Randall Winston | Executive Director, Strategic Growth Council

Randall Winston was appointed Executive Director of the Strategic Growth Council in December 2015. Prior to his appointment, Randall served in Governor Brown’s office as Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary, where he helped lead implementation of Governor Brown’s Executive Orders on Green Buildings and Zero Emission Vehicles as well as international climate change policy. Randall has professional experience in architecture, urban development, venture technology and finance. Randall received a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Government from Harvard University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute and Pacific Council on International Policy.

Tim Sullivan | Executive Director, California Public Utilities Commission

Mr. Sullivan has worked at the CPUC in various capacities for 28 years. Since assuming the position of Executive Director, Mr. Sullivan has focused on increasing the transparency and accountability of CPUC operations. Prior to becoming Acting Chief Administrative Law Judge, Mr. Sullivan served as Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge and an Administrative Law Judge, where his most notable recent proceeding developed privacy rules to protect consumer data.

Patrick Saxton | Senior Advisor to Commissioner Andrew McAllister, California Energy Commission

Patrick is a policy advisor at the CEC with responsibilities for appliance and building energy efficiency, including strategies to increase savings from existing buildings. His time at the Commission has focused on building energy efficiency standards development and photovoltaic program implementation. Previously, he was a private sector electrical engineer.

Kate Meis | Executive Director, Local Government Commission (moderator)

Kate Meis has served as the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission since 2013. The LGC is nationally recognized nonprofit connecting local leaders, implementing innovative solutions and advancing smart-growth policies. Meis has been recognized for her climate-change work by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of the nation’s “40 under 40 Young Leaders Who Are Solving the Problems of Today – and Tomorrow.” Meis has also helped launch many of the LGC’s pioneering programs, including the Statewide Energy Efficiency Collaborative, the California Adaptation Forum, CivicSpark and the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation.

Jordan Decker  | Statewide Local Government Energy Efficiency Best Practices Coordinator, LGC (moderator)

As Statewide Coordinator, Jordan works closely with local governments and SEEC to support energy efficiency initiatives, connect energy leaders, provide resources, and track local government progress. Prior to joining the LGC, Jordan served as Director of Clean Energy and Innovative Technologies for the City of New York, where she was responsible for buildout of the new Municipal Clean Energy program, and development and oversight of the Innovative Demonstrations for Energy Adaptability program, working to demonstrate new building controls and energy storage technologies in municipal facilities. Jordan received her Masters in Public Administration in Energy and Environmental Policy from Cornell University and her Bachelors in History and Hispanic Studies from Oberlin College.

Brian Holland  | Director of Climate Programs, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Brian oversees ICLEI’s programs supporting local governments in climate mitigation and adaptation. His team delivers software tools, training, technical assistance and research throughout California and nationwide.

Michael McCormick | Senior Planner, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

Michael McCormick, AICP is a Senior Planner at the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), which serves the Governor and his Cabinet as staff for long-range planning and research, and constitutes the comprehensive state planning agency. His work at OPR, along with recent work with NOAA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality, is focused at the nexus of high level climate and sustainability goals and local implementation. Michael’s focus is on institutional transformation by leading the development of partnerships, tools, resources, guidance and programs that support strong action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing community resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.

Steve Sanders | Program Director, Institute for Local Government

Steve Sanders directs the Sustainable Communities Program at the Institute for Local Government, which provides resources to help local officials develop their communities in ways that meet their social, economic and environmental goals. The Institute is the research and education arm of the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, and the California Special Districts Association, serving all 58 counties, 482 cities, and more than 2,000 special districts across California.

Arsenio Mataka  | Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, California Environmental Protection Agency

Arsenio Mataka was appointed by Governor Edmund G Brown Jr. in December 2011 to serve as Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to joining CalEPA, Arsenio served as directing attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. from 2010-2012, where he fought for justice alongside some of the most exploited communities in our society. Arsenio’s involvement with environmental justice issues began at home with his parents and later with the Great Valley Center, where he provided extensive outreach and capacity building services to rural and underserved communities.

