As community energy program manager on CEE’s Communities team, Deirdre works with communities through Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy and other programs that foster community-led strategic energy, resilience, and climate planning. Deirdre is also certified as an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) certified by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. That certification allows her to guide communities through infrastructure projects with a sustainability, resiliency, and equity lens, leading to the recognition of projects for those efforts and ensuring the project's success. Deirdre also participates on CEE’s staff council and volunteers for multiple water organizations in Minnesota.

Deirdre joined CEE in 2019. She came to CEE from a nonprofit where she did similar community and local government work for water sustainability and conservation. Along with her education in environmental and social sciences, she is trained in facilitation and received the 2019 Excellence Award for Volunteer Program Development from the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Leadership.