Who are we?

Craig Perkins provides leadership, oversight and strategic input at TEC for all contracts, programs and policy work. Prior to joining TEC in 2008, he was Director of Environmental and Public Works Management for the City of Santa Monica, where he served for over 25 years. Craig has extensive experience designing and implementing energy programs and policies, which involve outreach strategies to key stakeholder groups, including creation of the Regional Energy Networks, implementation of Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles County Southern California Regional Energy Center Pilot, directing Santa Monica’s award-winning Sustainable City Plan, Solar Santa Monica Program, and Energy Independence Plan. Craig has played a key leadership role in shaping regulatory policies that have resulted in successful program implementation. Craig holds a B.A. in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and Master’s Degrees in Political Science and Latin American Studies from UCLA and in Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Allison is TEC’s Executive Vice President and provides management and oversight of program implementation, and she serves on TEC’s Board of Directors. Allison’s focus is on strategic planning, business development, operations, and leadership development. Prior to joining TEC, Allison was the City Manager for the City of Irvine where she served for 17 years. During her tenure, Allison served as the President of the California City’s Managers Association. Prior to her work with the City of Irvine, Allison was the Executive Director of Human Resources for the City of Santa Ana. She has extensive experience leading teams to design and implement public purpose programs and startup organizations. Under Allison’s leadership, TEC has overseen the successful implementation of numerous programs including Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County, the SoCalREN Energy Efficiency Project Delivery Program, TEC’s marketing, branding and customer engagement strategies, and workforce, education and training programs. Allison has a B.A. in Political Science and an M.P.A from The University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from USC.

Doris Do, Vice President, leads oversees all administration and operations for TEC. Prior to her current role, Doris implemented the $3.4M Energy Champions Pilot, a community based social marketing pilot, that provided incentives to local non-profit organizations to promote residential energy upgrades within their communities. She also supported the development of the first SoCalREN program proposal in coordination with a diverse team of consultants under the direction of LA County and assisted in the development of the Energy Upgrade CA Los Angeles County Program marketing and outreach initiatives, Community Energy Partnership local government partnerships program implementation, and PEAK Student Energy Actions curriculum development and teacher trainings. Doris holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine.

Laurel oversees all energy, education and training programs at TEC, including Local Government Partnership Programs and the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. In her role, she has led stakeholder, community and public agency engagement and outreach activities for multiple programs. She has over 10 years of experience working with the City of Irvine and other local governments and communities to promote energy efficiency action, including benchmarking. She is a recognized expert in energy programs and has a keen understanding of best practices for rolling out energy programs to stakeholders across the state. Laurel is a Energy Star Portfolio Manager Trainer, a Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) and LEED AP O+M. She holds a B.S. in Business Economics from UCSB.

Genaro has more than 12 years of professional experience with a background in mechanical engineering, real estate, commercial retrofits and energy management. He is a graduate of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and obtained an M.B.A. from USC’s Marshall School of Business. Genaro is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) and LEED Accredited Professional (AP).

Marc has more than ten years of experience in the building industry focusing on areas ranging from advanced energy community planning, federal energy data standards and software development, as well as state and local government energy policy. Marc leads the Local Government Sustainable Energy Coalition (LGSEC) “To Code” committee, is an active member of the California Technical Forum, advisor to the CEC on AB 802 data regulations and machine learning GIS data efforts, a member of the Department of Energy’s Task Force to create and implement data exchange standards, and was on the triennial DOE Solar Energy Technology Office investment proposal review team to award National Research Laboratories 2018-2020 funding. He holds a B.S. in Management Science from UCSD, a B.S. in Construction Engineering from CSULB, and is a LEED AP, CGBP, and BOC Level II.

Rebecca oversees project delivery for a regional portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC. She focuses on the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs, with a pipeline of 10 million kWh in annual savings. She manages a team of Project Managers and Project Coordinators that support the identification, development, and implementation of the pipeline projects. With these responsibilities comes the oversight of managing program and project consultant budgets. Rebecca also acts as a program lead and liaison with the investor owned utility stakeholders.In addition to energy efficiency project experience, Rebecca has expertise in financial modeling, financing, and navigating the world of utility incentives and rebates. Lastly, she has experience evaluating energy storage and solar opportunities.

