Staff Directory

Lizzie has worked in payroll since 2015, and in began dabbling in accounting in 2020. Her favorite thing about working in payroll and finance is using her problem solving abilities for the various "puzzles" the job can bring.

As the proposal development specialist at CEE, Jennifer guides the proposal process from RFP release to contract award, working with subject matter experts to create compelling, winning proposals. Jennifer brings years of diverse experience from international organizations, corporate sectors, and tech startups. She has worked in key roles at UNICEF, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Persefoni, where she led multi-country grant projects, developed procurement systems, and collaborated with cross-functional teams.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Berea College. She also earned a Master degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver.

As the Loan Services Manager, Cristina supports the CEE lending department by managing the loan closing department, disbursing loan funds, making payments to contractors, and coordinating closing documents and monthly reporting to program partners and agencies.

Cristina, a native of Quito, Ecuador, has been with CEE since 2007.

Cristina habla español, para cualquier información acerca de préstamos por favor comunicarse con ella. 

Sady is responsible for scheduling activities, visits, attends meetings and coordinating homeowner communications along with provides admin support for the Customer Engagement Team within the Residential Department. 

She is the COO to two Minnesota based beauty schools, instructs both the nail and lash programs on her weekends off and is the mom to a bumbling, busy, two year old. She is the pageant partnership coordinator for the MRS ELEMENTAL USA pageant system, and a new addition to the Residential Scheduling Team here at CEE.

She went to school for a BS in biopsychology with a minor in chemistry, religion and statistics at Minneapolis based University, Augsburg. She simultaneously became a Minnesota licensed lash technician, nail technician, school manager and instructor. She has worked many front facing sales positions along with her lengthy profession in the hospitality industry.

She was a member of the youth advisory board for local non-profit organization called "Marnita's Table", competed in many nationally ranked pageant systems from the age of 15 winning many coveted positions and titles, and is now retired. However, she continues to share her platform and advocacy on food waste and continues to work towards ending child hunger.

She continues to fill her free time volunteering for the Mrs Elemental USA system. Her favorite work to do is in the Minnesota beauty space where she continues to curate and pursue her vocation of serving justice impacted students- by partnering with government programs to provide additional education and support in the beauty space by closing the education gap so that individuals can become their own salon business owners, and entrepreneurs.

As a systems engineer, Robert helps employees and associates reach their goals by leveraging and supporting information technology. He manages, researches, and implements technology from the data center to the desktop and beyond.

Robert has been with CEE since late 2007. Prior to CEE, Robert worked as a systems administrator and software developer. He's been in the IT industry for over 24 years and has been an IT enthusiast since he was first introduced to the personal computer in the late 1980s.

Prior to CEE, Karen worked as an Energy Efficiency Specialist with EnerChange and Energy Smart serving commercial customers and spent the last four years serving the non-profit sector. She provided energy assessments, assisted with project implementation, including working with utility representatives and contractors, and provided on-going support for organization staff and facility managers.

Karen is a Certified Energy Manager and holds a BS in environmental and public health from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

As the commercial content marketing specialist, Cayne assists the marketing account managers with developing and executing marketing plans for CEE's commercial programs, as well as the strategic concept, creative development, production, and analysis of commercial marketing campaigns.

Prior to CEE, Cayne worked in marketing & communications for a non-profit affordable housing developer. He holds a BS in advertising with a minor in mass communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Ashly leads the development and implementation of the regulatory policy and savings forecasts for CEE’s market transformation programs. This includes all regulatory filings and savings forecasts related to the Efficient Technology Accelerator (ETA), CEE’s flagship market transformation program.

Ashly has over fourteen years of experience in the energy efficiency industry. Prior to rejoining CEE, Ashly managed the regulatory strategy for multiple Demand Side Management (DSM) regulatory filings for a regulated U.S. electric and natural gas utility. In her previous roles, she has managed the implementation of conservation programs, supported the Department of Energy Better Plants Program, developed energy management software, and managed NSF funded research projects on urban sustainability.