Penny Newman  | Executive Director and Founder, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice.

Penny Newman is the founder and executive director for CCAEJ, a base-building environmental health and justice organization serving the Inland Empire.   Penny has been active in environmental justice issues for more than 38 years and is known for her visionary approaches to solving environmental justice problems pioneering new programs and policies.

Carolina Martinez | Policy Advocate – Toxic Free Neighborhoods, Environmental Health Coalition

Carolina Martinez is a Senior Planner and Policy Advocate at Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), an environmental justice non-profit based in the San Diego/Tijuana border region.  Martinez’ work with EHC’s Toxic Free Neighborhoods Campaign focuses on National City.  She is responsible for supporting residents in this low-income majority Latino community advocate for land use policies that respect their priorities, improve health, and are consistent with environmental justice principles.

Kristen Holdsworth | Regional Planning Assistant II, Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning (moderator)

Kristen Holdsworth works at LA County’s Department of Regional Planning on climate, sustainability, and environmental justice initiatives. She is committed to utilizing research, best practices, and collaborative approaches to find solutions. She previously worked at the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA and the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative (LARC).

Lea Deesing  | Chief Innovation Officer, City of Riverside and Executive Director, SmartRiverside

Lea Deesing serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Riverside, California where she manages a team of 60 very talented Information Technology Professionals. She also serves as the Executive Director of SmartRiverside, a nonprofit which aims to narrow the digital divide in her region by empowerment through education and technology. Lea’s professional experience includes almost 30 years in the Information Technology field with 18 years specific to local government. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems degree. She also holds a Project Management Professional Certification (PMP) from the Project Management Institute. Lea belongs to a number of professional organizations and advisory boards and has received national recognition for her articles and speeches on career advice, social media, cyber security, and technology use within government.

Barry Hooper | Green Built Environment Manager, San Francisco Department of Environment

Barry manages the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy ordinance, requiring annual benchmarking of energy performance and an action plan for cost-effective efficiency improvement. He leads the development of the San Francisco Green Building Code, including efficiency and solar requirements, and serves on the Green Team awarding Priority Permitting incentives to LEED Platinum projects.

Christopher Malotte | Senior Marketing Analyst, Public Sector DSM Programs, Southern California Edison

Christopher Malotte is currently a Senior Market Analyst at Southern California Edison. His work includes managing SCE’s Public Sector Strategic Plan Work, SEEC Partnership, and assisting with the development of SCE’s Public Sector Business Plan. Previously, Chris worked at APS as a Smart Grid Analyst.

Audrey Lee  | Vice President of Analytics and Design, Advanced Microgrid Solutions (moderator)

Audrey leads strategic design of AMS’s analytics and operations platform which optimizes fleets of distributed energy resources as a grid resource. She oversees AMS’s team of host customer and utility contract analysts, algorithms, and software engineering team. Before joining AMS, Audrey advised the President of the California Public Utilities Commission on smart grid, energy data, demand response, and energy storage policy. Previous to that she worked at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and as a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency in Paris. She holds a B.S. in applied physics from the California Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University.

Allison Joe | Deputy Director, Strategic Growth Council

Allison S. Joe, AICP works on efforts related to development and implementation of statewide and regional land use planning efforts, including implementation of Senate Bill 375, sustainable infrastructure, and infill and transit-oriented development policies. Allison has professional experience in public infrastructure finance, real estate market and financial feasibility analysis, economic development, housing policy, and industry sector analysis. Significant experience in market analysis and urban revitalization is a foundation of Allison’s professional portfolio, particularly in the Central Valley and Southern California. Ms. Joe received her MA in Planning from the University of Southern California and a BA in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Claremont McKenna College.

Glen Baird | Project Manager, Low-Income Weatherization Program, California Department of Community Services and Development

Glen Baird joined the Department of Community Services and Development in September 2015 in the new role of Project Manager for the Low-Income Weatherization Program, part of California Climate Investments funded by Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds. His prior experience includes working in the California Department of Public Health and the nonprofit sector.