Meaghan leads marketing and outreach activities for TEC and its programs. She recently led all marketing and outreach services for Clean Power Alliance, managing a team of four project partners and coordinating closely with a variety of Clean Power Alliance stakeholders. Meaghan also supported the development and implementation of the SoCalREN communications plan at program launch and helped develop the outreach plan for AB 802 under contract with the California Energy Commission. In these roles she manages program budgets, oversees various subconsultants, program websites, collateral creation, engagement workshops and conferences and events. As TEC’s Communications and Marketing Manager, Meaghan brings over 15 years of experience in project management, marketing and communications.

Melanie has nine years of diverse experience working with nonprofits, state and local government, public agencies and residents all working towards a healthy environmental future. She specializes in training and curriculum development, stakeholder engagement, and marketing and social media in the areas of energy, urban greening, waste reduction and litter abatement. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Fullerton and graduate work in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans.

Melanie serves on the USGBC-OC Green Schools Committee, is a 2014 Fellow of the New Leaders Council, Orange County chapter and is a certified Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) working with at-risk youth. Prior to joining TEC, Melanie managed Affiliate Services for Keep Louisiana Beautiful in New Orleans and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA specializing in volunteer engagement, resource development and disaster relief in Southeast Louisiana following hurricane Katrina.

Eric Bornstein, Program Manager, advises on legislative and regulatory issues, and leads project management for agencies on a dedicated water and wastewater team. Eric has more than seven years experience working on political outreach and fundraising campaigns as well as local government energy efficiency programs. Eric was recently appointed to the Environmental Board of the City of Huntington Beach where he has been asked to work on shaping the City’s forthcoming Sustainability Action Plan. He holds a B.A. from Mercy College in New York.Eric holds a B.A. from Mercy College and serves on the Environmental Board of the City of Huntington Beach.

Julie Castro, Program Manager, manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. She also develops benchmarking tools to enhance data-driven insights and decision-making. Julie previously worked as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Chia Energy, a behavioral energy efficiency technology start up. She has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Cal State LA and a B.A. in Global Studies and International Studies from UCSB.

Ivana manages engagement, education, and outreach activities for TEC and its programs. She has over eight years of experience serving the energy needs of communities and supporting local governments with energy strategic planning and the rollout of benchmarking requirements to IOU Local Government Partnerships. Ivana has worked with several local governments across southern California assisting them with developing energy efficiency projects, energy action plans, and energy related messaging and outreach. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from UCSD and an M.A. in Environmental Policy from Colorado State University.

Kristin has more than six years of experience working in the sustainability and environment sector. She is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, a former intern with the City of Irvine’s Environmental Programs department and currently holds a LEED accreditation from the US Green Building Council

Nicol manages messaging, outreach and engagement for the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. She leads the enrollment process for new agencies looking to join the SoCalREN and designs and facilitates workshops and webinars for the program. Nicol has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Cal State Long Beach.

Prior to joining TEC, Tim worked as a scientist and project manager for ERM where he worked on issues related to climate change, sustainability, air quality, and environmental compliance assurance. He has expertise in auditing and verification, GHG emissions, information management systems and green buildings. Tim holds a B.S. from Cornell University in Communications and a Master’s of Environmental Science and Management from UCSB. He also is a LEED-AP and holds certification in GHG Verification from the Air Resources Board.

Siria is an experienced K-8 educator and she holds a BA from Point Loma Nazarene University and an MA in Education from the University of Phoenix. Siria also earned a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with a Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) certification. She first connected with TEC when she was trained as a PEAK teacher implementing the program in the San Diego area. In addition to working at TEC she also currently teaches with South Bay Union School District.