Ashly is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota and master’s degree in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington.

As Senior Manager of Market Deployment, Ed leads the strategy and execution of market deployment efforts within the Efficient Technology Accelerator (ETA) program for emerging commercial and industrial energy efficiency and decarbonization technologies.

Ed has over thirty years’ experience in the energy and utility industries with an emphasis on integrated energy solutions targeting the commercial and industrial building sectors. Prior to joining CEE, Ed held leadership positions with several national implementation contractors where he provided thought leadership, developed market strategies and innovation in advancing energy efficiency and climate change programs.

Ed holds an MBA from Providence College and BS in electrical engineering technology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and he formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Energy Service Professionals, New Building Institute and Compressed Air Challenge.

As senior manager of market deployment at Center for Energy and Environment, Emily oversees a portfolio of energy efficiency and decarbonization market transformation initiatives. These include the Midwest ASHP Collaborative, the Minnesota ASHP Collaborative, luminaire-level lighting control initiative, and gas-fired heat pumps scanning. The market development team works to overcome market barriers and rapidly increase energy efficiency and carbon reducing technologies through manufacturer and distributor engagement, contractor support and training, marketing strategies. and national engagement, as well as influencing state and federal codes and standards.  

Prior to joining CEE, Emily was at CLEAResult Consulting for over eight years where she worked on numerous energy efficiency market transformation programs in the Pacific Northwest. In her most recent role, she managed the implementation of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's Heat Pump Water Heater Program where she accelerated adoption of an emerging water heating technology. Emily specialized in energy efficiency market transformation, program planning, implementation, and market actor collaboration.

Emily holds a BA from Willamette University and completed a Sustainable Building Adviser Certification in 2011.

As a manager of special residential projects and programs, Jarad helps builders construct healthier, more efficient, and more comfortable homes. His work includes coordinating new homes and quality assurance (QA) visits, communicating with contractors and inspectors/raters, calculating rebates and invoicing, and managing budgets.

Jarad began working with CEE in 2018 as an Energy Counselor before becoming an Energy Auditor and Field Supervisor in the Home Energy Squad (HES) program. As a supervisor, he managed a small team of energy experts, helped lead the development of the virtual visit program, and played a primary role in managing internal applications for collecting HES program data. Previously, he worked as a writer-editor and marketing strategist for design-build firms in the high-performance building sector. In addition to his work at CEE, Jarad has written for The Nature Conservancy and served on the board of Passive House Minnesota to help promote the Passive House building energy standard.

Jarad is a certified BPI Building Analyst and holds a BS in journalism and mass communications with a minor in Psychology from South Dakota State University.

As a research analyst, Mason collects and analyzes data for various energy efficiency research projects.

He graduated in 2020 from Saint John’s University with a bachelor of arts in applied physics.

As a senior compliance accountant, Laura is responsible for billing and accounts receivable, as well as project creations within CEE systems. 

Prior to joining CEE, Laura worked in finance in a variety of industries, including numerous years in the hazardous waste industry, nonprofit healthcare, legal, construction, and manufacturing. 

Laura has BA in accounting and an associate's degree in computer information systems from Western Governors University. 

Laura holds a Project Management Project+ PMI Certification and a Network Technician A+ Certification and is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.

As a program coordinator within the Minnesota Efficient Technology Accelerator (ETA), Rachel works within the market transformation team to advance air source heat pump (ASHP) technology throughout the state. Her focus areas include stakeholder engagement and communication as well as outreach and support for contractors and distributors.

Previously, Rachel worked as a science educator and served as a Climate Impact Corps member with the University of Minnesota Extension's Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership before joining CEE. 

Rachel received a BA in natural science with an emphasis in biology from the College of Saint Benedict and earned a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Mary's University, Minneapolis.

As an energy counselor, Matt works directly with homeowners to help them understand how their home uses energy by identifying and installing low-and no-cost opportunities and measures to save both energy and money. 

Matt previously worked as the Library Director at a small Iowan public library.