Begun in 1988, the company comprises an international network of Associates, Advisors, subcontractors and colleagues. Christopher Allen + Associates is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the Affiliate Network of the Revitalization Institute, and the Development Executive Group.

ASSOCIATES

Christopher Allen, Owner and Director, has over eighteen years experience
in providing strategic/management services to private sector, public agency, and nonprofit clients. Specializing in research and analysis, strategic planning,
and sustainable development, he holds a bachelor's degree in International
Business from the University of Texas. He has managed projects for
a variety of private sector clients as well as the US Department of Energy, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and the United Nations Man and Biosphere Program. His international experience includes work and studies
in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Mexico. He also serves on the
Board of Directors of A World Institute for Sustainable Humanity and homeWORD. Additionally, he is managing partner of CROMO Developments LLC, a real estate development firm with a membership of the North Texas Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Chris@ChrisAllenAssociates.com

Dr. Chester Allen is Professor Emeritus in Finance at California State University Sonoma and specializes in financial analysis and modeling. His 30 year university teaching and publishing experience is complemented by a broad array of management consulting engagements including State of Texas, Indian Rivers International, International Tours Inc., Commercial National Bank of Texas, Ravenswood Winery, University of California at Berkeley, Glenn Ellen Winery, Sonoma County Economic Development Board, and Course Co. Inc.. chester.allen@sonoma.edu

John Balsam (John Balsam Associates) provides professional research, analysis, and decision-support services to private and public clients nationwide. The company’s principal has nearly 20 years of experience serving clients with a primary focus on markets, market research, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurial business development. Until 1991, Balsam directed the technology-commercialization division of the U.S. Department of Energy’s clearinghouse for technology entrepreneurs. Subsequently, he initiated the first of more than 300 detailed market studies for entrepreneurs and established firms in a broad array of industries, including agriculture, forest and wood products, transportation, manufacturing, electronics, building construction and systems, and energy. Since 1999, Balsam has served as a results-oriented contractor to the Montana Department of Commerce, providing individualized counseling to small technology firms engaged in the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Balsam earned a BA in mathematics in 1976 and an MBA concentrated in marketing/market research in 1981. johnb59803@gmail.com

Denise DeLuca is owner of Emergent Solutions, a woman-owned sole proprietorship that provides engineering planning, design, and technical support services. Denise has over 15 years of experience as a registered professional engineer in both the public and private sectors. Her work has covered the areas of surface and groundwater quantity and quality analyses, environmental compliance, and alternative waste management. Most recently, Denise has focused her efforts on using the tools of science, engineering, management, and philosophy to design and evaluate strategies for sustainable development. ddeluca@montanadsl.net

Jorge Kanahuati is Director of Enlaces Ambientales, a
management consulting firm based in Mexico City in strategic alliance
with Christopher Allen + Associates. A native Spanish speaker and
fluent in French, English and Mandarin Chinese, he has extensive
experience in strategic planning, business development, and international
trade. His background as an economist at the Universidad Iberoamericana
is complemented with a master degree in ecosystems analysis and
governance from the University of Warwick in the UK and with the program
Ecology of Commerce and The Natural Step at Schumacher College. Jorge@ChrisAllenAssociates.com

John Webb (www.JohnWebb.net) has over ten years experience in Web development, communications, and project management. Mr. Webb’s experience involves managing the Web presence for large organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. He has extensive experience with incorporating the latest Web content management solutions, designing and developing usable, accessible Web interfaces, and successfully marketing and promoting Web sites. Mr. Webb consistently delivers mission critical projects on time and within budget. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of Garden City Harvest. jwebb@johnwebb.net


ADVISORS

Jeff Birkby, Mr. Birkby is a program manager with the National Center
for Appropriate Technology. With extensive experience in managing large
federal government programs in the energy and sustainable development
sectors, Mr. Birkby advises the company on government contracting as
well as strategic planning. Highlights of Birkby’s work include directing the
Energy Information Division of the Montana Energy Office (1980-1987),
managing the national energy information clearinghouse for the U.S.
Department of Energy (1987-1993), and managing several national and
international web sites for federal agencies (1995-present), including the
acclaimed US Department of Energy's Smart Communities Network. jeffb@ncat.org

Deb Collins, Ms. Collins is the Director of Sales & Marketing for
Yosemite Concession Services Corp. and specializes in strategic planning,
market positioning and communications. She also has extensive experience in integrating on and offline business processes. She holds an MBA in Marketing
and attended the Institute of European Studies in Vienna, Austria.
dcollins@dncinc.com

Michael Karp, Mr. Karp is the founder, president and chief executive
officer of A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity and also the
president of Michael Karp & Associates, Inc., a public interest consulting
firm with an international practice, specializing on energy, natural resource,
and poverty and economic development issues. He advises Christopher Allen + Associates in business development and long term strategic planning. anmkarp@pacificrim.net

Tom Mullins, Mr. Mullins is President/CEO of the Tyler (Texas) Economic Development Council. He has 26 years of experience in regional and community economic development. He is a past chairman of the Texas Economic Development Council. He has served as President of the Northeast Texas Economic Developer's Roundtable and Chairman of the Minnesoate Industrial Development Council. He holds a Master's degree in Regional and Community Development from the University of Minnnesota.
tgm@tedc.org

Jamal Munshi, Dr. Munshi is professor of Finance at California State
University at Sonoma and consultant to the Asian Development Bank. He has
a diverse background including engineering, software development,
entrepreneurship, lecturing, research, and service as a United Nations volunteer.
He advises Christopher Allen + Associates on finance related matters and on international NGO issues. Born in Bangladesh, he resides in the USA and is a tennis player, musician, home winemaker, world traveler, and secular humanist. Primary languages are English and Bengali with working knowledge of Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Bhasa Indonesia, Spanish, and French.
munshi@sonoma.edu