The Business of Sustainability

Associate Director, ESG, Business Performance Improvement, Protiviti

Alyse Mauro Mason is Associate Director in Protiviti’s Sustainability & ESG practice, where she drives strategy across social impact initiatives, global compliance readiness, GHG inventory management, and reduction strategy. With over 17 years of experience in both professional services and corporate roles, she has specialized in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and Sustainability across multiple sectors. Alyse brings a background in legal practice and commercial real estate to her advisory work, helping companies strengthen ESG programs with a focus on long-term business resilience.

Manager, Markets Analysis at Resource Environmental Solutions LLC

Erica Newman works at the intersection of sustainability, environmental policy, and infrastructure. She has spent her career helping public agencies and private companies turn big-picture environmental goals into real-world projects. Erica also brings experience from the real estate industry, where she worked on green building certifications and corporate sustainability reporting—giving her a grounded perspective on how sustainability goals translate into business decisions. In her current role at RES, she develops strategies for nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and stormwater management. Erica earned her M.S. in Sustainable Management from DePaul University in 2015. 

Vice President, Sustainability & Government Relations, American Institute of Steel Construction

Brian Raff is Vice President of the American Institute of Steel Construction leading the association's efforts in Sustainability and Government Relations. Since 2005, Brian has led key marketing and business development roles within AISC and the National Steel Bridge Alliance. In 2013, Brian left the Institute to serve as Marketing Director for one of North America's largest structural steel building and bridge fabricators before returning to AISC in 2017 to lead AISC's marketing communications and government affairs efforts. Mr. Raff graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree and received his MBA from DePaul University in Chicago, focusing on economic business strategy.

Sustainability Manager at Health Care Service Corporation

Amy Marie Amaon is a corporate sustainability leader with 5+ years of industry experience. As Sustainability Manager at Health Care Service Corporation, she enters her work on the intersection of climate change and human health. She has led green building certifications projects, provided technical expertise on internal and external reporting, and conducts research to update senior leaders on the materiality of climate change to the business. Amy holds an M.S. from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business in Sustainable Management and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Energy Engineering from the University of North Texas. She currently serves on DePaul’s Advisory Council for the department of Management and Entrepreneurship (ACME).

Moderator, Professor at DePaul University

Morgan Herron holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, is a business strategist, educator, and sustainability advocate with over 20 years of leadership in corporate management and entrepreneurship. As an adjunct professor at DePaul University, he integrates real-world experience with a focus on ethical leadership, ESG, and sustainable business practices. Dr. Herron is passionate about preparing students and professionals to lead with purpose in a rapidly changing world.