Board of Directors
NESEA's Board of Directors consists of 13 independent, voting members who are elected on a rolling basis. Each year, NESEA members elect three Board members and the Board appoints one Board member. In addition, every three years the Board appoints a Member Services Liaison. Board members serve for three-year terms and can be elected for two consecutive terms.
Founder
Arnold Sapenter Consulting
Board Term:
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Arnold Sapenter is a highly energetic consultant with over 30 years of professional experience in cultural diversity, environmental planning and sustainability, as well as, organization training, project development and management. He is an adept communicator and analytical thinker with proven ability to develop and lead cross-functional teams. An expert presenter, negotiator, and facilitator he is able to forge solid relationships between government and community partners and across multiple organizations.
Arnold serves as a board member and volunteer for a number of non-profit organizations including the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the Fenway Health Center, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Boston Chapter and the Shirley Eustis House in Roxbury. After retiring from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Director of Sustainability and previously serving as the Director of Diversity and Program Monitoring; Arnold decided to use his program development, project management, training skills and experience to assist business, and non-profit organizations in achieving their missions and strategic goals related to cultural diversity and sustainability.
Arnold serves as a board member and volunteer for a number of non-profit organizations including the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, the Fenway Health Center, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Boston Chapter and the Shirley Eustis House in Roxbury. After retiring from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Director of Sustainability and previously serving as the Director of Diversity and Program Monitoring; Arnold decided to use his program development, project management, training skills and experience to assist business, and non-profit organizations in achieving their missions and strategic goals related to cultural diversity and sustainability.
Owner
Graphite Studio
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We are a small firm specializing in energy-smart residential design - in existing buildings and new construction. Winner of NESEA's Zero Energy Challenge, and Fine Homebuilding's Best Retrofit award (with C&H Architects), PHIUS' Best Single Family Passive Home (2nd place), Efficiency Vermont's Best of the Best. Graphite Studio is a member of Building Energy Bottom Lines.
CEO
Byggmeister, Inc.
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Rachel White is CEO of Byggmeister Design/Build, a nearly 40 year-old residential remodeling company that is striving to serve as an exemplary steward of homes and to prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Rachel has been affiliated with Byggmeister since 2008, when she hired the firm to renovate her house. What started as an effort to reduce the energy and carbon footprint of her own home became her life’s work. Prior to joining Byggmeister Rachel taught modern Jewish history to adult learners. She holds a PhD in Religious Studies from Brown University and a BA in Religion from Haverford College.
SVP, Climate Lending
BlueHub Capital
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Based in Boston, Betsy has worked to deliver solar savings to residential, commercial, and public customers that meet program goals and investor underwriting requirements and with multifamily building owners to implement energy efficiency and water conservation measures, healthy housing practices and renewable power installations to benefit low- and moderate-income communities. She was an appointed voting member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (2014-2017), served as a member of the steering committee of the Network for Energy, Water and Health in Affordable Buildings (NEWHAB; 2015-2017), co-chaired the BuildingEnergy Boston conference (2017-2018) and currently sits on the board of directors of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA).
Betsy holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in Geosciences from Franklin & Marshall College.
Betsy holds a master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a bachelor’s degree in Geosciences from Franklin & Marshall College.
Chief Executive Officer
Energy Infrastructure Partners LLC
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Renwick Paige, who founded EIP in 2011, has broad planning, development and financial structuring experience. EIP focuses on clean and renewable energy programs and projects, provides strategic and financial advisory and develops environmental justice solutions.
Mr. Paige also has substantial experience with the municipal and governmental sector client base, the MUSH market, and can deliver substantial insights concerning the delivery of goods and services to that constituency. He has executed over $10B of financial transactions. He led airport and energy financings at Lehman Brothers and launched the project finance and air cargo product lines for the GE Capital/FGIC. He led Acquisitions and Development at U.S. Water (Bechtel and Kiewit) and helped to build the alternative assets fundraising banking business at JP Morgan/Chase. He received a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, attended Wharton Graduate School and received a B.A. from Amherst College.
