Director of Planning and Community Development, PUSH Buffalo

Amun Heru Ra is a lifelong Buffalo native, builder, and visionary currently serving as Director of Planning and Community Development at PUSH Buffalo. From hands-on experience in the trades to leading transformative housing initiatives, Amun embodies PUSH Buffalo’s mission of advancing affordable housing, sustainable development, and economic and racial justice. Every day, he works to ensure that the voices of marginalized communities are not only heard, but centered. Building neighborhoods where residents can live, thrive, and lead.

Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota

In 2016, Annie was named the first executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota. She joined CUB after serving as the executive director of the Legislative Energy Commission, a nonpartisan office of the Minnesota House and Senate. Annie also co-founded the Capitol Pathways Internship Program, which places students of color and Native American students in internships around the Minnesota legislature, so that Minnesota government may better represent the state’s diversity.

Advisory Board Member, PODER

Christine is an Advisory Board Member of PODER and has lived in the Mission District for over 25 years. As a community member, she first became involved with PODER through the Mission Anti-displacement Coalition. Chris has consulted with PODER to co-develop equitable building decarbonization climate justice work.

Energy Equity Policy Coordinator, PSR-LA

Edgar Barraza has over 8 years of experience in energy resilience, community engagement, and energy justice. He is a founding member of Los Angeles for Resilient and Healthy Homes (LARHH), a member of the Building Energy Equity and Power Coalition (BEEP), and a point person for California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) building decarbonization state policy efforts. Over the past 3 years, he has led PSR-LA statewide equitable building decarbonization work and is a specialist navigating California's building decarbonization efforts within state regulatory agencies and at the legislature.

Assistant Director of Policy and Advocacy for Climate and the Built Environment, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy

In this role, Grace advocates for policies that protect and prioritize low-income tenants in the transition to climate resilient housing. Prior to joining SAJE, Grace held roles at fair housing and tenants rights' organizations where she enforced fair housing laws and conducted eviction-prevention outreach and education for tenants. Grace holds a BA in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College. 

Director of Asset Management, Esperanza Community Housing

Iris has over 15 years of experience in asset and property management in affordable housing. She currently is the Director of Asset Management and is responsible for the oversight of all of Esperanza’s low-income housing projects in South Central Los Angeles.

Managing Partner, Upright Consulting Services

Jeremy Hays is Managing Partner at Upright Consulting Services, where he helps cities, nonprofits, and community-based organizations design equitable climate and workforce strategies rooted in high road principles. He previously served as Executive Director of Green For All and National Organizing Director for the Apollo Alliance for Good Jobs and Clean Energy, where he led national efforts to align climate policy and investment with economic inclusion. Jeremy has guided multi-million-dollar equity-focused initiatives and advised federal, state, and local agencies on workforce, equity, and sustainability.  

Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Energy

Since joining The Alliance in 2013, Ms. Burke has participated in dozens of regulatory proceedings at the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the New Orleans City Council, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency. She has also led several collaborative efforts with advocacy organizations advocating for climate justice, affordable housing, public health, and good governance, ultimately contributing to reports on health impacts of energy, the creation of a sustainable housing policy for New Orleans, and a more holistic consideration of resource planning, including the impacts of climate change.

Senior Policy Director, ACEEE

Mark Kresowik supports the success of the members of ACEEE’s policy team and our partners shaping decisions at the local, state, utility, and federal levels across every part of the economy as we accelerate ambition for improving energy efficiency and centering those most historically overburdened and underserved in our communities. Mark joined ACEEE in 2022. 

Senior Principal, Buildings Team, RMI

Rachel oversees state and federal policy work to speed the electrification of residential and commercial buildings in an affordable and equitable manner.  

President and Chief Executive Officer, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative

Ruth Ann Norton, President & CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, has led the organization’s development into one of the nation’s most effective and foremost authorities on a whole house approach to healthy housing and its impact on the social determinants of health. She served as the architect of GHHI's Whole House Model that is built on a framework of cross-sector collaboration on health, safety and energy efficiency sectors and broad alignment of funding sources that improves human health and the health of homes. Ruth Ann directs GHHI’s national strategy, policy and services in over 75 partnering jurisdictions to integrate innovative funding for clean energy and healthy housing as a platform for improved health, economic, climate and social outcomes for low-income communities.

Housing & Communities Policy Director, Climate & Community Institute (CCI)

Ruthy Gourevitch (she/her) is the Housing & Communities Policy Director at the Climate & Community Institute (CCI), where she works with organizers, policymakers, and researchers to advance housing and climate justice together. Ruthy has worked on housing policies that advance tenants rights at the local and federal levels as a political staffer, researcher and tenant union member. 

Senior Project Consultant, Elevate Energy

Samir Deshpande is the Senior Project Consultant at Elevate, a nonprofit organization that designs and implements programs that bring clean and affordable heat, power, and water to homes and communities. In this role, he works with municipalities, community-based organizations, and building owners to support affordable housing, sustainable communities, and energy efficiency. Prior to joining Elevate, Deshpande worked as a science and health communicator at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and as the Environmental Health Manager for the city of Dearborn, Michigan. 

Building Electrification Campaign Director, Sierra Club

Prior to Sierra Club, she oversaw RMI’s building decarbonization policy campaigns in the West and Interior West. She spearheaded RMI’s growing body of affordable housing policy work and equitable implementation of federal programs at the state levels. Her experience at an affordable housing organization, California Housing Partnership, where she led energy efficiency and decarbonization program implementation helped her understand gaps and opportunities to address the silos between housing and climate sectors.

Policy Associate, Esperanza Community Housing

Wendy supports policy work through advocacy and outreach in multiple coalition spaces in a wide range of issues such as affordable housing, environmental justice, equitable development, and immigrant rights. She is passionate about serving frontline communities to create healthier and equitable communities.

Coalition Director, California Green New Deal Coalition

Zach Lou previously worked at the California Workforce Development Board on the High Road Training Partnerships program, working with unions and community organizations to develop equitable pathways into jobs needed for climate action. He was also the lead author for Resilience Before Disaster, a report sponsored by APEN, SEIU, and the BlueGreen Alliance that highlighted models for community resilience and social infrastructure.