John 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 having done business in 53 countries. He’s an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business and also served as a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health. John is the founding chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the World Green Building Council and a former board chair of Urban Green. He is co-author of the book Food Foolish and has published about sustainability in Harvard Business Review.
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.
Jack coordinates communications processes at Urban Green, including websites, social media, and Urban Green’s weekly newsletter. He previously interned in the communications department at The Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free summer experiences to children from low-income families in New York City, and was the Editor-in-Chief of Fordham University’s student-run newspaper, the paper. Jack holds a B.A. in Communications and Media Studies from Fordham University.
Colleen manages the outreach and delivery of Urban Green’s flagship programs, Crushing the Code and GPRO: Green Professional Building Skills Training. She previously worked at Green Amendments For The Generations, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and training community members and legislators to constitutionally protect their environmental rights. Colleen holds a B.A. in Communication and Culture and a minor in Environmental Studies from Fordham University.
Casey supports fundraising efforts at Urban Green including donor outreach and cultivation as well as coordination and execution of fundraising events. She previously worked for CUNY Building Performance Lab, an organization working to advance energy-efficient building practices through research, outreach, and training. Casey holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and a Master’s in Urban and Sustainable Development from Baruch College.
Lauren assists the outreach and delivery of Urban Green’s flagship programs, Crushing the Code and GPRO: Green Professional Training. Prior to Urban Green Council she worked as Recreation Manager at Big Bass Lake Community Association, a housing association in the Pocono Mountains. Lauren is working towards her B.A. in International Studies with a concentration in Globalism and a minor in Sustainable Business.
Casey manages Operations at Urban Green, including HR, finances, and general administration. Prior to Urban Green, Casey worked at Bike & Build and Habitat for Humanity, two nonprofits working to address the affordable housing crisis. Casey holds a B.A. in Film & Television Production from Emerson College and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Indiana 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.
Chris 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 80×50 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.
Ellen oversees the development of Urban Green’s Public Programs. She is also responsible for developing the curriculum for Urban Green’s signature programs, including GPRO and Crushing the Code. Ellen has 28 years of 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. Ellen is a co-founder of Solarize Brooklyn and Sustainable Kensington Windsor Terrace.
Danielle is responsible for advocacy, analysis and collaboration on Urban Green’s policy initiatives in New York City and State. She previously worked at the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University’s Earth Institute researching and communicating local climate risk information for stakeholders in global cities and ecosystems, and served as project manager for the Third New York City Panel on Climate Change Report. Danielle also worked for nonprofits in Buffalo on environmental education and advocacy. She holds a Master’s Degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University at Buffalo.
Anushka is responsible for Urban Green Council’s public programs and coordinates Urban Green’s Monthly Programs Committee and Emerging Professionals Committee. She previously interned at Urban Green on the Education team. Anushka holds a B.A. in Urban Design and Architecture Studies from New York University.
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.
Chitra assists with operations at Urban Green and helps with HR, finance, and IT initiatives as well as with the intern program and general administration. Prior to Urban Green, she worked in program management and curation in film and the arts. She holds a Master’s in Film Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in Global Environmental Challenges from the University of Edinburgh.
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.