Mr. Paige also has substantial experience with the municipal and governmental sector client base, the MUSH market, and can deliver substantial insights concerning the delivery of goods and services to that constituency. He has executed over $10B of financial transactions. He led airport and energy financings at Lehman Brothers and launched the project finance and air cargo product lines for the GE Capital/FGIC. He led Acquisitions and Development at U.S. Water (Bechtel and Kiewit) and helped to build the alternative assets fundraising banking business at JP Morgan/Chase. He received a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, attended Wharton Graduate School and received a B.A. from Amherst College.
Managing Principal
BrightBuilt Home
NESEA Board Secretary, Board Term:
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After a first career as a 500-ton Ocean Master licensed captain and deck officer, Parlin Meyer switched tacks to pursue a second career in Architecture and Development. She joined Kaplan Thompson Architects early in 2013, to help develop a unique concept that would marry off-site construction with high-performance assemblies and design. This concept, first born out of the success of Kaplan Thompson’s BrightBuilt Barn in 2009, would officially become BrightBuilt Home in the summer of 2013.
Under her guidance as Director, BrightBuilt Home has facilitated the completion of nearly 200 homes across New England and the Eastern Seaboard. Parlin leads development of new designs, optimization of processes in offsite building, and identification of best practices and materials for creating healthy homes. Regardless of where she directs her focus, the wind in her sails remains the same: fostering a collaborative and creative spirit among designers, builders, and homeowners in order to forge better solutions for the built environment.
Under her guidance as Director, BrightBuilt Home has facilitated the completion of nearly 200 homes across New England and the Eastern Seaboard. Parlin leads development of new designs, optimization of processes in offsite building, and identification of best practices and materials for creating healthy homes. Regardless of where she directs her focus, the wind in her sails remains the same: fostering a collaborative and creative spirit among designers, builders, and homeowners in order to forge better solutions for the built environment.
CCDD
2bGreener, LLC
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Jodi Smits Anderson has a passion for community-informed, cross-system activated solutions and deep experience in codes and policy, embodied carbon, team cultivation, and process work. Jodi is a FAIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL-AP, regenerative practitioner, NESEA Board member, past regional and national U.S. Green Building Council committee member, wife, mom, hiker, kayaker, knitter, and storyteller. She has worked for a national think tank, a renowned A+E firm as Managing Principle of a 70-person office, and for nearly 15 years as the first Director of Sustainability in NYS government.
She has spoken at the Living Future conference in Seattle and in Washington, DC, at the NACUBO conference in Austin, TX, at the first Wellness in Design conference in San Diego, CA, and several times each at Greenbuild, NESEA’s Building Energy Boston, and the NYS Green Building Conference. She is an RPI Adjunct teaching professional practice, and has been a guest teacher at SUNY ESF, RPI, Ithaca College, NYU, Cornell, and SUNY Albany. She is a NY Energy Code trainer, the 2018 recipient of the Green Building Advocate award, and has assisted in research and writing for Project Drawdown, which cites the 100 market-proven ways we already have in our toolkit to reduce CO2 in our atmosphere.
She had a featured article that appeared in the Journal of Green Building's V14 N3 in July of 2019, on “Excellence in Building Envelopes”, and has co-written a thought leadership paper on ResHalls of the Near Future, learning from COVID, economics, equity, shifts in education styles, and health in buildings. Her most recent publication was published in 2025 by ASHRAE, on exploring the health cost avoidance and impacts on disadvantaged communities, in collaboration with three exceptional co-writers and analysts. Jodi’s goal is to understand and incorporate informed sustainable practices into design, construction, and living, and to share whatever she has learned and learn still more from whomever will talk with her.
She has spoken at the Living Future conference in Seattle and in Washington, DC, at the NACUBO conference in Austin, TX, at the first Wellness in Design conference in San Diego, CA, and several times each at Greenbuild, NESEA’s Building Energy Boston, and the NYS Green Building Conference. She is an RPI Adjunct teaching professional practice, and has been a guest teacher at SUNY ESF, RPI, Ithaca College, NYU, Cornell, and SUNY Albany. She is a NY Energy Code trainer, the 2018 recipient of the Green Building Advocate award, and has assisted in research and writing for Project Drawdown, which cites the 100 market-proven ways we already have in our toolkit to reduce CO2 in our atmosphere.
