Executive Director
Chelsea Harnish joined VAEEC as Executive Director in October 2015. Chelsea’s resume includes nearly a decade of campaign planning and energy policy experience in the nonprofit sector. For the last seven years, she has regularly engaged with state agency staff, as well as, industry and utility representatives to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in Virginia.
Program Coordinator
Jessica Greene joined VAEEC as Program Coordinator in September 2016. Jessica has diverse experience in the environmental field, including the areas of campaign planning, consulting, education, energy policy, organizing, and research. During the last couple of years she has devoted her time to campaigns and strategies focused on implementing clean, renewable energy at both the … Read More
Administrative Assistant
Jenn Fisher joined VAEEC as Administrative Assistant in April of 2018. Jenn’s resume includes founding a student lead affiliation with the Computer Science department at Reynolds Community College. In 2016 Jenn began utilizing her administrative abilities and experience to follow her passion of working with nonprofits when she became an administrator with a private association … Read More
Communications Intern
Jennifer Carr joined the VAEEC team in May 2018 as a summer intern. She is a student at Denison University studying Communication and English and will graduate in May 2020. Jennifer’s previous experience has been with running social media for organizations on her schools campus and involvement with her schools publication, Exile.
Pearl National Home Certification
Cynthia Adams actively promotes energy efficiency statewide and is past Chair of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council. She is CEO of Pearl Certification, a Virginia-based company which certifies the energy efficiency of homes through the federal Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. She recently stepped down as Executive Director of the award winning Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP), an energy services nonprofit, which under her leadership developed innovative energy efficiency and solar programs that helped thousands of building owners in central and northern Virginia reduce and produce energy.
Oracle
Richard W. Caperton is the Director of National Policy and Regulatory Affairs in Oracle’s Utilities Global Business Unit. Caperton leads the company’s state regulatory work across eastern North America, as well as any engagements with the federal government, including Congress, administrative agencies, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He also guides the company’s global regulatory strategy … Read More
Trane
Larry Cummings heads up VA Trane’s Energy business. VA Trane has performed over $200 million in large energy projects (performance contracting) for Federal, State and Local Governments on some of the Commonwealth’s iconic buildings. Larry has partnered with the VA Chamber of Commerce, VCU and numerous Associations to create the Commonwealth’s largest energy and sustainability conference.
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP)
Lesley Fore is the Executive Director of the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP). She joined LEAP in 2010 with 20 years of nonprofit management and operations experience. She guides LEAP in its mission to lead the effort in local communities to implement energy efficient and renewable technologies in buildings; to promote cost savings for families … Read More
VAEEC TREASURER | Virginia Community Capital
Mr. Greenleaf is a commercial loan officer at Virginia Community Capital, a Community Development Financial Institution. He has over 25 years in real estate lending, business management, and nonprofit leadership. His lending background includes commercial and affordable multifamily properties and managing and disposing of nonperforming real estate loans. As a lender, he worked for GMAC Model Home Finance and Dynex Commercial, a commercial mortgage REIT. Before joining VCC he served as the Executive Director of the Richmond Region Energy Alliance, an energy efficiency nonprofit focused on breaking down barriers to advance energy efficiency and solar energy in central Virginia.
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Wesley Holmes is the Director of Strategy and Development for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. In this role, Wesley leads SEEA’s efforts to identify and assess new business opportunities, supports program design to meet new business goals, and leads the development of grant proposals. Wesley is also leading SEEA’s efforts to expand access to capital … Read More
Michael is the Manager of Energy Conservation at Dominion Energy. His responsibilities include oversight and design of new DSM programs. He joined Dominion in 1996 and has served in a number of regulatory and customer service-related leadership roles. Michael joined the VAEEC Board in May 2018.
Community Housing Partners
Mark Jackson joined Community Housing Partners (CHP) in 2009 after 20 years in business management and real estate development, where he gained experience in operations, project management, fiscal oversight, and customer service. As Vice President of CHP Energy Solutions he oversees all operations of the internationally-renowned Weatherization Assistance Program, Research and Training Center and Utility … Read More
VAEEC VICE CHAIR | Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
David Koogler is the Vice President of Customer Services for Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC), the third largest electric utility in Virginia and one of the largest electric cooperatives in the United States. He is responsible for the strategic leadership of all member support activities at REC, including contact center, billing and collections, key accounts and economic development, regulatory and government affairs, conservation and renewable energy programs, and communications. Mr. Koogler joined REC in March 2011.
Columbia Gas of Virginia
Susan is currently Director of Business Policy at Columbia Gas of Virginia, a position she accepted in May 2015. She is responsible for government and regulatory affairs and energy efficiency programs and leads the development and implementation of policy initiatives. Prior to this position, Susan was Director of the Division of Accounting and Finance at … Read More
VAEEC Secretary | Arlington County
John Morrill is Energy Manager for Arlington County, Virginia, a position he has held since 2000. He leads a broad portfolio of work in energy management and energy policy including energy efficiency and clean energy deployment for County facilities, and he is heavily involved in energy program development for the community. John also leads ESF 12, the emergency support function for energy in Arlington.
City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works
As Facilities Engineer with the City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works, Thomas Nicholas oversees the Facilities Design and Construction Division, Building Maintenance Division, Facilities Management Office and Energy Management Office. He serves as the focal point for all municipal building planning, design, construction, maintenance, facilities management and energy programs. A retired Naval officer, … Read More
Virginia Tech
Professor Saifur Rahman is the founding director of the Advanced Research Institute at Virginia Tech where he is the Joseph R. Loring professor of electrical and computer engineering. He also directs the Center for Energy and the Global Environment. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and an IEEE Millennium Medal winner. He is the founding editor-in-chief of the IEEE Electrification Magazine. He was also the founding editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy.
VAEEC CHAIR | D&R International
David Steiner is President of D+R International, Ltd., which has been instrumental in the support of innovative program design for energy efficiency adoption over its 30-year history. The company focuses on high quality data that brings greater understanding of energy efficiency opportunities and ultimately capture of energy savings. It has pioneered the Market Lift® program that has succeeded in pushing the market to higher efficient products.
