Fellows & Associates

Stakeholder Forum Fellows and Associates are individual experts at stakeholder engagement in global, regional, or local sustainability policy processes. They share the vision of Stakeholder Forum to advance sustainable development at all levels. Together, they bring decades of experience from within all levels of government, academia, business and industry, the NGO community, and the United Nations’ inter-governmental environment and development processes.

Fellows and Associates are structurally affiliated with Stakeholder Forum in a variety of capacities. Some are engaged to deliver project work for Stakeholder Forum, others are Project Leaders for work that they have brought in-house to be under the Stakeholder Forum umbrella, and some are renowned women and men who bring topic-specific knowledge to the organization. And others are the next generation of sustainability practitioners who share a common vision with Stakeholder Forum.

FELLOWS

David Banisar

David Banisar is a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, Department of Government, and a consultant focusing on freedom of expression and information, sustainable development, and anti-corruption. He was previously Senior Legal Counsel at ARTICLE 19, leading the organisation’s work on transparency, environmental protection, and sustainable development. There, David was intensely involved in promoting accountability and transparency mechanisms in the Rio+20 negotiations and was one of the leading champions in adopting SDG16.10 on transparency and human rights. He has also served as an advisor and consultant to numerous international organisations, including the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the World Bank, and the UN Development Programme. In 2023, David was the lead researcher and drafter for the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression’s report on sustainable development and freedom of expression.

Felix Dodds

Prof. Felix Dodds (photo credit: Earth Negotiations Bulletin)

Felix Dodds has been a leading thinker on global governance for 30 years. Now an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, and Vice President of Multilateral Affairs at the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainable Solutions Service at Arizona State University, he was an advisor to the Ford Foundation and their grantees for the development of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Co-founder of the Communitas Coalition for supporting SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities, Felix was Executive Director of Stakeholder Forum from 1992 to 2012, and during that time he chaired the first UN Conference in 2011 to identify a set of indicative SDGs.

Author or editor of 24 books on sustainable development, his most recent is ‘Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage,’ and with Ambassador David Donoghue and Jimena Leiva Roesch, he co-wrote ‘Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals,’ which explained how the SDGs came about and who key players were.

David Horan

Dr. Horan leads on SDG Partnerships & Governance for the SDGs for SF. He is an Assistant Professor at Trinity Business School in Trinity College Dublin and a Fellow of Stakeholder Forum. Since 2018, David has been conducting research on data and governance frameworks for the SDGs with a focus on multi-stakeholder partnerships and their role in supporting effective and equitable implementation. He is the author of “A New Approach to Partnerships for SDG Transformations” and “Towards a Portfolio Approach: Partnerships for Sustainable Transformations.” From 2018-2020, David was a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development and UNSDSN in New York.

David has considerable experience in UN engagements on sustainable development, having served for two years as a UCD Additional Representative to the UN. He was invited to speak on partnerships at the UN Expert Group Meeting on SDG17 in 2019 and UN Sustainable Development Transformations Forums 2020-21. To further understand advanced partnership frameworks for well-integrated and inclusive SDG implementation, David is currently studying transnational partnerships in the UN SIDS database for climate action (SDG13), sustainable oceans (SDG14), and biodiversity protection (SDG15). His articles have appeared in Global Policy (forthcoming), Sustainability, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, among other journals.

David can be reached at [email protected]

Ingeborg Niestroy

Dr. Ingeborg Niestroy has worked for over 20 years in environmental policy and governance for sustainable development, at the interface of science, policy, and society, at the national, subnational, and EU levels, in Europe and internationally. She was the executive director of EEAC, the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils, and engaged in its UN work. Ingeborg was a member of the Steering Group of SDG Watch Europe. Since 2019, she has been with the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) in Germany, first with the Science Platform Sustainability 2030, then leading the EU Horizon 2020 project REAL-DEAL, collaborating with researchers and civil society organisations on the nexus of democracy and sustainability. She continues this focus in a new project Scaledem – Scaling Democratic Innovations.

Ingeborg is co-founder of the think tank Public Strategy for Sustainable Development (ps4sd), where she has lead various studies and projects, often with a comparative perspective of countries and at different levels, such as for the European Parliament (2019): Europe’s approach to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals: good practices and the way forward.

David O’Connor

Dr. David O’Connor

Dr. David O’Connor is a former Permanent Observer to the United Nations from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is Stakeholder Forum’s newest Fellow. Previously, he led the United Nations team that substantively supported the UN General Assembly Open Working Group which crafted the Sustainable Development Goals. Before that, David worked for many years at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Development Centre in Paris, addressing sustainable development challenges of emerging economies. He holds degrees from University College London, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and Yale University.

