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Staff Ben Vitale, President 
Ben Vitale is a carbon market expert and an experienced executive, with over 20 years of executive experience in both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He is the first President of The Climate Trust, succeeding the founding Executive Director in December 2009. Before joining The Climate Trust, Ben served as Managing Director of the Conservation and Community Carbon Fund at Conservation International (CI), where he worked with the private sector to develop climate change solutions and new financial instruments that create business value and achieve measurable climate change results. He supported the development of conservation carbon projects in Biodiversity Hotspots around the world including Ecuador, China, and Brazil. He also advised governments and partners on climate change, particularly in the area of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), in countries such as Guyana, Liberia, Madagascar, and Suriname. Ben has served as an adviser for Ecosystem Marketplace, the Chicago Climate Exchange, and Patagonia Sur, among others. He also has been a contributor to the books A Climate for Life, Climate Change & Forests, and Voluntary Carbon Markets. Prior to joining CI, Ben was co-founder and Vice President with Vcapital, a firm that raised corporate financing for businesses through a network of venture capitalists and investment firms. Prior to Vcapital, he was a corporate officer and Vice President with RadioWave Corporation, a Motorola subsidiary, and he held various management and technology positions within Motorola. Ben holds a Master of Management degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.S. degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University. He is also an avid conservationist, bird watcher, and certified SCUBA diver, in addition to competing in marathons.
Dick Kempka, Vice President of Business Development
Before joining Equator, Dick was the Carbon Program lead for Ducks Unlimited (DU), the world’s largest wetlands conservation organization. While at DU, Dick was responsible for the positioning and marketing of DU’s carbon offset program and coordinated all carbon sequestration and environmental asset activities throughout the organization, including a successful effort to deliver a first-of-its-kind forest carbon conservation easement to a consortium of 25 large utility companies and Edison Electric Institute. He also spearheaded a large terrestrial carbon sequestration project with the Energy and Environmental Research Center as part of a Carbon Sequestration Science Program covering the entire U.S. He is an accomplished speaker who has participated on several carbon panels and delivered presentations at numerous Environmental, Carbon, and other industry forums. Before joining DU, Dick served as Remote Sensing Analyst with Pacific Meridian Resources, a natural resources consulting firm in California including a large technology transfer project with NASA, and as a Remote Sensing Analyst for the Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Defense Mapping Agency. The author of more than 20 professional publications, Dick received his B.S. in Geography and Remote Sensing from Carroll College and his Master’s in Geography and Remote Sensing from Indiana State University.
David Diaz, Senior Portfolio Associate Prior to joining The Climate Trust, David led forest carbon research and news reporting for Forest Trends' Ecosystem Marketplace where he managed the forest carbon portal website and served as lead author for the State of the Forest Carbon Markets 2011 report. His earlier work includes time with the U.S. Forest Service, where he developed a synthesis report reviewing carbon incentives for landowners and best management practices for carbon sequestration in forests and rangelands, and also with Ecotrust as a forest carbon modeler leading to the first Improved Forest Management project outside of California to contract for carbon credits using the Climate Action Reserve Forest Protocols. A native Texan, David holds a B.A. in Environmental History from Harvard University, where he studied the social and ecological history of the U.S. Southwest borderlands. Kavita Heyn, Business Development Manager Before joining the Climate Trust Kavita worked for American Rivers for over three years and coordinated a grant partnership program with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the West Coast. Previously, Kavita spent over three years as a Regional Development Officer for the Woodland Trust in the United Kingdom, during which she managed one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the trust’s history. She also has worked with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal to draft a trans-boundary conservation strategy for the Eastern Himalaya, and assisted the Rainforest Foundation UK in organizing a Seminar for Indigenous Peoples in London. Kavita is a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow and has a Masters of Environmental Science and Management from the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Masters in Environment and Development and a B.A. in Social Anthropology, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Musa Jaman, Office & Benefits Manager Musa’s expertise lies at the crossroads of conservation planning and contract management within the agricultural sector. She has a technical background in Natural Resources Management & Policy, with nearly 10 years of applied administrative management skills. Her professional experience has included work as a certified planner for the USDA with particular emphasis on innovative methods for water, nutrient and pest management in addition to GIS. Special projects have included pollinator habitat, sustainable viticulture, riparian restoration, and organic transition strategies. Musa holds a B.S. in Geography and Natural Resources Management from Oregon State University. Her pastimes include art, biking, sailing and tango, as well as hiking with her dogs. Erica Keeley, Senior Program Manager
A man of many interests, John spends most of his time enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, cycling and playing musical instruments. He also served as fundraising chair for the award-winning Village Building Convergence and a part-time farmer growing vegetables on Sauvie Island. John graduated from Penn State University with a B.S. in Accounting and a minor from the Science, Technology and Society Department, with an emphasis on green design applications. He was a member of the Penn State Green Design Team. Peter Weisberg, Senior Project Analyst Peter Weisberg joined The Climate Trust in 2007. He originates, analyzes and invests in new projects for The Climate Trust and its clients. Peter provides technical expertise for all aspects of The Climate Trust’s work, with a focus on understanding and applying existing and proposed carbon market protocols. He also serves as the lead technical resource for the innovative work on new project sectors, methodologies and offset quality criteria.
Sheldon Zakreski, Senior Program Manager  Sheldon Zakreski has been with The Climate Trust since March 2008. Sheldon has more than 11 years of environmental policy and management experience, with a focus on energy, climate, air, and forestry issues. Sheldon oversees the development and execution of corporate and voluntary carbon programs on behalf of private and public organizations.Prior to joining The Climate Trust, Sheldon worked for Metafore, a nonprofit that informs corporate buyers of the environmental aspects of their wood and paper purchasing practices. He was responsible for the development of many of Metafore's advisory services, including conducting sustainability seminars and evaluating the environmental performance of pulp and paper mills. He recently wrote two reports on the greenhouse gas emissions of the paper supply chain. Sheldon also worked as a policy analyst at Trexler and Associates, a climate change consulting company. He developed a carbon offset pricing forecast model and evaluated carbon offset projects in the biomass, forestry, renewable energy, and agricultural sectors. Sheldon has a M.A. in Economics from the University of Victoria (British Columbia). He earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan. E-mail: Sheldon Zakreski  top |
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David Diaz joined The Climate Trust in November 2011. David has professionally applied his scientific background in forest and soil science at the intersection of land use, conservation and climate change since graduating with his M.S. in Soil Science from Oregon State University in 2008. As Senior Portfolio Associate, David is responsible for providing ongoing greenhouse gas mitigation project technical expertise to support acquisitions, project management and advisory services efforts.
Kavita Heyn joined the Climate Trust in November 2011. As Business Development Manager, Kavita manages fundraising from foundations, other donors, and technical consulting opportunities. She has over 12 years of nonprofit experience and a strong background in development, watershed and climate science.
Musa Jaman joined The Climate Trust in 2011 as Office and Benefits Manager. She is responsible for all administrative tasks and guidance on benefits management, as well as assisting all departments with program development, coordination and management.
Erica Keeley joined The Climate Trust in 2001. As the Senior Program Manager, Erica's primary responsibilities include recruiting and evaluating offset projects, drafting and negotiating new emissions reduction purchase agreements, and overseeing the existing offset portfolio. During her time at The Climate Trust, Erica has negotiated the purchase of $3.4 million of carbon offsets. 
John Lucas joined The Climate Trust in January 2012 after seven years as a nonprofit Chief Financial Officer and consultant. He has extensive nonprofit experience managing federal and state contracts and foundation grants. He has provided financial consulting for a wide range of industries including publishing, manufacturing and technology distribution.