Sascha von Meier
vonmeier@berkeley.edu
Program Director – Electric Grid Research, California Institute for Energy and Environment
Adjunct Professor, UC Berkeley
EcoBlock Project Principal Investigator; co-lead Energy team
Team(s): Energy, Project Management
Bio
Alexandra “Sascha” von Meier directs electric grid research at CIEE; she is also an adjunct professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department and a faculty scientist at LBNL. Her research focuses on the effective integration of renewable resources in the electric grid, specifically through the use of advanced sensing and control technologies. Sascha holds a BA in physics and a PhD in energy and resources from UC Berkeley. From 1999-2011 she was a professor of energy management and design at Sonoma State University, where she directed the Environmental Technology Center and the Green Building Certificate Program.
Daniel Kammen
kammen@berkeley.edu
Professor, UC Berkeley
EcoBlock Project co-Principal Investigator (PI of Phase 1)
Team(s): Energy, Project Management
Bio
Dr. Daniel M. Kammen is a Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley, with parallel appointments in the Energy and Resources Group where he serves as Chair, the Goldman School of Public Policy where he directs the Center for Environmental Policy, and the department of Nuclear Engineering. Kammen is the founding director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL; rael.berkeley.edu), and was Director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center from 2007 – 2015.
Therese Peffer
tpeffer@berkeley.edu
Program Director – Enabling Technologies, Energy Use in Buildings, California Institute for Energy and Environment
EcoBlock Co-lead Design/Construction Team, Project Manager
Team(s): Design/Construction; Project Management
Bio
Therese manages and conducts energy-in-buildings and behavior research at UC Berkeley, ranging from new sensors, thermostat control and design, user interfaces and feedback, building controls, and innovative software to enable the energy, comfort and convenience benefits of the Internet of Things. She co-chairs the Behavior Energy and Climate Change conference. Therese earned a MArch at UOregon, a PhD in Building Science/Architecture at UC Berkeley, and is a licensed Architect. She lived on a solar and wind-powered homestead while writing and editing for Home Power magazine, and is currently trying to achieve a zero carbon lifestyle in her own home.
Cathy Leonard
cathlnrd@gmail.com
Executive Director, Oakland Neighborhoods for Equity
Team(s): Community
Bio
Cathy is a leading advocate for public safety, education, and neighborhood planning in Northwest Oakland. She has formed a new consulting group, Oakland Neighborhoods for Equity, and is co-drafting the Northwest Oakland Neighborhoods Priorities Report with the City of Oakland’s Planning Department and other community stakeholders.
Alex McBride
amcbride@oaklandca.gov
Assistant to the City Administrator/Chief Resilience Officer, City of Oakland
Team(s): Urban Planning
Kiran Jain
kiran.jain@gmail.com
Principal, Cityfi
EcoBlock General Counsel
Team(s): Legal
Bio
Kiran Jain is currently the Principal and lead resiliency subject matter expert at Cityfi. Kiran is formerly the former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of Neighborly, a venture-backed company delivering modern community finance to build the infrastructure people rely on to work, live, and play. She is the former Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Oakland, one of the inaugural cities in the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities network. Kiran has served as a senior deputy city attorney focusing on land use, urban redevelopment and municipal governance. She is the founder of the Civic Design Lab focused on building community resilience.
From 2010 through 2013, Kiran served on the board of Asian Law Caucus, the nation’s first legal and civil rights organization serving low-income Asian Pacific American communities. Kiran also served as the founding attorney for Kiva, a nonprofit microfinance platform with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Kiran has received several honors for her work including the Asian American Bar Association’s Joe Morozumi Award for Exceptional Legal Advocacy, NAPABA Best Lawyers Under 40 and Next City Vanguard.
Sushil Jacob
sushil@cooplawgroup.com
Attorney, Tuttle Law Group
Team(s): Legal
Bio
Sushil Jacob is a partner at the Tuttle Law Group, where he represents cooperative enterprises of all types, including employee-owned trusts and business owners who want to transition their business to cooperative ownership. His practice includes the conversion of traditional business forms to cooperative ownership. He was a principal drafter and counsel to the coalition that passed the California Worker Cooperative Act (AB 816), which went into effect on January 1, 2016.