Eirini Pitsilidi

Eirini Pitsilidi is a seasoned international policy and public affairs professional and consultant with a strong record in designing effective policy advocacy strategies, building effective multi-stakeholder partnerships, and identifying high-impact opportunities to advance sustainable development and environmental protection. She is a recognized expert in food systems transformation, sustainable livestock production and consumption, antimicrobial resistance, and sustainable nitrogen management. Eirini has engaged on these issues with key UN bodies including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Environment Assembly, the United Nations General Assembly (2nd Committee), and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

She is the former Global Head of International Affairs at Compassion in World Farming, where she led the organisation’s international policy advocacy work at the UN and all relevant global policy processes. Before joining CIWF, she worked in strategic communications and public affairs for several multinational pharmaceutical companies. Eirini has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh.

Leida Rijnhout

Leida Rijnhout is the Chief Executive of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and has been a key advisor to Stakeholder Forum for many years. Before joining the SF family, she worked as a freelancer (www.leapfrog2SD.org) and was the programme coordinator of Resource Justice and Sustainability at Friends of the Earth Europe. In her position as Executive Director of ANPED and director of Global Policies at the European Environmental Bureau, Leida facilitated and coordinated the global NGO community to realize their active engagement in United Nations processes on Sustainable Development and the Environment.

She was heavily involved at and in the preparations of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 (the Johannesburg Summit), at Rio+20 in 2012 (Rio de Janeiro), the development of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including the SDGs, and the UN Environment Assemblies (UNEA). She is the initiator of SDG Watch Europe.

Stephen Stec

Stephen Stec is a prominent figure in the field of environmental law and policy, with a career spanning academic, legal, and policy-making spheres dedicated to advancing environmental protection and enhancing stakeholder participation in environmental governance. He has taught at universities for over two decades and is a widely cited author whose works include numerous books, chapters, and peer-reviewed articles on subjects as diverse as citizen engagement, corporate social responsibility and corporate accountability, complex nexus assessment of international river basins, human rights and the environment, multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and environment and security.

With the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Mr. Stec has developed guidance for the application of the Bali Guidelines on Rio Principle 10 globally, has represented the Science and Technology Major Group, and was the lead author of the 50th-anniversary flagship report, “The UNEP We Want.” He also helped to negotiate the Aarhus Convention and co-authored its implementation guide. Mr. Stec’s contributions have had a significant impact on international environmental agreements, capacity-building initiatives, and the promotion of transparent and inclusive governance frameworks.

Daniella Tilbury

Prof. Daniella Tilbury

Professor Tilbury is a policy expert, change-maker, and academic leader in Sustainable Development, credited with having developed the initial frameworks for this area of learning. She was a member of the Board of WWF Australia that brought Earth Hour to the World in 2007 and has been actively involved in international initiatives that inspire transitions towards sustainability. Her 2020 ‘Today4Tomorrow’ initiative is focused on embedding intergenerational rights in public policy and governance frameworks.

Before becoming HM Government of Gibraltar’s Commissioner for Sustainable Development in 2018, Daniella was the inaugural Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of Gibraltar, an institution that embeds sustainability at its core. She previously held academic leadership and research positions in Australia, the UK, and Hong Kong, and her work has been recognised with over 27 competitive grants and 18 awards. Daniella has been commissioned by over 35 government agencies as well as travelled extensively in Africa, Central, and South America to evaluate the investment and impact of sustainability programmes.

Currently, the UK government’s representative on the UN Economic Commission for Europe on matters relating to Education for Sustainable Development, during 1995-2019 Daniella Chaired several UN Committees and was commissioned by UNESCO to develop think pieces, expert reviews, policy advice, frameworks, and sector evaluations in sustainable development. She advises the European Commission on matters relating to learning for sustainable development, and a Commission working group that brings together government agencies from across member states to advance commitments in this area.

Professor Tilbury has been involved in international meetings on climate change (UNFCCC) and World Summits on Sustainable Development since 1992, informing texts and dialogues during these meetings. In 2021, she was recognised with an Hon. Fellowship by the University of Cambridge, St Catharine’s College, and a Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.

ASSOCIATES

Isis Alvarez

Isis Alvarez is a Colombian biologist and an MSc in Environment and Resource Management, with over 15 years of experience in the NGO sector, globally.

