Dave Feldman
Executive Director
Dave is an entrepreneur and passionate advocate for social issues around sustainability, community development, systems change and leadership. He is currently co-founder, with his wife Dara, of Virtues Matter, a non-profit that helps make the world’s wisdom and traditions accessible in everyday life. He has also co-founded several mission-based companies including Livability Project, a consultancy that helps build resilient communities, Media4Green, a media company creating environmentally-focused content and Bethesda Green, a nationally recognized community hub and green business incubator to reduce the collective impact in Montgomery County, Maryland. From 2002-2007, Dave was Consul, UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy, helping U.S. companies expand operations in the U.K. and British companies export to the U.S. Dave is an editor, contributor and 2017 Schulze Publication Award recipient for the Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange (EIX), named one of “The 25 CEOs You Need to Know” by The Gazette of Politics and Business and “Innovator of the Year” by The Daily Record. Dave holds an M.B.A. from the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland.
Emily Bernard
Program Manager, Innovation Center
Emily is a Maryland native, born and raised in Damascus. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Government and Politics, and a minor in Sustainability Studies. She is passionate about issues like reducing single-use plastic consumption, recycling as much as possible, and recognizing the impact of your personal carbon footprint. After interning with us for two summers, Emily joined the Bethesda Green team, as a Program Associate taking on office administrative duties. In 2023, Emily was promoted to Program Manager taking over some of our Be Green Business programs. Outside of the office, you will find Emily lounging with her cats or camping with her family.
Sharon D’Emidio
Director of Green Living and Community Engagement
Sharon and her family have been living and working in the DMV since 2007. She is joining the Bethesda Green team after six years as a Recycling Specialist at the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. During her time at DEP, Sharon was responsible for educating residents, employees and businesses about the County’s recycling regulations, reducing waste and launching a successful food scraps recycling program for businesses. Prior to her work at DEP, Sharon was a Program Manager at Bethesda Green. She has spent her career working in both the environmental and health sectors both domestically and internationally. She received her MSc in Health, Population & Society from the London School of Economics. Sharon resides with her two daughters and husband in Chevy Chase, MD. When she isn’t working at BG, you can find her running, biking or walking her dog on the Capital Crescent Trail or driving her children to and from sports practices.
Pia Iolster
Program Manager, Green Business Certification
Pia has been living in Montgomery County for over 25 years and has focused her career on natural resource conservation and sustainable development. She has worked extensively in the non-profit sector both on reforestation and agroforestry issues in developing countries and, more recently, she shifted to doing work on local issues. This included working at the Environmental Finance Center of the University of Maryland helping local officials and communities address issues such as climate resilience, stormwater management and environmental health. Pia grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she completed a degree in Ecology and then came to the USA where she did a M.S. in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland. In her free time, she enjoys doing anything that takes her outside such as biking, hiking, walking her dogs or just working in her backyard. She also loves hanging out with her family and friends.
In Memoriam
Adam Roberts
Executive Director, 2019 – 2022
Adam joined the Bethesda Green team in January 2019 after nearly three decades of animal protection/international wildlife conservation and nonprofit strategic planning and development work. An innovative leader in the global charity sector, Adam contributes his enthusiastic vision to Bethesda Green as we navigate a second decade of important, impactful work. He currently shares office space with his canine companion, Pickle. (Read more.)