Directors

 

Paul Mankiewicz, Ph.D., Biologist/Plant Scientist

 

Paul serves as the Executive Director of the Gaia Institute and leads the staff in pursuing the Institute’s mission of exploring through research, development, design and education the interrelationship between human communities and natural systems. Dr. Mankiewicz’s philosophy, which provides the foundation on which the Gaia Institute is based, holds that human communities and natural systems can coexist to mutual benefit. This rests on the hypothesis that where the flow of 'waste' materials from human activities can be cleaned and utilized to create habitat, human industry can be coupled with conserving and creating landscapes that provide an abode for life. Such material cycles can enhance environmental quality, where ecological productivity and diversity become goals of human activity.

 

Dr. Mankiewicz received his Ph.D. in Biology from the City University of New York/New York Botanical Gardens Joint Program in Plant Sciences. He also received a B.A. in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research; an M.A. in Biology from Lehman College; and a M. Phil. in Biology from the City University of New York. He has substantial experience with enhancing, restoring, and constructing wetland and terrestrial ecosystems. A past president of the Torrey Botanical Society, the oldest such organization in the New World, Dr. Mankiewicz is a member and former chair of the Solid Waste Advisory Board of the Bronx and Treasurer of the Soil and Water Conservation District for New York City.

  

Staff

  

John Halenar

 

John, currently serving as Development Officer at the Gaia Institute, has been an environmental writer and consultant and for 12 years was a manager in Verizon’s Environmental Issues Organization. Prior to that, he spent several years in the print and electronic publishing industries. Halenar has won the prestigious Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania. He speaks at numerous conferences and workshops on topics including recycling challenges; waste prevention; buying recycled-content products; environmental career opportunities; and cell phone recycling.

 

Halenar is a member of the boards of the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling and the Federation of New York Solid Waste Associations; the state steering committees for NY/America Recycles Day and the Buy Recycled Alliance of New York.  He chairs the Corporate and Professional Advisory Council for the New York City High School for Environmental Studies.

 

Halenar graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Political Science and holds a Certificate in Strategic Environmental Management from New York University.

Eric Dalski

Eric Dalski joined The Gaia Institute in June of 2008 as a Project Manager. His main responsibilities include organization, oversight, and implementation of many of the institute’s projects throughout New York City. Prior to joining The Gaia Institute, Eric slaved at a market-based financial research firm for two years. After reading about The Gaia Institute, he became an avid supporter of Lovelock's Gaia Hypothesis, supported by Lynn Margulis.. He has a strong background in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from Washington College and is working on his Certificate of Conservation Biology at Columbia University..

Peter Spartos

Peter Spartos graduated from the University of Vermont in the spring of 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science and a concentration iin Ecological Design. He joined the Gaia Institute in July of 2008 as the drafting and GIS manager assisting in design and implementation. Before joining the Gaia team, Peter conducted research on the treatment of dairy farm effluent for the University of Vermont Constructed Wetlands Project. Also, he worked as a field technician conducting storm water monitoring for the RAN project and Vermont USGS.