Board of Directors

Michael Hare serves as Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). He brings nearly two decades of experience in government affairs, coastal restoration, environmental markets, and strategic communications to the role.

Before joining CPRA, Hare founded WILDHARE Solutions, a consulting firm supporting clie

Michael Hare serves as Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA). He brings nearly two decades of experience in government affairs, coastal restoration, environmental markets, and strategic communications to the role.

Before joining CPRA, Hare founded WILDHARE Solutions, a consulting firm supporting clients in the environmental markets industry with a focus on compensatory mitigation and coastal restoration opportunities. He also served as Director of Government Affairs and Business Development for Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC (RES), a national leader in ecological restoration. At RES, he led government affairs initiatives at the federal and state level, managed teams of consultants and lobbyists, developed strategic communications, and supported growth opportunities in coastal restoration.

Earlier in his career, Hare spent over a decade working for Congressman Charles Boustany. He served as a senior legislative assistant in Washington, D.C., focusing on agriculture, defense, trade, and infrastructure, and later as Deputy District Director in Lafayette, LA, addressing coastal, wetlands, and infrastructure issues across southwest Louisiana. He also managed major congressional and senatorial campaigns and served as Vice President for Policy at One Acadiana, where he advanced education, transportation, and workforce policies for the region.

Michael serves on the board of directors for the Coast Builders Coalition and is the immediate past president of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA), a national trade association representing more than 65 companies in the restoration industry.

He earned dual undergraduate degrees in political science and economics from Louisiana State University (LSU), a master’s degree in U.S. foreign policy from American University, and an Executive MBA from LSU.

He and his wife, Jamie, live in Lafayette with their three children, William, Carter, and Gavin. 

Founder of AEMI in 2019, and President of JT&A, inc., Carlene Bahler joined JT&A, inc. over 30 years ago, developing and leading programs drawing together diverse stakeholders and creating education and outreach products.  

She has played a key role in facilitating the successful growth and expansion of two key environmental market platfor

Founder of AEMI in 2019, and President of JT&A, inc., Carlene Bahler joined JT&A, inc. over 30 years ago, developing and leading programs drawing together diverse stakeholders and creating education and outreach products.  

She has played a key role in facilitating the successful growth and expansion of two key environmental market platforms - the Environmental Markets Conference and the Global Environmental Markets and Finance Summit, serving  as a visionary leader on both. 

Carlene's leadership role in environmental markets began nearly 30 years ago as the host of the Environmental Markets Conference (formerly the National Mitigation & Ecosystem Banking Conference) , the well-known and respected independent and balanced annual forum convening 800 attendees to advance environmental solutions with public and economic benefit.    

Adam is the founder and President of RiverBank. He is the current president of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA), a national trade association representing more than 65 companies in the restoration industry. His background in environmental science and policy as well as business allows him to interact with academics, r

Adam is the founder and President of RiverBank. He is the current president of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA), a national trade association representing more than 65 companies in the restoration industry. His background in environmental science and policy as well as business allows him to interact with academics, regulators and customers to provide sound solutions to complex environmental permitting problems. He regularly contributes to scientific articles and conferences related to environmental markets, policy and entrepreneurship. He also serves on the Board of Visitors at UNC’s Institute for the Environment.

Mr. DeYoung is a co-founder of WES. He has four decades of experience in planning, environmental review, wetland mitigation, and endangered species conservation. His background includes the permitting of mitigation and conservation banks and large-scale mitigation projects in the West, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southeast. He is Vice Pr

Mr. DeYoung is a co-founder of WES. He has four decades of experience in planning, environmental review, wetland mitigation, and endangered species conservation. His background includes the permitting of mitigation and conservation banks and large-scale mitigation projects in the West, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southeast. He is Vice President Emeritus, Westervelt Ecological Services, and also currently serves as Vice President of the Ecological Restoration Business Association (ERBA).

Mr. DeYoung's experience in mitigation bank establishment includes a number of mitigation and conservation banking milestones, including: the first California Red-Legged Frog Conservation Bank; the first Central Valley vernal pool conservation bank; and the first Delta smelt, steelhead, and Chinook salmon conservation bank.

Prior to WES, Mr. DeYoung's positions included Senior Vice President with Wildlands, Inc. and Principle of Planning Concepts, a regional planning and environmental review firm. Mr. DeYoung’s volunteer positions have included Director for the Nevada County Land Trust, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, and the Whitney Oaks Wetlands Conservancy.

Mr. DeYoung holds a Bachelors degree in Environmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters degree in Urban Planning from the California State University, Pomona. Mr. DeYoung is a member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Martin is the director of the Water Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and a professor of river science and policy at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. He is also the coconvenor and organizer of the Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum programming and coleads (with Newsha Ajami) the

Martin is the director of the Water Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability and a professor of river science and policy at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. He is also the coconvenor and organizer of the Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum programming and coleads (with Newsha Ajami) the Aspen National Water Affordability Strategy Initiative.

His work ranges from fluid mechanics and sediment transport to infrastructure finance and federal water policy. His first book, The Source (WW Norton, 2018), is a history of America’s rivers. His second book, Streams of Revenue (MIT Press, 2021) is an analysis of ecosystem markets. In addition to his role as a professor, Doyle helped establish the Department of the Interior’s Natural Resources Investment Center, an initiative of the Obama administration to push forward private investment in water infrastructure, and prior to that (2009–2010) was the inaugural Frederick J. Clarke Scholar at the US Army Corps of Engineers. He is currently (2023–2024) a senior advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works).

