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.
Outreach Director
Jessica Greene joined VAEEC in September 2016. Jessica has diverse experience in the environmental field, including the areas of campaign planning, consulting, education, energy policy, organizing, and research. Prior to joining the VAEEC team, she devoted her time to campaigns and strategies focused on implementing clean, renewable energy at both the federal and state levels.
Administrative Assistant
Rebecca Hui joined VAEEC as Administrative Assistant in October 2018. She is excited to bring her passions for writing and data analysis, honed through a varied professional background, with experience in agriculture, customer service, and communications, to the non-profit sphere to promote energy efficiency in Virginia. Rebecca is also an avid baker and lives in Richmond, … Read More
VAEEC 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.
VAEEC Vice Chair | 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.
VAEEC Secretary | 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
Trane
George is a member of the Solutions team that develops energy-based projects for the Trane Virginia District serving Virginia, West Virginia, and Eastern Tennessee. He has been in the Energy Business for over 27 years. George will be working closely with Higher Ed, Local Government, Water and Waste Water Treatment, healthcare, and K-12. He is determined … Read More
Elizabeth Beardsley is Senior Policy Counsel at the U.S. Green Building Council. Her portfolio includes federal, state, and local green building law and policy issues. Recently her work has focused on connecting building policy to climate mitigation and she represents USGBC at the UNFCCC climate change conferences (COP). She came to USGBC from the U.S. Government … Read More
Since 2006, KC Bleile has led Viridiant, first serving as Director of Operations and then as Executive Director. She joined Viridiant as its first employee and helped pioneer Virginia’s first state-side green building program. Under her leadership, the organization has helped certify nearly 3,000 homes, 270 low income multifamily projects representing over 19,000 dwelling units, and continues … Read More
Rick Counihan is Head of Energy Regulatory and Governmental Affairs for Google, the maker of the Nest Learning Thermostat and other Smart Home products. Rick has over 25 years experience in the energy and utility fields, with employment stints in state, local and federal government, as well as the private sector. Prior to Google, Rick was … Read More
Bill Eger serves as the Energy Manager for the City of Alexandria, where he leads the City’s multi-disciplinary Office of Energy Management team – from planning to outreach through implementation – of Alexandria’s energy efficiency, clean energy, and other related sustainability initiatives. He is a registered Professional Engineer, US Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional, and a … Read More
Stephen Evanko is the Managing Director of Energy and Sustainability for Dominion Due Diligence Group (D3G) and is responsible for multifamily energy benchmarking, energy audits, energy modeling and green building consulting to support green financing. He has worked in the sustainability industry for the past 14 years and holds numerous industry certifications. Prior to D3G, Stephen … Read More
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.
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
City of Virginia Beach
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
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.
