1. Bio
Marc Adato, PM and Sustainable Transportation 831.234.4668 marcadato@att.net Page 1
Marc Adato is the Principal of Griffin Consulting, specializing in: Project
Management; sustainable transportation; energy efficiency; and the development
and implementation of environmental plans, projects and programs.
Marc is a trans‐disciplinarian with professional experience in: sustainable city
planning; community outreach and education; public facilitation; team driven
collaborations; policy development; finance and operations; public administration;
and non‐profit governance.
Marc’s journey to work in the field of sustainability is the amalgam of three careers: one in city planning; a
second in residential finance; and a third in the social entrepreneurial sector. The focus in these fields was on:
plan development and project implementation, organizational development, strategic planning, and corporate
environmental consulting across the domains of water, waste management, sustainable transportation, electric
vehicle technology, energy efficiency and community programing.
Local Government
After the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake (10/17/89), Marc was employed by the City of Santa Cruz to help
drive the analytics and financing that would help construct two municipal parking structures. These public
facilities were the first to be reconstructed post‐quake, and provided the necessary parking to meet the zoning
and density requirements of a newly‐envisioned mixed‐use transit‐oriented downtown.
Sustainable Transportation
In his role as City Transportation Coordinator, Marc developed and implemented Transportation Demand
Management programs and projects for both the City of Santa Cruz employees, local residents and employers.
These programs helped to increase the use of alternative transportation, reduce the number of single occupant
vehicle trips and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a key project staff member, Marc assisted management,
consultants, elected officials and community volunteers in the initiation and completion of the City of Santa Cruz
Master Transportation Study 2020. This comprehensive General Plan update introduced a new multimodal
transportation policy framework for the city, and included a 10‐year Capital Improvement Plan. Marc provided
public administration support to the City Council, numerous City Commissions and a wide variety of community
stakeholders.
Finance
Marc brought his extensive experience in community engagement and program development to the field of
residential finance. As a Mortgage Planner he developed an innovative and unique web‐based portal that helped
residents overcome the barriers to the high cost of home ownership through: special fractional financing;
Tenancy in Common fractional title ownership; and specialized co‐owner management agreements. This
resulted in several TIC partnerships that helped to make market rate housing more affordable to working people
in Santa Cruz.
Social Entrepreneurship
After the devastating financial collapse in 2007‐2008, Marc brought his knowledge of land use finance and local
government to the field of sustainability. From 2010‐2012, Marc contributed his leadership to the position of
Vice Chair of the Board at Ecology Action. Ecology Action is a state‐wide 501 (c) 3 environmental consulting
business. They are a leader in developing and implementing innovative marketing and engagement programs

2. Bio
Marc Adato, PM and Sustainable Transportation 831.234.4668 marcadato@att.net Page 2
that help to reduce: greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, solid waste, vehicle miles traveled, and
electrical energy use. Ecology Action has 62 employees and an annual budget of $15M.
At Ecology Action, Marc provided organizational development, strategic planning, budget oversight, and best
management practices for ethical not‐for‐profit governance during a period of major business growth. This
included the purchase and refurbishment of a new $4.5M LEED certified green headquarters, and the
implementation of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Energy Upgrade California (EUC) program – a $33M
statewide energy retrofit program for single family residential buildings; financed in part through the American
Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).
Organizational Development and Energy Efficiency
Most recently, Marc worked as a Project Coordinator and Community Liaison to help initiate the Monterey Bay
Region Community Choice Aggregation Project. This was done through a public/private partnership and fiscal
sponsorship with the Santa Cruz Community Foundation. Currently in its Phase I Technical Feasibility Study
stage, this project represents the number one solution to meet state‐mandated greenhouse gas reductions.
Through the control of electricity power purchasing agreements, a local CCA has the potential to give the
Monterey Bay Region the ability to redirect $223M in current electricity rate revenue from three local counties
back to a Regional Joint Powers Authority (JPA). A local JPA would: establish customer electricity rates;
determine the amount of clean energy in its electricity portfolio; provide customer service; and have the
potential to fund the development of local renewable energy, and energy efficiency projects from the profits
that are currently leaving the region.
Community Volunteer
Marc has invested thousands of hours in volunteer service to support a wide variety of environmental, labor,
and community health issues. Marc is currently volunteering time to support local families who have been
touched by cancer. He is helping to establish a local Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Support Group for
patients, caregivers and their loved ones at the Katz Cancer and Resource Center in Santa Cruz.
Personal
Marc is passionately driven to work in partnership with those who are building a future of healthy ecosystems,
sustainable economies and just and equitable communities. Marc resides in Santa Cruz, California with his wife
Nan. They enjoy bicycling, hiking, traveling and dancing to live Zydeco and Blues music.
Education
 B.A. Environmental Planning/Architectural History ‐ University of California at Santa Cruz 1986
Certificates
 Essentials/Mastering/Professional Project Management – Villanova University 2014
 Non‐profit Board Governance Training – Santa Cruz Community Foundation 2102
 Certificate of Achievement Second Degree Brown Belt ‐ Kemposilama Systems of Self‐Defense 2000
Technical Skills
 Microsoft Office Suite
 GroupMind ‐ Organizational and Business Development Collaborative Software
 Ability to learn various industry and organization‐specific software platforms for: finance, budgets,
operations and report‐outs