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Staff Bios

Catherine Merschel
Catherine brings over 30 years experience in the non-profit affordable housing world to Build It Green, including over 14 years as Executive Director of Eden Housing and 12 years as both the Deputy Executive Director and the Executive Director of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.

She is a trainer in the Local Initiative Support Corporation’s Community Development Leadership Institute, which is a nine month training program for emerging leaders in the CDC world. She has been a consultant to many non-profits on organizational development issues, as well as a performance coach to a handful of Executive Directors in the Bay Area.
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Bruce Mast
Mr. Mast has helped nurture Build It Green's growth since its infancy in 2002, serving first as a Board member and then as staff. Bruce has led efforts to articulate a green vision for the organization, translate that vision into practical program designs, and obtain political and financial support from government and utilities. Most recently, Bruce led Build It Green's program development for existing homes: providing workforce development and multifamily program implementation for local governments, devising strategies to target time of sale and remodeling opportunities, and leading program design and launch of PG&E's Whole House Rebate Program under Energy Upgrade California.
 
Prior to entering the green building arena, Mr. Mast consulted for 10 years to electric and gas utilities, providing market research, competitive assessment, marketing/business plan development, program design and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation services. Mr. Mast also served four years on the City Council in Albany, California, including one year as Mayor.
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Camela Nitollama
Camela joined the Build It Green staff in 2008, bringing to the organization previous administrative experience with the University Centers at UC San Diego. She explored energy and environmental issues in her undergraduate career, and developed a real passion for environmental justice while working with various grassroots groups in the Philippines. As a member of the Build It Green team, Camela looks forward to contributing to an inclusive environmental movement, and broadening her knowledge of building healthy and environmentally conscious communities and spaces.

Camela earned her B.A. in Political Science and minor in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego and is a Certified Green Building Professional.
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Kimara Smith
Prior to joining Build It Green, Kimara worked as a Bookkeeper/Secretary for The United Association Plumbers and Steamfitters Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee. She brings with her 10 years of hands-on accounting experience working in various types of industries from wholesale to retail to unionized to private. She joined the Build It Green to learn more about the “green” industry and more volunteer opportunities.

In joining Build It Green, Kimara will be able to utilize both her career experience in Bookkeeping and her educational background in business management and accounting.
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Tracie Delos Santos
Tracie brings previous administration experience from the California Department of Education and the Department of Technology Services to her role as the first point of contact for Build It Green.   Her interest in environmental issues stems from studying Human Ecology and Health as an undergraduate.  Her involvement in non-profit organizations began when she interned for The California Medical Association Foundation.  She is thrilled to be a part of the non-profit sector and the environmental movement.   As a member of the Build It Green team she is enthusiastic to learn more about green building.
 
Tracie earned her B.S. in Health Science, concentrating in Health Care Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and is a Certified Green Building Professional.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, watching documentaries, and Tahitian dancing.
 
Karis Ingram
Karis joins Build It Green as the Executive Assistant to Bruce Mast, Director of Business Development. She is responsible for providing administrative support to the program planning and business development of Build It Green. Previously, Karis worked for a web-based nonprofit in San Francisco and brings a wealth of knowledge in administration and client service to her role. 
 
Karis graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a minor in Music and is very passionate about helping communities live in a healthy environment. She is excited to join the Build It Green team, contribute to the mission, and broaden her knowledge of green building.
 
Melina Corona
Melina originally joined the Build It Green team as part of a local AmeriCorps chapter called Climate Corps Bay Area. As an Environmental Science graduate from UC Berkeley, Melina learned about issues arising from the impact of human activities on natural systems. As a GreenPoint Rated Program Associate with Build It Green, Melina contributed to the program by tracking GreenPoint Rated projects and quantifying the environmental benefits of rated homes. She also assisted with enhancing educational information for Build It Green stakeholders and plans to do outreach to promote the value of the GreenPoint Rated program. She hopes to contribute to Build It Green’s mission to improve communities by addressing energy efficiency, resource conservation and healthy communities.
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Matthew Savage
Matthew began his career in the oil industry after receiving a degree in economics from UCLA magna cum laude. He then started his own commercial photography business, specializing in the advertising and editorial worlds, while also working on social documentary projects. Wanting to see a more direct social and environmental impact to his work, he transitioned to the environmental sector, working in a variety of different roles and organizations, including a sustainability consultancy and an online marketing firm focused on socially responsible businesses. Most recently he helped to build a new environmental non-profit. In his free time, Matthew can be found backcountry skiing, rock-climbing, or hiking with friends.
 