Her work has focused on biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainable development, with a special look at gender issues. Isis, a former Senior Gender Advisor and Unsustainable Livestock Campaign Coordinator at the Global Forest Coalition, served as Chief Programme Officer for the ‘Towards Stockholm+50’ project at Stakeholder Forum. She has been an active representative of civil society through the United Nations Civil Society Mechanism in the different environment-related policy processes, including as co-facilitator of the Women’s Major Group to UNEP as well as the Women’s Major Group-SDGs during the post-2015 process. She is currently a consultant for different NGOs, including Avaaz and the US-based think-tank Brighter Green.

Jamie Cummings

Jamie Cummings is a vulnerability project manager of a Belmont Forum-funded grant, Re-Energize Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience. She serves as the climate change focal point for Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conferences and COPs in both Sharm el Sheikh (2022) and Dubai (2023).

During COP27, Jamie moderated a panel with the International Chamber of Commerce and spoke at a side event on ‘Localised Solutions to Reduce Climate Induced Loss & Damage for the Most Vulnerable.’ She has previously interned with the U.S. Climate Action Network which aligns grassroots NGOs from across the United States. Jamie is an advocate for youth participation in the global climate governance sphere and works actively with the YOUNGO Communications Team to highlight young voices in the UN Climate space. She has published work for the International Science Council and Research Gate. In her free time, she loves to hike, ski, and forage.

Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi

Dr. Ahmed Rachid (AR) El-Khattabi is an applied environmental economist whose research focuses on sustainable development, largely focusing on issues that intersect with urban water management. He has published in the areas of economic development, demand management, social/environmental justice, and sustainability/resilience. Dr. El-Khattabi, who holds degrees from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC), the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and Stanford University, is currently the Associate Director for Research and Data at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Environmental Finance Center.

AR is also a Research Associate at the UNC Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Belmont Forum project, an NSF-funded initiative that works on topics related to governance and vulnerability. The project has contributed to UNFCCC Conferences, the UN High-level Political Forum, and the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. He also represented the team at the UN Water Conference and helped promote the UNC Lead Pledge.

Tanner Glenn

Tanner Glenn is the founder and principal consultant of TPG Advisory Group, a strategy and social impact consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, content development, event planning and facilitation, partnerships, community engagement, and digital marketing for private-sector, non-profit, education, and philanthropic organizations around the world. He primarily supports Stakeholder Forum by planning and facilitating virtual workshops, developing budgets and itineraries for major conferences, and coordinating stakeholder partnerships. Since 2016, Tanner has worked with Felix Dodds, former SF Executive Director, to support the Friends of Governance for Sustainable Development by editing and publishing the Governance for Sustainable Development book series. In this capacity, he regularly collaborates with key partners such as the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and Article 19. Tanner is also the host of Sustainable Society Cafe, a podcast that focuses on emerging technologies and how they fit into realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Tanner holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and urban planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, he established the nonpartisan University of North Carolina Institute of Politics (IOP) and served for two years as the Institute’s executive director. His work has been featured in major publications including the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Based in Los Angeles and New York City, Tanner is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Gifted Children (AAGC).

Helen Loveridge

Helen Loveridge is a Barrister and Solicitor and has spent her career providing strategic advice to New Zealand government departments and local and international NGOs. She holds degrees in Law and History from the University of Auckland and will complete her Masters degree at the University of Oslo in 2025, where her ongoing research at the Oslo-based Centre for Development and Environment focuses on water governance in the Nile Basin. Helen currently works as a Donor and Grants Advisor at Norwegian People’s Aid. Her professional interests include community empowerment, nature-based solutions, and sustainable development.

Rene Marker-Katz

Rene Marker-Katz is a resilience planner with expertise in hazard mitigation planning and grant writing for various US-based federal and state programs, consulting on project funding under FEMA, NOAA, EPA, USDOT, and others. She focuses on climate adaptation through large-scale infrastructure projects involving water management, flood control, extreme heat reduction, and green infrastructure. Rene holds an M.S. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a certificate in Natural Hazard Adaptation. She previously worked as a Graduate Research Assistant at the UNC Water Institute on the Re-Energize Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (DR3) project, collaborating with UNICEF and UN Women to develop a Women’s Vulnerability Index (WVI). Her expertise extends to her co-authorship of Stakeholder Forum’s Re-Energize DR3 High-level Political Forum publication on enhancing governance for vulnerable groups, as well as her contributions to the International Science Council blog on topics such as ESG Investing, youth involvement in COP Negotiations, and the necessity of a Global Vulnerability Index.