The CMS Forum is a project of the Chemical Strategies Partnership and both are staffed by managers and scientists from California Environmental Associates in San Francisco and others.


Jill Kauffman Johnson, Director
Jill Kauffman Johnson currently heads up the CMS Forum where she works closely with the members to design and guide the vision for the organization. In addition, she serves as the Executive Director of the Chemical Strategies Partnership. She worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts to create CSP and establish the organization in 1996. She led the effort to initiate the membership-based, CMS Forum, which was launched in 2000 with the support of several CMS providers.

Ms. Kauffman Johnson also serves as a Senior Associate at California Environmental Associates with policy and operations experience in environmental strategic planning and hazardous materials issues. She helps clients strategically assess their manufacturing operations to improve environmental and chemical management, reduce the use of hazardous materials, and reduce costs.

Prior to joining CEA, Ms. Kauffman Johnson was the founding Director of the Pacific Coast Regional Office of the Center for Marine Conservation. She also served as a market analyst for recycled plastic at the US Environmental Protection Agency. She has published several reports and papers on issues of reducing marine pollution and markets for recycled products.

Ms. Kauffman Johnson holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Harvard University and a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University.


Thomas J. Votta, P.E., Deputy Director
Tom Votta serves as the Deputy Director of the CMS Forum and the Chemical Strategies Partnership. Mr. Votta was a part of the team that worked with the Pew Charitable Trusts to create CSP in 1996, and has played an active role in engaging the CMS community through its membership arm, the CMS Forum.

Mr. Votta was formerly a Senior Scientist in the Business and Sustainability group at Tellus Institute. His work focused in the areas of supply chainmanagement, pollution prevention, environmental accounting, and corporate environmental strategy. Prior to joining Tellus, Mr. Votta held positions at Resources for the Future in Washington, DC, and Metcalf and Eddy Engineers, in Wakefield, MA.

Mr. Votta has a B.S. in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Environmental Management and Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a licensed professional environmental engineer in the State of Vermont.


Laura Wolfson, Communications Manager
Laura Wolfson serves as the Communications Manager for the Chemical Management Services Forum and the Chemical Strategies Partnership (CSP). Ms. Wolfson assists in coordinating the Forum and related activities.

In addition, Ms. Wolfson serves as a Research Associate at California Environmental Associates and works with the nonprofit Conservation and Community Investment Forum.

Prior to joining CSP, Ms. Wolfson was with the Sustainable Business Institute, a nonprofit organization promoting socially and environmentally responsible practices in business.  She has also supported work in environmental and land use law, and served as a student environmental consultant, providing technical support to four environmental nonprofits in the Midwest.

Ms. Wolfson holds a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Studies and a minor in Legal Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.