About ILSRThe Institute for Local Self-Reliance has a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. To reach this vision, we build local power to fight corporate control. We are a national research and advocacy organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities and accountable to people and the planet.Institute for Local Self-RelianceILSR_831bbfd4-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea00ILSR was founded in 1974. Our staff works across the country. We have offices in Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Maine; and Washington, D.C.ILSR StaffLilli AmbortIntern, Energy Democracy Initiative -- Lilli Ambort is an Energy Democracy Intern with the Energy Democracy initiative where she contributes to blog posts and interactive features. She is currently studying Global Studies, Political Economy and Environmental Change, with a minor in Chinese Language and Culture at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.Michelle AndrewsGIS and Data Visualization Researcher -- Michelle Andrews is a GIS and Data Visualization Researcher with the Community Broadband Initiative. She received her Masters of Science in GIS from Clark University and served for two years in CTEP AmeriCorps in the Twin Cities. She pairs her data analysis and mapping background with the on-the-ground digital equity work to make data both applicable and easily understandable to a wide range of audiences.Jordan AshbyCommunications Intern -- Jordan Ashby is the Communications Intern for the Institute of Local Self-Reliance. She assists in research for the communications team as well as content development for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Building Local Power podcast. She is currently a rising Junior at Yale University studying American Studies with a certificate in Education Studies.John BaileyDevelopment Director -- John is the Director of Development and is responsible for coordinating fundraising and related outreach for ILSR. He was a senior researcher at ILSR from 1992 until 2011, specializing in decentralized energy policy and analysis including topics of renewable energy, climate change, efficiency, tax policy and electric vehicles.Linda BilsensProject Manager, Composting for Community Initiative and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Program -- Linda is the Project Manager for ILSR’s Composting for Community project and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders community composter training program. Her role is dedicated to fostering a skilled, collaborative network of composters who are regenerating their communities, both socially and ecologically.Drew BirschbachIntern, Energy Democracy Initiative -- Drew Birschbach is an Energy Democracy Intern working as a producer on the Local Energy Rules podcast and blog posts. He is studying Professional Journalism with minors in Sustainability Studies, Information Technology and Computer Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.Jessica Del FiaccoCommunications Manager -- Jessica Del Fiacco is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Communications Manager. She works closely with all of our initiatives to build community power and combat monopolies, and she runs ILSR’s social media networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Jessica also produces the Institute’s Building Local Power podcast.John FarrellCo-Director & Director, Energy Democracy Initiative -- John Farrell is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its work on energy democracy. John is best known for his vivid illustrations of the economic and environmental benefits of local ownership of decentralized renewable energy.Zach FreedResearch Associate, Independent Business Initiative -- Zach Freed is a research associate with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Independent Business Initiative. His work focuses on ending concentrated private economic power.India GordenOperations Manager -- India Gorden is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Operations Manager. India has managed day-to-day office operations for non-profit organizations since 2003 and maintains her professional relationship with various vendors. Her focus is in office management, finance and general human resources.Susan HolmbergSenior Editor and Researcher, Independent Business Initiative -- Susan Holmberg is Senior Editor and Researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Independent Business Initiative. She writes on corporate power and inequality and has been published in the New York Times, Time, The Atlantic, The Nation, and Democracy Journal.Sophia HosainBaltimore Project Lead, Composting for Community Initiative -- Sophia Hosain is the Baltimore Lead on ILSR’s Composting for Community project and Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders community composter training program. A graduate of the Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders program and part-time vegetable & flower farmer, Sophia now works in sustainability and is interested in alternative energy, permaculture and circular economies.Katie KienbaumResearch Associate, Community Broadband Networks Initiative -- Katie is a Research Associate with the Community Broadband Networks Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She researches and writes about rural Internet access and community-owned networks.Linda KnappDirector, MACREDO Project -- Linda Knapp is a Senior Program Manager for ILSR, overseeing the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Recycling and Economic Development Officials, a recycling market development group funded by US EPA Region 3. Her current work focuses on increasing on-farm composting.Ron KnoxSenior Researcher and