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Instructors

The Financial Permaculture Design & Facilitation Team consists of an interdisciplinary coalition of individuals from the business, non-profit and education sectors who have come together to create a forum to address the economic and environmental challenges of the day. Through grassroots organizing, participatory design, and democracy we are working with local communities to create holistic and regenerative economic solutions for local and international sustainability.

Below are the biographies of instructors and facilitators for the 2009 Convergence.

Catherine Austin Fitts

Catherine Austin Fitts is a former managing director and member of the board of the Wall Street investment firm Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. Catherine is the former Assistant Secretary of Housing – Federal Housing Commissioner under George H. W. Bush, and was president of The Hamilton Securities Group, an investment bank and financial software developer. She is presently the president of Solari, Inc, an online ethical investment media company, and is the founder and managing member of Solari Investment Advisory Services, LLC. Catherine has designed and closed over $25 billion of transactions and investments to-date and has led portfolio strategy for $300 billion of financial assets and liabilities. Catherine has an abiding interest in helping communities invest locally and sustainably, and is an enthusiastic supporter of this educational project.

Jennifer English

Jennifer English, M.S., N. D. is an instructor and consultant in sustainable and healthy lifestyles, permaculture design, and yoga. She has an N.D. in Traditional Naturopathy and an M.S. in Natural Health, a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Environmental Studies, a Diploma in Wildlife Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Eco-social Design, and 14 years professional experience leading projects and non-profits in the alternative health and environmental sectors. Jennifer is the Director and Founder of the Center for Holistic Ecology and co-founder of Solar Springs LLC, a permaculture design consulting firm. Jennifer’s areas of specialization include: local economic development, community networks, eco-entrepreneurialism, consumer advocacy and whole ecosystems design.a Masters in Architecture - she studied in Austria and the Netherlands - during and after her studies she focused on green and social aspects of architecture and urban planning - the she worked for the Delft Interfacultary Research Institute and the Department for environMental Design at the Delft University of Technology, NL - later she deepened her experience in Ecovillage Design working for the Ecovillage Training Center in Tennessee, USA - Since 2006 she is involved in Gaia University where she is working as a advisor, developer and graphic designer – Valerie is Co founder of Gaia Southeast a regional node of Gaia University in Tennessee.


Greg Landua

Greg is the Program Coordinator for the Ecovillage Training Center on The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee.  He is an active permaculture and ecovillage design educator, founding partner of the Nemawashi Partnership, and core member of the Living Mandala Design Collective.  Along with teaching and practicing permaculture, Greg is an active bioregional organizer and NextGEN fellow helping to craft avenues and pathways for intergenerational dialog and collaboration in the shared enterprise of earth regeneration. Greg has studied marine and terrestrial ecology and evolutionary biology in the Galapagos Islands, translated for Amazonian rainforest guides, fought wildfires in the wilderness of Alaska, and studied the nuances of ecology and ethics.  Greg has B.S. in Environmental Science and Ethics from Oregon State University, and is receiving a graduate diploma in Organizing Learning for Ecosocial Regeneration from Gaia University International, and is also a member of the coordination team for the 10th Continental Bioregional Congress.

Jason Eaton

Financial Advisor - Jason began his career as an ecologist. After years of work as an activist on social and environmental issues, combined with a few classes on economics, he decided the best way to bring about sustainability was to influence the way money works. Jason’s undergraduate studies were in Natural Resource Ecology and holds a graduate certificate in Environmental Education, both from the University of Idaho . Jason is a Registered Representative and focuses on socially responsible investing, including community investing, micro cap stocks of sustainable businesses, global political economy, and innovative investment strategies for social change. He is joining us from Syracuse, New York.

Albert Bates

Director of Ecovillage Training Center and Institute for Appropriate Technology. Mr Bates is a former environmental and civil rights lawyer, author and teacher. He argued environmental and civil rights cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and served on the steering committee of Plenty International relief organization for 18 years. He is a major organizer and former board chairman and president of the Global Ecovillage Network. He has taught courses in sustainable design, permaculture and natural building to students from more than 50 nations. His latest book is The Post-petroleum Survival Guide and Cookbook, on the transition from abundant cheap petroleum to compelled conservation.

 

Ethan Roland

Ethan is a permaculture designer, teacher, and researcher practicing regenerative design from New York to Azerbaijan and beyond. He holds a M.Sc. in Collaborative Eco-social Design from Gaia University, and builds resilience for local and global communities through the ecological design firm AppleSeed Permaculture.

Thomas Hupp

  Thomas Hupp has followed a broad based action learning path and carries a diverse set of skills and experience. Educated in business at The University of Colorado, Thomas has experience in organic farming, renewable energy, marketing, and running a satellite communications export company. Thomas is the founder and director of the Leadership School, as well as  is a founding member of The Farm intentional community.  He has years of training and experience in personal growth skills, and is passionate about studying and sharing the knowledge of the great thinkers of our time.


Debbie Landers
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Justin Sanders
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Appearing by video chat:

Andy Langford

  Andy Langford is co-founder of Gaia University and founder and CEO of The Permaculture Academy of Britain. Andy brought Permaculture to the UK in 1986 and initiated the Permaculture Association of Britain, as well as the Permaculture Diploma WorkNet. He has been active in the European permaculture and ecovillage networks, is a member of the European Permaculture Council, and has served on the European Council of the Global Ecovillage Network. He was recipient of the Permaculture Community Service Award, Permaculture Institute of Australia, 1993 – for outstanding services to the international permaculture community. Andy specializes in land-use matters and action learning educational techniques. His Sustainable Development Initiative in Devon, England was commended as ‘best practice’ in UK Government’s report 1996.


Liora Adler

  Liora Adler is co-founder and president of Gaia University, and serves as an International Advisory Council Member and representative to the United Nations for the Global Ecovillage Network. She is co-founder of two ecovillage projects in Latin America - Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage in Mexico and La Caravana Arcoiris por la Paz, a mobile project, now in its 12th year, and in Brazil.  Liora is also currently on the Advisory Board of the Ecovillage Network of the Americas, and specializes in consensus and facilitation training. Liora has focused on the human architecture underlying ecovillages and other social change groups, and has shared her experience and knowledge in over 30 countries.


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