Our Partners
Willdan Energy Solutions (Willdan) is a publicly traded-clean energy and sustainability consulting firm, that specializes in designing and managing the implementation of energy efficiency (“EE”) programs for utility companies and government agencies. The Willdan team is made up of problem solvers committed to global stewardship. We implement innovative solutions for a broad range of facilities, transportation, and power systems while preparing for the next 100 years.
Antuan Cannon
Director of Talent Development
• Born in Mexico, raised in Lake Tahoe, Northern California • Studied Economics & Asian Studies @ Yale University • In 2006, Co-Founded STEM Education Non-Profit called Envirolution.org out of college dorm • In 2013 Spun-off, Vocational Training & Staffing Social Enterprise called Envirolution One • In 2016, joined as High- Profile Project Manager, and was promoted to SMB Deputy Program Manager in 2018. • In 2020, became Utility Program Development Manager, and was promoted to Director of Talent Development in 2022.
Vinoth Kumar Sekar
Project Manager
• Born and raised in Chennai, India • B.E in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, M.S in Energy Systems, Northeastern University • Prior to Willdan, I worked as an Electrical Design Engineer for a Water Treatment Plant Business Unit of a Transmission Distribution company in India • Started as a Project Manager with Willdan in June 2016 in Boston, MA and moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 2017 • At Willdan, I provide energy design assistance to building owners, and design teams to maximize energy efficiency investment and utility incentives through Demand Side Management programs. I also provide program management, client management, outreach support, and staff mentoring. • I serve as a board member for Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and USGBC Market Leadership and Advisory Board • I’ve assisted in updating the course curriculum and delivering training sessions.
Jeremy Jordan
Project Development Coordinator
• Project Development Coordinator at Kawi Energy Group and for Willdan. • Manages Grants, Proposals, and Business Development initiatives for the Clean Energy Academy and Kawi Energy Group. • Recent graduate of Binghamton University. M.S. Sustainable Communities ’23 and B.A. Environmental Planning ’21. • Graduate of the Willdan Clean Energy Academy and LEED Green Associate.
Energy Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) is a New York State certified Minority Business Enterprise and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business specializing in clean energy consulting, workforce development and project management. EEDC shall serve as Project Management Lead and ensure project timelines and schedules are met, per this Statement of Work and to the satisfaction of WestCOP and all vested stakeholders. EEDC shall further support the delivery of all necessary evaluation and reporting requirements and deliverables.
Cristina Pastrana
Career Services Manager
• Puerto Rican, from the Midwest, and have lived in NYC most of her adult life, • Received a BS in Cultural Anthropology and MS in Urban Policy from the New School • Worked in Business Performance Management training managers and created a collaborative and results driven organization for the NYC Dept of Finance. • Moved into IT as a Business Analyst, QA, Project Lead, PM then PMO Reporting in government and financial sectors. • As the Career Services Manager, I lead the Career Services team (i.e. Sherpas) in mentoring WCEA graduates in their ongoing professional development • Help graduates outline their career goals, identify skills gaps and develop a pathway to advance in the green sector.
Denise Sonnenberg
Talent Development Manager and Career Services Coordinator
• 10 years of non-profit management in Higher Education and fundraising for scholarship awards • Database management specialist who understands the big picture and the details necessary to bring a vision into reality • BA from the College of Communication Arts at Michigan State University • 100 years of family history in the HVAC industry, and General Contracting experience in sustainable construction • Community leader as President of both Philharmonic Society and Soroptimist International service organization chapters • Project manager for visual marketing of companies going through the IPO process
Anthony Williams
Career Services Intern
• Native New Yorker, born and raised in the Bronx, New York. 15+ years of Music Composition, Music Theory, and Music Performance starting in Middle School to present day, 10+ Years as a freelance Musician, mainly working in NYC, performing at various institutions such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the now closed B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square. • 10+ years of Community Outreach experience, 6+ years of lighting experience in the Residential, Multi-Family, and Commercial sector installing LED lighting. I attended the Willdan Clean Energy Academy, and obtained my CALT Certification, Small Commercial Energy Efficiency Analyst in Thermal and Lighting Systems, Lighting and Safety Training Certification, OSHA 10, G-PRO Fundamentals of Building Green certification, and G-PRO O&M Essentials Certification from the Urban Green Council in 2017. • Assist with Data Management for the Clean Energy Academy and the Energy Economic Development Corporation. • Assist the WCEA and EEDC with Mock Interview, Resume Refinement, and other tasks.
