As Director of Community Programs, Deirdre leads initiatives that partner with communities on energy planning, strategy, and engagement. CEE’s programs support community-led energy, resilience, and climate planning efforts. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and is a certified Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP). She applies her expertise to guide CEE’s work through sustainability, resilience, and equity lenses, strengthening program impact and outcomes.

Deirdre joined CEE in 2019 after working at a nonprofit focused on water sustainability and conservation with communities and local governments. With a background in environmental and social sciences, she is trained in Art of Hosting and Technology of Participation facilitation methods. She has received an Environmental Education Award from Environmental Initiative and an Excellence Award for Volunteer Program Development from the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Leadership.