As Senior Analyst for the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Ingersoll Rand, Holly Emerson focuses on defining and implementing metrics for innovation in the ‘green space'.  Her efforts help guide product development and measure revenue derived from energy efficient and sustainable products. She also has responsibility for reporting to external agencies such as CDP and RobecoSAM.

Since joining the company in 2002 as a marketing analyst, Ms. Emerson has also held the positions of Marketing Manager and Manager of Market Development in the Industrial Technologies sector. She ran the Sustainability Institute, a week-long program for high school seniors with environmental career aspirations; in 2010 the program was recognized with the prestigious Charlotte Business Journal Sustainability Award.

Ms. Emerson is a member of the GreenBiz Executive Network and Charlotte USGBC, and is a LEED AP. She also serves as a director on the Project for Innovation, Energy and Sustainability (PiES), a local green innovation incubator; vice-chair for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Sustainably Integrated Buildings and Sites Center; advisor on the Mecklenburg County department of natural resources' Stewardship Advisory Council; and director on the Carolinas BMW MOA board.

sShe holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Bruce Karas is the VP of Environment & Sustainability for Coca-Cola Refreshments. He has over 25 years of experience as an EHS professional and has practiced in a wide range of Industrial operations in the US, Canada and China.

He has served in various positions in national and local professional organizations, including the NAEM Board of Directors, and has presented various papers on topics ranging from ergonomics, health effects of flavorings, water stewardship and sustainability. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Occupational and Environmental Health from Wayne State University. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist in Comprehensive Practice, a Certified Safety Professional and is a Registered Occupational Hygienist in Canada.

Sandy Nessing is Manager Director of Sustainability and ESH Strategy & Design for American Electric Power Co. Inc. In this role, she has responsibility for managing sustainability strategy, corporate stakeholder engagement and for the annual production of AEP’s Corporate Accountability Report, an integrated report that combines financial with nonfinancial performance.

She facilitates cross-functional collaboration on sustainability issues across AEP to raise awareness of the interdependencies of functions, resources and issues while providing guidance on externalities that could affect business results or operations. She also develops and manages advocacy opportunities and relationships that support AEP’s business strategy. She is a master culture champion for AEP, working with senior management and others to advance a culture shift within AEP that aligns business strategies with employee engagement and performance management.

Prior to joining AEP in February 2006, she was manager of Corporate Communications for Yankee Gas Services Company, part of the Northeast Utilities System and Connecticut’s largest natural gas distribution company, for nine years.

She holds a leadership role in the Electric Power Research Institute’s Energy Sustainability Interest Group, serving as chair of the group in 2013. She also is a member of the Utility Environmental Benchmarking Forum’s steering committee, and serves on the Grange Insurance Audubon Center Stewardship Board in Columbus, Ohio.

She serves on the Board of Directors and the Board of Regents for NAEM and is a member of SustainAbility’s Engaging Stakeholders. She led AEP’s participation in the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Electric Utility Sector Supplement Pilot Program, an international project to develop electric utility-specific sustainability performance indicators.