Jonathan Kusel

Executive Director

Sierra Institute for Community and Environment

Jonathan is the founder and Executive Director of Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. He received a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Sociology and Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a visiting scholar and instructor before launching the Sierra Institute. He received his Masters Degree in Forest Science from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Jonathan and the Sierra Institute focuses work at the intersection of community health and well-being and environmental health and sustainability. For the past five years, Jonathan and Sierra Institute have been exploring and advancing ways to utilize biomass (woody renewables). Jonathan’s research focuses on social indicator use and evaluation, community well-being and assessment, and community-based group processes.