Nicholas Rugulo
Capstone Manager/Instructor/Engineer
• Born in California, raised in New Jersey, moved back to California in 2014 • Loves being active/outdoors: surfing, skateboarding, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, camping • Enjoys playing guitar and listening to music when not outdoors • B.E. in Civil Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology • Working in Energy industry since 2006, full-time since 2011 • Lead role in generating and tracking project scheduling/project management and passed • Federal Background Security Clearance to retro commission four (4) federal buildings in the NJ/PA region totaling 2.3 million sq.ft. and including over 140 Air Handlers and Boilers, over 40 HW, CHW, and CW Pumps, more than 160 VAV boxes, 5 separate Building Management Systems, and 50 Fan Coil Units. • First Engineer hired by a small, regional, lighting-only Energy Services Company based in Southern California; over the course of nearly 7 years, helped expand the business to an Auditing Department of as many as 5 dedicated lighting surveyors and an Engineering Department of 4 Energy Engineers that perform comprehensive energy audits of customer sites to evaluate a variety of lighting and non-lighting measures of ranging complexities and submit for utility financing. • Re-designed the Building Operator Certification (BOC) course from conventional instructor-led instruction to an online independent-learning oriented class for the Research Foundation of City University of New York (RFCUNY). • Instructor at CUNY teaching Microsoft Excel for Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to building operators and facility managers. • TA/Instructor for Lighting & HVAC-R courses offered through Southwestern College • Involved in Career Accelerator providing feedback on resumes, cover letters, and elevator pitches or helping with mock interview prep Capstone Manager helping to fill-in experiential gaps in Career Accelerator students resumes that may be a barrier to employment Engineer on New Measure Integration (NMI) • Applications to establish rebates through utility programs for new energy-saving technologies
Jazmin Filpi
Career Services Intern/Specialist
• Conducting student and employer outreach • Aiding students including resume restoration and writing cover letters (One on One coaching) • Assisting graduates apply to NYSERDA PON internships • Managing JTBO board; signing students up for the JTBO program
Anikka Carter
Project Coordinator
• Program Management - reporting to NYSERDA, managing program budgets, invoicing NYSERDA and paying out sub-contractors. • Project Management - (these 2 are typically split but here aren’t) - managing the projects: schedules, scheduling, coordinating between partners, ensuring data is collected, things are moving along smoothly, moving the projects along. • Business Admin - connected to the program management stuff- HR and AR/AP together. On boarding staff, reviewing timesheets and paying staff, invoicing NYSERDA and Willdan for reimbursement, any other business things like getting updated Certificate of Insurance, writing agreements with subs
Abigail (Abby) Caparros-Janto
Career Services Manager
• Leads the Career Services team in mentoring and guiding students in their professional development and job search process • BA in Environmental Science from Barnard College • Over 5 years of experience in HR, Talent Acquisition, Operations, and Administration • Environmental Justice, Sustainability, and Building Science enthusiast
Soulful Synergy is a full-service, NYC Certified Minority Business Enterprise, socially conscious community and economic development organization, specializing in green business and workforce development program design, implementation and scaling, particularly focused on helping disadvantaged communities for the social good. Soulful Synergy shall serve as Outreach and Recruitment Lead. In this capacity, Soulful Synergy shall manage all components of recruitment from interview to placement as well as tracking and monitoring of data for necessary reporting. Soulful Synergy shall also serve as a Workforce Support Partner to WestCOP with a primary focus on Program Outreach, Program Recruitment, Career Readiness and Career Pathways.
