SUNY ESF
The Feinstone Environmental Awards

Rhea Jezer, Ph.D. is President of Energy21 and founder of the Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century, a leading renewable energy conference in the Northeast. She serves as Adjunct Associate Professor at SUNY ESF. A respected environmental consultant and policy advisor, Dr. Jezer has worked with leaders across political parties, including Senator Hillary Clinton, Governor George Pataki, and Governor Andrew Cuomo.

She is co-chair of the Central New York Sierra Club and
has held leadership roles with the New York League of
Conservation Voters and numerous civic organizations.
A former Congressional Fellow, she helped advance
legislation promoting diversity in STEM fields.

Dr. Jezer is also an accomplished musician and conductor, performing as a harpsichord soloist and founding the Syracuse Camerata. She has received numerous honors for her environmental leadership and public service.

Dr. Jezer holds a Ph.D from Syracuse University, MA from Columbia University Graduate Studies in Musicology, and a BA from Brooklyn College, as well as a certificate in Gender Studies from Syracuse University.

Damian Vanetti is a Professional Engineer practicing environmental engineering with a wide variety of
clients including manufacturers, commercial businesses, developers and municipal, state, and federal governments. He is currently a Senior Principal, a Senior Service Director of the Northeast Operations, and the Syracuse NY Office Manager for Geosyntec Consultants.

His career was launched at Stearns & Wheler, LLC nearly
40 years ago focused on solid and hazardous waste
management and has expanded into site redevelopment, remediation, and regulatory compliance. Damian has focused his career on sustainable and community-based development and integrating the natural environment into the created environment that benefits the community and
the local ecology.

Damian earned his B.S and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University. He actively participates in many professional and local organizations including the Board of Directors for the ESF College Foundation on which he has served for nearly nine years. Damian and his wife Amy reside in Cazenovia and have four amazing and beautiful daughters, Megan, Micaela, Allie and Ava.