 John Bailey — Development Director
John is the Director of Development and is responsible for coordinating fundraising and related outreach for ILSR. He was a senior researcher at ILSR from 1992 until 2011, specializing in decentralized energy policy and analysis including topics of renewable energy, climate change, efficiency, tax policy and electric vehicles.
Contact – Twitter |
Linda Bilsens — Project Manager, Composting for Community Initiative and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Program
Linda is the Project Manager for ILSR’s Composting for Community project and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders community composter training program. Her role is dedicated to fostering a skilled, collaborative network of composters who are regenerating their communities, both socially and ecologically.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
Jessica Del Fiacco — Communications Specialist
Jessica Del Fiacco is a communications specialist with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She received her B.A. from Macalester College in 2016 and has since worked with a variety of local nonprofits committed to social and environmental justice. She works within ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks initiative to promote their published research reports, articles, and other materials.
Contact – Twitter
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 Hannah Bonestroo — Intern, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Hannah is an intern with ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative. She graduated from Macalester College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography and a concentration in Urban Studies. She utilizes her GIS mapping skills to visually supplement ILSR’s many projects focused on promoting broadband access.
Contact
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Marie Donahue — Research Associate, Community-Scaled Economy & Energy Democracy Initiatives
Marie Donahue works with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Energy Democracy and Community-Scaled Economy Initiatives. She analyzes and writes about the implications of corporate concentration and monopoly in these sectors.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 John Farrell — Co-Director & Director, Energy Democracy Initiative
John Farrell is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its work on energy democracy. John is best known for his vivid illustrations of the economic and environmental benefits of local ownership of decentralized renewable energy.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Zach Freed — Research Associate, Community-Scaled Economy Initiative
Zach Freed is a research associate with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community-Scaled Economy Initiative. His work focuses on ending concentrated private economic power.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
Mike Glassman — Communications Intern
Mike is an intern with ILSR’s communications team. He recently graduated from Union College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. His focus is on empowering communities to build local power.
Contact – Twitter
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 Lisa Gonzalez — Senior Researcher, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Lisa Gonzalez researches and reports on telecommunications and how those networks impact life on the local level. Her background includes experience in state politics, law, writing, and freelance journalism.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Katie Kienbaum – Research Associate, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Katie is a Research Associate with the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She researches and writes about rural Internet access and community-owned networks.
Contact |
 Linda Knapp — Director, MACREDO Project
Linda Knapp is a Senior Program Manager for ILSR, overseeing the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Recycling and Economic Development Officials, a recycling market development group funded by US EPA Region 3. Her current work focuses on increasing on-farm composting.
Full Bio – Contact |
 Hibba Meraay — Communications Manager
Hibba Meraay is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Communications Manager. She works closely with all of our initiatives to build community power and combat monopolies. She runs ILSR’s social media networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Hibba also produces the Institute’s Building Local Power podcast.
She joined ILSR after working with economic empowerment organizations in Oakland, California and Hartford, Connecticut. Outside of work, she is active in social justice initiatives and enjoys cooking for friends. Find her on twitter @hibbameraay.
Contact Hibba for media inquiries.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Christopher Mitchell — Director, Community Broadband Networks Initiative
Christopher’s work focuses on telecommunications — helping communities ensure the networks upon which they depend, are accountable to the community. He has published several reports, articles, and interviews while also offering technical assistance to communities around the country.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Stacy Mitchell — Co-Director & Director, Community-Scaled Economy Initiative
Stacy is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its initiative to decentralize economic power and level the playing field for independent businesses. She has produced many influential reports and articles, designed local and federal policies, and collaborated to build effective coalitions and campaigns.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 David Morris — Distinguished Fellow
David Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and currently ILSR’s distinguished fellow. He writes the blog, From the Desk of David Morris. He has served as an adviser or consultant to local, state and national governments and to private businesses large and small.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Jeffrey Neal, PE — Urban & On-Site Compost Consultant, Composting for Community Initiative
Commander, Jeffrey H. Neal is a retired United States Navy Civil Corps Engineer Officer and a graduate of ILSR’s Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders (NSR) Composter Training Program program. He provides his unique skill-set and expertise in composting, and facilities and program management to organizations and businesses that are considering composting.
Full Bio – Contact |
 Brenda Platt — Director, Composting for Community Initiative
Brenda Platt is a recycling expert and composting advocate, and directs ILSR’s Composting for Community project.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
 Neil Seldman — Director, Waste to Wealth Initiative
Neil Seldman, Ph.D., co-founded the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and is Director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative. Seldman is a leading recycling and zero waste activists assisting citizen, environmental and small business organizations in stopping garbage incinerators in scores of US cities. Subsequently, he works with these cities to increase recovery of materials from the waste stream and grow the local economy by adding value to materials through local processing, manufacturing and job creation. Prior to founding ILSR Seldman was a manufacturer of consumer products and professor of political science.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts |
 Virginia Streeter — Research Associate, Composting for Community Initiative
Virginia Streeter is a Research Associate for the Composting for Community Project. She produces written reports and articles regarding the world of community composting, provides support on ILSR’s legislative work in composting, and gets to meet and interview lots of amazing people working in the field.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts |
 Charlie Thaxton — Research Associate, Community-Scaled Economy Initiative
Charlie Thaxton is a researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community-Scaled Economy Initiative. He studies local economies, small businesses, civics, and their connection to social capital and wellness.
Full Bio – Contact – Recent Posts – Twitter |
Nora Goldstein
Jolie Jones
Chris Lewis
Kirk Marckwald
David Morris
Roy Priest
Gina Schaefer
Neil Seldman