CPA Staff

Lauren Heine
Consulting Co-Director, Science & Applications
Dr. Lauren Heine applies green chemistry, green engineering and design for the environment for sustainable business practices. Lauren works closely with the USEPA Design for the Environment Program to facilitate the development of DfE Screens for Safer Chemicals. She co-authored the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals, a tool for benchmarking chemicals based on inherent hazard and currently serves on the California Green Ribbon Science Panel. She is co-chairing the buyers tool development subcommittee for Wal-Mart's Sustainable Value Network for Chemical Intensive Products. She co-founded the Oregon-based Zero Waste Alliance and was a Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the Green Chemistry Program at the US EPA. From 2003-2007, Lauren served as Director of Applied Science at GreenBlue Institute where she initiated and developed CleanGredients™, a web-based chemical information platform, developed in partnership with the US EPA's Design for the Environment Program. Lauren publishes on green chemistry metrics, alternatives assessment and science-based multi-stakeholder processes. Recent publications include a textbook entitled Introduction to Environmental Engineering, 3rd ed. into which she integrated sustainable development, cradle-to-cradle design, green chemistry, green engineering and sustainable materials management concepts. Lauren earned her doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.

Alexandra McPherson
Business Development Coordinator
Alexandra drove the launch of CPA in 2001 and has provided ongoing strategic and fundraising leadership since then, assembling a world-class professional team and steering significant organizational growth. In keeping with her career-long commitment to environmental change, Alexandra also designs and directs programs, currently in the electronics sector. CPA's innovative solutions such as the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals (now Hewlett Packard's leading procurement tool for environmentally preferred materials) have influenced clean production decisions by major companies and governments worldwide. Alexandra also co-authored a widely covered report Greening Consumer Electronics: the Move Away from Bromine and Chlorine and has since worked with numerous companies to eliminate toxic chemicals from the global supply chain. The key to her consistent success: strong, collaborative partnerships with businesses, unions, governments, academia and international NGOs to advance these initiatives. Prior to CPA, Alexandra directed clean production programs for Great Lakes United, where she led the Clean Car Campaign and secured voluntary agreement from Ford, GM and Chrysler to phase out mercury use. She has also worked for Greenpeace and the National Environmental Trust on major climate change campaigns. Alexandra earned her BA in Communication from the University of New Hampshire..

Mark Rossi
Co-Director, Policy & Management
Dr. Mark Rossi develops innovative programs, tools and networks to advance the use of safer chemicals and sustainable materials. Mark founded BizNGO in 2006 to bring thought leaders together to define best business practices in selecting safer alternatives to toxic chemicals and unsustainable materials. The BizNGO community is now over 300 individuals. Mark led the development of BizNGO's visionary Guiding Principles for Chemicals Policy. He also co-founded the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative (SBC) to spur the introduction and use of biomaterials that are sustainable from cradle to cradle. With SBC, Mark co-authored its Guidelines for Sustainable Bioplastics and co-led the creation of the BioSpecs - Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Specifications for Compostable Biobased Food Service Ware). Mark is the co-author of CPA's Green Screen for Safer Chemicals. He also co-authored CPA's Plastics Scorecard, a tool for benchmarking plastics based on green chemistry principles and closed loop systems. Mark is a leader in the alternatives assessment field, starting with co-authoring the Lowell Center Framework for Alternatives Assessment in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded CleanMed, which is now the leading conference for greening health care. Mark serves on the Steering Committee of Health Care Without Harm, is a member of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act Advisory Committee and is a Research Fellow at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. He is the co-author of many articles and reports on alternatives assessment, pollution prevention and technology innovation. Mark earned his doctorate in Environmental Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Beverley Thorpe
Co-Director, International & Advocacy
Beverley has researched and promoted clean production strategies internationally since 1986 and was a co-founder of the United Nations Environment Programme for Cleaner Production. She was the first Clean Production liaison and technical expert for Greenpeace International on chemical and waste issues and during this time initiated the first English language campaigns against PVC plastic and PVC waste and helped achieve a global ban on ocean incineration of hazardous wastes. In 2001 she worked with the US farming community and produced videos and reports to highlight the risks of GMO crops. Her work to advance Extended Producer Responsibility policy catalyzed the uptake of this zero-waste strategy in the USA and she is co-author of Clean Production Action's toolkit on producer take-back. Her current focus is the promotion of Green Chemistry within government policy and company practices and she continues to train, teach and publish materials that advance clean production strategies internationally. Beverley received her degree in Geography from Leicester University, UK and is a regular guest lecturer at Lund University, Sweden. She is a current board member of the Green Chemistry Network in the UK, Story of Stuff in the US and Greenpeace Canada.