Pranesh Venugopal is a Program Manager at The Energy Coalition (TEC) and a registered Professional Engineer with over 15 years of experience. Pranesh currently leads program design and development initiatives for the County of Los Angeles/Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) Public Agency Programs, focusing on the integration of emerging technologies and Normalized Metered Energy Consumption (NMEC) strategies. He has served as technical advisor to the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs for the past 5 years, providing oversight for water and wastewater project development. He previously was a Project Manager with Nexant, Inc. where he worked on SCE’s energy efficiency and demand response programs. Pranesh holds an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Regional Engineering College, Calicut, India and is a certified Project Management Professional.

Prior to joining TEC, Emma was a staff accountant at Irvine-based Abaris, Inc. where she managed the Oracle 11i R12 financial system and all the billing for staff and contractors. Prior to that, she served as a tax paraprofessional at Deloitte Tax LLP where she provided compliance and tax research to accountants and senior managers. Emma holds a B.A. in Business Organizational Management with emphasis in Accounting from Vanguard University.

Mariana is responsible for reviewing contracts, consultants and consulting agreements, as well as processing all invoices for TEC. Throughout her professional career, Mariana developed expertise in financial statements and reports, planning budgets and reporting, accounts payable/receivable, QuickBooks accounting software, claims/restitution payments and record keeping. Mariana hold a B.S. in Economics & Accounting from the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, Romania and a diploma in Accounting and Business Management for Stratford Career Institute.

Bio coming soon!

Jake manages various aspects of the North Orange County Cities Local Government Partnership Program at TEC, including the development of a benchmarking workshop for partnership cities. Prior to TEC, Jake worked as a Sustainability Consultant for FirstCarbon Solutions where he served as the lead technical expert and project coordinator to aid customers in voluntary corporate sustainability reporting. Jake holds a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science with a minor in Global Sustainability from UCI.

Andrea Antony, Project Manager, manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC, including water, wastewater, and lighting projects, through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. Before TEC, she worked with the Long Beach Water Department as a CivicSpark Water Fellow, where she worked with a team to develop and implement improvements to water conservation programs. Andrea holds a B.S. in Natural Science from Loyola Marymount University and a Master of Public Policy and Administration with a Concentration in Public Works from California State University, Long Beach.

Taylor Chamberlin, Project Manager, manages communications and marketing efforts for TEC. She has over five years of experience in communications for impact-driven companies, nonprofit organizations, and government initiatives. Prior to TEC, Taylor worked as a Senior Analyst at Blue Garnet, a boutique social impact consulting firm. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from the College of William and Mary, where she studied Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Environmental Science & Policy.

Chris manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. He also provides program support for water and waste water projects. Chris previously worked as a sales engineer and technical representative for water and energy projects. He has a M.E. in Sustainable Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Ken Gonzales, Project Manager, provides energy efficiency project management for public agencies at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. Ken has over 15 years of experience in energy efficiency and has worked with utilities, government organizations, private companies and school districts. Prior to joining TEC, Ken worked at KW Engineering as a Senior Energy Analyst where he served as the main point of contact with SCE’s CSI program to inspect and review energy efficiency project applications, performed pre and post-installation verification inspections, and conducted ASHRAE audits for government and commercial customers. Ken holds a B.A. from Rio Hondo College.

Rola has over seven years of management experience in government grants and contracts. Prior to TEC, Rola worked with Long Beach Community College District where she handled administration and implementation of grant initiative programs to provide Career & Technical Education to emerging careers in EE and sustainability. This included development, implementation, and reporting of activities in compliance with District, State and Federal requirements. At Long Beach Community College District, she also provided guidance to small businesses by conducting over 50 workshops to help small businesses create business plans, which included assisting them in market analysis.

Nataiia Hamidi manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. Prior to TEC, Nataiia worked with Cooperative Strategies, LLC as a sustainability consultant, where she focused on school energy efficiency initiatives. She holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Climate Science and Policy/Sustainability from the Scripps Institute at the University of California, San Diego, and a Bachelors and Masters in Geography and Environmental Management from Lomonosov Moscow State University.