 
Chandra Krout
Chandra K. Krout has recently assumed the position of Director of Programs and Contract Administration for Build It Green. Ms. Krout manages multiple interrelated and interdependent contracts for key clients in both Southern and Northern California, such as the PG&E Whole House Rebate Program. She is responsible for program implementation, work plan development, client management, contract negioation, staffing allocation and budget administration for all Build It Green contracts. This position allows Ms. Krout to utilize her background and experience in organizational management within the non-profit, utility and local government realm. Additionally, Ms. Krout continues to be Principal of Krout & Associates, whereby she oversees the cultivation of sustainability projects while guiding clients to develop meaningful initiatives that achieve
environmental benefits and cost savings.
 
Ms. Krout has more than 10 years of public sector and consulting experience, with a special emphasis in sustainability and climate change. She has substantial expertise in green building, energy efficiency, climate change analysis, public policy planning, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) implementation. Prior to initiating Krout & Associates, Ms. Krout was a Senior Sustainability Planner with AECOM. At AECOM, she managed Climate Action Plans for the following cities of San Diego, San Clemente, Monterey Park, Aliso Viejo, and the County of San Diego. Additionally, she was responsible for the development of the Southern California Practice for Climate Action Plans and related sustainable measure development. Prior to AECOM, Ms. Krout was the Environmental Programs Administrator at the City of Irvine. At the City of Irvine, Ms. Krout managed the City’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory, Climate Action Plan, implementation of the City’s adopted Energy Plan, management of citywide sustainability polices, the City’s waste franchise agreement, recycling programs, and green building education and outreach. In addition, Ms. Krout administered over $2.28M in Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants as well as secured over $300K in grants through the California Public Utilities Commission for a GIS Utility Data-Transfer Protocol for web-based tracking GHG emissions. Prior to assuming her position at the City, Ms. Krout was employed at CTG Energetics Inc., as a Green Building and Planning Specialist, specializing in community sustainability analysis and executing green building portfolios with LEED ratings.
 
Danny Teng
Danny Teng is the Information Systems Manager for Build it Green. With over 8 years system/software development & implementation, Danny will continually oversee technology adoptions at Build It Green translate into higher operational productivity. Prior to this role, Danny served as Senior Operation Manager at salesforce.com. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Seattle University and a Master of Science in Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University.
 
Katrina Inouye
Katrina is currently a QA Project Manager with the Energy Upgrade California team. Prior to joining Build It Green she worked for a EUC Participating Contractor in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, providing Home Performance Assessments, BPI Analysis and handling the entire application submission process from start to finish (for BIG and ABAG).. 
 
Katrina’s journey began when she was laid off from NUMMI, attending workshops provided by PG&E and Work2Furture,  she didn’t know where to begin, until she attended a workshop provided by CACTUS. From that day forward she pursued her BPI Building Analyst Certification and was a success.  After about a month Katrina was Hired with Sandium Heating & Air Conditioning, as a part-time Home Performance Auditor, by the middle of September she was promoted to their Full-time Lead Home Performance Auditor. Now Katrina has joined the Build It Green Team to gain knowledge and to assist contractors improve their Application submissions. 
 
