About the Wells Fargo Environmental Forum

Ashley Grosh

As a Project Manager for Environmental Affairs, Ashley Grosh helps further the connection between banking and environmental initiatives with customers, communities, non-profits, universities, and Wells Fargo business groups. She earned a BA in Economics with a minor in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is currently seeking an energy certificate program from the LEEDS School of Business. When not working, she and her husband Michael love to cook gourmet meals and walk to nearby parks and boutiques. In college Ashley played Division 1 women's soccer — today she enjoys yoga and competitive kickball. She's also an avid oil painter!

Blaine Townsend

Blaine is a senior portfolio manager at Nelson Capital and a lead PM for socially responsible investing. Blaine joined Nelson Capital in 2009 after 13 years as a portfolio manager, research analyst and manager at Trillium Asset Management's California office. He's managed socially responsible and sustainability-focused investment portfolios for high net worth individuals and mission-based institutions and was instrumental in corporate engagement efforts on issues from the sale of old growth timber to media reform. Prior to joining Trillium, he was the Assistant Director of Marketing and Social Research for the Muir Investment Trust, the first socially-screened municipal bond fund. Blaine has a B.A. from the University of California Berkeley and is a Certified Investment Management Consultant and Certified Investment Management Analyst.

Brian Matthay

Brian is a Vice President in Wells Fargo's Environmental Finance Group where he helps advance our lending and investment commitment to environmental finance opportunities, like renewable energy, energy efficiency, green real estate, and carbon markets. Since 2008, his focus has been on growing Wells Fargo's solar investment portfolio. Previously, as Project Director for the Global Environment Technology Foundation (GETF), he developed public-private partnerships that address environmental challenges. Brian holds an AB with honors from Harvard University and a MS in Resource Economics from the University of California, Davis. In his spare time, he volunteers with Imagine H2O, a water non-profit focused on empowering entrepreneurs to turn water challenges into opportunities. He also enjoys whitewater kayaking and rooting for the Boston Red Sox.

Carola Neumann

Gareth Lewis-Pitt

James Finlay

James Finlay is the Vice President and senior commercial real estate appraisal manager for our Environmental Initiative Team. In addition to managing and reviewing appraisals a wide variety of commercial property types, he's also the primary appraisal manager for LEED designed and high performance real estate collateral. James earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree with studies in Mechanical Engineering and Economics at the University of Kentucky, is a General Certified Appraiser, and holds a California Real Estate Sales license too. Currently he chairs the USGBC LA Chapter's Commercial Real Estate & Finance subcommittee and has presented at many conferences on appraisal and finance related to high performance property. He is based in Los Angeles.

John Buckle

Krista Van Tassel

As the newest member of the Wells Fargo Environmental Affairs team, Krista supports our many Green Teams, who promote environmental innovation and educate team members about their role in supporting our sustainability efforts. Before coming to Wells Fargo, Krista earned her MBA in International Business at Georgetown University. She’s also worked in a variety of sustainability and marketing positions in both the nonprofit (Net Impact) and for-profit (Sun Microsystems) worlds, and served as the Cupertino Campus Chair for Hewlett-Packard’s 2002 Charitable Giving Campaign. In her oh-so precious free time, she enjoys running, reading and volunteering.

Mary Wenzel

Mary joined Wells Fargo in December 2004 as the director of Environmental Affairs, where she is the chief advocate for sustainability and oversees the injection of environmental consciousness into our DNA. Mary earned a BA in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a MA of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She has almost 20 years of experience as an environmental professional, and currently represents Wells Fargo on the boards at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Health and the Global Environment and the University of Colorado’s Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, and she is a member of greenbiz.com’s corporate working group. Outside of work, Mary spends her time biking, hiking, running, and skiing with her husband, Martin, and their two children, Justin and Anna. (This in an effort not to embarrass herself in one of the fittest cities in America.) Little known fact: She’s lived on four different continents, but you’ll have to ask her which ones.

Michele Rene Scott

Michele Rene Scott is the VP of Public Relations for Wells Fargo Online and Wells Fargo Mobile Banking. Being "green" is nothing new for Michele Rene — as early as 2003 she was involved with perhaps the industry's first study on the environmental benefits of online bill payment and banking, conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research. Michele Rene has a B.A. in Communications Arts & Sciences from Michigan State University, and recently earned a Marketing Certificate with distinction from UC Berkeley's San Francisco campus. She's passionate about traveling and the environment. Growing up in the beautiful Great Lakes region, she learned to appreciate the beauty of nature. Since then she's lived and worked in London, and recently visited Iceland, which scored at the top of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Pia Hahn

Robyn Luhning

Robyn Luhning joined Wells Fargo in December 2011 as an environmental and social risk manager. She's responsible for helping to manage environmental and social risks associated with the Wholesale bank. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Robyn worked as a consultant with a wide range of Fortune 500 companies from consumer goods to financial services to media. Her work's covered all angles of sustainability strategy, including managing relationships with socially responsible investor groups; leading multi-function, multi-level teams to define company sustainability priorities and goals; and corporate responsibility communications planning and execution. Her earlier experience included sustainability roles at Colgate-Palmolive Company, Vivendi Universal and CH2M Hill. Robyn holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Madagascar.

Shelley Abramson

Born and raised in Canada, Shelley started her traditional work life as a Criminologist, but eventually found her way into the business world. After years at companies like Bell Canada, Citibank, General Foods, Mandalay Pictures, MGM, and Molson's, Shelley came to Wells Fargo in 2002. After six years in Wells Fargo Business Direct, she made the move to Environmental Affairs, where she is today. Through Shelley's personal travel to far-flung locations, she has become involved in bringing the tools of education and music to remote communities in Borneo, South America, and Africa, where she hopes to move someday. When not on the road, Shelley and her husband Jack enjoy movies, theater, music, and themed pot luck parties.

Sheri Lucas

Sheri has been charged with introducing sustainable design, construction, operations and maintenance practices into Wells Fargo's retail banking stores since 2005. With over 12 years experience in retail real estate strategy, this LEED AP loves the win-win game of increasing efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Sheri has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Boston University and is currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business while juggling her loves of hiking, biking, baking, photography, and the San Francisco Giants.

Stacey Howard

Stacey is a Program Manager on the Enterprise Marketing Brand Management Team, and works closely with the Environmental Affairs team to promote and help build awareness of environmental programs with customers — she helped us create this blog! Stacey has a B.A. in Political Science, Public Law from Northern Illinois University and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Holy Names University. On weekends, she enjoys boating with her husband, Bill, and their two dogs, GG and Ruby. She's also an avid knitter, gardener and looks forward to spring every year when the baseball season starts!

Stephanie Rico

Stephanie has been in charge of external communications and marketing for our environmental efforts, as well as greenhouse gas emissions accounting since 2005. She's been helping drive positive change, including supporting issues such as resource management, healthcare, education and the environment, for over 15 years. Stephanie has a BA in Social Science, Interdisciplinary Studies from San Francisco State University and an MBA from DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Currently residing in Mill Valley, California, Stephanie always keeps a tent and sleeping bags in her fuel efficient car for any "destination unknown" road trips. She and her husband, Joe, spend most of their free-time outside with their nine-year-old son, Joseph, digging holes in the sand, hiking, biking, camping and playing catch.