Prior to joining the Tuttle Law Group, Sushil worked with the East Bay Community Law Center, where he founded the Green-Collar Communities Clinic, a community economic development practice that assists clients who seek to create green, worker-owned businesses as a community empowerment strategy. Sushil received his J.D. in 2011 from Berkeley Law. Prior to attending law school, Sushil worked in India for two years on community economic development projects, including Just Change, a cooperative of small farmers and indigenous peoples groups in South India.
Sushil serves on the boards of the Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union in Berkeley and the Sustainable Economies Law Center.
Harrison Fraker
fraker@berkeley.edu
Professor, UC Berkeley
EcoBlock Project Senior Advisor (co-PI of Phase 1)
Team(s): Design/Construction
Bio
Harrison Fraker, Jr., F.A.I.A., was educated as an architect and urban designer at Princeton and Cambridge Universities and is recognized as a pioneer in passive solar, daylighting and sustainable design research and teaching. He has pursued a career bridging innovative architecture and urban design education with an award-winning practice. He has published seminal articles on the design potential of sustainable systems and urban design principles for transit oriented neighborhoods.
Carl Blumstein
blumstei@berkeley.edu
Director, California Institute for Energy and Environment
Team: Project Management
Bio
Carl has 35 years of experience in energy research and R&D management, and served for 10 years as the Associate Director of CIEE before becoming the Director in 2002. His research interests center on energy efficiency and energy policy. Carl’s recent work has included publications concerning evaluation and incentives for energy efficiency programs, the administration of energy efficiency programs, restructuring in the electric power supply industry, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and the role of market transformation in energy efficiency programs. Carl is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a member of the Board of Trustees of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, and a member of the Gas Technology Institute’s Public Interest Advisory Committee.
Eric Lee
ericclee@berkeley.edu
Research Administrator, California Institute for Energy and Environment
EcoBlock Team Administrator, Assistant Project Manager
Team: Project Lead
Bio
Eric Lee is responsible for pre- and post-award contracting duties including proposal preparation, award administration, subcontracting, and budget compliance. He prioritizes customer service and teamwork in his communications with Principal Investigators, Research Coordinators, Sponsored Projects Offices, and Contracts and Grants Accounting, as well as sponsor agencies and research institutions at the State, Federal, and private industry levels. Eric holds an M.B.A. in Finance from California State University, East Bay, and a B.A. in Managerial Economics from University of California, Davis.
Jing Wu
jxiong@berkeley.edu
Design and Content Strategist, California Institute for Energy and Environment
EcoBlock Web Manager
Team(s): Project Management
Eunice Chung
eunicechung@berkeley.edu
Research Assistant, California Institute for Energy and Environment
EcoBlock Project Coordinator & Policy Analyst
Team(s): Project Management
Miriam Aczel
miriam.aczel14@imperial.ac.uk
PhD Candidate, Centre for Environmental Policy at the Imperial College London
EcoBlock Postdoctoral Researcher
Team(s): Project Management
Bio
Miriam is a President’s PhD Scholar (2016 – 2020) at Imperial College London’s Center for Environmental Policy. Her research areas include international energy and environmental law and policy; global environmental change and climate science; greenhouse gas removal technologies; human rights and environmental justice; environmental and public health; and citizen science. Miriam’s doctoral research focus is on international regulation of hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas in the UK, USA, France, China, and Algeria.
Miriam recently spent semesters as a visiting researcher at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, DC, and at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG).
Miriam received her MSc in Environmental Technology (with Distinction) from Imperial College London and BA in Geography and Earth Science (with Distinction), with minor degrees in Italian Language & Literature; and Geology & Geophysics from McGill University in Montreal. She has spent semesters studying at Sciences Politiques, Paris, at the University of Florence, and at the University of Maryland.
Rich Brown
REBrown@lbl.gov
Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
EcoBlock Energy Team Lead
Team(s): Energy
Bio
Rich Brown is a research scientist in the Building Technologies and Urban Systems Division, where he has conducted research on energy use in buildings for over 20 years. He leads a team that is working to understand and develop solutions to address the growing energy use of electronics and miscellaneous equipment in buildings. His research interests include energy efficient digital networks, extreme efficiency in off-grid applications, data centers, and field monitoring of miscellaneous equipment in buildings. He leads LBNL’s technical support to the EPA Energy Star product labeling program. He holds an M.A. degree from the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California at Berkeley, and a B.S.E. in Engineering and Management Systems from Princeton University.
