ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING

Having not just represented, but also having worked within environmental nonprofits and foundations, having taught environmental law, and having served on the Boards of numerous environmental organizations, Kim is uniquely situated to guide mission-driven clients in all aspects of environmental protection to help their businesses and organizations thrive.  She does that by assisting her clients with strategic planning, campaign planning, coalition building, creative fundraising strategies, communications, board governance, and other organizational development challenges.

Kim has voluminous leadership and strategic planning experience via: running her own law partnerships, Lawyers for Clean Water and Cooper & Lewand Martin: founding her own environmental education nonprofit, Grades of Green, and serving as its Executive Director for over a decade; founding and running her environmental blog, Everyday Eco-Habits for Everyday People; serving as the Associate Director of the Los Angeles Waterkeeper, running the legal grants program for the DiCaprio Foundation; and serving on numerous environmental boards and organizations, including Heal the Bay’s Legal Committee, the Coalition for Clean Air’s Board of Directors, Grades of Green’s Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, 7th Generation Advisors, and the City of Manhattan Beach’s Sustainability Task Force, to name a few.  Through these positions, she honed her skills in assessing the strengths of local, national, and global legal environmental campaigns and strategies. 

  • • environmental policies and trends

    • strategic planning

    • campaign planning

    • coalition building

    • creative fundraising strategies

    • communication strategies

    • board governance development

    • organizational development challenges

  • • Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation: Oversaw the legal advocacy program, including:

    • managing and growing its Revolving Litigation Fund and Water for Fish Fund

    • creating a Climate Justice Fund

    • providing strategic and tactical advice, coalition building support, administrative and public advocacy, and state and federal litigation strategic advice to advance environmental protection and enforcement of environmental laws pertaining to climate change, all elements of the water cycle (storm water, wastewater, water diversions, groundwater), endangered species, land use, air quality, and toxins.

    • Los Angeles Waterkeeper: Helped lead organization towards its goal of better watershed management and the protection of water quality in the Los Angeles region, including:

    • assessing future direction of legal program and creating advocacy/legal campaigns

    • overseeing creation of strategic plan

    • advising on environmental policy/program development, including strategic direction for the protection of the Los Angeles River and of Marine Protected Areas, and advising on DDT and oil and gas issues

    • leading development of stronger board governance, recruitment, diversity, and significant engagement increase; successfully brought on 3 new diverse board members and integrated them into existing Board

    • creation and implementation of creative fundraising strategies to grow existing revenue sources and diversifying into new revenue sources, with an emphasis on strategic corporate and government agency partnerships and fundraising/awareness events, including leading organization’s Desal Sucks and Making Waves events (resulting in significant increases in revenue sources)

    • overseeing creation and implementation of strong communications strategies

    • creation and implementation of Plastics and Cleanup Challenge Programs

    Grades of Green: Led organization to achieve its mission to inspire and empower kids and the broader school community to care for the environment, including:

    • overseeing budget of $550,000+; managed staff of 6+ full time and 10-20 part-time employees.

    • developing majority of funds, including overseeing annual VERTE fundraiser and developing and nurturing relationships with sponsors (corporate, foundations and individuals).

    • overseeing Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, working with each member of the Board of Directors and Advisors one-on-one to leverage their time, treasure, and talent.

    • overseeing the creation and implementation of over 40+ environmental activities in the areas of air, water, waste, energy, and toxins, and growing program to over 400,000 students in 550 schools across 41 states and 15 countries

    • creating a Youth Corps Eco-Leadership Program, which inspired and empowered over 200 kids to become eco-leaders, which in turn has inspired over 50,000 kids in their school communities to care for the environment

    • creating a School Engagement Program which provided a digital path for students and schools to adopt Grades of Green’s programs and track their achievements and metrics

    • overseeing and growing the Trash Free Lunch Challenge, which educated close to 100,000 students on waste reduction habits, and helped schools achieve a 90% waste reduction rate

    • mentoring students to seek state and local changes in laws, including a No Idling Resolution (ACR 160) and several municipal bans on plastic bags, Styrofoam, single use utensils, and straws in the cities of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Culver City

    • overseeing all aspects of marketing, including campaigns, website, newsletter, and social media, outreach program

    • creating a corporate volunteer program

    • Everyday Eco-Habits for Everyday People: Created and implemented partnerships with green companies and environmental nonprofits to share the Eco-Habits for maximum participation and positive change

    • Department of Water and Power/Graham and James: Administered Electric Vehicle Program with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to over 1OO employee test drivers, which entailed testifying before Congress and handling publicity events