Big growth for CEE with new staff and programming, part II

Previous to joining CEE, Sari worked as a project manager with BWF, a fundraising consulting firm. In this position, Sari helps manage a portfolio of client facing projects, contributes to reports and research projects, and provides additional administrative support.

Thomas has worked primarily in education since graduating from UW-River Falls in 2019. As an energy counselor, he works directly with homeowners to help them understand how their home uses energy.

Q Gagne (they/them), joins CEE's Market Transformation team as an Initiative Manager focused on lighting. With a decade of experience in the lighting industry and an expertise in controls, their career in lighting began with Lutron Electronics where they learned how the market operated in the new era of LEDs.

As an HR Manager at CEE, Veena brings four years of HR experience spanning multiple sectors and a passion for helping staff achieve their career goals and nurture their talents.

Before joining CEE as an energy counselor, Vinai worked for the Eau Claire Area School District as a bilingual assistant tutoring students from K-5th grade, and interpreting for non-English speaking Hmong parents and teachers to better understand one another.

Prior to joining CEE, Keller helped build the foundational marketing department for a startup medical technology company. With a BA in Communication & Journalism from the University of St. Thomas, Keller has honed her skills in communication, strategy, and project management.

Zach has worked in a wide variety of positions from customer service, to construction, to licensing and more. He is enthusiastic about working with nonprofits and other agencies that have a meaningful impact on our local communities.

As an energy counselor, Sao works directly with homeowners to help them understand how their home uses energy by identifying and installing low- and no-cost opportunities and measures to save both energy and money.

As a community energy analyst, Michelle supports Xcel Energy’s Partners in Energy program by collecting, processing, and analyzing data to support city and municipality efforts in energy and climate planning and implementation.

Oren has a background in land conservation and environmental management. He has worked for a variety of nonprofit and government organizations leading ecological restoration projects and implementing Clean Water Act regulations.

Adam's career in engineering spans over 15 years, with a significant portion of that time spent at Franklin Energy before joining CEE. His expertise in the field includes quantifying energy use, conducting energy audits, and contributing to TRM development efforts.

Before joining CEE, Kaia completed two service terms with the Conservation Corps in direct resource management and another service term in an individual placement with the MN DNR conducting outreach and public education alongside the State Parks and Trails Division.

Jordyn joined CEE in 2023 after working as a Product Manager in transport refrigeration, where she focused on electrified product development and market adoption of clean technology. Prior to this role, she completed a rotational program within both transport refrigeration and commercial HVAC.

Prior to becoming an energy counselor, Ariana served as an Environmental Resources intern for Dakota County as well as Climate Intern for Sunrise Banks where she helped develop a loan product focused on decarbonization and energy efficiency projects.