Transport Program

Bonnie Nixon, Director of ESG & Sustainability, Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), CA. Ms. Nixon leads the Net Zero 2030 Strategy for one of the greenest and safest container terminals in the world and also manages the day-to-day environmental strategies and programs for LBCT’s and the Port of Long Beach’s $3.5B investment in the future. Bonnie is also a Professor of Sustainable Supply Chain at Harvard and UCLA. Her prior experience includes Senior Partner at Environmental Resources Management (ERM); Director of Global Sustainability for Mattel Toys; Executive Director of The Sustainability Consortium (TSC); Director of Global Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing for Hewlett-Packard; Founder and Vice President of Environmental Consultancies BonnEco, Inc. and Circlepoint; and  Director of Public Relations for the Boston Harbor Cleanup Project. Ms Nixon also serves as a present and/or past Board Member for Sustainable Brands, Sustainable Works, Sustainability Roundtable, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, and Responsible Sourcing Network. Bonnie obtained a Bachelors’ from Penn State in Sociology, a Masters’ Degree in Learning Technologies, and is currently completing a Ph.D. thesis on the Intersection of Environmental Justice and Modern Slavery for Complex Supply Chains, both at Pepperdine University

Sara currently leads the Sustainability and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) program for JetBlue Airways. She leads the airline’s drive to net zero carbon emissions by 2040 through sourcing of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), fuel-efficiency initiatives, electrification of ground operations, and by setting clear decarbonization targets and milestones along the way. Sara started in the field as a researcher of climate change impacts at Stanford University. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from University of California Berkeley, and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management focused on Corporate Sustainability from Duke University. She previously led the Sustainability program for UCLA Health.

Bill Cawein is a Global Technology & Integration Manager at FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company providing delivery to every address in the U.S. and more than 220 countries and territories around the world. In this role, Bill oversees the strategy and implementation framework of next generation technology for a global fleet that consists of over 78,000 vehicles. His most recent work in fleet electrification has been instrumental to FedEx’s latest sustainability goal which is to have a carbon neutral pickup and delivery operation by 2040.

Cynthia Williams, Innovative, Results Oriented Business LeaderFord Motor CompanyGlobal Director, Sustainability, Homologation and Compliance Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering Cynthia is responsible for sustainable business plans and policies, environmental negotiations with regulatory bodies around the world, reporting on the company’s environmental and social performance, and engaging with non-government organizations and other external stakeholders. Since joining Ford in 1992, as part of the Ford College Graduate Program in the Automotive Emissions and Fuel Economy Office, Cynthia has held several positions, which include Ford’s Sustainability, Environment and Safety Director in Asia Pacific, Automotive Safety Assistant Director, Ford’s Environmental Policy Manager, and On-Board Diagnostics Compliance Manager. Cynthia is the past chair of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers Mobile Source Policy Committee. She is committed to mentoring young engineers, peers and youth. Cynthia is currently on the Board of Directors for CALSTART and VELOZ, nonprofit organizations working to develop and promote clean, efficient transportation solutions. Cynthia also serves on the Michigan Governor’s Council on Climate Solutions, the Women of Ford Board and the Torch of Wisdom Foundation, Inc Board. A native of Flint, MI, Cynthia earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy.

Appointed to Chief Sustainability Officer in February 2021, Kristen Siemen helps to lead General Motors to a future with zero emissions as the company continues to take bold actions against climate change, including GM’s commitment to become carbon neutral in its products and operations by 2040. Under Siemen’s leadership, GM has received numerous recognitions including JUST Capital’s MOST JUST Companies, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices Gold Class for corporate sustainability leadership, and Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies for demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment to business integrity.

Siemen is also passionate about promoting inclusion and gender equality. She was instrumental in creating GM’s career reentry program, “Take 2,” serves as GM’s key executive for the Society of Women Engineers and is the co-lead for the GM Women Ally Program. Since transitioning into her role as CSO, Siemen has garnered several individual recognitions for exemplary leadership, most notably including Crain’s Notable Leaders in Sustainability, Future 50 Tech, and Sustainability Mag’s Top 100 Women in Sustainability. Siemen serves on the Oakland University School of Engineering & Computer Science Advisory Board, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering.

Joshua is a certified Data Scientist and the Founder & CEO of SparkCharge. His experience in entrepreneurship and startups spans over 8 years and he is a dynamic figure in the cleantech community and was named to Insider’s 100 Business Transformers list and AfroTech’s Future 50. Joshua was featured on Shark Tank, winning partnerships with both Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, and has previously won the world’s largest pitch competition, 43 North.

Chelle Izzi is the Vice President of Energy Transformation at Walmart.

Carrie Song, Vice President for Renewable Road Transportation, Neste US Carrie joined Neste in 2020 and has spearheaded the growth and expansion of Neste MY Renewable Diesel in the North America market since then. Carrie is passionate about renewable fuels and other new technologies and innovations that can help the transport industry cut carbon emissions. Carrie has a track record of success in driving business growth for both Fortune 500 companies and startups in a variety of industries, including global commodity trade, IT, capital goods, retail consulting, energy and oil and gas. Carrie holds a BA in Economics and Public Administration from University of International Business and Economics in China, a Master in Management from London School of Economics in the UK, and a Master of Science in Marketing Research from Texas A&M University in the US.

Francesca manages EV charging policy in North America as part of the policy and business development team at Tesla. She leads regulatory engagement and drives Tesla’s North America policy positions and efforts on EV charging to increase broad access to affordable, convenient and reliable EV charging. Francesca has been with Tesla for seven years and has held various roles including policy positions advancing the companies solar and storage priorities. Previously, she was the Senior Associate for Energy and Environmental Policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade association representing more than 390 companies in Silicon Valley. Francesca has also worked on federal energy efficiency policy at the Alliance to Save Energy in DC, analyzed state recycling regulation and legislation, assisted governments and small businesses with implementing sustainability principles in their management plans, and served in the White House Liaison Office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Francesca has a B.A. in Economics and Foreign Affairs with Distinction from the University of Virginia.