Speaker Schedule
10:30 am
Climate Crisis: Is It Time to Give Up?
Despite federal attacks on climate progress, this panel explores why the answer is no—highlighting how New Mexico’s abundant renewable resources and local leadership are driving real solutions, resilience, and hope.
Moderator:
Art Gardenswartz, NM Earth Day Festival Founder
Panelists:
Terry Dunbar, Third Act
Camilla Feibelman, Sierra Club
Carlos Matutes, GreenLatinos
11:00 am
New Mexico Climate Action: Working with You for a Healthier Future
Climate action plans are moving off the shelf and into our communities—find out how they impact you.
Panelists:
Rachel Finkelstein, NM Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department
Alice Main, City of Albuquerque
Brian Bonanno, Bernalillo County
11:45 am
Protecting What Matters: Environment, Health, and New Mexico’s Future
From PFAS to pollution, learn how the New Mexico Environment Department balances sustainability, community needs, and economic growth while protecting environmental and public health.
Presenter:
Michelle Miano, Environmental Protection Division Director, New Mexico Environment Department
11:50 am
The Future of the Grid
Speaker: Lisa Goodman, VP of Investor Relations
12:30 pm
Home Upgrades: Biggest Bang for the Buck
Imagine cutting your energy bill by 40%. Join this talk to find out what home improvements are most effective at slashing your bills and pollution.
Speaker: Xavier Obando, Hartman + Majewski Design Group
1:15 pm
Community Solar: Sign up for Low Electricity Bills
Would you like to power your home with discounted clean solar electricity but you rent or can’t afford to put panels on your roof? Community Solar may be the answer!
Speaker: Dylan Connelly, Affordable Solar
2:00 pm
What’s Hot in New Mexico Energy?
New Mexico is emerging as a geothermal powerhouse. Learn about record-setting projects and prospects for generating 24/7 base load electricity, heating and aquaculture.
Speaker: Tom Solomon, 350newmexico.org and NM Geothermal Working Group
About the Speakers
Art Gardenswartz is an Albuquerque entrepreneur, community leader, and philanthropist whose work has spanned multiple industries. He is best known for founding and operating the successful Gardenswartz Sportz stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe and has been a real estate developer since 2014. He is passionate about changing human behavior to save the planet and is the founder of the Earth Day Festival New Mexico.
Terry Dunbar, Ph.D, worked as a biologist and naturalist at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. He taught high school science and math in Albuquerque, and taught biology and environmental science at UNM. He also managed and taught in a UNM program that trained secondary math and science teachers. Since retiring in 2017, he has volunteered as a master gardener and is the co-chair of Third Act New Mexico, an organization of volunteers aged 60+ who are working to fight climate change and save democracy.
Camilla Feibelman is the Director of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter. She previously directed the national Sierra Student Coalition and helped to found the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Sierra Club where she worked for 8 years to protect a large swath of leatherback turtle nesting beach. Camilla was a Fulbright Scholar in Peru in 1998 and was nominated by President Obama in 2013 as a Trustee of the Morris K and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. She graduated from Albuquerque High School, received a B.A. in Environmental Biology from Columbia University and a M.P. in Urban Planning from the University of Puerto Rico. Camilla was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she now lives with her husband, stepdaughter, and son.
Carlos Matutes is the New Mexico State Director for GreenLatinos, a national organization working to ensure environmental justice for Latin communities and other communities of color. He has been an avid cyclist over 30 years, and has advocated for trail access and the economic benefits of outdoor recreation for the past 20 years, and is currently a member of the Bernalillo county Economic Development Department's steering committee.
Alice Main serves as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Manager in the City of Albuquerque’s Sustainability Office, where she coordinates a major federal investment in local climate action. She leads the design and delivery of a regional Climate Pollution Reduction Grant plan that prioritizes equitable emissions reductions, cleaner air, and resilience for frontline neighborhoods. Partnering with community organizations, regional governments, and technical experts, Alice is advocating for projects that accelerate building decarbonization, expand clean transportation, and support a just transition. On this panel, she will discuss how Albuquerque is using federal climate funding to catalyze long‑term, community‑driven climate solutions and what individuals can do to support local action.
Brian Bonanno is a Sustainability Specialist with Bernalillo County’s Public Works Department, focusing on practical, on‑the‑ground climate solutions in infrastructure and operations. His work supports the county’s climate and sustainability goals through projects such as fleet and facility decarbonization, energy and water efficiency, and more resilient public works systems. Brian collaborates across departments and with community partners to integrate climate considerations into capital projects and everyday county services. On this panel, he will share how county‑level planning translates climate goals and share insights on his recent work to develop resilience hubs to improve the lives of Bernalillo County residents.
Rachel Finkelstein is the Climate Policy Bureau Chief at the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she leads statewide strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. She oversees the development and implementation of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan and the Climate Action Plan. These documents align with New Mexico’s energy transition with economic opportunity, environmental justice, and natural resource stewardship. On this panel, Rachel will highlight how New Mexico’s climate planning framework is driving sector-specific action in energy, transportation, and land use, and how community members can accelerate the state’s path to a low‑carbon future.
As Environmental Protection Division Director, Michelle Miano oversees the New Mexico Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau, Climate Change Bureau and Radiation Control Bureau’s programs and initiatives, including community-based climate programming and air quality compliance matters. She has a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and previous to NMED, worked in private practice specializing in Tribal law and Federal Indian Law.
Xavier Obando, AIA (American Institute of Architects), is a Partner and Director of Sustainability at Hartman + Majewski Design Group and Vice President of PHIUS Alliance Southwest.. He is dedicated to advancing energy-efficient, climate-adaptive, and culturally responsive buildings in the Southwest. With 19 years of experience, he specializes in cost-effective, durable, and high-performance solutions aligning with sustainability goals and community needs. His guiding philosophy is to "Design buildings that demand less, last longer, and are better for us.”
Dylan Connelly is the Director of Commercial and Community Solar at Affordable Solar. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) with over a dozen years of consulting experience in the fields of architecture, engineering, and solar design. He has degrees in Civil and Architectural Engineering from the University of Miami. He has been a solar project developer for Affordable Solar since early 2018 and he uses his diverse expertise to provide his customers with a comprehensive perspective in order to meet their energy saving goals.
Tom Solomon is co-coordinator of 350NM.org, the NM chapter of the climate action group 350.org. He co-founded the New Mexico Geothermal Working Group in 2022 and, as facilitator, helps this team of experts develop our world class clean energy resource. Tom, a retired electrical engineer, had a 34-year career at Intel where he led the team which built Intel’s Rio Rancho, NM Fab 11X in 2001, the $2B microprocessor factory employing 4,000 people at its peak.
Lisa Goodman is Vice President, Investor and Community Relations for TXNM Energy, the parent company of PNM and TNMP. Lisa oversees the areas of Investor Relations and Shareholder Services, Corporate Communications and Brand Management, Customer Energy Solutions and Community Engagement. She joined the company in 2003.