Ellah Ronen | Program Administrator, LA n Sync, Annenberg Foundation

Ellah Ronen is Program Administrator to LA n Sync at the Annenberg Foundation. LA n Sync is a groundbreaking partnership that brings together the academic, civic, nonprofit, business and philanthropic sectors of Greater Los Angeles to pursue and win major federal and state funding opportunities.

Steve Sanders | Program Director, Institute for Local Government

Steve Sanders directs the Sustainable Communities Program at the Institute for Local Government, which provides resources to help local officials develop their communities in ways that meet their social, economic and environmental goals. The Institute is the research and education arm of the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, and the California Special Districts Association, serving all 58 counties, 482 cities, and more than 2,000 special districts across California.

Rich Chien | Senior Program Manager, City and County of San Francisco

Richard Chien is Senior Program Coordinator with the San Francisco Department of the Environment and currently manages the city’s PACE program (“GreenFinanceSF”), and is the program lead for BayREN’s PACE efforts. He leads multiple district-scale sustainability efforts, helped create the city’s commercial benchmarking ordinance, and monitors the green building code for new construction.

Alejandro Ruiz | Program Manager, The California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority

Alejandro Ruiz is a Program Manager for the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA). He oversees the Sales and Use Tax Exclusion Program, which provides incentives to green manufacturers, and the PACE Loss Reserve.

Nancee Trombley | Chief Deputy Executive Director, California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank

Nancee Trombley is the Chief Deputy Executive Director and Chief Compliance Officer for the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) a division of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. She is also the Subject Matter Expert for IBank’s Small Business Finance Center. Prior to joining IBank, Nancee was the Treasury Program Manager II for the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA). She also managed the CalCAP and Collateral Support Programs for the California Pollution Control Financing Authority (CPCFA). Prior to her State service Nancee spent over 30 years in the private sector banking industry where she served a variety of financial institutions.

Nathalie Nestor | Managing Principal, Design-Manage-Sustain on behalf of Center for Sustainable Energy

Nathalie Nestor is an energy and environmental strategy consultant and program manager. Her consultant work focuses on helping companies and governments find solutions that are innovative, measurable and good for the environment. With 15 years of experience, Nathalie is a licensed architect and an urban planner skilled at program management, implementation and design. Nathalie’s credentials include a Master in Architecture from the University of Washington, Project Management Professional certification, and an accreditation in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Gabriel Diaz | Associate Planner, City of Moreno Valley

Gabriel Diaz has been with the City of Moreno Valley Planning Division since 2004, coordinating Energy Efficiency efforts since 2009. Works with Facilities to manage Energy Efficiency retrofit projects and apply for utility rebates.  As a lead staff member, he assisted on creating the Energy Efficiency and Climate Action Strategy and the Greenhouse Gas analysis.  Education: Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from San Diego State University.

Lee Johnson | Natural Resource Conservation Analyst, City of Visalia

n several years in County Environmental Health, in 2014 Lee shifted gears and began working with the City of Visalia as a Natural Resource Conservation Analyst. He has a Business Degree from Oklahoma State, and a Master of Public Health from Fresno State.

Suzi Merriam | Assistant Community Development Department Director, City of Watsonville

Suzi has a masters degrees in historic preservation and business administration, and has worked with the City of Watsonville for 15 years.

Barbara Spoonhour | Director of Energy and Environmental Programs, Western Riverside Council of Governments

Renée Yarmy | Program Manager, Energy and Sustainability , Port of San Diego

Renée Yarmy manages the Port of San Diego’s Energy Efficiency Program, monitors implementation of the Climate Action Plan, serves on the Steering Committee for the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, and is the Port’s representative on the San Diego Regional Energy Partnership. Renée holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of the Built Environment in Sustainable Development.