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Dwayne Norris
Principal of R.N. Wealth and Retirement Strategies and the Co-Founder/COO of Soulful Synergy, LLC.
• Address systemic issues that affect disadvantaged communities by providing transformational services, designed to improve lives and create long term, sustainable development. • Serves as the Director of Outreach & Recruitment. In this capacity develops strategic partnerships, presents about the program, interviews candidates, and leads enrollment • Leads our career services efforts ensuring ongoing professional development is provided to each interested student and develops necessary employer relationships to assist the job placement process
Teraesa Metivier
Outreach Coordinator
• Bsc Natural Resource Management, MSc Environmental Science, Health and Safety • Research businesses with the same mission and interest as us, outreach and recruit organizations and applicants to our programs. Interviews applicants to determine eligibility to the programs we offer. • Contribution to CEA- recruitment and outreach • Harpist
Paul Presendieu
Outreach Coordinator
• Born and raised in the City of New Rochelle as the son of Colombian and Haitian immigrants • Chair of the City of New Rochelle’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, Board Secretary of the New York State Association of Conservation Commissions, and former Troop 11 New Rochelle member of the Boy Scouts of America • Environmental Studies at SUNY Westchester Community College (Valhalla, NY) & SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) • Sustainability professional with experience in creating private-public-partnerships to facilitate climate solutions through the lens of equitable environmental economics Previous Outreach Manager of Sustainable Westchester, Inc., and currently possesses Consultative Status for the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council • Facilitates Recruitment and Outreach on behalf of Clean Energy Academy. Currently assisting NYSERDA PON 3715, a first of its kind grant acquired by the Archdiocese of New York in their 214+ year history
Will " WD" Scherle
Director of Decarbonization
• He has 15 years of experience in clean energy and electrification solutions. • One of NYC's first Utility Lighting Program Auditor • NYC Commercial Class A Audit, RCx, EE Implementation • Energy Storage Project Developer; Project Manager; Field Tech; Connecting Customers, Hardware, Software, Utility, AHJ, Legal Finance • EV Charging Incentive Program Design + Feasibility for Transit Authority
Learn & Innovate For Education, Enablement, Empowerment (LIFE3), is a digital consultancy providing software application advice and support to lead and manage technical design, development, and implementation. LIFE3 specializes in web and app development, focused on sustainability education, Learning Managements Systems (LMS), virtual reality and augmented reality product development, leveraging analytics to help inform business intelligence and artificial intelligence for continuous improvement, and make these resources available to LMI communities. LIFE3 shall serve as a Project Technology Lead to develop a LMS and shall also assist with tracking trainee outcomes through surveys and user interviews to support program participant completion and job retention. LIFE3 shall provide technical consultation to inform trainers and trainees on the functionality of technology being implemented. Regardless of subcontracting or other partnering arrangements.
