Today, Claudine Schneider is the Senior Vice President of Econergy International Corporation, a multi-service energy consulting firm that provides sustainable design, engineering, financial and policy support to clients around the world.

After her first election to Congress, U.S. Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI) was named one of the five "Winners in Congress" by the Wall Street Journal. She represented Rhode Island's second district for ten years from 1980 to 1990. As a progressive, she has been at the forefront of policies to enhance U.S. competitiveness while at the same time maintaining environmental and social responsibilities.

While in Congress, Representative Schneider served on the Science, Research and Technology Committee including the subcommittees on Energy and Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources; the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries; and the Select Committee on Aging.

The following are highlights of those areas where she provided leadership during her tenure in Congress.

GOVERNMENT

Energy and the Environment
As a member of the subcommittee on the Environment, Representative Schneider's legislative priorities including finding cost effective methods of addressing environmental and energy concerns. She is the original author of "The Global Warming Prevention Act", a comprehensive piece of legislation co-sponsored by 100 Members of Congress. This bill established a least-cost energy planning process throughout the federal government which would reduce global greenhouse gases while reducing energy costs to taxpayers. In addition, it provided 11 other policies to mitigate green house gases. It would have enhanced U.S. productivity and competitiveness, reduce foreign oil imports and the trade deficit and decreased a range of other environmental pollutants in addition to green house gases. After leaving Congress, Claudine continued to work toward the U.S. ratification of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, which occurred in 1992.

She is also the author of the Energy Efficiency Technology Act, the Least Cost Utility Planning Act and numerous other energy related amendments that have become law.

Indoor Air
In 1984 she introduced legislation calling for research on the health effects of indoor air pollution. Her perseverance let to the public awareness campaign disclosing the nation-wide radon threat and ultimately, the establishment of an Indoor Air Research Program at the EPA. Funding was later secured to turn the program into the Office of Indoor Air.

Hazardous Waste
Believing in the adage about an ounce of prevention, Claudine has pioneered efforts to provide an economic incentive to recycle or re-use hazardous waste, thus saving billions of dollars down the road in clean up costs. The Ocean Dumping Ban Act was also a result of her diligent perseverance in addressing the ongoing challenges of ocean pollution.

Biological Diversity
Biological diversity, tropical rainforests and endangered species were high priority concerns. As one scientist studying in the Amazon said of Rep. Schneider: "When it comes to biological diversity and international conservation, Claudine Schneider knows from whence she speaks; she has penetrated the Amazon more deeply than any member of the U.S. government since Teddy Roosevelt."

Her resolution calling for an International Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in 1988 by President Reagan. The Treaty itself was signed by President Clinton.

Competitiveness
Claudine co-founded and was the co-chair of the Congressional Competitiveness Caucus. It was the largest bi-cameral caucus in Congress and was dedicated to improving the competitive advantage of the United States in the global marketplace. Along with John Young, then CEO of Hewlett Packard, she crafted a report calling for 10 measures which would improve U.S. access to foreign scientific and technical advances, provide broad based training and adjustment assistance to displaced workers and reduce functional illiteracy. All of these measures were enacted into law or were included in the 1988 Omnibus Trade Bill signed by President Reagan.

International Relations
Claudine's concern over improving U.S. Soviet relations resulted in the first live and unedited satellite television transmission between Members of Congress and Members of the Supreme Soviet. A continuing series of "CongressBridge" programs, carried on ABC's Nightline came through the combined efforts of Claudine and the late Rep. George Brown. For their efforts, they were awarded an Emmy.

Women
As a member of the executive Committee of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, she played a key role in developing the Economic Equity Act, a comprehensive legislative package which set the agenda for congressional reforms related to pay equity, child care, pension reform, vocational education and infant mortality. Claudine has also been a consistent advocate for prevention and wellness initiatives as well as for increasing research into women's health. She was instrumental in the enactment of the 1984 Pension Equity Act. When Title IX to the Education Act, a provision guaranteeing women equal access to educational opportunities, came under siege, Claudine fought to reinstate it by embodying it in a more comprehensive piece of legislation. She authored the Civil Right's Restoration Act.