Kate Ringness
Kate.Ringness@smartblocks.org
Co-Founder & Managing Director, SmartBlock Communities
EcoBlock Project Senior Advisor
Team(s): Legal/Finance/Business
Bio
Kate Ringness draws from her experience in policy, law, and finance to address climate change and affordable housing by working with diverse teams to design multifaceted energy efficiency, renewable energy, storage, and water conservation solutions for urban communities. She currently serves as a Strategic Advisor to the Oakland EcoBlock project.
She is a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley, where she has led coursework on advanced energy and economic development and conducts research on community microgrids.
Kate previously served as Co-Founder and Managing Director of The American Jobs Project, developing impactful strategies to grow local economies and create jobs for the millions of Americans who struggle to meet basic needs. She has a track record of constructing practical pathways to capitalize on the advanced energy economy and has authored more than 10 state-specific comprehensive publications.
Earlier in her career, Kate gained significant private sector experience, first as a small business owner and then as in-house counsel for Merrill Lynch in Europe, where she launched subsidiaries in three countries and advised the investment banking group. She is a Phi Beta Kappa honors graduate of Bucknell University, earned J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Duke Law School, and holds a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.
Tim Lipman
telipman@berkeley.edu
Co-Director, Transportation Studies Research Center
Research Affiliate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
EcoBlock Mobility Team Lead
Team(s): Mobility
Bio
Timothy E. Lipman is an energy and environmental technology, economics, and policy researcher and lecturer with the University of California – Berkeley. He is serving as Co-Director for the campus’ Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC), based at the Institute of Transportation Studies, and also as Director of the Northern California Center for Alternative Transportation Fuels and Advanced Vehicle Technologies (NorthCAT — see “northcat.org”) effort. Tim’s research focuses on electric-drive vehicles, fuel cell technology, combined heat and power systems, biofuels, renewable energy, and electricity and hydrogen energy systems infrastructure.
Lipman received his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Policy Analysis with the Graduate Group in Ecology at UC Davis (1999). He also has received an M.S. degree in the technology track of the Graduate Group in Transportation Technology and Policy, also at UC Davis (1998), and a B.A. from Stanford University (1990). His Ph.D. dissertation titled “Zero-Emission Vehicle Scenario Cost Analysis Using A Fuzzy Set-Based Framework” received the University of California Transportation Center’s ‘Charlie Wootan’ Ph.D. dissertation award for 1999. He is also a 2005 Climate Change Fellow with the Woods Institute at Stanford University, and he also received a 2004 Institute of Transportation Engineers service award, a 1998 NSF IGERT teaching fellowship, a 1997 University of California Transportation Center Dissertation Grant, a 1996 ENO Foundation Fellowship, a 1995 University of California Transportation Center Dissertation Grant, and a 1994 Chevron Foundation Fellowship. A native of Golden, Colorado, he graduated Cum Laude from Colorado Academy in 1986.
Sandy Robertson
sandyrob51@gmail.com
Senior Research Engineer (retired), Stanford University
EcoBlock Water Team co-lead
Team(s): Water
Bio
Dr. Sandy Robertson is one of the co-leads of the EcoBlock Water team. His water work began during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand where he surveyed, designed, and supervised the construction of village-scale agricultural water projects.
Sandy completed his master’s degree in environmental engineering at Stanford, followed by a brief period working as an environmental consulting engineer at JB Gilbert & Associates. He later returned to Stanford to pursue his Ph.D. in environmental engineering and remained there as a research engineer and lecturer in the Civil & Environmental Engineering department, where his work has included studies related to copper partitioning in soils and groundwaters, photocatalytic oxidation of contaminants, membrane processes, and children’s exposure to pesticides. Sandy has helped develop and run the Clean Water Program and Singapore Stanford Partnership, (graduate education) joint efforts involving the Stanford Environmental and Water Studies group and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, and for many years, taught a design class that focused on potential decentralized (waste)water projects (including, one year, the original EcoBlock Phase 1 site in Oakland’s Golden Gate neighborhood).