Omar Duran
Founder-CEO
• B.Eng. - Chemical Engineering, Physics Minor • Former IBMer – as a Product Manager, helped create AI software solutions for Insurance Analytics Platform • Responsible for Clean Energy Academy Digital Transformation which consists of Clean Energy Academy website build out, development and ongoing support of our Learning Management System • Work with internal stakeholders to gather requirements and develop our Content Management System
Martin Curtet
Junior Technical Product Manager
• Studied in EFFICOM Paris in France, moved to New York in September 2021 • Has a Bachelor’s in IT Project Management with a specialization in Fullstack Development • Went through the Willdan program and Career Accelerator • Met Omar through the Willdan team and was hired by Life3 as a Junior Developer • Supporting development of the CEA’s website • Working on Systems Design for the CEA Data System • Managing Data Projects and Maintenance • Tech Support for online classes
Teraesa Metivier
UX Design Intern
• UX/UI Certificate • Bsc Natural Resource Management, MSc Environmental Science, Health and Safety • Perform user interview, distribute UX surveys • Synthesize user feedback and present to management • Organic beauty owner, harpist, co founder of Environmental group- Environmental Consultative Social Association
Keisha Townes
Design and Marketing Intern
• Born and raised in Huntington, NY Over 10 years of Customer service Certificate of completion from General Assembly in Data Analytics Organizing and designing social media posts regarding productivity, project management, product management, and use of AI • Designing, launching and maintaining periodic newsletters about AI applications to project management, and product management • Improving designs and maintaining our LIFE3 Website and LinkedIn group page • Designing and launching marketing campaigns while tracking data as it relates to open rates, and working with team on analysis of information for iterative launches
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Kawi Energy Group (Kawi) is a NYC Certified Minority Business Enterprise Energy efficiency consultancy and project management firm that specializes in providing comprehensive and affordable top-tier energy management advisory and related technical services to multi-family and commercial building owners and managers. Kawi shall serve as Capstone Project Management Lead. In this capacity, Kawi shall work with graduates of the classroom portion of the training that are seeking job placement and career advancement opportunities, and will assist them with the design, development, and implementation of their Capstone projects. This will involve meeting with students one-on-one to gauge their interest and bandwidth, conceiving and drafting capstone proposals, identifying and coordinating with capstone employer partners and regularly meeting with students to gauge progress and provide technical support and guidance.
Lazaros Papa
Energy Engineer
• Process and review Clean Heat, HVAC, Refrigeration, and Building Envelope energy-efficiency projects • Identify new technologies not existing in Con Edison’s programs, conduct analysis to determine energy savings with the goal of integrating new measures in the program. • Working with students on engineering and modeling capstones. • Graduate of City College of New York Grove school of Engineering and Willdan Clean Energy Academy
Green Tech LEADers (GTL) is a clean energy training and curriculum development company that provides technical job training and certification in Energy Efficiency Auditing and Retro Commissioning (RCx), Building Science and Weatherization, Green Building Operations & Maintenance, Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Design and Installation, Lighting Retrofits, and HVAC-R and Heat Pump Technologies. The certifications that GTL provides training and proctoring for include Green Professional (GPRO) credentials, Building Performance Institute (BPI) certifications and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 608 certifications. GTL shall serve as a Training and Curriculum Development Lead for the program. In this capacity, GTL shall be responsible for collaborating with Willdan and the Contractor’s many industry partners to implement all curriculum developments, adaptations, and updates, as well as coordinate the delivery of all aspects of virtual classroom technical training for program participants.
Clayton Gregory
Chief Executive Officer & Founder
• Clayton Gregory, CEO of Green Tech LEADers, is an air force veteran separating from the military in 2004. • Since then Clay has been looking for his purpose in life and found it in teaching energy effiency. • Green Tech LEADers was established in 2016, since then GTL has worked with many of the leading organizations in the industry. • Clay’s goal is to make GTL one of the leading organizations helping in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions.
Keith Ford
Head Manager
• Keith Ford, the visionary of Green Tech LEADers, began his journey in 2016 as an AmeriCorps member. • His unwavering dedication to sustainability and community enrichment was sparked during a transformative year with Green City Force, fueling his mission to empower fellow New Yorkers through education. • Keith's commitment and passion make him a true catalyst for change, leading the charge to a greener, more sustainable future for all.
Mariah Ford
Training Assistant
• In 2016, Mariah Ford embarked on her journey as an AmeriCorps Member, setting the stage for an inspiring career. • Throughout her impactful service year with Green City Force, Mariah left an indelible mark on communities throughout New York. • Driven by her unwavering commitment to energy efficiency, she's on a mission to bring us one step closer to a more sustainable world.
Khamani Gregory
Training Assistant
• Khamani has been a training assistant with GTL for several months. • His journey began upon graduating high school, as his father presented him with an opportunity. • Within a couple of months, he acquired certifications like CALT and EPA-608. Armed with these qualifications, he swiftly ascended to the position of a training assistant. • Khamani expresses enthusiasm for this voyage, eager to forge new connections and cultivate aliances along the way.