She had a featured article that appeared in the Journal of Green Building's V14 N3 in July of 2019, on “Excellence in Building Envelopes”, and has co-written a thought leadership paper on ResHalls of the Near Future, learning from COVID, economics, equity, shifts in education styles, and health in buildings. Her most recent publication was published in 2025 by ASHRAE, on exploring the health cost avoidance and impacts on disadvantaged communities, in collaboration with three exceptional co-writers and analysts. Jodi’s goal is to understand and incorporate informed sustainable practices into design, construction, and living, and to share whatever she has learned and learn still more from whomever will talk with her.
Associate Principal
Materially Better
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Matt Root works with owners and design/construction teams to implement strategies for improving building performance and leveraging projects to drive the healthier materials marketplace. Matt works closely with projects pursuing Living Building Challenge certification, and others inspired by the program’s intent. He also supports the development of IES’ proprietary software, Red2Green, which helps project teams identify, track, communicate, and report-out on all building products in the project. Previously, Matt worked at Conservation Services Group/CLEAResult, where he led a team of mechanical engineers, enclosure experts and building scientists. His wide-ranging experience encompasses mechanical systems, enclosure detailing and performance testing.
An active NESEA member, Matt has written articles on healthier materials for BuildingEnergy Magazine and presided as Co-Vice Chair and Conference Chair for BuildingEnergy Boston conferences (‘14 and ’15). He was recently appointed as an inaugural member of the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Codes Technical Advisory committee, helping provide expert review and guidance on MA building energy code language.
An active NESEA member, Matt has written articles on healthier materials for BuildingEnergy Magazine and presided as Co-Vice Chair and Conference Chair for BuildingEnergy Boston conferences (‘14 and ’15). He was recently appointed as an inaugural member of the Massachusetts Stretch Energy Codes Technical Advisory committee, helping provide expert review and guidance on MA building energy code language.
Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Sustainability
Brightcore Energy
NESEA Board Vice-Chair, Board Term:
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Lauren is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Sustainability at Ettinger Engineer Associates, where she leads innovative sustainability projects across multiple sectors and regions. With over 20 years in energy and sustainability consulting, she's established herself as an industry expert, holding credentials including LEED AP BD+C and LEED for Homes Green Rater.
Before joining Ettinger Engineering, Lauren served as Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships at Brightcore Energy, helping secure new business in renewable energy. Previously, she spent 13 years at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., a prominent green building consulting firm. There, she managed a team overseeing certification and consulting for more than 15,000 homes and multifamily units, earning multiple awards for her work.
Lauren is dedicated to advancing clean energy solutions and building healthier, more resilient communities. She regularly speaks at events throughout the Northeast, sharing expertise on energy efficiency, building performance, and occupant health.
Education
M.A. New York University
B.A. Gettysburg College
Certifications/Licenses
LEED AP BD+C
LEED for Homes Green Rater
WELL Performance Testing Agent
OSHA Certified
Before joining Ettinger Engineering, Lauren served as Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships at Brightcore Energy, helping secure new business in renewable energy. Previously, she spent 13 years at Steven Winter Associates, Inc., a prominent green building consulting firm. There, she managed a team overseeing certification and consulting for more than 15,000 homes and multifamily units, earning multiple awards for her work.
Lauren is dedicated to advancing clean energy solutions and building healthier, more resilient communities. She regularly speaks at events throughout the Northeast, sharing expertise on energy efficiency, building performance, and occupant health.
Education
M.A. New York University
B.A. Gettysburg College
Certifications/Licenses
LEED AP BD+C
LEED for Homes Green Rater
WELL Performance Testing Agent
OSHA Certified
Director of Training & Finance
HELM Construction Solutions
Board Term:
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Kate is a partner in HELM Construction Solutions, a business consulting firm with expertise in construction, management, leadership, and training. For nearly a decade, HELM has worked with contractors, architects, and design-build firms throughout North America to create more financially resilient business models, positive and inclusive work cultures, and beneficial impacts on the environment.
Kate helped to develop and is a facilitator for NESEA’s BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines program. Kate serves on the Boards of NESEA and the Studio for High-Performance Design and Construction. She is also a longtime member of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee. She holds an MS in Management from Antioch University New England and a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Science from Haverford College.
