Dear Future Board Member,
your leadership role awaits...
We are currently accepting applications!
Board of Directors
Tanner Faaborg
Tanner has roots in rural Iowa where he grew up on a farm with a family of seven. After graduation, his studies took him to Iowa City where he studied English Literature & Political Science at The University of Iowa. After finishing his degree, Tanner pursued his passion for travel which took shape in the form of a three year adventure around the world, taking him to 51 countries on 6 different continents. These experiences helped cultivate a desire to help better the world.
He now calls Des Moines home where he owns and operates a metal fabrication business. In addition, Tanner stays busy serving as the Board President of the Parks Area Foundation, an organization that oversees operations at the new Riviera Stage at Riverview Park and reinvests the proceeds into local community development initiatives. He is also spearheading a pilot project to retrofit CAFO buildings to transition farmers away from animal agriculture to sustainable crop production in tandem with The Transformation Project.
Tanner currently serves as President and joined in 2018.
Zack Valigosky
Zack is originally from Toledo, Ohio and moved to Des Moines in June of 2016. He attended the University of Dayton where he received a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree and his passion for sustainability was fostered as a member of the Rivers Institute. Housed within the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, the Rivers Institute is a three-year program aimed at connecting the University and community partners to utilize rivers as a strategic natural resource. To address sustainability through the lens of engineering, Zack continued his education in Dayton and became a Master of Science in Renewable and Clean Energy. Zack works on a daily basis to save energy and reduce his footprint though his work at ISG, alternative transportation methods, and DIY home cleaning products.
Zack currently serves as Vice President and joined in 2016.
Sam Christianson
Sam grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN before attending Iowa State University, earning a degree in Supply Chain Management. He settled in Des Moines in 2015. Sam has spent most of his career in the energy sector with experience in advanced bio-fuels and utility industries. His sustainability journey is rooted in utilizing logistics & supply chain principles to improve the way in which goods are handled from cradle to grave. Sam enjoys spending his free time outdoors. Cycling, hiking, and camping are his preferred recreational activities.
Sam currently serves as Treasurer and joined in 2021.
Anthony Fippinger
Anthony is a native Central-Iowan and attended the University of Iowa, where he received his Bachelor's degree, double-majoring in English Literature and Studio Art. After completing his studies, Anthony relocated to Brooklyn, NY, where he spent nearly a decade in the non-profit and education sectors, building on his background in accounting and finance. Family would eventually steer him back to the Midwest, along with a desire to apply what he had learned throughout his metropolitan experience to his home state. He now works as an Accountant in downtown Des Moines for a marketing & public relations firm. In his spare time, Anthony enjoys making music, taking photographs, spending time with his family, and supporting the Manchester City Football Club.
Emese Haty
Mesi grew up in Budapest, Hungary, where she received her degree in Agricultural Engineering and Environmental Management from Corvinus University. Her specialization in Natural Conservation took her to a research internship at Old Westbury Gardens in New York, via Ohio State University. With a continued desire to learn everything sustainability in an international setting, she moved to the Netherlands in 2015 to get a master’s in Industrial Ecology from Leiden University & TU Delft. Post graduation, she worked on circular economy, water utility and various other sustainability focused EU projects in Hungary and the Netherlands. Mesi now lives in West Des Moines and serves on the board since 2023. She has been vegan for 8+ years and is passionate about reducing consumption and waste through embracing second-hand and package-free products.
Chris Bondi
Chris grew up in the suburbs of Chicago before attending the University of Iowa, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. After graduating, Chris worked as an engineer in the power sector in downtown Chicago, however he quickly realized that this work did not fulfill his passion to improve communities through sustainability. In 2017, he decided it was time to go back to school in order to focus on this area. He moved his family to Germany to attend the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology where he received a degree in Energy Engineering and Management. After completing his education, he moved back to the U.S. and settled in Des Moines where he is looking forward to finally getting started working to promote sustainability in the city. In his free time, Chris enjoys traveling, SCUBA diving, and fondly remembering his time abroad over a German beer.
Chris joined the Board of Directors in 2020.
Committee Members
James Boatright
James grew up in Des Moines, attending East High School before attaining a bachelors degree in Environmental Sustainability from Central College in 2021. After graduation, he moved back to Des Moines and started his career in the environmental compliance field. James’ environmental journey has taken him from land stewardship with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, to superfund sites in Missouri, to working on water quality infrastructure projects around the state. James works to empower personal connections to take responsibility for environmental stewardship, and found a positive and constructive framework for his passion of environmental conservation through the Urban Ambassadors Natural Environment Committee. James helps Urban Ambassadors with Tiny Tree plantings, Green Drinks speaker outreach, and intern coordination. In his free time, James enjoys rock climbing, taking walks and hikes around Des Moines and volunteering for other community organizations.