Mike Antos | Watershed Manager, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority

Mike joined Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority in 2016 as a Watershed Manager. He holds a PhD from UCLA and is a fellow of the Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation.

Alex Porteshawver | Senior Sustainability Planner, Michael Baker International

Ms. Porteshawver is a senior sustainability planner with Michael Baker International. She assists communities with climate action and hazard mitigation planning/implementation, resiliency, affordable housing, renewable energy development, and private sector engagement. She has a law degree from Marquette University Law School and a master of environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School.

Cody Coeckelenbergh | Director of Program Services, Lincus

Cody has extensive experience developing and managing the implementation of energy asset strategies for energy intensive business operations on three continents. Over the last 10 years, he has worked as a consultant to help clients cost effectively establish load management practices that line up with their business objectives. This has included minimizing supply requirements, enabling load balancing and grid management controls, and integrating renewable energy generation. Cody is currently the Director of Program Services for Lincus, where he operates the Water Infrastructure System Efficiency program for water and wastewater operators in SDG&E, SCE, and PG&E territory.

Mo Lahsaie | Environmental Officer, Water Utilities Department, City of Oceanside

Mo. Lahsaie, Ph.D., REHS, is the Environmental Officer with the City of Oceanside. Prior to this, he was an environmental scientist in the Watershed Protection Branch of CAL-EPA Regional Water Quality Control Board-San Diego. Dr. Lahsaie has over 12 years of experience in directing investigations and remediation of contaminated sites, managing cases with underground storage tanks and releases of petroleum solvents, pesticides, heavy metals and hazardous wastes. He currently plans and administers the management and inspection activities of the City of Oceanside Clean Water Program, in compliance with the National Pollutants Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting; and manages program activities surrounding watershed protection, water and energy conservation issues.

Craig Perkins | Executive Director, The Energy Coalition

Craig is Executive Director of The Energy Coalition, a non-profit organization that designs and implements sustainable energy programs on behalf of public agencies, utilities and other clients. We strive to be a catalyst for individual and community actions that reduce energy demand and greenhouse gases and lead to sound stewardship of scarce resources.

Greg Jones | Vice President, Sierra Business Council

Greg has a diverse career background in sustainability, manufacturing, procurement, financial and economic analysis, marketing and sales, and program management and development. Greg currently directs the delivery of SBC programs including regional climate resiliency, climate & energy planning, water & energy policy, GHG reduction strategies, and forest & watershed health.

Tyler Masters  | Program Manager, Western Riverside Council of Governments

Tyler Masters is a Program Manager at the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG). He received his baccalaureate in Urban & Regional Planning from the California Polytechnic University, Pomona. Tyler continued his education at California Baptist University and earned his Master of Public Administration while working full time at WRCOG in the Energy Department. Tyler was quickly provided the opportunity to work on WRCOG’s Western Riverside Energy Leader Partnership (WRELP) and the Regional Streetlight Program. His expertise in planning and public administration provides Tyler with the tools needed to properly manage regional partnerships between Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company and 17 WRCOG member agencies.

Allison Wood  | Associate Regional Energy/Climate Planner, San Diego Association of Governments

Allison is an Associate Regional Energy/Climate Planner at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), where she leads the agency’s climate planning efforts. She provides technical assistance to local governments through the Energy Roadmap Program, manages electric vehicle planning efforts, and participates in the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative. Allison earned her bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science from UC Berkeley, and earned her Master’s of Environmental Science and Management from UC Santa Barbara.

Liz Yager | Sustainability Program Manager, Sonoma County

Rick Brown | President, TerraVerde Renewable Partners

Dr. Brown launched TerraVerde Renewable Partners, an energy and solar advisory firm in 2009. He leads a team that has implemented energy cost reduction projects at 180 public agency sites with a total cost savings estimated at more than $225 million over 25 years.

