STAFF

Trish Riley is co-founder of the first annual Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival, and will serve as Cinema Verde Director in 2011. She is an award-winning investigative and environmental journalist and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Greening Your Business (with Heather Gadonniex, Penguin 2009), The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living (2007), Palm Beach, Miami and the Florida Keys: A Great Destination (Norton 2009) and The Explorer’s Guide to South Florida (with Sandra Friend, Norton 2009). Her work has been published in major newspapers, national and international magazines. She is a board member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and an honorary member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. She is the founder of www.GoGreenNation.org, a website designed to promote green jobs, resources and businesses, www.GoGreenGift.com, an eco-starter kit, and Green Drinks Gainesville, a local chapter of an international networking group open to anyone interested in sustainability issues. More than 350 area residents have attended Green Drinks meetings. Trish speaks to audiences around the country about environmental issues and environmental journalism. In addition, Trish worked from 1981 to 1988 developing and directing non-profit social service programs serving low-income children and homebound elderly.

 
Mike Sanford, Director of Communications, this is the second year Mike has helped Cinema Verde promote and publicize our popular environmental film fest. Currently the Editor of the popular lunch time information resource theGainesville Lunch Out Blog. With experience in publishing, public relations, marketing Mike is excited about helping make the 2012 Cinema Verde Film Festival a great success.

Penny Niemann is Cinema Verde’s Information Technology specialist, and a primary school educator. Penny is a lifelong recycler/reuser and has a vested interest in environmental issues. Penny came to Cinema Verde as a volunteer in our inaugural year and has worked closely with us ever since.

Cinema Verde organizational tasks are supported by our brilliant team of business, journalism, marketing, graphic design, web development, event planning, and advertising students from the University of Florida.