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 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.

Becca supports Urban Green’s flagship education programs by developing curriculum to teach architects, engineers, construction workers and building operators the latest in green building practices. Prior to joining Urban Green, Becca worked at Partnerships for Parks training grassroots volunteers across NYC to advocate and care for their local parks and greenspaces. Becca holds a B.A. in Environmental Policy from Fordham University and a Master Composter certification from DSNY.

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.

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.  

Viri is responsible for Urban Green Council’s public programs and annual conference and coordinates Urban Green’s Monthly Programs Committee and Emerging Professionals Committee. Prior to joining Urban Green, she worked at the World Affairs Council of Houston as the Programs Manager and Co-Director for Global Young Professionals. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Escuela Bancaria y Comercial and an M.A. in International Studies from the University of St. Thomas.

Adam is responsible for conducting data analysis and research into sustainability topics. Prior to Urban Green, Adam worked at a non-profit healthcare company that was dedicated to using the Affordable Care Act to expand access to services and lower the cost of healthcare in New Mexico. Adam hold a B.S in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Oregon and a M.A in Economics from the New School for Social Research.  

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.