Biographies

James J. A. Blair (jblair@cpp.edu) is Assistant Professor in Geography and Anthropology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He is also Graduate Coordinator at the Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies at Cal Poly Pomona. Blair holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Rooted in cultural and environmental anthropology, as well as human geography, Blair's research employs ethnographic and historical methods to advance the interdisciplinary fields of political ecology, science, technology and society (STS), and regenerative studies. His work centers on energy, water and environmental justice in the Americas. Blair’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Fulbright-IIE, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, the Social Science Research Council and the Mellon Foundation/American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). In addition to his research, Blair has professional experience in environmental policy, as an International Advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), as well as Land Agency Coordinator for Sierra Club.

Alida Cantor (acantor@pdx.edu) is an Assistant Professor of Geography at Portland State University. Her research focuses on the intersections of water law and policy, environmental justice, and energy transitions in the Western United States. She uses primarily qualitative methods to study the interfaces between resource management, law, political economy, and social discourses, and also contributes to applied policy work by studying processes of environmental policy implementation. She holds a PhD in Geography from Clark University and a Masters in Community Development from UC Davis.

Toni Symonds (Toni.Symonds@gmail.com) is a consultant with 37 years of public policy experience working with local, state, and federal governments on community development projects, initiatives, and legislation. Her areas of focus include economic development, workforce training, infrastructure, business development, affordable housing, international trade, private investment in historically underserved communities, and an inclusive transition to a net zero emission economy. In addition, she is an experienced government negotiator and a skilled facilitator of stakeholder-driven groups. When addressing complex community development issues, she emphasizes respect for stakeholder voices, the need for time to develop trust, and the inclusion of terms and conditions to ensure agreements are implemented with integrity. In November 2022, she retired from the position of Chief Consultant to the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. She holds a BA from Macalester College.

Ali Sharbat (sharbat@cpp.edu) is a Professor of Civil Engineering at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His research focuses on water quality engineering. His work involves development of desalination technologies for saline and brackish waters, and he has developed patented ideas for improving the efficiency of desalination technologies. He has experience in water purification technologies and selective removal of constituents from water. He holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Nevada Las Vegas. He is a registered professional civil engineer.

Dustin Mulvaney (Dustin.Mulvaney@sjsu.edu) is a Professor in the Environmental Studies Department at San José State University. Dr. Mulvaney’s book Solar Power: Innovation, Sustainability, Environmental Justice was published by the University California Press in 2019, and textbook Sustainable Energy Transition: Socio-Ecological Dimensions of Decarbonization was published with Palgrave-MacMillan in 2020. Dustin has conducted extensive work on renewable energy industries, environmental justice, and sustainability, with an emphasis on worker risks, chemical stewardship, disposal and recycling, and land use impacts. He has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s of Science degree in Environmental Policy Studies from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Kate (or Catherine) A. Berry (kberry@unr.edu) received her Ph.D. in Geography in 1993 from the University of Colorado, Boulder and is currently Professor of Geography at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her expertise lies in the fields of environmental governance, water conflict transformation, and identity studies, with a focus on indigeneity. In recent years she has also researched environmental justice and water issues surrounding mining and mineral extraction in the western US. She has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications. She has served as Department Chair, the President of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, was the Director of the University of Nevada, Reno’s Core Curriculum, and for 9 years chaired an international panel advising the Netherlands government scientific agency on research funding related to environmental governance in developing countries.

V. John White (vjw@ceert.org) has been a writer, consultant, lecturer, advocate, and leader of the green energy movement in California for over 35 years. He is the Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT) in Sacramento, Legislative Director for Clean Power Campaign (CPC), and principal of the environmental and energy lobbying practice, V. John White Associates, representing public interest environmental and local government organizations, and new energy technology companies. Between CEERT, CPC, and V. John White Associates, he works closely with the legislature and state regulatory agencies, primarily the Public Utilities Commission, the Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and the Independent System Operator. White regularly develops policy in coordination with the agencies’ Commissioners and Board Members in order to ensure that important legislation will not conflict with agency goals and objectives.

Lithium Valley Equity Technical Advisory Group

Biographies