CEE announces new board member Pepe Wonosikou, facilitator of transformative practices

The board of directors of Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) recently welcomed new member Pepe Wonosikou. 

Wonosikou currently serves as Dean of Student Success at Saint Paul College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wonosikou leads the development and implementation of culturally affirming, student-centered services designed to increase students’ academic success and ultimately lead to well-paying jobs. In her role, Wonosikou leans into research and data-informed evidence to strategically plan relationship-rich services, relying on the strength of her teams to provide holistic services that give students a sense of belonging. 

“Pepe’s expertise in program evaluation and strategic planning will be immensely helpful to CEE’s ongoing growth,” explained CEE board chair Amanda Novak. Deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, Wonosikou served previously as Saint Paul College’s Director of Title III, spearheading innovative student support initiatives and conducting detailed data collection, analysis, and evaluation to assess and inform program design and expansion. “She’s a results-driven leader of cross-functional teams like ours, and her career focus on data-informed program development aligns well with CEE’s own approach.” 

In recent years, CEE has grown and thrived in pursuit of its vision for a healthy, carbon-neutral economy that works for all people. Guided by its board, President Chris Duffrin, and COO Stephanie Haddad, CEE is powered by a team of 250 clean energy professionals working with partners across and beyond the upper Midwest to discover and deploy the most effective energy solutions to strengthen the economy and the environment. 

CEE’s current strategic plan prioritizes equitable decarbonization and better access to promising efficiency technologies, as well as organizational sustainability and strategic growth, all positioned to benefit from Wonosikou’s strengths in organizational planning and leadership.  

CEE’s current board roster and roles are: 

Amanda Novak, Chair. Novak is founder of Anchor and Ascent LLC, consulting mission-driven organizations with a focus on strategy, alignment, and impactful real estate initiatives. Previously she served as senior VP for strategic integration at YMCA of the North.  

LisaBeth Barajas, Vice Chair. Barajas is executive director of community development at Met Council, where she has worked for over 17 years. She has also served as adjunct faculty instructor for urban and regional planning grad students at Humphrey School of Public Affairs. 

Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Treasurer. Tyra-Lukens is the former mayor of Eden Prairie, a role she served in 2002–2006 and 2011–2018, after serving on the city council 1994–2001. She also served many years on the SouthWest Transit Commission and Surburban Transit Association. 

Julia Donaldson. Donaldson is senior vice president of program services and mission advancement at Volunteers of America – Minnesota and Wisconsin. Prior to that, she served as director of advancement at Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis. 

Tom Garry. Garry serves as senior attorney at The Nature Conservancy. Previously he was an attorney at Best & Flanagan, working in the areas of real estate, civil litigation, and environmental law, and also served as a researcher at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.  

Jimmy Loyd. Loyd serves as economic development director of the City of Saint Paul, leading community lending and other programs to advance prosperity of residents. He served previously as community economic development director at Pillsbury United Communities. 

About CEE 

CEE seeks a healthy, carbon-neutral economy that works for all people. A 501(c)(3) clean energy nonprofit with nearly 40 years’ experience in energy efficiency, we align our strategies behind technical research, program development and implementation, community engagement, policy advocacy, and project financing. Working across homes, businesses, and communities, CEE discovers and deploys the most effective energy solutions to improve the environment and strengthen the economy for everyone. Online at mncee.org.