Miami Convention Center, FL
Nick Gunia, LEED AP
Founder & President
Nick Gunia was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Dartmouth College (home of the Big Green!), where he received his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Nick earned his Juris Doctor degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law, where he was on the University of Miami Law Review.
He began his career at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York City, where his practice areas included mergers and acquisitions, banking and investment management. At Davis Polk, Nick advised Fortune 500 clients, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., AT&T and Johnson Controls, as well as private equity funds and investment advisers. In 2003, Nick relocated to Miami to serve as Vice President and General Counsel of K.G. International, Inc., a leading Miami-based marketing and distribution firm with over 25 years of experience in packaging, chemicals and raw materials. In 2006, Nick launched Alterna Corp. and fulfilled a longtime dream of combining his passion for environmental sustainability with his career in distribution. With distribution centers in Atlanta, GA and Miami, FL, Alterna is the leading green building products distributor in the Southeast and the Caribbean. Alterna’s clients include Miami-Dade County Water & Sewer, Starwood Hotels, such as the St. Regis and Sheraton, and Carlisle Development Group, the sixth largest affordable housing developer in the nation.
Nick is also the Co-founder and Chairman of Dream in Green, a Miami-based a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which is focused on expanding its Green Schools Challenge, a unique program for educating K-12 students about environmental and energy challenges by getting them directly involved in solutions to those challenges at their schools. During the 2007-2008 school year, Dream in Green served over 18,000 students, teachers and administrators in Miami-Dade County, the nation’s fourth largest public school district. Since May 2008, Nick has been the Chairman of the Miami Branch of the South Florida Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. He also serves as Director of the South Florida Chapter, which promotes green building through unsurpassed educational programming and community outreach. Nick also serves as a member of the Green Commission for the City of Miami and the Green Committee for the City of Miami Beach.
Mark Gunia
Vice President
Mark Gunia was born in Miami, Florida and graduated from Duke University in North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and received a certificate in Markets and Management Studies.
He began his career at IBM Business Consulting Services in Washington, DC, where he was a business and financial consultant. His practice areas included supply chain and customer relationship management, process improvement of various internal accounting and finance systems, maximizing company specific efficiencies and financial modeling. At IBM, Mark advised the United States Department of Energy, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Postal Service.
Since 2006, Mark has been the Vice President for Sales and Marketing of K.G. International, Inc., a leading Miami-based distributor of packaging and raw materials. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of Industrial Distribution program at Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mark recently attended “Developing Green: Strategies for Success,” a workshop by Jerry Yudelson and sponsored by the Miami Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council. Mark enjoys playing tennis, fishing and travel.
Vincent Stewart
Georgia Business Development Manager
Vincent Stewart was born in Toledo, Ohio and grew up in Alaska and Missouri. He attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he studied
Electrical and Computer Engineering. Due to his love of food and cooking, Vince chose a career in the food service industry rather than in engineering. He was formerly the General Manager of La Grotta Restaurant, one of the oldest fine dining establishments in the city of Atlanta. While at La Grotta, Vince served on the Membership Committee of the Georgia Restaurant Association and also Co-chaired the Retention Committee.
In 2007, Vince became interested in water conservation due to the pressing water supply issues in the City of Atlanta and the Southeastern United States as a whole. He quickly realized that Caroma dual flush toilets would help curb demand and began marketing Caroma in the Atlanta area through a company called Atlanta Water Solutions. Vince joined the Alterna team in March 2008 as the Business Development Manager for the State.
Vince currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and daughter and is active in his Church community. His other pursuits include spending time with his family, cooking and running.
Cynthia Stehman, LEEP AP
Business Development Manager (FL)
Cynthia Stehman graduated from Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Design and Environmental Analysis. She is a LEED Accredited Professional and State of Florida licensed interior designer, having practiced as a commercial interior designer with architectural firms.
With extensive marketing and business development experience, Cynthia’s credentials include over 9 years with Steelcase Inc. and professional service firms, including the Miami and Fort Lauderdale offices of IA, Interior Architects, an international firm, TLC Engineering for Architects, a southeastern regional MEP firm, and the Miami offices of both Boston-based ADD Inc, a national architecture firm, and Leslie Saul & Associates, an interior architecture firm.
Cynthia also has held leadership positions in a number of networking and service organizations. Currently, she serves on the Florida International University Interior Design Advisory Board, where she was a founding member, and CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Miami, a Past President, National Delegate, and Committee Chair for Programs and Membership. Cynthia is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s South Florida Chapter and was a founding board member for the local chapter, chairing the Outreach Committee.
Previous service includes the American Institute of Architects (Affiliate Member) where she served on the Interior Architecture Committee; served on the Professional Services Committee of The Beacon Council; and was on the board of the NACORE (National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives, now CoreNET) South Florida Chapter. Cynthia is a graduate of the Leadership Miami Program (Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce); a long-time member of the Coral Gables Congregational Church Preservation and Architectural Review Committee and a member of Rotary International serving as Programs Chair for the Rotary Club of South Miami.
Cynthia has a longstanding commitment to her alma mater and has participated in many alumni activities since graduation. Her activities include past service on the Cornell University College of Human Ecology Interior Design Advisory Board, Vice President of the Cornell Club of Greater Miami and the Keys and the long-time chair of the Miami Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network. She also currently serves as a board member and All Ivy Liaison to the All Ivy Plus Club of South Florida. She has served 3 three-year terms on the Cornell University Council, an advisory board to the University and a one year term as National Admissions Chair for the Council. Cynthia is also active in the Alpha Chi Omega National Sorority, Miami alumnae chapter.
Her hometown is Lancaster, Pennsylvania where her family roots go back for generations. Cynthia has a great interest in current events (a self-described “info-junkie), networking, music, traveling and is an aficionado of the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Jayson Koch
Green Building Products Specialist
Jayson Koch grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and earned a degree in Marketing from Cleveland State University and a certificate in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Oregon. While attending Cleveland State, he worked for his family business in the construction industry and took on multiple roles in the areas of management and business development.
In 2002, Jayson and his father launched Royalton Supply Landscape Center, an organic landscape supply business with a focus on sustainable business practices. Jayson led the company as the first landscape supplier in the Cleveland market to offer locally sourced, natural and recycled landscape materials, including chemical-free fertilizers and pesticides. Jayson created a monthly workshop series called, “Go Organic!” These free educational events taught customers about organic landscaping. Due to the popularity of these events, the company has evolved into an educational hub for the community to learn about topics ranging from organic landscaping to living sustainable lifestyles.
As a long time hobby, Jayson’s passion for electronic dance and world music led him in the direction as a DJ for over 15 years. Through his music, Jayson has exposed many people, young and old, to music from around the globe. Jayson moved to Miami and joined the Alterna team in 2009 as a Green Building Product Specialist. He lives in Pinecrest with his wife, son, and their dog, Gigi. He enjoys nature and is an avid surfer, mountain biker, and loves to travel.