Envirolution is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and scaling dynamic K-12 education, youth leadership, and community outreach programs centered around energy efficiency, sustainability, and Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) career opportunities. Established in 2007 and based in Reno, Nevada, Envirolution’s mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders and workers who will drive the growth of a sustainable economy. With a focus on hands-on service learning, our programs not only provide career development for students, but also enable our participants to give back to their communities. Envirolution seeks to promote global change by championing local efforts that empower citizens to do positive, meaningful work and to make a good living while giving back to the social and environmental communities.
Mishkat Al Moumin
Director of Environmental Policy and Education Programs
• Highly educated with a diverse academic background, including a Ph.D. in Public International Law and advanced studies at Harvard. • Distinguished career in education, law, and environmental leadership, including serving as the First Minister of the Environment for the Iraqi Interim Government and Executive Director of Envirolution. • Recognized for innovative educational strategies, leading to significant enrollment increases and the development of key projects with international organizations. • Proven track record in curriculum development, stakeholder engagement, and fundraising, securing over $70 million for environmental and educational initiatives. • Published scholar with extensive expertise in Middle Eastern policy challenges, combined with practical experience in conflict mediation and problem-solving.
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CareerEquity™ is a SaaS platform that revolutionizes workforce development in the utility and energy sectors by addressing key challenges such as compliance adherence, impact measurement, and process efficiency. Our platform offers simplified compliance navigation, data-driven insights through custom reports and analytics, and retention monitoring to enhance program effectiveness.CareerEquity™ facilitates streamlined connections among employers, trainers, and candidates, promoting diversity and inclusion while meeting all program requirements. Ideal for utility and energy WFD programs, government entities, and energy sector employers, our platform ensures the success of programs and the advancement of aspiring energy professionals.
Brandon Bates
Vice President, Technology and Partnerships
• Brandon was raised in NYC ( moved 4 times before landing in Staten Island and living there most of his adult life) • Passionate about technology and giving back to his community through mentorship and training – he wants to enable the underserved youth opportunities that he was given as he grew up to follow his dreams • Graduated with a Bachelors of Finance from the College of Staten Island • Works as the head of partnerships and driving technical efficiencies for his clients and partners involved with workforce development programs
Kassia Bukosky
Community Engagement Manager
• Kassia was born and raised in Trenton, NJ where she currently resides. • Her extensive background in workforce development stems from 18 years in county government working closely with jobseekers, employers, community organizations, and training providers in Central NJ with a focus on underserved youth. • She is passionate about energy and manufacturing having worked on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the factory floor of a major cosmetics manufacturer. • Giving back and working within her community has always been a priority starting with a record number of community service hours at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and currently as a longtime Girl Scout Leader.
Sebastian Ortiz
Community Outreach Coordinator
• Born and raised in Ecuador, South America. • I’ve worked most of my adult life in hospitality, with a master’s in hospitality management. • I transitioned into recruiting 5 years ago. • My role in CareerEquity is coordinating and engaging workforce development programs. • I work on the team to help candidates and employers understand their needs and create synergies between all stakeholders on the platform.
Zpryme / Froliq: Born in December of 2022 in Austin, Texas – Froliq, produces next-gen education, engagement, and training apps for the world-class brands. We are best known for our award-winning work in XR – AR (Augmented Reality), and VR (Virtual Reality), including ML (Machine Learning), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) Application development. In the realm of training, Froliq’s hands-on apps deliver uber-customized experiences that educate and prepare the next generation workforce. The Froliq team has a diverse background spanning XR, mobile technology, and AI, the intersection of which is at the core of Froliq’s platform of apps. With clients such as Exelon, SMUD, Austin Energy, CPS Energy and Toyota—Froliq has established itself as a prominent XR player in the energy and transportation industries.
Jason Rodriguez
CEO and Co-founder
Mark Ishac
Creative Lead