Craig Schlatter  | Development and Sustainability Manager, Community Development Commission of Mendocino County

Craig Schlatter is Development and Sustainability Manager for the Community Development Commission of Mendocino County, a Public Housing Authority located in Ukiah. Craig manages a small staff of five who administer a variety of community and economic development, housing, and sustainability programs and projects including Mendocino Lake County Energy Watch.

Kim Springer | Resource Conservation Program Manager, County of San Mateo

Kim Springer is a Resource Conservation Programs Manager in the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability, where he manages multiple programs in energy, water, solid waste, and climate, and integrated programs such as Green Business, the County’s Volunteer Academy and County Facilities.

Audrey Lee  | Vice President of Analytics and Design, Advanced Microgrid Solutions

Audrey leads strategic design of AMS’s analytics and operations platform which optimizes fleets of distributed energy resources as a grid resource. She oversees AMS’s team of host customer and utility contract analysts, algorithms, and software engineering team. Before joining AMS, Audrey advised the President of the California Public Utilities Commission on smart grid, energy data, demand response, and energy storage policy. Previous to that she worked at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and as a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency in Paris. She holds a B.S. in applied physics from the California Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University.

Michael Bacich  | Assistant General Manager, City of Riverside Public Utilities

Mike Bacich serves as the Assistant General Manager of Customer Relations and Marketing for Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) and the Sustainability Officer for the City of Riverside. He manages business relations, public benefits, marketing, customer service and field services divisions as well as sustainability programs for the City.  Since 1999, Bacich has played a vital role in RPU’s nationally-recognized marketing, customer communications, media and public relations, public benefits, and educational outreach programs for RPU and since 2007 has led the sustainability efforts for the City.  He directs the implementation of the City’s progressive, 19-point Green Action Plan that provides the roadmap for the City’s sustainability goals for photovoltaic power, greenhouse gas reduction and both water and energy efficiency.

Joe Herr | Principal Strategic Planner, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Joe Herr is a Principal Strategic Planner at Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) where he supports a range of advanced energy initiatives, including emerging microgrid projects. Previously, Joe was an Engagement Manager at Opower. He began his career at ICF International in Washington, DC and San Francisco.

Marc Costa | Program Manager, The Energy Coalition

Marc has more than eight years of experience in the building industry focusing on local government efforts including retrofit management, building permitting, policy, and software tools. He holds a B.S. in Management Science from UCSD and a B.S. in Construction Engineering from CSULB. He is also a LEED AP, CGBP and BOC Level II, secretary of the Pacific Regional Committee of the U.S. Green Building Council, and National Chair for USGBC’s Center for Green Schools.

Kirstin Pinit | Director, Empower Efficiency

Kirstin Pinit leads Empower Efficiency’s program design and implementation projects, overseeing both program design and operations. Kirstin works closely with Empower clients to understand project goals and create strategies and programs that drive lasting change in communities and organizations. She draws on skills developed from more than 15 years in consulting, marketing and the arts to bring creative solutions to the company’s project work.

Cory Downs | Conservation Specialist, City of Chula Vista

Cory Downs is a Conservation Specialist with the City of Chula Vista and manages their residential energy and water efficiency outreach. He also assists with Climate Action Planning efforts including compiling the GHG inventories and CAP updates. Before working with the City full time he was an Environmental Scientist with AECOM and Climate Fellow with ICLEI.

Robin Squier  | Project Manager, The Energy Coalition

Robin has been a Project Manager at the Energy Coalition for over four years, supporting the energy saving efforts of local governments. She previously worked in the California State Legislature and holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCSD and a Master of Environment Degree from Australia’s University of Melbourne.

Mitch Sears | Sustainability Programs Manager, City of Davis

Mitch Sears is the Sustainability Programs Manager for the city of Davis which has recently been moving to become one of the most sustainable and CO2 conscious cities in California. Mitch’s responsibilities include developing projects to meet Davis’s needs to follow rules set out by the state to become more sustainable, working with outside agencies such as PG&E to better the CO2 footprint in the area, and informing and educating the public about ways to minimize their impact on the environment. MMitch’s professional goals: make sure climate change/sea level rise doesn’t flood his childhood home on the space coast in Florida or ruin the surf breaks along the California coast he grew up surfing.  