Robert has over five years supporting various energy efficiency programs and more than three years of experience in media and branding through education and outreach. Prior to TEC, Robert was a Program Assistant at Global Healing, where he supported a wide range of communications and technical activities, including managing online engagement. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Vanessa Lopez, Project Manager, supports GIS initiatives and energy efficiency project delivery at TEC. Vanessa previously worked as an energy efficiency associate and measured energy savings impacts. She has a B.S. in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability from Ohio State University.

Samantha supports TEC’s Partnership programs, specifically Local Government Partnerships, where she provides marketing, outreach and event support to partner cities. Prior to TEC, Samantha worked as a Recreation Leader II with the City of Santa Clarita. She also served as an intern with Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in Michigan, where she assisted with fundraising, handled communications to donors and members, researched water resource issues, created and distributed educational resources, and maintained the website. Samantha holds a BA in Sustainability and Urban Planning from Arizona State University.

Casey manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. She also coordinates and oversees all GIS projects for the program. Casey previously designed and implemented educational outreach campaigns for the Humboldt State Office of Sustainability. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science with a minor in Environmental Ethics from Humboldt State University.

Megan supports project delivery for a portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. She also tracks, reports and analyzes metrics on attaining program level goals. Megan previously worked on solar projects for in need communities in Tijuana. She has a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from UCSD.

Alex supports business development and data analysis for TEC. He has 3 years of experience working in energy efficiency consulting and energy research. Prior to TEC, Alex worked at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability researching community energy issues. He has a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD.

Scott manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. He also provides support on NMEC (normalized metered energy consumption) initiatives. Scott previously worked as a Sustainability Consultant for corporate, government and healthcare clients. He has a Masters of Environmental Science and Management from the Bren School at UCSB and a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Western Washington University.

Lauren manages project delivery for public agency energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. She also reviews energy policy impacts for the program. Lauren previously worked as an energy industry research specialist and was an Energy Fellow at the DOE. She has a Masters in Public Affairs with a focus on Energy Policy from University of Texas-Austin and a B.A. in International Affairs and Spanish Literature from University of Nevada-Reno.

Shawn has 28 years of experience in both public and private sector engineering; 23 of those years she worked at the City of Irvine. At the City she worked on plans for district cooling systems and microgrids, coordinated with UCI APEP to install an electric vehicle car-sharing program at the Irvine Transportation Center and, in 1999, created sustainability strategies and a new Energy Element for the Irvine General Plan update. Shawn also developed a green building program, complete with marketing, outreach and worker training, for home developers in the City. As the City’s first Energy Manager, she developed the City of Irvine’s Energy Plan which was adopted by the City in 2008. Shawn has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona, a Professional Engineer’s license in CA and is a LEED AP O+M.

Minh supports project delivery for a portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. Mihn previously worked as an Environmental Health and Safety consultant and an assistance Director of Operations. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science from UCSB and a Certificate of Financing and Accounting from Santa Barbara City College.

Angela supports project delivery for a portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Program. Angela also analyzes utility level energy data and is a team lead for the Comparative Energy Analysis program. She has a M.S. in Environmental Studies from Cal State Fullerton and a B.A. in Communications from Michigan State University.

Amy supports engagement, education, and outreach activities for TEC and its programs. She works with educators across San Diego County to train and implement science and energy curriculum. Amy is also a co-chair for the Environmental Education Working Group in San Diego, which connects STEM professionals and resources to the larger San Diego community. Amy has a B.A. in Environmental Studies with concentration in writing and a B.A. in Sociology from Gettysburg.

Cody Bruder, Project Coordinator, supports project delivery for over 10 public agencies’ energy efficiency projects through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. He serves as lead coordinator on investor-owned utility program updates and has expertise in statistical analysis, financial modeling, triple-bottom line model building, and energy-related policy. Cody previous worked in the offices of Congresswoman Norma Torres and Senator Dianne Feinstein. He holds a Masters in Science in Environmental Policy & Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Michigan.