Kate helped to develop and is a facilitator for NESEA’s BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines program. Kate serves on the Boards of NESEA and the Studio for High-Performance Design and Construction. She is also a longtime member of the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee. She holds an MS in Management from Antioch University New England and a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Science from Haverford College.
Planning Principal
HGA
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Arlen Li is an architect and Planning Principal at HGA, with over 35 years of experience planning and designing science facilities for higher education, corporate, public, and medical institutions throughout the United States. He has also led numerous feasibility and visioning studies, and promotes a holistic design approach for all building projects. Arlen is active in multiple local and national sustainability groups, and is a NESEA Board member. He is a LEED accredited professional and Fitwel Ambassador.
Chief Executive Officer
Bright Power
NESEA Board Chair, Board Term:
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Andrea Mancino is the Chief Executive Officer at Bright Power. Pairing her deep technical expertise in building sustainable, high performing projects with an ability to create and execute efficient business processes, Andrea’s goal is to ensure the financial success of the company, while delivering strong, proven services that achieve Bright Power’s mission. Andrea is also extremely passionate about mentorship and employee success, having worked at Bright Power over a decade!
Prior to her role as Chief Executive Officer, Andrea served as the Executive Vice President of the New York Business Unit, overseeing operations for all service offerings in New York. Before that, Andrea led the New Construction and Commissioning divisions, which she co-founded and built from scratch, including cultivating repeat client relationships that we maintain today.
Prior to her role as Chief Executive Officer, Andrea served as the Executive Vice President of the New York Business Unit, overseeing operations for all service offerings in New York. Before that, Andrea led the New Construction and Commissioning divisions, which she co-founded and built from scratch, including cultivating repeat client relationships that we maintain today.
CPO
Sustainable Comfort
NESEA Board Treasurer, Board Term:
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Jim has a passion for understanding the systems perspective of complex environmental, economic, and infrastructure issues in his personal and professional life. In 2014 he co-founded Sustainable Comfort, Inc. with the mission is to create thoughtful, sustainable, and impactful buildings. Since its founding, SCI has grown to over 50 employees and was honored as the 19th fastest growing company in Massachusetts in 2019 and the fastest growing company in Worcester by Inc. 5000.
Jim primarily works with the multifamily housing sector as a consultant to achieve low carbon and energy efficient solutions. He has been responsible for the development of systems and processes to assist in a variety of green building programs, including Energy Star Homes, LEED for Homes, Enterprise Green Communities, Passive House (PHIUS), Energy Star Multifamily High Rise, Integrated Physical Needs Assessments, and has secured over $42 Million in utility incentive programs for clients. Sustainable Comfort has also taken on construction, development, and property management in Worcester, where SCI strives to restore and preserve the existing house stock.
NESEA has proved to be invaluable in shaping his ideas and approach to building efficiency and knowledge sharing. He is helping to expand the NESEA reach into Upstate New York, having hosted NESEA Pro Tours in the Fingerlakes region, and has presented throughout the Northeast on building efficiency. Building upon the rich history and knowledge gained within the NESEA community, the next generation of NESEA leaders will be tasked with bringing this vision of healthy, climate resilient buildings into reality for all. We look forward to this challenge together.
Jim primarily works with the multifamily housing sector as a consultant to achieve low carbon and energy efficient solutions. He has been responsible for the development of systems and processes to assist in a variety of green building programs, including Energy Star Homes, LEED for Homes, Enterprise Green Communities, Passive House (PHIUS), Energy Star Multifamily High Rise, Integrated Physical Needs Assessments, and has secured over $42 Million in utility incentive programs for clients. Sustainable Comfort has also taken on construction, development, and property management in Worcester, where SCI strives to restore and preserve the existing house stock.
NESEA has proved to be invaluable in shaping his ideas and approach to building efficiency and knowledge sharing. He is helping to expand the NESEA reach into Upstate New York, having hosted NESEA Pro Tours in the Fingerlakes region, and has presented throughout the Northeast on building efficiency. Building upon the rich history and knowledge gained within the NESEA community, the next generation of NESEA leaders will be tasked with bringing this vision of healthy, climate resilient buildings into reality for all. We look forward to this challenge together.