Rex Burkholder | Former Councilor, Metro (Portland, Oregon Regional Government), Author of The Activist’s Toolkit

Rex Burkholder founded two successful Portland non-profit organizations. Elected to the Metro Council he served three terms. His book, The Activist’s Toolkit (2015), is highly praised for it’s creative approach to leadership, helping many around the world be more effective community activists.

Councilmember Joe Lyons | City of Claremont

Councilmember Joe Lyons is serving his second term on the Claremont City Council (Mar. 2015 – Mar. 2019), and serves as the Council representative to the following governing boards: Tri-City Mental Health Center; Pomona Valley Transit Authority (Chair); San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (Homelessness Committee Chair); Southern California Association of Governments; and the San Gabriel Mountains Community Collaborative (Steering Committee Chair).  Joe is also the Council Liason to the Sustainability Committee, Sustainable Claremont, and the Claremont Energy Challenge.

Jo Fleming | Executive Director, California Green Business Network

Jo Fleming, Executive Director of the California Green Business Network. Jo has 20 years experience in the environmental realm in a wide breadth of scientific research, environmental remediation, commercial/industrial pollution prevention, environmental outcome data and community-based programs to address some of the environmental problems of our time. She has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and a Minor in Spanish Literature. She has worked to establish numerous Green Business Programs, green hundreds of businesses, and serves as the Executive Director of the California Green Business Network. In her spare time, Jo likes to tell fictional environmental stories. She is currently working on a book.

Kellie Carlson | Environmental Specialist, Port of San Diego

Kellie Carlson manages the Port’s Green Business Network by providing technical and educational assistance to the Network’s 84 members which include hotels, restaurants, industrial businesses, and marinas. Resources available to Network members, including energy audits, workshops, and sustainability plan development training, assist Port tenants with decreasing their resource use and carbon footprint. Kellie has a dual B.S. in Environmental Business and Global Environmental Politics from UC Berkeley.

Marisa Creter | Assistant Executive Director, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments

Marisa Creter is the Assistant Executive Director of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG). She has managed the San Gabriel Valley Energy Wise Partnership since its formation in 2008. She is also responsible for the SGVCOG’s environmental and sustainability initiatives, including active transportation, energy, and open space. Marisa has a BA from Pomona College and a MPP from USC.

Antonia Castro-Graham | Assistant to the City Manager, City of Huntington Beach

Antonia Graham brings 15 years of experience managing sustainability programs. Currently she is the Assistant to the City Manager/Sustainability and Energy Manager for the City of Huntington Beach where she is leading a regional effort to create a circular economy. For the past year Ms. Graham has been leading the effort to acquire and retrofit 11,000 streetlights within the City to LED, this project will save 2.4 million pounds of CO2 and 3.5 million kWh annually. She holds a BA in Political Science and American Studies, an MPA, and a Master’s degree in Sustainability from ASU. Ms. Graham also teaches courses focused on sustainability at UCI, California State University Fullerton, and UCLA.

Susan Freed | Project Manager, County of San Diego

Susan Freed has served as Project Manager for the County of San Diego Energy and Sustainability program since May 2013, and is responsible for researching and preparing for implementation projects that support the many sustainability goals codified in the County’s Strategic Energy Plan.

Alice La Pierre | Energy Efficiency Coordinator, City of Berkeley

Alice La Pierre, BA-ARch, ASHRAE member,  has served as the City of Berkeley’s Energy Efficiency Coordinator for more than 15 years. Her projects focus on a Building Science approach  to making buildings healthy and more efficient, and include solar electric and solar thermal installations, whole-building retrofits, and the first municipally-owned wind turbine in the US.

Jim Parks | Program Manager, Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Jim Parks is a program manager in the Energy Research and Development department at SMUD. He currently manages energy efficiency and grid modernization R&D projects. He has also worked in the areas of transmission planning, energy efficiency, electric transportation and utility program planning.