Doyle has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, an Early Career Award from the National Science Foundation, and was named a Kavli Fellow for the Frontiers of Science from the National Academy of Sciences. He is completing a third book—Water & Wall Street—a history and analysis of infrastructure finance in the United States.eve that renewable energy is the future. Our clean energy program promotes the use of solar and wind power, and supports the development of sustainable energy infrastructure.

Barrett is the area manager for Davey Mitigation and is based in Raleigh, N.C.  He began work with Restoration Systems in 2006 after receiving his undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  His favorite projects include managing the creation of the private nutrient offset and buffe

Barrett is the area manager for Davey Mitigation and is based in Raleigh, N.C.  He began work with Restoration Systems in 2006 after receiving his undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  His favorite projects include managing the creation of the private nutrient offset and buffer market in NC and negotiating the transfer of 1500 acres of riparian wetland mitigation for the North Carolina Global Transpark. 

Over the course of 5 years Barrett gained experience in the various facets of project development with Restoration Systems and developed and sold mitigation credit to over 100 public and private entities.

He then spent five years between managing a hobby farm growing over 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables, working for an early stage mitigation company in Texas, and becoming a CPA by receiving his Masters in Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

He loves the challenge of finding the balance that works between landowner, regulator, and developer, with the overall goal of improving the market for aquatic resource mitigation through practice.  Barrett resides in Raleigh with his wife Brooke and two daughters Lily and Ava.

Tim founded the Environmental Policy Innovation Center in 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Director. Prior to launching this startup, he served as an Associate Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Vice President for Conservation Policy at Defenders of Wildlife, Director at National Fish and Wildlife Foun

Tim founded the Environmental Policy Innovation Center in 2017 and currently serves as its Executive Director. Prior to launching this startup, he served as an Associate Director at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Vice President for Conservation Policy at Defenders of Wildlife, Director at National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Co-Director of agriculture policy at Environmental Defense Fund. He holds degrees in science from Yale University and the University of Hawaii. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Science magazine and a diversity of peer-reviewed journals. He has received a Marshall Memorial Fellowship and AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship (declined). He also ran for office and won, serving three terms as a city councilmember and leading the successful effort for that city to become the first in the country to lower its voting age to 16.

Dave is the Managing Director, Operations, for Ecosystem Investment Partners. He is a licensed professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in wetland and stream restoration. As a nationally recognized expert in mitigation banking, he’s also a past President of the Ecological Restoration Business Association and a former pe

Dave is the Managing Director, Operations, for Ecosystem Investment Partners. He is a licensed professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in wetland and stream restoration. As a nationally recognized expert in mitigation banking, he’s also a past President of the Ecological Restoration Business Association and a former permit officer at the Chicago District of the Corps. As of 9/30/2020, David has been directly involved in the restoration of 44,203 acres of wetland and 188 miles of stream in 14 USACE Districts across 12 States.

Early in his career, David was involved in the design of multiple water resource projects including reservoirs, spillways, storm sewers and flood control management. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a MS in Environmental Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy for 5 years.

Rebecca is a program officer in the Environment Program’s Mississippi River Initiative, where her grantmaking focuses on natural infrastructure and managing the river as an interconnected system. Prior to joining the Foundation, Rebecca served as Director of the 12-state North Central Region Water Network housed at the University of Wisco

Rebecca is a program officer in the Environment Program’s Mississippi River Initiative, where her grantmaking focuses on natural infrastructure and managing the river as an interconnected system. Prior to joining the Foundation, Rebecca served as Director of the 12-state North Central Region Water Network housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension and led a wide range of outreach programs building community and institutional capacity for water resource management. Rebecca began her career with a private consulting firm restoring savannas, prairies, wetlands in the Upper Midwestern U.S., and spent nearly a decade with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restoring savanna ecosystems. She has an undergraduate degree in wildlife management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a master’s degree in watershed management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies.

 It is with great sadness we lost Stuart Haney on Saturday,  April 25, 2020.  Stuart gave his "ALL" to AEMI.  A forward thinking and out-of-the-box visionary, Stuart saw AEMI strengthening investment in the environment  by connecting the "silos" and supporting proven science and tools.  More on Stuart below.  

Former General Counsel, Jack 

 It is with great sadness we lost Stuart Haney on Saturday,  April 25, 2020.  Stuart gave his "ALL" to AEMI.  A forward thinking and out-of-the-box visionary, Stuart saw AEMI strengthening investment in the environment  by connecting the "silos" and supporting proven science and tools.  More on Stuart below.  

Former General Counsel, Jack Kent Cooke Incorporated and

Founding Board Member, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Stuart Haney previously served as in-house counsel to Jack Kent Cooke and his companies including The Washington Redskins, The Chrysler Building (New York), Cooke CableVision, The Los Angeles Daily News, and Elmendorf Farm (a thoroughbred racing and breeding operation located in Lexington, Kentucky). Stuart served as Co-Executor of Jack Kent Cooke’s estate and formerly served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Salamander