ABOUT US
Our Mission
CURE100 (Communities United to Reduce Emissions 100%) is a not-for-profit consortium of communities that seeks to reduce global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to net zero urgently and with high priority, through a combination of advocacy, education and campaigns at the local and global levels.
CURE100 Board of Directors
Leo Wiegman, President
Leo Wiegman is Director of Solar Programs at Sustainable Westchester. Previously, he was co-founder of a solar energy firm and former Mayor of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, and worked for three decades in book publishing. Since 2010, Leo has written two books and dozens of articles on sustainability topics and been a frequent speaker on these topics. Leo holds a BS from Tufts University.
In his own words: “Climate disruption is already underway and will further erode how we grow food and find water and avoid disease, let alone how we heat and cool our homes or travel to work or play. Our goal is to help each household know what their contribution toward that disruption is in terms of emissions. We then offer each family a tool they can customize to their lifestyle to plan to reduce their emission year over year with concrete, quantifiable metrics.”
Chandu Visweswariah, Vice President
Chandu Visweswariah is a co-founder and Vice President of both CURE100 and Croton100. He was the Founding President and CEO of Utopus Insights from 2017 to 2021. Utopus Insights is a global renewable energy software company headquartered in Valhalla, NY. Prior to co-founding Utopus Insights, Chandu led a worldwide Smarter Energy and Environmental Science team at IBM Research. He was named an IBM Fellow, the highest technical honor conferred by IBM, in 2013 for his seminal work in semiconductor chip design automation.
Chandu holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He is an IEEE Fellow with a book, over 100 publications and 119 granted patents to his name. He has been a Croton resident since 1993 and lives a low-carbon lifestyle in a zero-carbon house that he and his wife built in Croton.
In his own words: “Climate change is the compelling challenge of our lifetimes. For the sake of future generations, we must embrace personal responsibility and chart a measured course to net zero emissions. We can do this!”
Mary Florin-McBride, Treasurer
Mary Florin-McBride has an MBA in Finance from NYU Stern School of Management. Prior to her retirement, she had an extensive career in banking finance, having served almost 30 years in Crédit Lyonnais/Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in New York and Paris. Most recently she was Interim Chief Credit Officer at the Primary Care Development Corp., a non-profit which finances and counsels health care clinics targeted at underserved communities, and was involved with the financing of the Hudson River Healthcare clinic in Peekskill.
She has served on the Finance Committee of Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in Croton for close to ten years, was an early member of its Care for Creation Ministry and is a current member of its steering committee organizing the Sunday Sustainable Seminar Series. Mary has been a tenacious advocate to limit the perils of global warming.
In her own words: “I’ve been fortunate to have had environmental mentors from a young age, who brought home the twin messages of respect for the earth and responsibility for our actions. Today I’ve learned so much from the many speakers and members of Care for Creation, and am passionate about the need to move the climate game forward on all levels: self, home, community, nation and beyond.”
Patty L. Buchanan, Board Director
Patty L. Buchanan is a trained Climate Reality Project Leader and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Climate Reality Project, Westchester Chapter. She is a founding member of Croton100. She is a retired lawyer, having provided legal services to low income clients for 5 years, followed by a 20-year career in the United States Department of Justice. Patty is a life-long member of the Croton community.
In her own words: “I joined the CURE100 Board because the mission to methodically cut carbon emissions through the use of the Carbon Tracker, with a 5% per year step-down approach is an inspiring way to achieve community goals. I also believe CURE100’s way of making necessary, rapid, and unprecedented changes will be successful through its ‘neighbors influencing neighbors’ approach.”
Robert DeAngelis, Board Director
Bob DeAngelis retired from IBM in 2018. He managed energy conservation, environmental compliance and major construction programs at IBM. He co-chaired the National Engineers Week program for IBM Research and spoke to thousands of students about careers in engineering and science. He has also run classes on plastic pollution at Yorktown High School. He is the founding member of Yorktown100 because he strongly believes in personal responsibility and loves the approach of using the carbon tracker and leveraging the extended team. He has recently become known for his help with sustainable home heating and air conditioning systems. Bob is a “hands on” engineer who loves to build and repair things and is an avid hiker and cyclist. Since retirement, he started a small business with a unique accessory which makes outdoor grilling more accessible. His education includes a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA. He lives in Yorktown with his wife.
Anjali Sauthoff, Board Director
Anjali Sauthoff is an environmental health scientist who works with government, nonprofits, universities, and businesses on issues related to climate change, public health, equity, and data justice. She has served on the New York State Climate Impacts Assessment team and the Fifth National Climate Assessment review team as a subject matter expert. She also serves on several boards and committees, including the Westchester County Climate Crisis Task Force, the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County board, the Pleasantville Planning Commission, the Pleasantville Climate Smart Communities Task Force, and the board of Films on Purpose. Anjali is a co-founder and co-chair of Pleasantville100. She received her Masters in Neurobiology and Behavior from SUNY Stony Brook and her PhD in Environmental Health Science from Columbia University. In her words: “I joined the board of CURE100 because climate change has been declared the greatest threat to global public health by over 200 medical and health journals worldwide. The CURE100 Carbon Tracker helps us understand how our action—or inaction—can impact our futures, as well as those of our children and grandchildren. Everybody can take action, and every action makes a difference for health and wellbeing.”
Ingrid Wittman, Board Director
Ingrid Wittmann is a special educator, activist and mother who helps to increase awareness of local social and environmental issues. She co-founded Hudson Valley Midnight Run during the pandemic in the spring of 2020 and continues to deliver food and clothing to needy NYC residents. Ingrid believes that environmental equity is a human right and advocates for those who are most impacted by unfair environmental practices. She is interested in finding creative and affordable ways to help local residents live more sustainably. Ingrid is passionate about protecting green spaces, gardening and spending as much time hiking in the woods with her dogs as possible.
In her own words: “I got involved with CURE 100 to reduce carbon emissions in our city, foster connections with city residents, promote equitable sustainability practices and support Climate Smart initiatives in the city of Peekskill.”
David Shepler, Board Director
David Shepler has focused his climate efforts on transforming the built environment. He built a net-zero-energy home in 2009, and later scaled the same set of technologies to build a net-zero, 46-unit apartment building called Zero Place, which won the first-ever NY State Buildings of Excellence Award in 2019 and continues to function as a reference project for the state’s ambitious climate goals. David’s day job is in software and analytics, including serving as the Program Director for IBM’s Smarter Energy Research Institute from 2013 to 2015. David graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and has two public policy master’s. He lives in New Paltz, NY, with his partner Soo.
In his own words: “Climate change is the existential threat of our lifetimes. We must never let the folly of our elected leaders deter us from pushing for the essential energy transition.”
Peter B. Smith, Board Director
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