Craig Boman
cboman@sherwoodengineers.com
Design Engineer, Sherwood Design Engineers
EcoBlock Water Team co-lead
Team(s): Water
Bio
Craig Boman is a local Oakland resident and a civil designer at Sherwood Design Engineers with the EcoBlock water team. He works on public and private projects throughout the Bay Area focusing on civil site, utility, and stormwater management designs that encourage sustainable practices.
With projects that range from constructing new buildings at the nearby Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to planning a new campus for Cal State Sacramento in Placerville, Craig focuses on collaboration that leads to minimizing environmental impacts and mimicking the natural ecosystems. Craig is involved in all phases of the design process and enjoys taking on challenging projects that have a meaningful impact on society.
Maika Nicholason
mnicholson@sherwoodengineers.com
Design Engineer, Sherwood Design Engineers
EcoBlock Water Team co-lead
Team(s): Water
Bio
Maika has over ten years of consulting civil engineering experience and has worked on a wide-variety of projects including campus planning, utility master planning, residential development, and civic design work for institutional and open-space projects. Maika first developed an interest in water sustainability and natural stormwater management during her undergraduate years at Tufts University and later continued her studies at Stanford University, where she earned a master’s degree in engineering with a focus on water resources and hydrology.
During her first job as a consulting civil engineer at SvR Design Company, Maika worked on a variety of projects that applied green infrastructure strategies such as bioretention, porous pavements, green roofs and rainwater harvesting. Currently at Sherwood Design Engineers, Maika specializes in water resources and infrastructure planning and green infrastructure design.
Ted Lamm
tlamm@law.berkeley.edu
Research Fellow, Climate Program, Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
Team(s): Legal/Finance/Business
Larry Strain
strain@siegelstrain.com
Principal, Siegel & Strain Architects
EcoBlock Design/Construction Team co-lead
Team(s): Design/Construction; Community Engagement
Bio
Larry has 40+ year background in sustainable design, studied ecological systems at the Evergreen State College and the Farallones Institute in the 1970’s, and the early 1990’s, wrote a Guideline Specification for Green Materials, which became part of Building Green’s GreenSpec Directory. He has spoken on materials and sustainability at conferences throughout the country, is a past board member of the Northern California Chapter of the USGBC, and currently serves on the boards of the Ecological Building Network and the Carbon Leadership Forum. For the past 7 years Larry has focused on reducing the total carbon footprint of our buildings.
Susi Marzuola
susi@siegelstrain.com
Principal, Siegel & Strain Architects
EcoBlock Design/Construction Team co-lead
Team(s): Design/Construction; Community Engagement
Christine Scott Thomson
csthomson@pagethink.com
Senior Associate / Urban Planner, Page Southerland Page
Team(s): Urban Planning
Bio
Christine is an urban planner and designer with a focus on urban development, housing, and community revitalization projects that integrate sustainability at the urban and campus scale. With over twenty years of environmental planning and design experience, she specializes in using green site design and building strategies in her planning projects. Christine has been recognized as a member of the 2011 team of finalists in the Kaiser Permanente Small Hospital, Big Idea Design Competition and the 2004 winning team of the USGBC International Design Competition. She is a Certified Planner, LEED accredited professional, and a member of the American Planning Association.
Andréa Traber
atraber@integralgroup.com
Managing Principal, Integral Group
Team(s): Energy
Bio
Andrea brings years of combined experience in business leadership, deep green architecture, and sustainability and resilience consulting to her role as Managing Principal of Integral Group’s Oakland office. Internationally recognized as a green building and sustainability expert, Andrea has been involved in numerous green building projects, climate action plans, and sustainability and energy programs. A natural leader, Andrea is focused on inspiring her team to be engaged, inclusive, future-focused, and action-oriented.
Daniel Castro
dcastro@integralgroup.com
Project Engineer, Integral Group
Team(s): Energy
Bio
Daniel has over 13 years of experience designing electrical systems for the built environment. He enjoys the complex challenge of designing and delivering simple and elegant solutions that achieve cost conscious and efficient electrical systems. Sustainability is always at the core of his designs and he uses it as the guiding principle in all of his decision making.