Corey Bullock, Project Coordinator, supports project delivery for a portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs and is the lead Project Coordinator responsible for the advancement of performance-based retrofit projects through SCE’s HOPPs program. He has expertise in comparative energy analysis, data collection and reporting, and financial analysis. Corey has previously worked as a Business Administrator for Environmental & Chemical Consulting. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Public Policy and Management from the University of Arizona.

Robinson Chigiti, Project Coordinator, supports project delivery for a portfolio of energy efficiency projects at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. He has over five years of coordination experience in the energy industry and over fifteen years in the nonprofit sector. Prior to TEC, Robinson provided paralegal assistance to the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and served as an administrative assistant for the Center for Community and & Fam Services, Inc. Robinson holds Bachelors degrees in Commerce and Law from Punjab University (India) and a paralegal certificate from El Camino College.

Natalie supports TEC’s Local Government Partnership programs where she provides marketing, outreach and event support to partner cities. Prior to TEC, Natalie served as a Powersave Intern as part of CSU Long Beach’s participation in the Alliance to Save Energy’s Powersave Schools program, where she worked with CSU Long Beach facilities management to educate students, staff and faculty on energy efficiency and supported campus retrofit efforts. Natalie holds a BA degree in Environmental Science and Policy with minors in Anthropology and Geography from CSU Long Beach.

Meghan assists with messaging, outreach and engagement for TEC, with a focus on SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. She helps with the enrollment process for new agencies looking to join the SoCalREN and supports workshops and webinars for the program. Meghan has a B.A. in International Studies from Cal State Long Beach.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!

Vanida Ngeam, Project Coordinator, supports marketing, communication, and outreach across TEC, focusing on education & training initiatives and SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. Prior to her current role at TEC, Vanida served a Climate Corp fellow at The Energy Coalition, planning an executing hands-on STEM events and activities for K-8th grade students. She also interned with the University of California, Irvine’s Housing and Sustainability department, where she facilitated sustainability trainings. Vanida holds a Bachelors of Science in Biology with a Minor in Global Sustainability from the University of California, Irvine.

Michelle Nguyen, Project Coordinator, is responsible for supporting energy efficiency projects for over 12 public agencies at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. She serves as lead coordinator on Council of Governments coordination and energy audit administration. Prior to her role supporting SoCalREN at The Energy Coalition, Michelle worked and interned with public agencies and environmental organizations. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in climate change from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Meghna Patnaik, Project Coordinator, supports TEC with energy efficiency project delivery for over 8 public agencies through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. She has expertise in financial metrics and serves as lead coordinator on procurement collaboration with Gordian. Meghna previously worked as a Design Engineer and Project Coordinator with SunPower. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sustainable Environmental Design with a minor in Global Poverty & Finance from the University of California, Berkeley.

Rachel Pennington, Project Coordinator, supports the implementation of SoCalREN Public Agency Programs at TEC. She has over three years of experience supporting environmental and energy conservation initiatives. Prior to TEC, Rachel served as a Program Coordinator for the University of California, Irvine, where she designed and implemented programming related to renewable energy, zero waste, environmental justice, and local environmental issues. Rachel holds a B.A. in Environmental Science with a Minor in Global Sustainability from the University of California, Irvine.

bio coming soon!

Jennifer Valerio, Project Coordinator, provides executive and secretarial support to TEC’s Vice President, including coordinating meetings and tracking reporting deliverables. She also provides project delivery manual change management support for the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. Jennifer has over twenty-two years of experience working in complex, highly sensitive, and rapidly changing office environments, providing a wide array of executive, secretarial, and administrative support. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Long Beach City College.

Elsie Varela, Project Coordinator, supports energy efficiency project delivery for public agencies at TEC through the SoCalREN Public Agency Programs. She is passionate about environmental engineering, has four years of experience in learning and knowledge management, and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Before TEC, Elsie obtained a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

Bio coming soon!

Bio coming soon!