Michael Paparian has over 35 years of experience developing and implementing California environmental and energy policies and related finance programs. He has served in diverse positions in his career, including Deputy Treasurer for the State of California, Executive Director of the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, Board Member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board and Sierra Club California State Director.

He is Senior Advisor to the Climate Bonds Initiative, a London-based NGO promoting the use and standardization of Green Bonds. He is also Senior Advisor to the Sacramento-based clean technology consulting firm Momentum. He also consults on environmental finance and policy issues, including development of the green bond market, linking California financing programs to national and international climate solutions, and implementing financial incentives for clean energy businesses. He is a Climate Reality Leader and regularly blogs about climate change and environmental finance issues with a California emphasis.

As an appointee of California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, he served as Executive Director of the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, where he oversaw several financing and grant programs, including environmental bond issuance, brownfields clean-up, and small business lending. He successfully oversaw issuance of a $720 million bond for a desalination facility. This bond issuance was recognized by the Bond Buyer as the West Coast Deal of the Year. He also designed and implemented new state programs to help small businesses, including a new collateral support program and a program to assist truckers purchase newer, cleaner diesel trucks. He later became Deputy State Treasurer, working on environmental, health and education policy and small business financing issues.

Mr. Paparian serves on the Boards of the InterEnvironment Institute, based in Claremont, California and Solar Cookers International, based in Sacramento. He is also a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas. He has served on Boards and Commissions as diverse as the SolarCal Council, Hazardous Waste Management Council, Commission on Building for the 21st Century, National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative, World Conservation Union Commission on Environmental Strategy and Planning, and others. He holds Bachelors Degrees (with honors) in Biology and Psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Masters Degree in Environmental Planning from Calif. State University.