2011 Eco Star Award Winners

Anne Carmack | Outstanding Achievement for Business Greening Program

In 2005, The Ambrose executive team approached Food and Beverage Director Anne Carmack with an invitation to participate in Santa Monica’s Green Business Certification pilot program. A self taught environmentalist, she jumped at the chance to further educate herself on the issues and spent the next year working closely with the Sustainable Works team implementing various hotel wide environmental initiatives. By 2006 The Ambrose was a grand prize winner of Santa Monica’s Sustainable Quality Award.

Determined to take the company’s commitment to sustainability to the next level Anne traded in her apron in 2007 for a role as the hotel’s LEED Project Manager. With the help of REThink Development founder, Greg Reitz, Anne led her team through the year long process of earning the United States Green Building Council’s prestigious LEED for Existing Building certification as well as the EPA’s Energy Star Certification.

In her current role as Director of Environmental Practices she remains committed to the low impact mission of The Ambrose and continues to manage all aspects of the hotel’s sustainability program.

Paula Waxman | Outstanding Achievement for Residential Greening Program

A native of Los Angeles and graduate of UCLA, Paula Waxman was an Assistant Vice-President of Sothebys Auction House for 16 years, Curator for the Norton Simon Museum and in 1987 became Director of the Douglas S. Cramer Art Foundation.  She taught world and art history at University High School in West Los Angeles for five years.

Her environmental activism stemmed from a growing concern for climate change.  After taking her first Sustainable Works Green Living Workshop in 2005, she established a recycling program at University High School and joined the South Robertson Neighborhoods Council (SORONC) in 2009 to co-chair its Green Committee.  Her ambition to provide Green Living Workshops free to all concerned citizens in the SORONC district was realized when Councilman Paul Koretz agreed to use a DWP grant to offer free workshops to Council District 5 stakeholders.

William A. Selby | Outstanding Achievement for Student Greening Program

William Selby had extensive experience in private industry before beginning his teaching career in 1981. He then taught geography and science to a variety of grade levels and age groups before taking his current full-time position at Santa Monica College in 1985. In addition to teaching a wide range of earth science and geography courses at SMC and serving in several leadership roles, Professor Selby organizes and leads many field trips throughout the state and beyond with his colleagues and students. He is recognized as an accomplished speaker on a wide range of subjects in geography and earth science. He has also been a guest lecturer at UCI and for UCLA geography classes and has taught courses at UCI as a Visiting Professor. He continues presenting at teacher training workshops, has been one of the most requested speakers for SMC’s Speakers Bureau for community groups, and presents papers each year for professional organizations, such as the AAG, APCG, and CGS.     

His diverse research interests and professional and personal activities reflect Professor Selby's devotion to earth science, geography, and environmental studies. His 482-page book, "Rediscovering the Golden State: California Geography", published by John Wiley and Sons, 2006 (2^nd Ed), combines his academic expertise and his practical experiences within California's myriad landscapes to present an invaluable guide to developments and issues that are changing California in the twenty-first century. He currently continues his work with SMC's Center for Environmental and Urban Studies, hosts their lectures series, and serves as an advisor to the City. His recent work with SMC’s Global Citizenship initiatives include the production of a field guide booklet and film on the diverse cultural neighborhoods of Los Angeles, another film on the natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains, and teaching geography classes for our Study Abroad Program.

Barent Roth | Outstanding Achievement as Executive Director for Sustainable Works

Barent served as Executive Director of Sustainable Works from 2008 to 2011 after teaching the Sustainable Works Green Living Workshops for three years.

Shortly after receiving his undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois he returned to U of I to discover his passion for teaching, educating designers on sustainable materials and processes. Later while graduating with Honors from the sustainable masters program in industrial design at the University of the Arts, Barent taught about industry's ability to unite environmental and economic goals through sustainability. In 2005 he moved to Los Angeles to launch the west coast office of grow-design, a green industrial design firm he co-founded, creating sustainable to restorative solutions for products and packaging. Immediately after arriving in Los Angeles, Barent formed LA Green Drinks in an effort to help connect the growing green community.

In addition to educating on the need for large scale sustainable efforts, he works to continuously improve his own personal impact by supporting sustainable businesses, living a vegan lifestyle, commuting via train or bike and participating in the emerging business paradigm of collaborative consumption.

Having recently married a New Yorker, Barent moved to Brooklyn in 2011 to live with his new wife (plus lower their ecological footprint) and now teaches sustainable design at Parsons the New School of Design in New York City.

Jonathan Caplan | Volunteer of the Year

Originally from Vermont, Jonthan moved to California in 1991 to follow his dream as an actor. In 2007 he took the Sustainable Works Green Living workshop and it changed his life. Now he is teaching the class to residents and students.  He is also working on getting commercial composting open to Los Angeles residents, as well as being the head salesperson for the Green Festival, which is finally coming to Los Angeles the last weekend of October.