Leadership Training
After leaving Congress, Rep. Schneider taught Leadership and Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Later, during her years of consulting, she also provided leadership training at Brown University, American University, the University of Southern California, Salve Regina College, and Muskingham College. Under the auspices of The Asia Foundation, Claudine provided leadership training to a select group of women in South Korea and more recently (September, 2001) at the United Nations University Leadership Academy in Jordan, where she focused on Leadership Training for Poverty Elimination. Lecturer, Facilitator

• Claudine has been the keynote speaker at the IEA/OECD Conference on Energy Technology Policy for Sustainable Development in the Netherlands and at the 100th Anniversary of the Rural Energy Co-operatives. She has also presented a paper (in French) to the Agence Francaise pour la Matrise de l'Energie and at the International Workshop on Comparative Analysis Methodologies for New Energy Technologies in Toronto, Canada.
• Highlights of other international presentations included the Keynote addresses at the World Health Organization's Conference in Egypt on "Sustainable Development in the Developing World", the Pacific region's "Parliamentarians Convocation on Climate Change" in Manila and the International Conference of the World Future Society (audience 3,000).
• Congresswoman Schneider has provided hundreds of inspiring speeches around the world and before a multitude of diverse audiences. Topics have often spanned forward-looking assessments and trend analysis including, "A Strong Economy-A Vibrant Ecology". "Preparing for the Next Millennium" and "Health of the Individual/The Health of the Planet".
• Claudine received a Rockefeller grant (1999-2000) to conduct a U.S. book tour on "The Planetary Interest". Ms Schneider was the only American to be selected as a contributing author. The other 17 authors were also former members of Parliament or Foreign Ministers who were asked to address those issues that transcend nationalism; global climate change, consumption and nuclear weapons proliferation. The book tour targeted the Councils on Foreign Relations, including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as select universities; Stanford, Tufts, Harvard, and Georgetown School of International Diplomacy. Media Experience
• Rep. Schneider produced and hosted a weekly, thirty-minute public affairs program on the NBC affiliate in Rhode Island.
• She also co-anchored the Clarence Thomas Senate vote for CNN and has appeared on the morning news programs of ABC, NBC, and CBS as well as MacNeil Lehrer, Crier & Company, the Donahue Show and NPR.
• Recipient of an Emmy for the ABC series "Congress Bridge". (see above)

• Rep. Schneider is the co-founder and served as the Senior Vice President of Energia Global, today, a $30 million company supplying renewable energy to Central America.
• She was a Presidential Appointee to the Competitiveness Policy Council, a 12- member, business-dominated council focused on enhancing U.S. productivity.
• As an independent consultant, Claudine has specialized in strategic planning, futures-scenario design, organizational development, lobbying, marketing and communications. Her clients have included MCI, CIBA, EPA, DOE, Inbio, The Policy Center for Marine Biosciences and Technology, Wheelabrator Technologies, the Smithsonian Institute and the U.S. Air Force to name a few.

• In the 1970s, Ms. Schneider was the Founder of two NGOs; The Rhode Island Committee on Energy and the Conservation Law Foundation of Rhode Island.
• Since leaving Congress, she was one of the founding members of Project Vote Smart (a web-based information network about the voting records and contribution sources of elected officials and candidates) and Lead or Leave.
• She has served on numerous Boards, including the Union of Concerned Scientists, Renew America, the Committee for the National Institutes for the Environment, the Global Assembly of Women and Parliamentarians for Global Action (Conference Chair).
• Congresswoman Schneider was the Project Director for the Artemis Project, an analysis of the economic and medicinal value of biological diversity in the United States.
• Claudine served as Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the U.S. Committee for the United Nations Development Program, 1999-2000.
• Today she serves on the energy related Boards of the Tata Energy Research Institute of India, The Renewable Energy Policy Project, The Climate Institute, the Center for Research Solutions, EcoVillage (The first Sustainable Designed certified community in America) Other Boards include; the Herb Research Foundation, Learning for Living, and The Creative Learning Institute.
• She is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Institute for Ecological Economics.

• BS Degree from Rosemont College, Phila. Major: French and Spanish
• Attended University of Barcelona, junior year
• Attended Graduate School of Community Planning, University of Rhode Island
• Studied Chinese at American University
• Honorary Degree - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York
• Recently completed a course in E-Commerce at Denver University Business School

• Has studied and worked abroad and traveled to 50 countries
• Has written numerous articles, reports and book chapters primarily on energy and the environment


Recipient of many awards from, for example, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Energy Conservation Advocate of the Year - The U.S. Energy Conservation Coalition, The Solar Seven Award - presented by the Solar Lobby, Leadership Award - The Passive Solar Industries Council, The Wind Energy Woman of the Year - The American Wind Energy Association, The Environmental Leadership Award - N.E. Environmental Network, Certificate of Recognition - National Taxpayers Union, The World Environment Day Award - UNEP, The Global Statesmanship Award - The Campaign for UN Reform.

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