His project experience spans multiple categories including master planning, power utility design, historical renovations, laboratories, airports, piers, museums, childcare centers, K-12 and higher education, mixed-use, residential including high-rise and skyscrapers, and tenant improvement projects. Daniel is a professional engineer in various states and is a certified LEED AP BD+C.
Amy Dryden
adryden@aea.us.org
Director of Strategic Innovations, Association for Energy Affordability (AEA)
Team(s): Design/Construction
Bio
Amy is a nationally recognized leader in green and low-carbon building with over 20 years of experience in residential construction, consulting, standard development, and community-based environmental planning. She is passionate about addressing climate change holistically through decarbonization and providing healthier, sustainable homes for all people.
Currently, as the Director of Strategic Innovation at AEA, Amy leads business development initiatives, supports program design and implementation and spearheads research and development projects focused on decarbonization, indoor air quality, and advanced energy technologies. She continues to develop and deliver training curricula for building codes and standards-based programs and building practices for industry professionals.
Prior to joining AEA, Amy served as the Director of Policy and Technical Innovation at Franklin Energy, formerly Build It Green, where she led technical standards and program design (including GreenPoint Rated and Low Income Weatherization programs), codes and standards initiatives, and policy advocacy to support greenhouse gas reductions and climate mitigation.
Amy holds a Masters in City Planning and a Masters in Landscape Architecture/Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design.
David Warner
david@redhorseconstructors.com
Owner & CEO, Redhorse Constructors
Team(s): Design/Construction
Bio
David Warner is the founder and owner of Redhorse Constructors, one of the nation’s premier custom home construction companies in Northern California. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Elgin Energy Company, a geothermal development company in Northern California and founder of the Marin Agricultural Wind Co-op, a wind development charter whose mission is to provide locally produced energy to the Marin County energy grid. In 2010, he co-founded Human Needs Project with actress Connie Nielsen to bring a new level of quality water and sanitation services to the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. David holds a B.S. in Conservation of Natural Resources from UC Berkeley.
Nate Perez
nate@financedta.com
Managing Director, DTA
Team(s): Finance/Business
Bio
Mr. Perez has a background in law, economics, business administration, and statistical analysis. Since joining DTA, Mr. Perez has been involved in all aspects of the formation and implementation of hundreds of Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts and Assessment Districts located throughout California and other states, with responsibilities related to the development of tax spread proforma analyses, the preparation of rate and method of apportionments, public reports, and the accompanying agreements and bond disclosures. Additionally, Mr. Perez is DTA’s Program Manager for the California Statewide Communities Development Authority – Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (“SCIP”), for which DTA acts as the Assessment Engineer and Administrator for new districts all over the State.
Mr. Perez also has extensive expertise in the preparation, peer-review, and defense of development impact fee studies. This includes considerable work related to the preparation of facilities needs lists and the apportionment of infrastructure and services costs to a variety of land uses based on benefit criteria. He has also specialized in the apportionment of costs and the setting of service levels for the construction and maintenance of law enforcement and fire protection facilities, open space acquisition, parkland, transportation facilities, drainage facilities, government services facilities, community centers, and library facilities. Furthermore, he has also completed nearly 110 fiscal impact reports and 45 economic development analyses for a variety of residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments throughout California, New Mexico, Washington, and Texas.
Finally, his experience as an attorney has allowed Mr. Perez to effectively and efficiently evaluate dozens of state and Federal legal, regulatory, and administrative frameworks related to public finance and infrastructure development.
Prior to joining DTA, Mr. Perez worked for the Boston office of an international law firm, where he advised sponsors, managers, and investors on the tax aspects of fund formation and investment. Mr. Perez is admitted to the bar in both Massachusetts and California. Mr. Perez received his law degree from Harvard Law School, and his B.A. in Economics and History, with the highest distinction, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mr. Perez is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, where he regularly volunteers with UrbanPlan, the California Bar Association, and the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Mr. Perez has attained his Series 50 licensing as a registered Municipal Advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.