Managing Director
ZeroEnergy Design
Board Term:
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Stephanie Horowitz is Managing Director of ZeroEnergy Design (ZED), a green architecture and mechanical design firm whose mission is to create beautiful, healthy buildings to empower families, uplift communities, and improve our living world. Stephanie oversees the firm’s portfolio of near-zero energy and Passive House certified projects. ZED focuses on residential work - custom homes, multifamily affordable housing and consulting for other architects.
In addition to her role at ZED, Stephanie is a board member of the Studio for High Performance Design & Construction, focused on education and training for the building industry. She previously served on the Massachusetts Design Selection Board, as board member and President of Passive House Massachusetts, and as a member of the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) Advisory Group.
Stephanie graduated from Cornell University, is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a Registered Architect.
In addition to her role at ZED, Stephanie is a board member of the Studio for High Performance Design & Construction, focused on education and training for the building industry. She previously served on the Massachusetts Design Selection Board, as board member and President of Passive House Massachusetts, and as a member of the AIA’s Committee on the Environment (COTE) Advisory Group.
Stephanie graduated from Cornell University, is a Certified Passive House Consultant and a Registered Architect.
Energy Designer
BR+A Consulting Engineers
Board Term:
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Tammy Ngo is an Energy Designer at BR+A and she is a P.E., CPHC (Phius), WELL AP, and LEED GA. She has experience in energy modeling, sustainable design, and supporting compliance with standards for existing and new construction projects. She served on the Content Committee for the 2023-2025 BuildingEnergy Boston conferences and is a leadership committee member for the Emerging Professionals and Women in Green Community at Built Environment Plus.
She earned her Master’s in Sustainable Building Systems while working on-campus assisting with research projects. Her studies included the impacts of the MA Building Energy Code on PREF, the life cycle assessment of building acoustic materials, etc.
Before her M.S., she was a mechanical engineer working on HVAC designs, and she holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from UCLA.
She earned her Master’s in Sustainable Building Systems while working on-campus assisting with research projects. Her studies included the impacts of the MA Building Energy Code on PREF, the life cycle assessment of building acoustic materials, etc.
Before her M.S., she was a mechanical engineer working on HVAC designs, and she holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from UCLA.
Partner, Sr. Architect
Vermont Integrated Architecture (VIA)
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As a Partner, Senior Architect, and Senior Project Manager at Vermont Integrated Architecture, PC (VIA), Megan considers emerging research, applied technology, and the surrounding environment to deliver high-performing commercial and institutional projects. She has been instrumental in the development of many high-profile projects, including the first-in-Vermont mass-timber addition to the Fairbanks Museum which employs the first-in-the-world eastern hemlock CLT. Megan also designed the net-positive renovation of Vermont Natural Resource Council’s historic headquarters, employing low embodied carbon materials/strategies and piloting the tracking of construction-phase carbon emissions.
With a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Virginia Tech, Megan continues to conduct research. She co-authored two white papers for Efficiency Vermont on embodied and operational carbon in residential weatherization and was the lead author of “The Climate Impact of Retrofits: Embodied and Operational Emissions in Weatherization” for the ACEEE 2022 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Her leadership was instrumental with the 2015-2019 NNE Committee on The Environment Leadership Summits and in successfully amending the National AIA Code of Ethics to include sustainability. Megan was a member of the Wood Science faculty at West Virginia University and continues to teach at various conferences and Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield.
Megan’s passion for science, adventure, and experimentation feed her curiosity while out exploring rivers and mountains, on the homestead in her “culinary laboratory,” and in her research and teaching endeavors.
With a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Virginia Tech, Megan continues to conduct research. She co-authored two white papers for Efficiency Vermont on embodied and operational carbon in residential weatherization and was the lead author of “The Climate Impact of Retrofits: Embodied and Operational Emissions in Weatherization” for the ACEEE 2022 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings. Her leadership was instrumental with the 2015-2019 NNE Committee on The Environment Leadership Summits and in successfully amending the National AIA Code of Ethics to include sustainability. Megan was a member of the Wood Science faculty at West Virginia University and continues to teach at various conferences and Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield.
Megan’s passion for science, adventure, and experimentation feed her curiosity while out exploring rivers and mountains, on the homestead in her “culinary laboratory,” and in her research and teaching endeavors.