Tom Lannin

Tom Lannin is the Founder and Principal of Chestnut Consulting, which helps organizations save money and build profitability while enhancing the quality of life within communities they serve. In 2006, he launched a program that evolved into the Sustainable Business Leadership Forum. The 2008 Forum assembled top business leaders in an intimate setting where they candidly addressed their strengths and weaknesses in the rapidly expanding green business marketplace.

Something that differentiates Tom from similar consultants is his diverse background. He has been active in four sectors: academic, private enterprise, non-profit conservation, and civic/community work. His expertise extends to sustainable business planning and management; natural space preservation; green energy and green building; and global risk management. Over many years, he has advised corporate executives, elected officials, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders on the importance of sustainable growth.

His leadership roles have included Chairman of the Board for Voices & Choices of the Central Carolinas; Chairman of the Charlotte Tree Advisory Commission; President of Team Bank of America’s Environmental Network for the Charlotte market area; and Alliance Ambassador and sustainability domain expert for the SAS Institute. At Bank of America, he led process engineering and efficiency projects that saved the bank hundreds of thousands to several millions of dollars per year, per project. He also represented Bank of America on a Council of Governments that enabled Charlotte to achieve "Clean City USA" designation from the U.S. Department of Energy for its efforts to develop an alternative fuel infrastructure. He has extensive experience raising capital and secured Bank of America's sponsorship for both the First International Hydrail Conference and the first Urban Ecosystem Analysis of Mecklenburg County.

Among his many achievements, at age 30 he became the first American Visiting Professor and Research Associate at Josai International University, Japan. In 1991, he joined The University of Maryland Asian Division and taught English at Misawa Air Base, Japan, two years before moving stateside. The recipient of international distinctions and awards, he has presented on subjects ranging from literary theory to sustainability.

Active in green energy and environmental efforts, he is Treasurer and Board of Director member for American Forests, the nation’s oldest non-profit conservation organization. A native of Chicago, he holds a PhD in English from the University of California, Riverside. His web site is [www.chestnutconsultingllc.com].