Russell Bayba
Russell started thinking about energy efficiency when he lived off the grid for 3 years and had to conserve energy.  Working as a carpenter and cabinet maker for many years developed his understanding of how buildings are built.  He changed fields when he learned that measuring building’s performance was easy and fun.  Since 2008 he has completed over 200 audits, trained installation crews and auditors, taken numerous classes and overseen the Desktop Review at Build It Green.  He is also a HERS rater, BPI Proctor and has a Master’s Degree in Architecture.
 
Sean Feurtado
Sean Feurtado has been an AutoCAD designer for commercial engineers, architects, and design build construction companies in California.  With experience in energy modeling and energy compliance he has been involved in helping make homes more energy efficient.  Recently he has joined the Build It Green Quality Assurance team, to assure that models are coherent and reflect correct savings
 
Tenaya Asan
Tenaya brings 30 years of experience in the residential construction industry to her position as Program Manager of the GreenPoint Rated program. She uses her construction knowledge and management capabilities to direct this rapidly expanding program. She is responsible for overseeing rater training and certification; ensuring quality assurance for rated projects; providing education and support to builders, raters, designers and others; and developing program protocols and procedures.

Her 12 years experience with building and remodeling homes equips her with a thorough understanding of all phases of construction. Another 15 years experience as a construction defect analyst provides her with unique insights into problematic construction techniques. With this experience, she contributes an understanding and passion about the essential qualities of green building and their benefits to homeowners, builders and the general public. She is a California licensed General Contractor, a Certified Green Building Professional, a Certified GreenPoint Rater and a HERS rater. She has a Masters degree in Education and is certified as a Green Building Professional from Sonoma State University.
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Amy Dryden
Amy brings a combination of her experience as a residential builder and planning consultant with a focus on ecologically and socially minded building to the GreenPoint Rated Program.

With ten years experience in residential construction (non profit and for profit), Amy has a working knowledge of all trades and phases of construction in new construction and remodel projects. She has contributed to green building specifications and guidelines and LEED projects for affordable housing and has been assisting Habitat East Bay with their green building efforts since 2000. Recently, as a planning consultant, she has developed planning and design proposals and policies from the watershed scale to the site scale, addressing ecological and social goals through community planning in Los Angeles, North Carolina, and Hawaii.

Amy is a Certified Green Building Professional, a Certified GreenPoint Rater, a LEED-AP, and a HERS rater and has completed work in each capacity. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Boston University and a Master in Landscape Architecture and a Master in City Planning from UC Berkeley.
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Christopher Becker
Christopher brings over 15 years of architectural design and affordable housing experience to the GreenPoint Rated Program. As Project Manager, he assists with rater trainings and certifications; quality assurance for rated projects; education and support to builders, raters, designers and others; and development and implementation of the GreenPoint Rated Program. & Prior to joining Build It Green, Christopher served as the lead designer for a 4 story affordable housing prototype that incorporated a range of green building features including an innovative Trombe wall for the street faÇade and grey water irrigation system for the communal rear yard. He has also served as the project manager and/or designer on a range of building types from single-family renovations to high-rise mixed use developments, many of which incorporated green building features. Before returning to school to get his architecture degree, Christopher also worked on the developer side of many projects, both as a development and planning consultant for several non-profit developers as well as the Resource Development Manager for East Bay Habitat for Humanity.

Christopher is a Certified Green Building Professional and a Certified GreenPoint Rater. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from Columbia University and a Master of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Kris Knutson
Kris joined Build it Green in 2009 as an Associate for the GreenPoint Rated program, bringing a diverse background in residential building, energy performance and building science. He supports the organization’s GreenPoint Raters, Advisors and Certified Green Building Professionals. In addition, he manages the Green Product Directory and answers the “Ask an Expert” hotline.

Prior to working with Build it Green, Kris managed the Home Services project at Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, GA - overseeing HERS Ratings, Manual-J load calculations, Manual-D duct design, new home design reviews and answering building science & home comfort troubleshooting calls from the public.

