JOHN W. STEPHEN 

Public Interest Engineer and Attorney
Using both professions to serve the environment of southwestern Pennsylvania.

AFFILIATIONS -- Present and Past

Friends of the Riverfront, Pittsburgh, PA
Co-founder, Secretary, and Chair of the Property Committee - The organization is promoting public access and public appreciation of Pittsburgh's riverfronts through the development of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

Allegheny Trail Alliance, Greensburg, PA
Member of the Board of Directors -- A coalition developing a continuous trail from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD

Pennsylvania Recreational Trails Advisory Board, Harrisburg, PA
Bicycle Representative to the Board -- The Board advises the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on the implementation of its Recreational Trails grant program

Three Rivers Wet Weather Demonstration Project, Pittsburgh, PA
Member of the Stakeholders Committee -- An independent program, established by the Allegheny County Health Department and the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, to encourage innovative approaches to address the unpermitted discharge of sewer overflows

Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, Pittsburgh, PA
Member of the Citizens Advisory Board, Southern Allegheny County -- Advises the Board of the Commission on regional land use and transportation planning

Pennsylvania Resources Council, Pittsburgh, PA
Western Regional Director - Administer school recycling education programs and implement urban ecology and sustainable building projects such as:

Managed a transition for the Green Building Alliance from a multi-organizational coalition to an independent agency promoting environmentally efficient construction
Contributed to The Three Rivers Sustainability Bulletin, a computer journal of environmental responsibility in south western Pennsylvania.

 

Steel Valley Authority, Pittsburgh, PA
Sustainable Development Coordinator - Prepared environmental audit tools for small and 'at risk' manufacturing enterprises. Developed remediation plans for brownfield sites. Counseled businesses on environmental compliance issues. Developed Business Plan for a regional recycling authority.

Kirkpatrick Lockhart, Pittsburgh, PA
Associate in the Litigation Group - Authored briefs as both plaintiff and defendant in environmental litigation before Federal and State courts and the Environmental Hearing Board. Developed a concentration in environmental law by advising clients in matters involving environmental compliance and permitting and providing environmental counsel in corporate and real estate transactions.

Berle, Kass Case, New York, N.Y.
Legal Researcher and Paralegal - Researched and drafted articles for the New York Law Journal and Environmental Law in New York. Completed research for supplement to the book "Rehabilitating Older and Historic Buildings."

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., New York, N.Y.
Intern - Assisted attorneys by providing memoranda and pleadings for multi-party litigation challenging Federal toxic waste disposal regulations.

Legislative Drafting Research Fund, New York, N.Y.
Legal researcher - Produced memoranda on state legislative trends in the regulation of community care retirement communities and groundwater protection.

PROJECTS -- Past and Present

Introduced the Green Map Project to Pittsburgh's Earth Day Coalition and a member of its original Steering Committee
A member of the Steering Committee for the Steel Industry Heritage, Inc.'s Rivers of Steel Master Plan
A member of the Governor's Greenway Advisory Committee which recommended the creation of a Pennsylvania Greenways Commission

ACADEMIC

Columbia University School of Law, New York, N.Y.
Awarded J.D. Degree, May 1989
Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Columbia Journal of Environmental Law

Carnegie-Mellon University, H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Pittsburgh, PA
Enrolled in the Masters of Public Management Program, August 1992
Coursework in management and finance of non-profit organizations

Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
Awarded Degrees, May 1986
B.S. in Engineering Science with a concentration in semiconductor physics
Economics/Liberal Arts minor