Writer -- Ron Knox is the senior researcher and writer for the Independent Business Initiative. He has studied and written about antitrust and monopoly power for more than a decade. Before joining ILSR, he worked in various senior editorial roles at Global Competition Review, and his antimonopoly writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Slate, The American Prospect and elsewhere. He is based in Kansas City.Rahul KulkarniWaste to Wealth Intern -- Rahul is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Policy at the Harris School of Public Policy in the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Harris, he worked at Praja, a non-profit in Mumbai which works towards enabling accountability in urban governance, and advocates for empowering local representatives and governments. His areas of interest include using data-driven research to bring about a change in civic engagement, urban policy, waste management, and moving towards a circular economy. He holds an Engineering degree in Computer and Communications from Manipal Institute of Technology, India.Ry Marcattilio-McCrackenSenior Researcher, Community Broadband Networks Initiative -- Ry Marcattilio-McCracken is a Senior Researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative. He is interested in the democratizing power of technology, systems engineering, and the history of science, technology, and medicine. Previously, Ry worked as an Adjunct Professor of American History in Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Minnesota. Ry holds a PhD in American History from Oklahoma State University.Maria McCoyResearch Associate, Energy Democracy Initiative -- Maria McCoy is a Research Associate on the Energy Democracy initiative, where she contributes to blog posts, podcasts, video content, and interactive features. She also served as an intern with the Energy Democracy initiative in 2018. Her research focuses on how communities can transition to clean, decentralized energy systems that are both equitable and economically viable.Virgil McDillCommunications Director -- Virgil McDill has more than 20 years of experience developing and executing media campaigns for government and non-profit organizations. Before joining ILSR in 2020, Virgil served as Associate Director of Public Affairs at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where he led key national media campaigns focused on saving historic places and revitalizing communities.Christopher MitchellDirector, Community Broadband Networks Initiative -- Christopher’s work focuses on telecommunications - helping communities ensure the networks upon which they depend, are accountable to the community. He has published several reports, articles, and interviews while also offering technical assistance to communities around the country.Stacy MitchellCo-Director & Director, Independent Business Initiative -- Stacy is co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and directs its initiative to decentralize economic power and level the playing field for independent businesses. She has produced many influential reports and articles, designed local and federal policies, and collaborated to build effective coalitions and campaigns.David MorrisDistinguished Fellow -- David Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and currently ILSR’s distinguished fellow. He writes the blog, From the Desk of David Morris. He has served as an adviser or consultant to local, state and national governments and to private businesses large and small.Jeffrey Neal, PEUrban & On-Site Compost Consultant, Composting for Community Initiative -- Commander, Jeffrey H. Neal is a retired United States Navy Civil Corps Engineer Officer and a graduate of ILSR’s Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders (NSR) Composter Training Program program. He provides his unique skill-set and expertise in composting, and facilities and program management to organizations and businesses that are considering composting.Ny Ony RazafindrabeGIS & Data Visualization Intern -- Ny Ony Razafindrabe is a GIS and Data Visualization intern with the Community Broadband Networks initiative. She is currently completing her last semester studying International Studies, Political Science and Data Science at Macalester College. She has also worked with various initiatives on human rights and equity in her home country Madagascar.Brenda PlattDirector, Composting for Community Initiative -- Brenda Platt is a recycling expert and composting advocate, and directs ILSR’s Composting for Community project.Ronaldo ReyesIntern, Composting for Community Initiative -- Ronaldo is a Composting for Community Initiative Intern. His primary responsibilities are to provide support for the initiatives’s ongoing projects as well as researching and documenting policies and resources to advance composting. He recently completed majors in International Studies and French Language & Culture at Towson University. Contact Neil Seldman — Director, Waste to Wealth Initiative Neil Seldman, Ph.D., co-founded the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and is Director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative. Seldman is a leading recycling and zero waste activists assisting citizen, environmental and small business organizations in stopping garbage incinerators in scores of US cities. Subsequently, he works with these cities to increase recovery of materials from the waste stream and grow the local economy by adding value to materials through local processing, manufacturing and job creation. Prior to founding ILSR Seldman was a manufacturer of consumer products and professor of political science.Kennedy SmithSenior Researcher -- Kennedy Smith is a Senior Researcher with ILSR’s