Julie Mc Gee is a young, outgoing and creative individual who loves life and fits as much into her day as is physically possible!  Julie previously studied mechanical engineering and is now working as a commercial energy consultant. She loves learning and is passionate about her career.  Julie’s pastimes include reading, socializing, travelling and water sports.

Alberto Longo has a PhD in Environmental Economics and is a lecturer at Queen’s University, Belfast. He was born in Venice, Italy and has lived in Rotterdam, Heidelberg, Washington DC and Bath before deciding that Belfast was his favourite! He loves hiking and cycling.  He is specialized in assessing how much people are willing to pay to preserve environmental goods and services and is hoping that policy makers will take these preferences into consideration.

Andrea Carroll is a Dubliner who now lives in the country. She set up her own business, Arc Sustainability Consulting, in 2009 having worked as a corporate sustainability consultant for a number of years. She now is very content not to commute and has more time to play with her bunnies and tend to her vegetable patch. She loves to travel, to read and sometimes to surf.

Andy McClenaghan lives and works in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He loves writing and playing music, reading and spending time with his family. Keenly interested in politics, Andy is enthusiastic about pressing for a change in priorities at governmental level to help citizens live more sustainably.

Andy Thompson is very active and rarely sits down. He returned to Ireland 3 years ago after spending several years living in New Zealand, Australia, France and Africa.  He currently makes part of his living providing building improvement services and solutions and is also undertaking an MSC in Energy and Environmental studies at CAT in Wales.  When he has spare time, and if not spending it with his wife and son, Andy can be usually found hanging off a lump of rock somewhere or watching swell charts for the west coast of Ireland!

Joanne Doherty currently works in the Health Service and is a community volunteer in her spare time. She enjoys tennis, swimming, yoga, running, cinema and creative writing and plans to take part in the Great North Run in September 09. She is positive, fun loving, energetic and full of life. She wants to spend her time making the world she lives in a better place for all and hopes there will be some real developments and positive steps made in the next year through Challenge Europe.

Joe Borza is an engineering consultant working in the areas of energy, environment, sustainability and their interaction.  He has a vision of the island of Ireland as a global leader in the area of sustainable technologies.  He is a cycling enthusiast and is currently training for his first Olympic distance triathlon.

Originally from Dublin, Laura Duggan is currently studying an M.Sc. in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Queen’s University, Belfast. As part of this Masters, she is undertaking a number of work experience placements in the business, governance and non-governmental sectors, as well as working in conjunction with Holywood Transition Town on a plastic bag campaign. Laura is also involved with Voluntary Services Ireland and sits on their International Voluntary Projects Committee. Laura’s other interests include music, photography and sustainable/ethical fashion.

Sam Bishop is a 25 year old student, who is originally from Co.Wicklow, but is always on the move!  These days, he is studying Sustainable Architecture at the Centre for Alternative Technology and is working with a neighbourhood in Dublin to create a sustainable vision for the community. He enjoys cycling, juggling, getting out into nature and has travelled extensively on foot, by bike and hitching over the past four years.  Sam is inspired by the power for positive change that humans have when working together and believes in creating healthy, sustainable and resilient communities.

Zand Craig is passionate about the interwoven threads of social justice and environmental sustainability and the learning environments that allow people to engage with them constructively. Following time volunteering at Corrymeela Peace and Reconciliation Centre, NI and travels in Africa, Zand returned to University to study Sport and Exercise Science. Originally from Ballycastle, but now based in Belfast, he works for TIDES Training and co-coordinates sustainability networking group, the 7th Generation Project.

Mark Bennett is the Green Business Officer for Dublin City and a board member of both the Irish educational charity ECO-UNESCO and 'The Garden', an Irish community gardening project.  He has previously worked for the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US EPA and the European Commission (DG Environment), in addition to local authorities and private sector companies in the US, UK, Italy and Germany. He is a graduate in Environmental Science (Trinity College, Dublin) and International Management (King's College, London), specialising in Corporate Social Responsibility. 

Jerrieann Sullivan works part-time for ECO-UNESCO, Ireland's environmental education and youth organisation. As Youth for Sustainable Development project officer she is currently researching peer education for sustainable development in Ireland. Jerrieann enjoys cycling, camping, outdoor swimming and anything else that might lead to a picnic. She is interested in  social movements, democracy and direct action for climate justice.

Tracy Godfrey is originally from the U.S. and has been living in Ireland for the past two years.  Her focus is the intersection between business and sustainability, and specifically how the corporate world can reduce its impact on the environment while still maintaining a profitable business. Tracy's experience has ranged from the commercialisation of hybrid electric diesel trucks and the environmental impacts of the paper industry to the calculation of carbon footprints and the creation of carbon strategies for companies.

Claire Martin holds degrees in marine and freshwater biology and also in law so her background is quite diverse and has influenced her greatly. Her working environments have also been quite extreme from a swamp in Trinidad gathering tree frog tadpoles to an orderly solicitor’s office.  Claire is currently re-educating herself about climate change and associated topics and wants to have the courage of her convictions to make her impact on the environment more sustainable.