Presented by Livable Cville and the Community Climate Collaborative
Join us for this educational talk on climate-smart land-use policies by Executive Director Susan Kruse and Director of Climate Policy Caetano de Campos Lopes from the Community Climate Collaborative here in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Susan Kruse, Executive Director, Community Climate Collaborative
Susan has been advocating for environmental protection and justice for 25 years. After launching the Allegheny Defense Project in her native Pennsylvania in 1994, Susan helped to found the National Forest Protection Alliance and joined the staff as the Eastern Field Coordinator. She led their federal legislative efforts to protect national forests before ultimately serving as the organization’s executive director. In 2006, Susan pursued her passion for philanthropic work and became the Director of Development for the Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. After 10 years of growing Legal Aid’s development program and becoming a major gifts specialist, Susan returned to environmental work in 2016 to join Appalachian Voices as their Director of Philanthropy. Excited to merge her passion for the planet and the community she loves, Susan became C3’s executive director in 2019. She was appointed to Virginia’s Clean Energy Advisory Board for a three-year term by Governor Ralph Northam in 2019, and she was named in Virginia Business Magazine’s list of 100 people to meet in 2022 as an Impact Maker in Virginia. Susan is a graduate of Clarion University in Pennsylvania and resides in Charlottesville with her husband Mike and their two nature-loving boys, Evan and Sebastian.
Caetano de Campos Lopes, Director of Climate Policy
Caetano works collaboratively with local and regional decision-makers in Virginia to design customized climate policies that are based on a combination of best practices, community input, and region-specific information. In Argentina, he worked in investment banking, market studies, antitrust advocacy, and sustainable energy management. His work included championing a municipal project that significantly improved energy efficiency for 40,000+ high-poverty households. In the United States, Caetano has worked for the Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL), the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and The Economist Group. He has presented policy proposals to US Congress representatives and foreign embassies, led college workshops, and wrote reports on local, national, and international climate policies. Caetano holds a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in economics and has a master's degree in environmental management. He lives with his wife in Charlottesville and loves the region’s nature and scenic views.