Independent Business initiative. Kennedy is one of the nation’s foremost experts on commercial district revitalization and independent business development. Her work focuses on analyzing the factors threatening independent businesses and developing policy tools that communities can use to address these issues and build thriving, equitable local economies.Shaoul SussmanLegal Fellow, Independent Business Initiative -- Shaoul Sussman is a Legal Fellow at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. His research focuses on the intersection of antitrust law and big tech. Shaoul has published an academic paper and a number of articles about Amazon’s anticompetitive practices and the company’s negative influence on firms that rely on its e-commerce platform.ILSR Board of DirectorsNora GoldsteinNora Goldstein is the Editor of BioCycle, the magazine and website authority on composting and anaerobic digestion, where she oversees such projects as “www.findacomposter.com” and manages conferences related to composting and zero waste. She received the U.S. Composting Council’s “Hi Kellogg Award” in January 2014, and the American Biogas Council’s “Biogas Visionary Award” in October 2013.Jolie JonesJolie Jones is the founder of the Take It Back Foundation, which has worked to encourage recycling efforts. Her varied career spans art, modeling, and music.Christopher LewisChristopher Lewis is Vice President for Government Affairs at Public Knowledge and he leads their federal advocacy efforts. Prior to joining Public Knowledge in 2012, Chris served at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as Deputy Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs and advised the FCC Chairman on legislative and political strategy. He is a former U.S. Senate Staffer for the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and has over a decade of organizing and campaign experience. Chris graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelors degree in Government. He lives in Alexandria, VA where he loves working on local civic issues and is elected to the Alexandria City Public School Board.Kirk MarckwaldKirk Marckwald, the Chairman of the Board, helms California Environmental Associates, a consulting firm that works with a wide range of businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and public institutions to promote conservation. Marckwald has extensive experience with energy and environmental regulation, and prior to founding CEA in 1984, worked as the Under Secretary of California’s Natural Resources Agency, and as a consultant with the Environmental Defense Fund.David MorrisDavid Morris is co-founder of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and currently ILSR’s distinguished fellow. He writes the blog, From the Desk of David Morris. He has served as an adviser or consultant to local, state and national governments and to private businesses large and small.Roy PriestRoy Priest is a Commissioner on the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County (Md.) and retired Executive Director and CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority in Alexandria, Va. Priest has worked in community economic development and finance over his 50-year career, and prior to his current position, served seven years as the President and CEO of the National Congress for Community Economic Development, and 17 years with the U.S. Department for Housing and Urban Development, including as the Director of the Office of Economic Development.Andrew ReicherAndrew Reicher is Executive Director of the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, where he started in 1978 and which he has led since 1981. Over his tenure, UHAB’s base of tenant-run and tenant-owned housing cooperatives has grown from several dozen to more than 1,500 in New York City and beyond. He is the 2003 recipient of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives’ highest honor, the “Jerry Voorhis Award.”Gina SchaeferGina Schaefer is the Founder & CEO of nine Ace Hardware stores in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Md. She manages operations for the $20 million company, oversees 210 employees, and chairs the Retail Committee for the Ace Hardware Corporation Board of Directors. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Think Local First D.C., a group focused on transforming D.C.’s economy by strengthening the local business community, Vice Chair of the Board for House of Ruth, and a member of the Advisory Board of Jubilee Jobs.Neil SeldmanNeil Seldman, Ph.D., co-founded the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and is Director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative. Seldman is a leading recycling and zero waste activists assisting citizen, environmental and small business organizations in stopping garbage incinerators in scores of US cities. Subsequently, he works with these cities to increase recovery of materials from the waste stream and grow the local economy by adding value to materials through local processing, manufacturing and job creation. Prior to founding ILSR, Seldman was a manufacturer of consumer products and professor of political science.Thriving, diverse, equitable communities_831bc10a-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea00To build local power to fight corporate control_831bc2ae-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea00Self-RelianceLocal self-reliance means that people are able to exercise power over our lives: how we provide for our families, how resources are shared and allocated in our communities, and how decisions made by government, corporations and business affect all of us.LocalityWe recognize the biggest challenges in the U.S. today are corporate control