Melanie Nutter
Principal
Melanie Nutter is the Principal of Nutter Consulting that provides sustainability and smart cities strategy development and implementation for cities, foundations and companies. In July of 2010, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Melanie Nutter as the Director of the San Francisco Department of Environment. She continued to serve in that capacity for Mayor Edwin Lee through February 2014. Nutter led the Department, which helps all San Francisco residents and businesses take an active role in protecting the urban environment, conducts outreach and education on sustainable practices, and runs many innovative environmental programs including on zero waste, green building, climate and energy, toxics reduction and clean transportation.
During her tenure, San Francisco achieved an 80% waste diversion rate, reduced its carbon emissions to 14.5% below 1990 levels and was named the Greenest City in North America by Siemens and the Economist Intelligence Unit. Under Nutter’s leadership, the Department expanded its focus on community engagement, released an updated Climate Action Strategy, launched a citywide adaptation effort and started a biodiversity program. Nutter also championed smart city strategies to help the City meet its sustainability goals.
From 2005-2010, Nutter served as the Deputy District Director for the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, where she managed the Speaker’s district office by supervising staff, addressing constituent concerns, and advising on local policy issues. Nutter functioned as the district policy liaison to Speaker Pelosi’s DC policy advisors on issues including the environment, energy, transportation, environmental health, women’s issues, and food policy.
Nutter founded and is Chair Emeritus for the Energy and Environment Circle for Full Circle Fund. Nutter also served on the Planning Committee for the Urban Sustainability Director’s Network (USDN) and Co-Chaired USDN’s Innovation Fund. She currently serves as a Board Member for Ecodistricts and serves as the Chair of their Fundraising and Development Committee. Another Board Member seat she currently holds is for the Urban Age Institute. She also currently serves on the Sustainability Subcommittee for the 2016 Superbowl. Nutter was appointed in 2014 to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Smart and Sustainable Cities Network, working on international standards for smart cities.
Nutter is a frequent speaker on urban sustainability and smart cities, having presented at TEDx, South by Southwest Eco, the Urban Environmental Accords Summit, GreenBiz’s VERGE conference, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the Smart Cities World Congress, among other events. She most recently curated the Sustainability Track for the City Innovate Summit. She has also been featured as a contributor on CNN.com and the Today Show. Nutter holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Northwestern University in Communications and Environmental Studies. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
Katherine Lee
Consulting Manager
Katherine Lee is a Consulting Manager at Nutter Consulting where she provides research, strategic planning, and graphic design professional services in the smart city and sustainability field. She has worked with municipalities, nonprofits, foundations, and private businesses to solve challenges related to digital equity, climate change, community engagement, and community resilience. Katherine believes that equity and community engagement should be at the core of smart city and sustainability planning. She works to advance solutions that can improve environmental, economic, and quality of life outcomes for all members of the community. She graduated from UC Berkeley with simultaneous degrees in Environmental Sciences (B.S.) and Political Science (B.A.).
Benjamin Cavalier
Consulting Associate
Benjamin Cavalier is a Consulting Associate at Nutter Consulting. He studied International Relations and Environmental Studies at Franklin & Marshall College, where he participated in research on the socio-environmental effects of natural resource production. After graduating, Benjamin worked at Clark Construction as a project controls analyst, managing project finance and compliance for a diverse commercial construction portfolio. His interests lie at the intersection of scalable climate solutions and natural resource management practices that drive environmental stewardship and create impactful ventures.
Catherine Pappas
Consulting Assistant
Catherine is a Consulting Assistant at Nutter Consulting, where she supports climate action planning, community engagement, and strategic research. She contributes to municipal sustainability projects by synthesizing stakeholder input, analyzing policy trends, and helping develop actionable, equity-centered strategies. Catherine graduated summa cum laude from Tulane University with a B.A. in Communication and minors in Business and Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE). Her background in sustainability is rooted in hands-on experience with local nonprofits and community initiatives, including urban gardening, waste reduction, and environmental education. Through her SISE coursework and current consulting work, Catherine continues to advance creative, community-driven approaches to climate resilience.
Nutter Consulting Summer Internship Cohort
Asjia Chapin
Asjia Chapin is an intern with the 2025 Summer Internship Cohort at Nutter Consulting. She is currently a third-year undergraduate student studying Environment, Geography, and Urbanization at the University of Chicago. Asjia has broad experience working with startups and businesses that seek to make the world a more sustainable place through social, environmental, and economic innovation. Through research, communications, and project development, she has applied her passion for the environment and the economy to drive lasting change at See Good Strategy Group (SGSG) and GTB Advisors.
Avi Duggirala
Avi is an intern at Nutter Consulting. He is currently studying at the University of Chicago with a double major in Economics (B.A.) and Data Science (B.S.). He brings experience across public policy, research, and consulting, having worked in various roles across government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private firms. Notably, Avi has created and passed Illinois Law HB 4720 during his time as a Congressional Intern. He has conducted independent research on carbon tax systems and currently leads public policy research projects focused on education outcomes. With a strong foundation in data analysis and a passion for using evidence-based approaches, Avi is particularly interested in the intersection of economics, data, and real-world problem solving.
Carolina Noguera
Carolina Noguera is a summer intern at Nutter Consulting. She is studying Economics and Environment, Geography, and Urbanization (CEGU) at the University of Chicago. Her educational trajectory is driven by a cohesive vision that aligns her studies with her hope for sustainable urban planning and sourcing of ecologically conscious products. This mission is complemented by a parallel dedication to design that accentuates intersectional equality, reflecting a holistic commitment to sustainable and equitable practices within business and community practices.
Danielle Storr
Danielle Storr is an intern at Nutter Consulting, where she supports climate action research, sustainability planning, and community engagement initiatives. She is studying Economics with a specialization in Business at the University of Chicago. Danielle has held roles across sectors, from managing social media strategy at a wearable tech startup to leading public relations for campus organizations. As an ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America, she has led fundraising and awareness campaigns grounded in her personal commitment to advocacy. Danielle is passionate about equity-driven consulting, climate resilience, and using business solutions to empower underserved communities.
Kai Foster
Kai Foster is an intern at Nutter Consulting. He is a first year at the University of Chicago studying Public Policy and Committee on Environment, Geography and Urbanization. Kai first gained an interest in environmental policy and sustainability from his experience volunteering for his rural community in high school. Kai's previous experiences in sustainability come from his coursework studying the historical progression of climate change and climate resilience.
Lemoni Larsen Matsumoto
Lemoni is an intern at Nutter Consulting. She is studying Economics and Human Rights at the University of Chicago. Lemoni has taken environmental justice courses that grew her interest in incorporating equity into climate solutions.