Leadership
Adrienne Taylor, PMP, Head of Strategy & Execution
Adrienne has over 20 years of consulting experience in the environmental, energy, and
sustainability domain providing technical support to Federal agencies to conserve
resources, maintain clean water and clean air compliance, restore environmentally
contaminated sites, achieve greater energy and water efficiency goals, and meet
net-zero and sustainability targets. She has supported mission operations across the
U.S. Government to include multimedia environmental compliance, ISO 14001 and
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) development and implementation, and
conservation projects that involve the protection of natural and cultural resources an
mitigating invasive species. Adrienne has developed strategies for improving solid
waste management, recycling programs, and circular economy solutions; deployed
renewable, resilient, and energy efficient projects across Federal agencies, and created roadmaps for Federal clients to be more sustainable and achieve net zero goals at the building and installation level. She has also worked in alternative fuel production to include the review of international sustainable and regenerative farming practices and renewable sources of feedstock.
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Prior to starting Tellus, Adrienne was the Vice President of Energy and Environment at Redhorse Corporation where she led a team of approximately 100 scientists, engineers, and analysts. She was responsible for client care, business development and growth, overall successful execution of the practice area, and P&L of roughly $25M/annually.
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Ms. Taylor is passionate about delivering technical excellence to customers, while building teams of the best and brightest to solve complex scientific challenges. She fosters partnerships and employee growth to bring to bear leading solutions. She wakes up everyday with a commitment to do good for her community, nation, and planet; to be a thoughtful and inclusive leader; to foster diversity and advancement for the underserved; and to leave the world better than she found it.​​​​
Hannah Thompson, PMP, Head of Programs & Operations
As a daughter of an immigrant mother from Ecuador, Hannah grew up visiting family
in Manta and would bring several 100 pound suitcases of gently worn clothes, shoes,
toys, "USA" candies for her and her Uncle Augusto to provide to rural communities in
ManabÍ Province. The smiles from the children and the kind and appreciative eyes of
the mothers stayed with Hannah into adulthood, as well as did the heart warming
feeling of positive action. Another forever imprinting experience was exploring the
most gorgeous Ecuadorian beaches and witnessing a failure in waste management
education and infrastructure as she watched cars and trucks one after another
dump their mixed waste garbage over the cliff directly onto the beach. At this
moment Hannah understood the incredible importance of environmental education
and the need to have positive impacts on nature and communities. This sense of environmental responsibility continued through college and beyond as she pursued a BS in Environmental Science from UC Santa Barbara, participated in environmental internship programs in Central America, served communities as an environmental and social justice educator through AmeriCorps, and ultimately as an environmental and sustainability consultant.
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Over the last eighteen years, Hannah has supported a wide variety of Federal clients with their environmental,
sustainability, and community programs while maintaining a laser focus on her client’s mission, values, and priorities.
Her federal clients include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a multitude of DoD clients, as well as state and local entities such as the CA State Water Resources Control Board. She has helped her clients maintain regulatory compliance (water, air, waste, USTs, etc.); develop strategies and plans to restore and transfer environmentally contaminated sites; develop and implement conservation projects that involve the protection of natural and cultural resources including the drafting of the first Invasive Botanical Species Control Plan for Joint Readiness Training Center/ Fort Polk. She has planned, coordinated, and facilitated complex international forums working with international government officials (civilian and military), educational institutions, NGOs, and private sector subject matter experts focused on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience; disaster mitigation and management; ecosystem preservation and restoration; national readiness; clean and alternative energies; and much more. Hannah has overseen solid waste management, air quality, and NetZero Programs and has developed sustainability strategies and plans for her Federal clients. Prior to co-founding Tellus, Hannah was the Director of Environmental Operations at Redhorse Corporation responsible for successful oversight of all environmental projects from award through closeout, financial performance of the Environmental Practice, curated client care and support; personnel recognition, development, and growth; and optimization of environmental programs.
Her greatest pride, her 5-year old son Levi, tells his teachers and friends how his "mama doesn't like plastic" and is spreading the word on making better choices to "help planet earth". Hannah believes that even the smallest acts, such as Levi educating his peers and community, multiplied by the billions of people there are in the world can truly create positive change for our planet and it is that belief that wakes her up before the rooster every morning.
Lynda Arakelian, PMP, LEED GA, Strategic Advisor
Environmental and cultural stewardship has been a core component of Lynda’s life for
as long as she can remember. Raised in Oregon by an immigrant Armenian-Bulgarian
father and eco-conscious mother, she developed a love for wildlife through many
hiking and camping excursions and became passionate about supporting
humanitarian missions through participating in events with the Armenian Community
of Oregon. She pursued leadership roles by serving on her high school student council,
organizing tree planting events, and volunteering as an Outdoor School Counselor to
teach sixth-graders about earth science. This path led her to pursue a BA in Ecological
Studies at Seattle University, an MA in International Affairs at American University, and an
MA in Natural Resources & Sustainable Development from the United Nations University
for Peace.
Lynda has over 20 years of domestic and international experience in environmental policy, compliance, and
sustainability with an emphasis on partnership-building, policy advocacy, project management, communications and outreach, and strategic planning. She has supported the U.S. government in implementing sustainable building practices, international environmental security forums, natural and cultural resources management programs, hazardous waste management programs, clean-up of contaminated properties in environmental justice communities in California, and youth empowerment and conflict mitigation in Lebanon.
Lynda has hands-on climate change mitigation experience, including international policy advocacy, emissions inventory development, home energy modeling, and clean energy project development. Throughout several roles with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), she advocated for climate change mitigation, clean energy, safe toxic chemicals, clean drinking water, natural resource conservation and restoration, circular economy, and sustainable fishing and farm policies.
Prior to joining Tellus, Lynda served as Environmental & Sustainability Manager for Redhorse Corporation. Lynda also served as volunteer COO for California’s Bioproducts Innovation Center, consultant on clean energy projects for the Biomass Users Network in Central America, volunteer for Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment in Armenia, and volunteer mentor for Los Angeles Conservation Corps.
In her free time, Lynda enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, and playing music with her husband.
Michael Harris, PG, Environmental Director
Michael is a licensed professional geologist in California with over 18 years of experience
in the field of environmental and engineering geology with a focus on groundwater
protection and cleanup, geologic hazard analysis, California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and National Environmental Quality Act (NEPA) evaluation, and regulatory
optimization. He has led or supported efforts to assess and/or remediate contamination
to soil and water including petroleum, chlorinated solvents, hazardous metals,
poly-chlorinated bi-phenols, and pesticides at various locations across California and
beyond. Michael has also worked on environmental initiatives with local, state, and
federal regulators to improve compliance with legislation and policy intended to
prevent future releases of hazardous materials to our environment.
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Growing up in California and exploring the mountains, coasts, and valleys of the state gave him a deep love for the natural world, leading to pursuit of a degree in geology at the University of California, Berkeley to better understand the underlying processes creating such natural wonders. His studies also helped crystalize an understanding of the impact we as humans are having on our environment and a desire to develop a career with a focus on mitigating those impacts and shaping a sustainable future. Over the following seventeen years he worked with sustainable developers and local, state, and federal agencies to implement efforts to assess and remediate contaminated sites, minimize the impact to the environment made by human activities and focus on solutions that protect human health and the environment.
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Prior to joining Tellus, Michael was a Program Manager at Redhorse Corporation, overseeing contracts with the United States Corps of Engineers and the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest (NAVFAC SW) to support efforts to assess and remediate soil and groundwater contamination, as well as develop and promote policies, practices, and proposed regulations to prevent future environmental contamination.