Garrett Wong | Sustainability Analyst, City of Santa Monica

Garrett Wong is the lead Sustainability Analyst for Climate and Energy Programs for the City of Santa Monica. As the primary author of the City’s first Climate Action Plan adopted in 2013, Garrett is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions within City operations and throughout the community. Additionally, Garrett manages programs and projects to support renewable energy, electric vehicle infrastructure and climate adaptation.

Matthew Marshall | Executive Director, Redwood Coast Energy Authority

Mr. Marshall has been involved in a variety of energy planning, policy, and implementation endeavors, and previously served as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program Administrator for the City and County of Denver. He also serves on the Board of several non-profit organizations and is a volunteer firefighter and a bagpiper.

Raef Porter | Climate and Energy Team Manager, Sacramento Area Council of Governments

Raef Porter is the Climate and Energy Team Manager for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. His portfolio includes managing the Sacramento region’s PEV readiness and infrastructure planning and implementation efforts, and overseeing the adoption and maintenance of the regions climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation framework.

Rick Teebay | Fleet & Transportation Specialist, Los Angeles County

Rick has worked for the County since 1995. He is currently responsible for the operations of the County’s 140 Level 2 EVSE.

Rick Brown | President, TerraVerde Renewable Partners

Dr. Brown launched TerraVerde Renewable Partners, an energy and solar advisory firm in 2009. He leads a team that has implemented energy cost reduction projects at 180 public agency sites with a total cost savings estimated at more than $225 million over 25 years.

Ken Chawkins | Business/Policy Manager, Southern California Gas Company

Ken is currently the Business/Policy Manager for Southern California Gas Company. He is responsible for developing key, broad-based relationships with business, government and non-profit stakeholders to provide balanced input to policy priorities and direction.  Ken has over 20 years of experience in the energy/utility industry, having spent 18 years at Southern California Edison previous to his current position.  At SCE, Ken worked in both policy and operational capacities and has a broad perspective on the overall energy industry as a whole.  Additionally, he has worked as a non-profit manager (Coro Southern California) and a university administrator at UCLA. Ken has participated on many local non-profit boards and commissions, most of which focus on youth issues and public education. He holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA, a MA in Public Policy from Claremont and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs (New York ’89).

Anna Levitt | Energy Manager, University of California, San Diego

Anna Levitt, P.E., is Energy Manager of UC San Diego and a licensed mechanical engineer in California.  Anna manages a $95 million energy efficiency program, which during her tenure has received more than $13 million in incentives from SDG&E, and prevented energy expenditures of $7 million per year.

Janet Purchase | Energy Manager, County of Riverside

Janet Purchase is the Energy Manager for Riverside County. With 21 years of energy management experience, she holds degrees in Music and Public Administration. She manages energy use in 700 buildings served by 53 utility companies. Current large activities include a 12.1 MW solar PV project, a 45 EV charging station infrastructure upgrade and successful RFI for the CARB Relocation project. In October, Riverside County received a 1st Place Cool Planet Award in the Large Government/Institutional Category.

Courtney Kalashian | Executive Director, San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization

Courtney currently serves as co-chair for the Rural Hard-to-Reach Local Government Partnerships’ Working Group and the Public Sector Subcommittee and is a member of the CA Energy Efficiency Coordinating Committee. She and her team deliver energy efficiency programs throughout rural California by way of the VIEW and HDR partnerships.

Michelle Costello | Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Manager, San Diego Gas & Electric

Michelle is the manager of the overall Non-Residential portfolio of programs and offerings at SDG&E. She has been with SDG&E for 20 years and has held various leadership roles in Demand Response, Customer Experience, Marketing and Energy Efficiency.

