption of composting.

Jim Purdy, Transportation/Smart Growth Committee Chair

Jim led Green Living and Eco-team groups, and is a long-time member and officer of Friends of Hemlock Gorge. As a land use planning consultant, Jim works with communities to incorporate sustainability into their comprehensive plans and to support pedestrian and bicycle transportation and open space planning.

Mindy Gregory Sieber, Chair of Governance & Fundraising Committees

Board Member since 2012, Mindy focuses on strategic planning, fundraising and governance. Mindy founded an online store selling goods that are both sustainable and fair-trade. She is also on the board of Newton Community Farm.

Peter Smith, Building Standards Committee and Chamber Environment Committee.

A founding board member and past president, Peter established the newsletter (Green News) and the annual GreenEXPO (originally the Green Solutions EXPO). He serves on the annual Environmental Award Committee. Peter also co-chairs the Environment Committee of the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce, initiating their Green Business Awards Breakfast and coordinating Newton Business Energy Savers.

Elizabeth Sockwell, Schools Committee

Liza is the founder of the 4C Tree Project (Capture Carbon Commemorate Covid). As part of this project, 260 trees in honor of Newton neighbors and loved ones who lost their lives to Covid have been planted in public places across the city. Liza is part of Newton's Urban Tree Commission and enjoys empowering youth to make change.

Andrew Thompson, Schools Committee

Andrew has been teaching at Newton South High School since 2000, and co-created a senior elective in sustainability, which has helped students work to make Newton a greener and stronger community. Andrew coordinates the Green Captain program in Newton's public schools, which supports staff in the schools as they organize sustainability initiatives in their communities.

Judy Lehrer Jacobs, Executive Director

Judy became Executive Director of Green Newton in 2023, bringing with her a deep passion for environmental advocacy and a commitment to impactful, community-driven change. Attracted by Green Newton’s ambitious vision and dedicated volunteer leadership, she is focused on advancing the organization’s mission to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Newton and inspire residents to take meaningful actions that protect and preserve the local environment.

With nearly two decades of experience leading the Friends of the Blue Hills, Judy has a proven track record in conservation and grassroots organizing. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Kim Leeds, Program Manager