Executive Director and Founder
Kristin Cushman founded The Offset Project in 2007 with the vision of creating sustainable programs that would engage and inspire the local community. Since that time, The Offset Project has granted over $75,000 to local community groups and brought thousands of volunteers to local events to build education around sustainability. She received the Breathe California 2014 Clean Air Leadership Award, presented by the Air District Control Board, for developing California’s first local community carbon fund, the Monterey Bay Carbon Fund and spearheaded environmental certification programs that have earned accolades at both a state and national level.
Kristin manages the Monterey Bay Region Climate Action Compact, is a steering committee member of the Monterey Bay Electric Vehicle Alliance (MBEVA) and represents District 5 on the County’s Integrated Waste Task Force Committee. She also serves on the Pacific Grove Library Advisory Board to the City Council.
Chosen as one of the “25 for the Next 25” by the Monterey County Weekly
Deputy Director
Abbie Beane joined The Offset Project in 2010 and spearheads zero-waste, organics recycling and environmental certification programs for special events and venues in Monterey County and beyond. She holds a Masters degree in International Environmental Policy and Sustainable Business and Development from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and is a 2004 graduate of Middlebury College. Abbie has also worked for the national Product Stewardship Institute, for several Northwest-based conservation groups, and as a full-time journalist. Abbie is a Sustainable Event Alliance accredited professional and serves on the California Resource Recovery Association Green Initiatives for Events and Venues technical council, the Monterey Regional Compost Coalition and on the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy board.
Special Projects Manager
Chris Sentieri joined The Offset Project in 2010 originally to assist in the development and launch of the Monterey Bay Carbon Fund program and our Bonny Doon Elementary School Solar PV installation project. He has since led the development and successful implementation of several key projects and initiatives, including the installation of multiple Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in partnership with the City of Monterey, greenhouse gas assessments for the PGA Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and Shell Houston Open national golf tournaments, and the region’s first Eco-totem Bike Counter project.
Chris is an experienced professional who specializes in: Public Policy, Economic Development, Project Management, Renewable Energy Planning, Climate and Energy Action Planning, Greenhouse Gas Reporting, and Sustainability. Chris holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) Degree from the Panetta Institute/CSU Monterey Bay, where he studied with Leon Panetta. His Masters Thesis focused on renewable energy development in Monterey County and the feasibility of Community Choice Aggregation in the Monterey Bay region. Chris was the former Director of Competitive Clusters for the Monterey County Business Council (MCBC), where he developed and led many effective economic development and sustainability initiatives. Chris was a founding member of the Monterey Bay Electric Vehicle Alliance (MBEVA), where he chaired the Funding and Development Committee and led several successful state and local grant initiatives that secured funding for a Regional EV Readiness Plan and a network of more than 40 EV Charging Stations throughout the region. Chris has also worked for the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG), where he coordinated Greenhouse Gas Inventories and Climate and Energy Action Planning services for the 21 municipalities in the Monterey Bay region.
Monterey Bay Carbon Fund Manager
Trey McDonald is an environmental and sustainability professional with over 20 years experience, working as a whale biologist, environmental scientist, and sustainability officer. Observing the pace and scale of development during his time as a wetlands scientist in Florida, he recognized the need to rethink our relationship with the Earth. He shifted his career focus to sustainability, earning LEED Accreditation in 2006, an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida in 2008, and a Certificate in Energy Management from NC State in 2012. His Master’s thesis focused on sustainability at university campuses. Earlier, he earned his B.S. in Marine Biology from Auburn University, and also studied at the University of British Columbia, the University of Oregon, and Florida Institute of Technology.
Prior to his joining The Offset Project, he served as the first sustainability coordinator for the University of Richmond and the first full-time sustainability officer for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In his time at these schools, he established sustainability offices, led development of two Climate Action Plans, conducted energy and GHG analyses, and instructed courses.
Environmental Outreach Coordinator
Melissa Rangel joined The Offset Project a couple of months after graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara where she majored in Global Studies. Her passion for environmental education and outreach grew at a young age when she began volunteering at clean-ups in the Monterey County. She later began working with her High School on implementing a working recycling system and was chosen to be part of the California Climate Champions, a program sponsored by the California Air Resources Board and the British Council. As the Environmental Outreach Coordinator Melissa will focus on creating waste diversion plans for small businesses and special event venues in underserved communities throughout the Salinas Valley.
Environmental Outreach Coordinator
Dani Banionis joined The Offset Project in 2015 a few months after graduating from California State University Monterey Bay, with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration on Science for Sustainable Communities and a minor in Environmental Health Policy. Her experience at CSU Monterey Bay inspired her to become an activist for ecological, environmental and social justice. During her time as a student, Dani became involved in the community through volunteering at a variety of local organizations including Planned Parenthood, The Village Project Inc., and Pueblo Del Mar Family Recovery Community. After years of volunteer work for non-profit organizations, Dani is elated to be part of the team at TOP as Environmental Outreach Coordinator.
Environmental Outreach Coordinator
Anthony Vladivia joined The Offset Project after months of volunteering and part-time work. His devotion to excellence at zero waste events landed him a secure position as an Environmental Outreach Coordinator for Top. Anthony is ecstatic about finally being a part of the team!