A native of Seattle, Kris attended the University of Washington, earning a minor in environmental studies. In 2004 he toured Western Europe by bicycle, visiting biodiesel plants, wind farms and traditionally build Dutch and German buildings. Kris went on to work towards sustainability by helping construct Seattle’s first biodiesel plant and later worked as a building performance technician for a home performance contractor. Kris is a Certified Green Building Professional, RESNET HERS Rater and LEED NC Accredited Professional.
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Torsten Glidden
Torsten Glidden is currently a QA Project Manager with the Energy Upgrade California implementation team, within Build It Green’s Technical Services division. Torsten is also an experienced Project and Operations Manager with a passion for Sustainable Building and Building Sciences. Prior to joining the Build It Green Team, Torsten ran his own General Contracting and Consultant business, managed offices and technology for a number of companies (and a school) of various sizes, and wore a number of “hats” within the music industry, from Radio Promotion, to Publicity and Marketing. During the last couple of years, Torsten has been expanding his base of knowledge in the areas of Sustainability and Building Sciences by attending training (and becoming certified) in programs offered by Build It Green (CGBP & GPR), PG&E and the Sustainable Building Advisor Institute (CSBA).

Torsten spends a good deal of his free-time, when he’s not chasing after his two kids, volunteering for various local non-profits such as West Coast Green, the San Francisco Food Bank, CyArk, and the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and was an Executive Staff member, Editor-In-Chief (of the station’s quarterly publication) and On-Air personality at the campus radio station KCPR 91.3 FM for the bulk of his time as an undergraduate.
 
 
Kali Steele
Kali is joining the GreenPoint Rated team for an AmeriCorps year of service with Bay Area Climate Corps. During her 11 month term of service as a GreenPoint Rated Project Associate, she will contribute to the development of the next version of the Climate Calculator, update the Green Product Directory, create a GreenPoint Rated manual for home owners, improve the GreenPoint Rated “time of sale label”, and conduct stakeholder outreach to increase statewide participation in the GreenPoint Rated Program. She also plans to become a certified Green Building Professional.
 
Kali received a Master of Public Policy as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from Mills College in Oakland. In partial fulfillment of the requirements of her Master’s Degree, she developed a strategic pathway to assist the City of Hayward in reducing total green house gas emissions by 13%. She worked with the City Planning Division to conduct comparative research on Residential Energy Conservation Ordinances (RECO), and formulated recommendations for Hayward’s RECO design. Part of her focus was on advancing energy efficient housing and green jobs in low-income communities.
 
With over 15 years of community organizing experience, Kali has spearheaded numerous public outreach and education campaigns for a variety of non-profit organizations. She lived in ten different countries before settling in California. Her two favorite jobs before moving to the States were working as Shelter Coordinator at a Liberian refugee camp in Sierra Leone, and teaching English to exiled Tibetan nuns in India.
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Janine Kubert
Janine is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Build It Green. She brings over fifteen years experience in transforming consumer needs into marketing strategies and programs that clarify a organization’s unique value. She has developed and implemented marketing initiatives for clients such as the Green Schools Initiative, the Business Council on Climate Change, United Way of the Bay Area, and iReuse Sustainability Consulting. Prior to her work for nonprofit and environmental organizations, Janine also managed design and production of software and websites for technology companies.

Janine is a graduate of Boston University, and earned an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio School of Management. She is also an Accredited Professional of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating Program. Her other professional affiliations include Leadership San Francisco, a Chamber of Commerce program that develops future community leaders for the city of San Francisco and Emerge, a political leadership training program for women in the Bay Area.
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Annette Hartsfield
Annette coordinates Build It Green’s grant seeking efforts, including prospect research, proposal writing, and reporting out on Build It Green’s various contract and grant activities. She also writes articles for the organization and serves as editor of the Green Post, Build It Green’s monthly e-newsletter. She has been with Build It Green since 2006, when she was hired as administrative coordinator and bookkeeper. A life-long environmentalist, slow food enthusiast, and fledgling urban gardener, Annette is happy to be working for an organization committed to fighting climate change.

