·         Establish Greater Boston as a preeminent destination for environmentally-minded visitors by complementing the area’s beauty, natural resources, and outdoor recreation opportunities with a full array of environmentally-friendly visitor services.

·         Boost Greater Boston’s convention and tourism business by promoting the area’s unique environmental advantages, accomplishments, and innovations.

·         Protect our environment by improving the environmental performance of Greater Boston’s visitor industry and modeling our achievements for others to emulate.

·         Showcase the environmental best practices adopted by Boston’s commercial and governmental institutions to the public and media.

Boston Green Tourism Steering Committee

Jim Apteker                             Nancy Grilk
Owner                                     Chief of Staff, Office of
Longwood Events                          Environmental Services
                                               City of Boston
 
Michael Auerbach                    Jim Hunt
Deputy Director                        Chief, Environmental and
Massachusetts Lodging                  Energy Services
    Association                          City of Boston

Bill Babis                                 Stephen Johnston
Hotel Manager                          Executive Director
Hotel Marlowe                          The Back Bay Hotel

Joanna Blasi                            Stephanie Mehail
Media Relations and                 Hotel Manager
   Tourism Sales                       Langham Boston Hotel
Greater Boston Convention
   & Visitors Bureau

Ray Burger                              Matthew Moore
President                                 Director of Rooms
Pineapple Hospitality                Seaport Hotel
 
Art Canter                               Tim Obert                      
President and CEO                  General Manager           
Massachusetts Lodging            Hyatt Regency Boston            
     Association

Manny Costa                            Michael Oshman
President and CEO                   Executive Director
Costa Fruit Produce                  Green Restaurant Association

Len Czarnecki                           Jim Rooney
Hotel Manager                           Executive Director
Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston    Massachusetts Convention
                                                     Center Authority

John Dalzell                               Daniel Ruben
Senior Architect                         Executive Director
Boston Redevelopment Authority Boston Green Tourism

Dianna Dixon                              Tedd Saunders
Indoor Environment Consultant     Co-owner and EVP
Lake Air Systems                       The Saunders Hotel Group

Anamarija Frankic                        Jim Solomon
Assistant Professor                      Owner and Chef
University of Massachusetts,         The Fireplace Restaurant
      Boston

Eric Friedman                              Philip Stamm       
Director of State Sustainability      General Manager
State of MA, Executive Office        Hyatt Harborside at Boston's   
     of Environmental Affairs                 Logan International Airport         

Mark Fischer                                Jill Zick
General Manager                          Project Manager
Onyx Hotel                                   Boston Redevelopment Authority 
 

Executive Director

Dan Ruben is the executive director of Boston Green Tourism, which is a catalyst for expanding the use of environmentally-friendly practices in Greater Boston's visitor industry. Boston Green Tourism works with local hotels, convention centers and restaurants. Its mission is to make Boston a green convention and tourism destination. Boston Green Tourism was awarded an Environmental Merit Award by the EPA in April 2008.

Previously, Dan was the executive director of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions, an organization that planned, implemented and publicized environmental best practices at the 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. CERC won the international Environmentally Responsible Meeting Award, two EPA Environmental Merit awards, and Mass Energy’s Advocate of the Year award. Dan advised the City of Denver about greening the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Dan served for eight years as vice president and one year as president of the Green Decade Coalition/Newton, a grassroots volunteer environmental non-profit, and currently serves as a board member. The Green Decade works with households, businesses, schools and institutions in Newton and elsewhere to implement measurable improvements in the way they use resources. Dan started a campaign in 2006 to get the City of Newton to negotiate a performance contract that would make all of its buildings more energy efficient.  The campaign succeeded, and the City signed a performance contract that is expected to be $12 to $20 million.

Dan also serves on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Energy Consumers Alliance, and was the Vice President of the Board.

Dan was the Eastern Massachusetts Coordinator for the Global Action Plan's Household EcoTeam Program, and has coached about 180 participants on more than 30 Household EcoTeams to live environmentally sustainable lifestyles. For this, he was honored as Unsung Environmental Hero for Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in 1998. He has initiated Low Carbon Diet teams, too, and has conducted training sessions for team leaders on behalf of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network. That organization recognized him as an Everyday Climate Hero.

Before working in the environmental sector, Dan spent 17 years as a health care administrator with Harvard Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. For seven years, Dan was the Health Center Administrator of HCHP’s Swansea Health Center.

Dan speaks and writes on the subjects of green hospitality, global warming and environmentally sustainable lifestyles. He has advised organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Cotton Incorporated, the City of Denver, Clear Channel Communications, Pioneer Investments, the American Cancer Research Association, the Down to Earth Expo and the Energy Smackdown television show on adopting and communicating environmentally-friendly practices.