Staff

Brian Czech is the founding president of CASSE (2003), and signed on as executive director in 2017. Czech served as the first conservation biologist in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1999-2017, and concurrently as a visiting professor of natural resource economics in Virginia Tech’s National Capitol Region. He is the author of several books including Supply Shock, Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train, and The Endangered Species Act: History, Conservation Biology, and Public Policy, as well as over 50 academic journal articles. His primary contributions to ecological economics pertain to the trophic theory of money, the process of technological progress, and the political “steady state revolution.” Czech is a frequent speaker, moderator, commentator, and regular contributor to the Steady State Herald. He has a B.S. from the University of Wisconsin, an M.S. from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. Brian has been designated an “eco-champion” by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, an “eco-hero” by Ecohearth, and one of the “top 100 inspirational leaders” by the Post-Growth Institute. Contact Brian.

Gary Gardner is an editor, writer, and researcher on global sustainability issues. He joined CASSE as the Managing Editor in January 2023. For more than two decades, he authored short- and long-form pieces on sustainability challenges at the Worldwatch Institute and at GreenFaith, and served as an editor at the International Council on Clean Transportation. Gary has authored several books, including The Earth Cries Out. He has spoken at global conferences hosted by institutions ranging from the United Nations to the Vatican. An aficionado of language and cultures, Gary speaks Spanish, reads French, and loves exploring diverse cultures. Contact Gary.

Dave joined the CASSE team as development manager in April 2022, bringing over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector with him. He has managed multi-million-dollar portfolios for organizations such as the National Ballet of Canada, Oxfam, TVO, Toronto Environmental Alliance, and Save the Children, among others. Through his work, he has acquired a unique perspective and a deep level of sector expertise in donor stewardship, program strategy, development, budgeting, implementation, and staff management. Contact Dave.

Rosalie Bull joined CASSE as the Communications Assistant in January 2023. She has a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University, with interests ranging from eco-poetry to regenerative economics to digital art. She recently returned from the Ecuadorian Amazon, where she developed an electronic magazine covering eco-restoration projects with the support of a Fulbright Scholarship. She’s a sure fire steady-stater with a background in community-based climate action, and at CASSE she manages public relations, social media and podcast production. Contact Rosalie.

Greg Mikkelson has lectured and published in fields ranging from ecological science to philosophy of science, environmental ethics, and finally ecological economics.  He served as a tenured professor of environmental studies until his university’s board defied an overwhelming campus mandate for divestment from fossil fuel.  Recent work concerns the intrinsic and instrumental value of diversity and equality in nature and society, the fundamental conflict between economic growth and ecological health, and the roles that various types of organization have to play in making progress toward a better future.  Greg holds a B.A. in International Affairs from Trinity University, an M.S. in Ecology and Evolution from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Conceptual Foundations of Science, also from Chicago.  His natural habitats include woods in two ecoregions – the Upper Midwest forest-savanna transition and the New England-Acadian forest – and a city in a third, the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests. Contact Greg.