Prior to joining Build It Green, Annette worked part-time for a financial advising firm while completing her Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology at San Francisco State University. Her thesis examines social control, identity, and the myth of the American Dream in the context of gated communities. Annette received Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and Anthropology from Arizona State University.
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Michele Brown
Michele brings over 10 years of non-profit and program management/event coordination experience to her position as Project Manager for the Green Building Professional Guilds. She has managed and coordinated the Guild Program since 2009 and greatly enjoys working directly with green building professionals and continuing education. Before managing the Guilds, Michele managed the Green Home Tour Program at Build It Green for four years, as well as the Professional Training Program for over a year.

Prior to joining Build It Green, Michele was the Community Programs and Visitor Services Manager at Hidden Villa Farm and Wilderness Preserve, coordinating multicultural and environmental education programs/events for the public. While there, she particularly enjoyed producing sustainable building and design workshops for both the public and building professionals.

Michele received her Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the Pennsylvania State University in 1995 and is a Certified Green Building Professional.
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Janell Jacks
Janell manages and coordinates Build It Green's Professional Training and Certification program. In this capacity, she draws on 25 years of Corporate Training experience in developing, implementing and managing world-wide training programs. Prior to joining Build It Green, Janell led Construction, Human Resource and Technical Writing program development at SJSU Professional Development, while introducing new courses (including Green Building, E-Learning and Blended coursework) to meet the emerging market needs.

Janell has hands-on construction experience, having remodeled several homes. She majored in Marketing and minored in Computer Science, along with professional courses. Her certifications include Construction Management, Technical Writing, Marketing, and several technical computer certifications.

While taking green building courses and designing a Green Building Certificate Program, she became passionate about green building and decided to join Build It Green. She is both Green Advantage Certified and a Certified Green Building Professional.
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David Myers
David brings ten years of experience in the non-profit and education fields to his position as the Acting Director for the Southern California Division. Previously, David was the Development & Communications Manager at Build It Green's Bay Area office. Before joining Build It Green, he held fundraising, operations, and student services positions at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley; the San Francisco Film Society; and the University of California, Los Angeles.

With his commitment to work in the nonprofit sector and longstanding interest in real estate development, he is excited be a part of the dynamic green residential building industry. David received Bachelors of Arts in American History as well as American Literature and Culture from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Diana Dakik
Diana Dakik is an Environmental Specialist with experience defining and coordinating incentive-based environmental programs for businesses and the general public. Prior to joining the Build It Green Team, Diana provided environmental assistance to businesses, schools and Government Agencies to achieve green certification through coordinating the Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program. With environmental regulatory, resource management and planning experience, she has worked with businesses, public agencies and residents to operate in a more sustainable way. Diana’s diverse experience includes Green Building Design, Land Use Planning, Recycling and Resource Management, Environmental Regulatory Compliance and Community Outreach. She has worked for the City of Santa Cruz to market and adopt one of the first Green Building Programs in California, with the City of Monterey to improve recycling capabilities, and for the City of Scotts Valley as an environmental regulator presenting pollution prevention opportunities to businesses.

Diana also sits on the Board of Directors for Room For Compassion, a nonprofit with a mission to empower communities and individuals through education, community involvement, and microfinance loans in an effort to alleviate global poverty. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Environmental Studies focusing on Environmental Resource Management and Land Use Planning from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
 
 
Michelle Noriega
Michelle Noriega is a Texas native, currently working as a Project Manager for the BIG Southern California Division in the Sustainable Communities Program for Southern California Edison.  Prior to that, Michelle worked for the City of Austin – Austin Energy Demand Side Management Program with commercial customers offering technical expertise, energy audits, presentations, and administering rebate money for energy efficiency upgrades. Specialties include new construction, IT and data center efficiency, and a special interest in lighting systems.  Accredited as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) by the Association of Energy Engineers and a LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) by the U.S. Green Building Council, Michelle is also an associate member of the American Institute of Architects.  She earned her Bachelor of Environmental Design Degree from Texas A&M University and has worked on a multitude of residential and commercial projects in the architectural private sector.