Hanna Grene | Senior Government Affairs Manager, Center for Sustainable Energy

As the Center for Sustainable Energy’s Senior Government Affairs Manager, Hanna Grene works closely with local, state, and federal agencies, regulators, and elected officials to push for policies that create and grow clean energy markets. Hanna previously served on the District of Columbia Building Energy Task Force and was a consultant to EPA’s ENERGY STAR program and the Department of Energy.

Jon Griesser | Supervisor, Energy and Climate Programs, County of San Luis Obispo

Jon Griesser is the Supervisor of the County of San Luis Obispo’s Energy and Climate programs. Prior to working in energy in the public sector in California, he worked in the energy, climate, and sustainability field in Vermont as a consultant to cities, universities, and corporations. Jon has master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Bard College and a master’s in business administration from Champlain College.

Lou Jacobson | Energy Specialist, Redwood Coast Energy Authority

Lou Jacobson is a Program Manager at Redwood Coast Energy Authority. He holds an MA with a focus on the diffusion of innovations. Lou is currently prioritizing the development of new program elements that may drive the adoption of both energy efficient technologies and behavioral change strategies forward.

Lena Luna | Senior Energy Project Manager, South Bay Cities Council of Governments

Lena Luna is a Senior Energy Project Manager with expertise in municipal energy management and brings a strategic results-oriented approach. Her experience spans across work with 20 local governments. Ms. Luna has a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine and in her final term of an MBA program.

Alex Porteshawver | Senior Sustainability Planner, Michael Baker International

Ms. Porteshawver is a senior sustainability planner with Michael Baker International. She assists communities with climate action and hazard mitigation planning/implementation, resiliency, affordable housing, renewable energy development, and private sector engagement. She has a law degree from Marquette University Law School and a master of environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School.

Jason Crapo | Chief Building Official, Contra Costa County

As the Contra Costa County Building Official since 2009 Jason is responsible for enforcing the California Building Code including the Energy Code within the County’s jurisdiction. Jason is also the Contra Costa County staff lead for energy efficiency and other energy-related programs, including Bay Area Regional Energy Network, PACE financing, and Community Choice Aggregation.

Gina Rodda | Principal, Gabel Associates LLC

Gina Rodda, is a Certified Energy Analyst (CEA) and LEED Accredited Professional (AP). She is involved in providing residential and non-residential energy calculations for a variety of building types throughout California; an instructor of full day trainings; and host of various webinars specific to Title 24 (Part 6) Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Gina has been in the energy modeling field since 1991, through the course of seven California building energy code cycles.

Gary Shushnar | Project Manager, Southern California Edison

Gary Shushnar is responsible for Codes and Standards education at Southern California Edison. His recent experience includes managing energy efficiency education at SCE. His background includes management in solar and water purification industries. Gary has an MBA from UCLA and BSEE from Carnegie-Mellon. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Javier Mariscal | Codes and Standards Program Manager, Southern California Edison

As a Southern California Edison program manager for the Energy Codes & Standards Program, Mr. Mariscal is leading a collaborative statewide effort to provide technical support to local governments wishing to implement energy efficiency building code measures, such as Cool Roofs, that exceed statewide minimum requirements

Hilary Firestone | Senior Project Manager, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office

Hilary Firestone is a member of Mayor Garcetti’s sustainability team working on a comprehensive strategy to reduce energy and water consumption in LA’s existing buildings. Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, Hilary was a Policy Advisor in the NYC Mayor’s Office, where she worked on energy and green building initiatives.

Barry Hooper | Private Sector Green Building Coordinator, San Francisco Department of the Environment

Barry manages the Existing Commercial Buildings Energy ordinance, requiring annual benchmarking of energy performance and an action plan for cost-effective efficiency improvement. He leads development of the San Francisco Green Building Code, including efficiency and solar requirements, and serves on the Green Team awarding Priority Permitting incentives to LEED Platinum projects.

Billi Romain | Sustainability Program Manager, City of Berkeley

Billi Romain has over 20 years of experience in community engagement and outcomes-based environmental programs. As the Sustainability Program Manager for the City of Berkeley she develops and implements policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment. She holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA.