John Mandyck
Chief Executive Officer
John Mandyck joined Urban Green Council in 2018 as its first-ever CEO. He capped a 25-year career as Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Corporation, a Fortune 45 global leader in the building, aerospace and food refrigeration industries. He also serves as a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business. John is the founding chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the World Green Building Council, a former board chair of Urban Green, and co-author of the book Food Foolish.
Christina Anjesky
Managing Director
Chris leads Urban Green's Communications, Development and Education teams. Responsible for growing our reach and our network of sponsors and members, she comes to Urban Green Council with extensive experience in the nonprofit and for-profit worlds. Chris has held senior development positions at The Partnership for the Homeless and Make the Road New York, and managed the individual giving and Health and Safety Services programs at the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Prior to that, she honed her marketing and communications skills at Citibank and Random House. Chris holds a B.A. from The Ohio State University.
Sean Brennan
Associate Director, Research, PE, LEED AP
Sean leads Urban Green’s Research team. He is responsible for identifying and executing studies that reveal industry trends and influence building design. He has worked in the energy and utility space for over 10 years and has specialized in building science and analysis. Sean has improved energy efficiency and asset maintenance programs at Pacific Gas & Electric and Sempra utilities in California. He has conducted research with the NRDC and USGBC, managed mechanical design projects with Integral Group and helped sustainability software startup Sefaira build its product and develop a portfolio of architectural and engineering clients. He has worked on hundreds of commercial, educational and specialty projects across North America to optimize envelope and HVAC design. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University.
Christopher Halfnight
Associate Director, Policy
Chris Halfnight leads Urban Green’s policy initiatives, working with stakeholders and policymakers to advance energy efficiency and green building in New York City and State. He was Vice Chair of and managed the 80x50 Buildings Partnership, a collaboration of more than 40 leading stakeholders to shape an energy performance policy for NYC’s large buildings. Prior to Urban Green, Chris was an attorney at Shearman & Sterling LLP and worked on energy policy at the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Natural Resources Defense Council. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University, as well as a Master's in Environmental Management with a specialization in energy from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Melissa Hom
Coordinator, Education, LEED GA
Melissa supports Urban Green’s education programs and training courses. Her prior experience in the environmental field includes involvement with higher education sustainability at Second Nature and stormwater management work with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Northeastern University, with a focus on urban issues and a minor in Sustainable Business Practices.
Ellen Honigstock
Director, Education, RA, LEED AP, GPRO: CM
Ellen oversees the development of Urban Green's Public Programs. She is also responsible for developing curriculum for Urban Green's signature programs including GPRO, a national green building certificate program for Contractors, Building Managers/Operators and Trades and Conquering the Energy Code, a training program for Architects and Engineers. Ellen has 28 years experience as an architect and volunteered for Urban Green for several years before joining the staff, where she served as the first Residential Green Building Advocate for Urban Green Council, working to increase green building and LEED for Homes certification in the New York residential marketplace, and as a committee chair of the Green Codes Task Force. In addition, Ellen taught at the 1,000 Green Supers program for SEIU Local 32 BJ Thomas Shortman Training Fund, and holds a number of BPI certifications. Ellen is a co-founder of Solarize Brooklyn, and Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace.
Currently serves on:
Urban Assembly School for Green Careers (Advisory Committee), and Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace (Founder).
Laurie Kerr
Senior Advisor, Policy, FAIA, LEED AP
Laurie Kerr advises on special Urban Green research and policy work. Kerr has extensive experience in urban sustainability policy. As Deputy Director for Green Building Policy at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability under Michael Bloomberg, Kerr helped develop PlaNYC, New York’s influential sustainability plan, and spearheaded the development of New York’s innovative green building and energy efficiency policies. These included the first comprehensive policies by any jurisdiction to address energy efficiency in existing buildings, the greening of New York’s codes and regulations, a clause that solves the splint incentive problem in commercial leases, and programs by city government and leading sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% in ten years -- which currently impact over half a billion square feet of space. Subsequently, Kerr conceived and launched the City Energy Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is assisting ten major American cities – from Los Angeles to Chicago, Houston and Atlanta – in developing large-scale efficiency policies similar to New York. She is now the President of LK POLICY LAB.
Richard Leigh
Senior Advisor, PhD, PE, LEED AP
Richard Leigh is a Visiting Professor of Physics at Pratt Institute, primarily teaching courses in building science. He formerly served as Urban Green's Director of Research, where he managed research projects including the 2016 New York City Auditing and Benchmarking Report for 2013 data and 90 by 50, showing that New York City can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 90 percent below current levels by 2050. Earlier, he provided support to the proposals of the Green Codes Task Force, an effort to “green” the NYC Building Code, and provided curriculum content for GPRO, the green building skills training program. Active in the field of energy-efficient engineering and systems studies for over twenty years, he holds a PhD in Physics and is a Professional Engineer in New York State, and a LEED AP.
Sage Lincoln
Associate, Communications, LEED GA
Sage is responsible for developing online communications, coordinating public relations and designing promotional materials. She comes to Urban Green with experience in energy efficiency, environmental policy and communications, having previously worked at N.O.A.A., Pure Earth, the University of Pittsburgh and with PA House Representative Dan Frankel. Sage holds a B.A in Urban Studies and a B.S. in Environmental Geology and Ecology & Evolution from the University of Pittsburgh.
Kaitlin Logsdon
Coordinator, Public Programs
Kaitlin is responsible for Urban Green Council’s public programs and annual conference. She currently coordinates Urban Green's Monthly Programs Committee (MPC), and Emerging Professionals Committee. Kaitlin attended Ithaca College, where she received her B.S. in Communication Management & Design, focusing on corporate social responsibility and community engagement.
Sam Pace
Administrative Associate
Sam supports administrative and operations processes at Urban Green. She is responsible for assisting with finance, human resources, and information technology business. She comes to Urban Green with experience in administrative roles, both in university and hospitality settings, and a background in biochemistry research. Sam holds a B.S. in biochemistry from Pace University.
Sheena Thiruselvan
Associate Director, Communications
Sheena leads the communications processes at Urban Green, overseeing messaging, graphic design, online communications and public relations. She comes to Urban Green with extensive environmental and nonprofit experience, having previously worked at Wildlife Alliance, Clean Air Force of Central Texas and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Sheena holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego.
Liz Thomas
Associate Director, Operations
Liz manages administrative and business processes at Urban Green, overseeing information technology, human resources, and office administration. She also manages the delivery of our workforce training courses, GPRO and Conquering the Energy Code, focusing on continual improvement of internal processes and customer satisfaction. She has over ten years of non-profit experience and a passion for creating positive change in communities, having worked with organizations including Turnaround for Children, The Brooklyn Young Mothers’ Collective, and Free Arts NYC. Liz holds a B.A. from Hampshire College and a M.A. from New York University.
Anna Weingord
Coordinator, Research
Anna supports Urban Green’s research and policy projects. Prior to joining the Research team, she worked on the Brooklyn Navy Yard development project, and conducted research at Building Energy Exchange and Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Anna holds a B.A. in Economics and Environmental Analysis & Policy from Boston University.
Theresa Wetzler
Coordinator, Operations
Theresa provides administrative support for Urban Green, ensuring efficiency in HR, Finance, and IT processes while assisting in a range of projects across departments. Prior to joining Urban Green, she held nonprofit and private sector positions in rural development, financial bankruptcy services, database management, social enterprise and hospitality management. Theresa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from New York University.