and diminishing community power which undermines the strength of our democracy and local economies. For us, local self-reliance is the best answer to these challenges. AdvocacySo whether it’s fighting back against the outsize power of monopolies like Amazon, ensuring high-quality locally-driven broadband service for all, or advocating to keep local renewable energy in the community that produced it, ILSR advocates for solutions that harness the power of citizens and communities. DemocracyWe believe that democracy can only thrive when economic and political power is widely dispersed. ILSR works to achieve this vision through five key initiatives that center local communities, giving citizens the authority, capacity, and responsibility to exercise power over their lives. [Submitter's note: Those initiatives are documented as objectives under goal 2 in this StratML rendition.]AuthorityCapacityResponsibilityDecentralizationThe need to decentralize economic power and reinvigorate democracy is stronger than ever. Join us today.AccountabilityWith your support, ILSR can continue working to build an American economy driven by local priorities and accountable to people and the planet. ControlFight corporate control._831bc36c-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea001Fighting Corporate Control: Across all of our initiatives, we’re fighting unfettered corporate control in all its forms, from giant tech platforms to monopoly utilities, Wall Street banks to garbage incinerators. We show how public policy currently favors bigness and perpetuates inequality, and we identify, develop, and promote policies at the local, state, and federal levels that help build healthy, sustainable communities.Bigness & InequalityShow how public policy currently favors bigness and perpetuates inequality._831bc402-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea001.1CommunitiesIdentify, develop, and promote policies at the local, state, and federal levels that help build healthy, sustainable communities._831bc484-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea001.2Research & AdvocacyProvide community members with the research and advocacy tools to reclaim power over local decision making and hold corporations and government accountable._831bc51a-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002Community MembersBuilding Local Power: We provide community members with the research and advocacy tools they need to reclaim power over local decision making and hold corporations and government accountable. We direct our efforts to support the people most impacted when democracy is threatened, especially rural residents, diverse communities, and economically disadvantaged Americans.EnergyEmpower households and communities to produce their own local, clean, and renewable energy._831bc5a6-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002.1HouseholdsCommunitiesOur Energy Democracy Initiative empowers households and communities to produce their own local, clean, and renewable energy and oppose the excessive power of monopoly utilities.Broadband NetworksPromote locally rooted, democratically accountable broadband networks._831bc63c-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002.2Broadband NetworksThe Community Broadband Network Initiative promotes locally rooted, democratically accountable broadband networks that provide fast, affordable and reliable Internet access to all Americans.BusinessesChampion locally owned businesses._831bc6d2-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002.3Locally Owned BusinessesOur Independent Business Initiative champions locally owned businesses, leads efforts to fight the unchecked power of corporate giants like Walmart and Amazon, and seeks to reverse the government policies that work against these small, independent businesses.WasteMove toward a zero-waste economy._831bc768-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002.4Waste SectorOur Waste to Wealth Program focuses on moving toward a zero-waste economy, exposing corporate control of the waste sector, and supporting local community efforts to shut down garbage incinerators. CompostingAdvance local, neighborhood-level composting programs._831bc7fe-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea002.5Composting ProgramsOur Composting for Community Initiative works in diverse communities to create jobs, protect the climate, and reduce waste by advancing local, neighborhood-level composting programs.PartnershipsBuild coalitions and work closely with allies._831bc89e-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea003EntrepreneursCity PlannersRetail WorkersEngineersNeighborhood GroupsNational Advocacy OrganizationsCommunities of ColorLow-Income CommunitiesPartnering With Others: For 46 years, ILSR has been building coalitions and working closely with allies, from entrepreneurs to city planners, retail workers to engineers, neighborhood groups to national advocacy organizations, as well as communities of color, low-income communities, and other people pushed to the margins of the existing economic and political structure. With our partners we conduct research, run workshops, produce podcasts, and create popular education tools that support local campaigns.ResearchConduct research._831bc93e-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea003.1WorkshopsRun workshops._831bc9de-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea003.2PodcastsProduce podcasts._831bca88-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea003.3CampaignsCreate popular education tools that support local campaigns._831bcb28-f3e2-11ea-a6c3-a1da0a83ea003.42020-09-14https://ilsr.org/about-the-institute-for-local-self-reliance/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net