ISI Announces New Board Chair

Washington D.C., January 22, 2024 — The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure ushers in the new year by recognizing outgoing board chair Michael Mucha for his outstanding nine-year tenure on the board, and by welcoming a highly experienced sustainability leader, Erin Cooke, as its new chair.

“We have been privileged to benefit from Michael’s esteemed leadership on our board over many years,” remarks Anthony Kane, President & CEO of ISI. Michael’s tenure coincided with key developments like the launch of Envision Version 3 in 2018, ever-increasing demand for ENV SP training offered virtually and in-person, and accelerating interest in a verification program that now counts nearly 160 completed projects. “Michael was instrumental in guiding all of that growth, ensuring that we fulfilled our mission to support systemic changes in the planning, design and delivery of sustainable civil infrastructure.”

With over three decades of experience working in local government, Michael Mucha, P.E., ENV SP, Chief Engineer and Director of the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, holds that a commitment to sustainability is the best way to build trust with the public, and this mindset made him well-positioned to support ISI’s leadership and vision. “When we think about sustainable infrastructure,” he has said, “we are really talking about the next generation.”

Michael is a professional engineer, with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington-Seattle. He also serves as chair for the US Water Alliance’s One Water Council and teaches courses in sustainable infrastructure management and adaptive leadership at the University of Wisconsin and Edgewood College.

“Just as Michael helped to pave a strong path forward for our organization,” says Kane, “we are now eager to embark on a new chapter of growth and advancement under the leadership and expertise of Erin Cooke.”

An ISI board member since 2020, Erin is the Sustainability and Resilience Director at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), where she supports the design, management, and administration of sustainability and resilience policies, projects and programs that achieve net-zero outcomes for energy, carbon, and waste and help to prepare the campus for a climate-impacted future.

Erin previously served the City of Cupertino as its Deputy City Manager, where she drafted and activated the City’s first Climate Action Plan and launched a countywide community choice aggregation program (Silicon Valley Clean Energy), Silicon Valley Collaborative Energy Procurement program, and Silicon Valley’s Climate Adaptation & Resilience Plan. Erin was also a member of stewardship and climate planning teams at the Conservation Law Foundation, Goddard Institute of Space Studies, and National Park Service. She currently serves on the Board of LightHawk and leads key task groups for the Airport Council International and North American Committees and the American Association of Airport Executives. Erin holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Earth Institute and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

“I’m honored to support ISI and its mission to deliver climate-leading and resilient infrastructure that improves communities by providing vital services and enabling better economic opportunities for all,” says Cooke. “The ISI Board, ISI’s incredible staff, and the Envision system itself are supporting the low-carbon transition of our key infrastructure during a critical time for our planet. I’m so eager to continue my service to ISI this next year as we continue to grow Envision’s sphere of influence to ensure the survivability of our shared pale blue dot.”

As Chair of ISI’s Board of Directors with a term that began January 1, 2024, Erin will serve alongside Lauren Evans (Pinyon Environmental), Feniosky Peña-Mora (Tecnológico de Monterrey), Sergio Pecori (Hanson Professional Services Inc.), Mark Pestrella (Los Angeles County Public Works), Renee Ring (Environmental Financial Consulting Group), and new member, Dr. Cris Liban (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority).