IMT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Executive Director
- Named Executive Director
- New CEO
Alex Dews became the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Market Transformation on April 1, 2024 after previously serving as Managing Director of Programs. Under Alex's leadership, IMT supports the design, adoption, and implementation of demand-driving programs and policies that support equitable decarbonization.
Alex provides IMT's strategic vision and guides the implementation of IMT's strategic plan, focused on bridging the priorities of frontline communities, governments, and the building industry so that they share power as they scale solutions that place high performing buildings at the center of an equitable, climate-resilient future.
Alex has more than 15 years of experience working on urban sustainability and building decarbonization in government, nonprofit, and the private sector. Previously, as Managing Director of Programs, Alex oversaw all programmatic work across IMT's policy and regulatory, community engagement, and business engagement teams. Before joining IMT, Alex served as Executive Director at Green Building United, where he led education, advocacy, and implementation of building performance programs at the city and regional scale. Prior to this role, led policy and program work for Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability, including the creation of its energy benchmarking program. He began his career working in real estate development before pursuing a Master's degree in Sustainable Design from Jefferson University. He is a LEED AP and a graduate of the University of Vermont.
IMT's new CEO Alex Dews forecasts what's needed for equitable building solutions on every level in the years ahead.
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
- Associate Director of Communications, 916 - 216 - 4649 /
- Our Communications Staff Can Connect You With a Trusted, Industry - Respected, and Non - Partisan IMT Expert Today
Alexandra Laney is IMT's Director of Communications and is the primary contact for media relations and manages IMT's public presence, including digital strategy and communication campaigns.
Alexandra holds an MBA from The George Washington University and a BA from Vassar College. She is also a certified PMP from the Project Management Institute. Prior to joining IMT, Alexandra served in a variety of communications and consulting roles with Booz Allen Hamilton, AES, and NeighborWorks America.
Our communications staff can connect you with a trusted, industry-respected, and non-partisan IMT expert today.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Manager, Community Engagement
Alexes Holguin Juarez is IMT's Manager, Community Engagement and joined IMT in March 2023. She helps identify and empower community organizations and voices in the planning and implementation of energy policies and programs, in the development and operation of real estate, and in the utility sector. Her work interacts with a diverse set of stakeholders, identifying new and creative policy solutions, and finding common ground for the successful design and implementation of policies and programs.
Prior to IMT, Alexes was an Environmental Manager for a tribal government. In this role, she ensured that tribally-owned natural resources were utilized sustainably and when possible restored to pre-polluted states. Her work has crossed multiple media types and created project collaborations across nonprofit, tribal, state, and federal agencies.
Alexes holds a B.S. in Evolution, Ecology and Biodiversity and a B.A. in Chicano Studies from the University of California, Davis.
As IMT's Chief Operating Officer, Betsy leads all internal operations and drives the strategic growth of IMT. She is responsible for organizational planning, financial and administrative management, fundraising, and strategic communications to help IMT deliver measurable, impactful, and cost-effective results.
Betsy leverages over 15 years of experience in organizational management, project management, and fundraising to support energy efficiency and the built environment. Prior to joining IMT, Betsy worked at the Alliance to Save Energy, where she oversaw the organization's development portfolio and partnerships spanning the public and private sectors.
She holds a B.A. in geography and environmental studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a nonprofit management executive certificate from Georgetown University.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Storytelling Manager
Caitlin M Caplinger (they/them) is IMT's Storytelling Manager, and joined IMT in April 2022. They collaborate with expert team members across programs to ensure that stakeholders understand the impact of IMT's thought leadership and regulatory work. Caitlin also works to raise the voices of IMT partners and collaborators, as they are vital to achieving IMT's mission to equitably decarbonize buildings. Caplinger draws from their background as a playwright and performer to craft content that is hopeful, informative, and relevant.
They hold a B.A. in Non-Profit Administration and Leadership from Christopher Newport University. Prior to joining IMT, Caitlin worked in marketing and development for several DC-Metropolitan arts non-profit organizations. They are deeply committed to ensuring that people can equitably access and invest in the environment, technology, and the arts.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner Direct Invest Development, LLC
- Principal at Direct Invest
As a principal at Direct Invest, Carlton Brown is focused on developing strategies to bring capital markets to disinvested communities to invest in the development of sustainable restorative human settlements. Mr Brown sees investment in sustainable human settlement as the most important strategy for stemming climate change, adapting to climate change, and creating resilient and equitable communities. This strategy of sustainable restorative development addresses human, social, economic and cultural capital investments while preserving environmental resources for future generations and returning a market rate of return for investors. Where many believe these are contradictory objectives, Mr. Brown's work has continuously pointed the way forward. Before there was a US Green Building Council with a focus on green housing, Carlton was exploring these strategies in the development of low carbon footprint affordable housing in economically devastated communities of Brooklyn NY and developing mixed income condominiums in Harlem that were heated and cooled by geothermal extraction and injection. This triple bottom line approach has continued to demonstrate that you can do good while doing well.
Carlton is spearheading Direct Investment's initiative in helping community-based organizations mine value from their under-utilized real estate assets via sustainable development strategies. He is leading work in Restoring the Birmingham Civil Right National Monument; Restoring the Ensley Community in Birmingham; Restoring West Side Communities in Atlanta and the Winterveldt Community in South Africa. The deployment of cost-effective sustainable development practices contributes to bringing value to all markets in which the firm is working. Mr. Brown is leading DI's development of a new generation of 1.5o C Buildings that are adapted to climate conditions projected in the IPCC Fifth Assessment. While addressing Climate, the buildings will provide the "opportunity structure ecosystem" required to restore human community in disinvested neighborhoods.
Mr. Brown has had a long-term focus for much of his career on developing strategies for creating sustainable restorative human settlement which heal the physical and the human fabric of communities. He has been leading Direct Invest in its explorations of strategies to develop "closed loop" triple bottom line developments in the "developed northern hemisphere" and in rural sub-Sharan Africa. The closed loop developments Direct Invest pursues address strategies for adapting to climate change, reducing climate impacts from human settlement, and creating communities in which all people can be self-actualized and share equitably in economic benefits.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Market Development
Casius Pealer is IMT's Director of Market Development. He works with local organizations to develop and grow a national network of high-performance building hubs. The goal of these hubs is to accelerate a market shift toward measurable, equitable, and sustainable action to decarbonize buildings across the U.S.
Job Titles:
- Business Engagement Associate
As a Business Engagement Associate at IMT, Charlotte supports the Corporate Engagement Opportunities program while growing her knowledge and expertise in Building Performance Standards policy.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Building Energy Codes
- Manager, Building Energy Codes and Policy
Cherylyn is IMT's Manager of Building Energy Codes and Policy. She supports policy development and implementation, and actively participates in code development and adoption processes that dictate the energy efficiency of new construction throughout the U.S.
Prior to joining IMT, Cherylyn was a Senior Energy Policy Analyst at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Division of Energy where she led the development of stakeholder-driven projects such as the Partnering with Missouri Communities: Roadmap to Resilience and the Missouri State Energy Planning Process. In her 5 years at the Division of Energy, she directed the Division's legislative activities, supported emergency response through Emergency Support Function 12 (Energy), and provided training in energy efficiency to real estate professionals.
Cherylyn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Missouri and is working towards a Master of Business Administration at William Woods University.
Cliff Majersik is IMT's Senior Advisor. Under his guidance as executive director from 2009-2019, IMT became a trailblazer in the energy efficiency field, recognized across the globe for accelerating investment in energy-efficient buildings through hands-on guidance, technical and market research, policy and program development, and promotion of best practices. A respected industry leader, Cliff frequently speaks to real estate, government, and energy service providers, often serving as a keynote speaker.
David B. Goldstein co-founded IMT and was hugely influential on energy efficiency and energy policy since the early 1970s. Dr. Goldstein was instrumental in the development of energy efficiency standards for new buildings and appliances that are currently in effect at the regional and national levels in the United States, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China. He negotiated the agreement that led to the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987, and has helped design energy efficiency programs with utilities and state regulatory agencies. He initiated and coordinated the dialogue that led to the adoption of tax incentives for efficient buildings in the U.S. in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. He was a founding director of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and the New Buildings Institute.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager of Business Engagement
David Gillick is IMT's Senior Manager of Business Engagement, and runs IMT's Corporate Engagement Opportunities Program which seeks to provide the information and data necessary to real estate stakeholders so they can comply with building performance policies and avoid non-compliance risk.
David has over 6 years of experience working in the built environment industry. Prior to joining IMT, David worked as a data analyst guiding higher education facilities management teams in capital planning, energy management strategies, and finding operational efficiencies.
He holds a B.A. in Communications from Fairfield University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director
- Associate Director of Business Engagement
Diana Lee is IMT's Associate Director of Business Engagement. She leads IMT's Green Lease Leaders program.
Prior to joining IMT, Diana supported ESG reporting, strategy, and communications for national and international companies representing a variety of industries, including commercial real estate, telecommunications, and apparel.
Diana has a master's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Energy Justice Senior Policy Manager
Eric Walker is the Energy Justice Senior Policy Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Based in Buffalo, NY, he brings over 15 years of experience in solving social problems through the lens of climate change, energy systems, and health equity.
Eric has championed participatory policies and developed programs that empower vulnerable communities to drive a just and inclusive climate future. Most notably, he co-founded PUSH Buffalo and spearheaded its energy-related initiatives. He was also the catalyst and a co-creator of the NY Energy Democracy Alliance, the inaugural Director of Energy Development for Erie County government in Western New York, and recently served as subject matter expert in developing NYSERDA's Energy Equity Action Plan to support the implementation of the state's 2019 Climate Act.
His work at the intersection of energy governance, energy democracy, and climate justice has gained national recognition and made him a trusted advisor and thought leader.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Community Engagement
Giulianna is IMT's Associate Director of Community Engagement. In her role, she serves as a primary representative to community organizations and city staff ensuring that inclusive community engagement solutions are centered on equity and accessibility. Giulianna's background is in policy research, campaigns, and managing nonprofit programs.
From 2012-2015, she provided programmatic and research support to the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. She worked on the 2015-2016 Bernie Sanders Presidential campaign, focusing on outreach to the Latinx communities in Florida and Nevada, and subsequently served as the Puerto Rico Field Director. Giulianna went on to join New Consensus, a start-up non-profit devoted to driving a shift in the economy in order to meet the goals outlined in IPCC reports and creating a Green New Deal.
Prior to joining IMT, Giulianna served as the Florida State Director at Poder Latinx, a community-based organization based in Orlando, Florida that worked to bring community members' concerns and priorities into the building performance standard policy being developed in the City of Orlando. Giulianna has a B.A. in Social Sciences with a concentration in politics and a minor in rhetoric from Utrecht University.
Hae-Young joined the IMT staff in 2014 as a part-time accountant and became an accounting manager in 2017. She oversees all of IMT's accounting for proper maintenance of all systems and functions, and she ensures that the organization is up-to-date on nonprofit audit and accounting compliance. She assists the Associate Director with updating and maintaining personnel and financial records within the IMT Strategic Services department.
She brings more than 20 years of nonprofit accounting experience to IMT from working on the full cycle of nonprofit accounting for an environmental organization as an accountant and bookkeeper. She holds an AAS Accounting degree.
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Specialist
Job Titles:
- Manager, Policy Engagement and Tracking
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
Jamie Braun is a Communications Specialist for IMT. In this role, Jamie provides on-site advisory staff support for Commissioner Davante Lewis of the Public Service Commission of Louisiana - District 3. Her background in arts administration helped shape her belief that imagination and cultural shifts are the necessary precursors to political change. She has a decade of experience guiding narrative change work to progressive movement spaces, with a special focus on reproductive and criminal legal reform rights. She has provided communications strategy to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, The Working Families Party, Communities for Sheriff Accountability, Women With a Vision, and La Union del Pueblo Entero, founded by César E. Chavez & Delores Huerta.
She holds a BLA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Policy Strategy
- Senior Director, Policy Strategy and Engagement
Jessica Miller is IMT's Senior Director of Policy Strategy and Engagement. She works directly with cities to design and implement building performance policies and creates connections between the public sector and community-based organizations to address their respective climate and social priorities.
Prior to joining IMT, Jessica was the Senior Manager of Consulting Services at Elevate Energy, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works to design and implement innovative energy programs with an equity focus. In that role, she was tasked with developing Elevate's wrap-around services for affordable housing providers. In her 6 years there, she worked on designing services for a diverse range of needs including green certifications, water efficiency, stormwater management, operations and maintenance, and benchmarking. Before moving to Chicago, Jessica worked as a LEED consultant in New York City, helping to certify over 10 million square feet of commercial building space under the existing building rating system.
Jessica has a master's degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University and a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University. She is a LEED AP and an Environmental Leadership Program Senior Fellow.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Compliance
Jocelyn serves as the Director of Finance and Compliance at the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT). With almost a decade of expertise in nonprofit accounting, she holds both Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) credentials. Jocelyn is dedicated to advancing IMT's mission by leading financial strategies and ensuring strict compliance with regulatory standards. She is passionate about leveraging her financial acumen to support the organization's goals and drive impactful change.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Policy Design and Implementation
Louise Sharrow is IMT's Manager of Policy Design and Implementation. She works to design and implement building performance policies that achieve climate and equity goals.
Prior to joining IMT Louise spent 9 years at Elevate, a Chicago-based nonprofit also focused on climate and equity. At Elevate, Louise held several roles focused on energy improvements in affordable multifamily housing including managing utility energy efficiency programs and implementing pilot electrification projects. She also conducted research projects on topics such as the affordability of residential water bills in the City of Chicago.
Louise has a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana's School for Public and Environmental Affairs and a bachelor's degree from Macalester College. She is located in Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager of Building Decarbonization
Maddie is IMT's Senior Manager of Building Decarbonization. She manages a federal project on equitable building performance and helps coordinate IMT's federal strategy.
Prior to IMT, Maddie worked at Slipstream, a nonprofit focused on accelerating climate solutions. In that role, she performed data analysis and program evaluation for energy programs and policies, and managed municipal energy planning, building code and benchmarking, and policy analysis projects. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Economics from Coe College and a Masters of Public Affairs from University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Business Engagement
As IMT's Senior Director of Business Engagement, Marla oversees the evolution and execution of programmatic strategy and services that drive high-performance building adoption across the real estate industry while elevating IMT's position as a valued partner for the commercial real estate industry.
Marla is a seasoned sustainability professional with over 18 years of experience in developing and implementing ESG programs for commercial real estate. She was the Director of Sustainability for an office and industrial REIT, Liberty Property Trust, where she developed and led the company's industry-leading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program and the integration of sustainable business practices across the organization. As a result, Liberty was one of the first companies to receive recognition as a GRESB Green Star and a Green Lease Leader, in addition to ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence. Marla also became the first Director of Sustainability for Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest owner/operator of seniors housing with a portfolio of over 90 Million square feet of real estate. At Brookdale she led the development of strategic sustainability projects and initiatives, which resulted in over $3M of utility savings within two years. Prior to joining IMT, Marla was an ESG consultant at RE Tech Advisors where she led client work across all real estate sectors and specialized in the senior living sector. Marla helped lead RE Tech's work as an EPA Contractor for the ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings program and helped develop various industry service offerings.
Marla is a LEED AP ID+C, a Fitwel Ambassador, and has her master's degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management from the Harvard University Extension School.
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy Programs
Marshall Duer-Balkind is the Director of Policy Programs at IMT, where he works to develop and implement policies for driving high-performance buildings, grounded in community priorities and technical quality.
Job Titles:
- Policy Engagement Specialist
Marshall Muse is IMT's Policy Engagement Specialist. Marshall will develop, advocate, and organize for policies at the Commission that will expand access to affordable, clean, and reliable energy for all. Marshall will also advise Commissioner Lewis on emerging climate and environmental policies connected to the Louisiana PSC, including policy research on regulatory models and research on the potential impacts of recommendations before the Commission.
Marshall is a visionary leader, educator, and strategist hailing from Ponchatoula, LA. Mr. Muse has a rich background in Education, People and Culture, and Public Policy gaining world-class knowledge from the Southern University and A&M College, where he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He established a successful consulting firm (Boss The Brand LLC) driven by his belief in nurturing confident, intellectual children and innovative leaders.
As a certified life coach, etiquette instructor, and public speaker, Marshall remains a lifelong learner, balancing professional pursuits with a love for music, travel, and cherished moments with loved ones.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for the Building Innovation Hub
- Associate Director, Building Innovation Hub
Mary Thomas is Associate Director for the Building Innovation Hub, helping the local building community design, build, retrofit, and operate high-performing buildings in and around Washington, DC. Mary's responsibilities include events planning, outreach, and resource development to support the success of the Hub.
Prior to joining IMT, Mary spent 15 years in the commercial real estate industry in Washington, DC, managing construction projects for Hines, a global real estate developer, and Clark Construction. At Hines, she managed comprehensive design, permitting, and construction activities on a variety of development projects, navigating complicated stakeholder relationships, tracking and communicating project priorities, and fostering collaboration among all parties to ensure positive outcomes. Mary has in-depth experience across a broad range of project types in the DC area, including residential, office, site civil, and mixed-use development. She has a background in visual and environmental studies, earning a BA from Harvard, and she has been an accredited LEED AP BD+C since 2008. Outside of work, Mary volunteers with a local organization to plant and maintain trees in the DC area.
Maureen Waters is a widely recognized speaker, advisor, and strategic leader with extensive experience transforming and preparing businesses for sale in the commercial real estate and technology sectors. As a Partner at MetaProp, Maureen spearheads the Innovation Practice utilizing her deep business transformation expertise building and scaling businesses from
Job Titles:
- Director of Community Engagement
Precious Rideout is IMT's Director of Community Engagement, where she serves as the primary representative to community organizations ensuring that inclusive community engagement solutions are centered on equity and people.
Prior to joining IMT, Precious served as the Director of Planning and Operations at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), a nonprofit membership association that supports the community development sector in D.C. In this role, Precious coordinated and oversaw Community Development Week, an annual series of activities designed to uplift the mission and work of community-based organizations and local government partners serving vulnerable District residents. She was also responsible for coordinating membership services and executing capacity building workshops for member organizations. Prior to that, Precious worked in the U.S. Senate's Democratic Diversity Initiative where she cultivated relationships between congressional offices and ethnic affinity groups to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in hiring throughout Senate and House of Representatives offices.
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Precious graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Counseling; she also holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University. In her free time, Precious serves several community-based organizations, most notably as board president for the River East Design Center, an organization that empowers underserved communities to shape their environment by providing educational opportunities and low-cost design services.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Government Engagement
Rajiv Ravulapati is IMT's Associate Director of Government Engagement, where he serves to actively build and maintain relationships with IMT's public sector clients in order to plan, propose, and implement equitable decarbonization policies that center community priorities. Prior to joining IMT, Rajiv was the Program Manager for the Office of Building Performance for the City of St. Louis' Building Division. Rajiv oversaw the design and passage of St. Louis' Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) ordinance and managed the city's benchmarking ordinance. He served on St. Louis' Clean Energy Advisory Board to help determine pathways to transition to 100% clean energy within the electricity sector by 2025. Rajiv has also held advocacy positions for the Sierra Club in Missouri and the Citizens Utility Board in Illinois focusing on issues such as energy burden, coal plant retirement, utility regulation, and protecting frontline communities. In his spare time, Rajiv holds board positions with the Building Energy Exchange-St. Louis and the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club.
Rita Perez is IMT's Digital Content Manager and joined IMT in August 2019. She shapes IMT's online presence by creating and implementing the organization's strategy for programmatic newsletters, social media campaigns, and website improvements. She also leads the multi-media production of outreach plans across different IMT programs, such as the Building Innovation Hub, Green Lease Leaders, and the Energy-Efficient Codes Coalition.
She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and Global Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently a graduate student at Georgetown University's Communication, Culture, and Technology program focusing on digital sustainability.
Samantha is IMT's Communications Associate, joining in September of 2024. Before IMT, she has helped non-profit organizations and small businesses find their voice and build their online presence, expanding their impact on local communities. Samantha is committed to making the world a better place one word at a time-applying effective communication strategies to both her professional work and personal relationships.
Specializing in cultural rhetoric, Samantha is passionate about the significant role of communication in shaping society. Her academic research focuses on the impact of online and written discourse on minority communities and cultural identity, including how the climate crisis has transformed contemporary Western rhetoric.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager of Foundation Giving
As the Senior Manager of Foundation Giving, Sarah Beth organizes IMT's end-to-end grants management and donor cultivation processes. Her work includes drafting letters of intent, grant proposals, and impact reports; cultivating potential funders; and facilitating fundraising campaigns. Prior to starting at IMT, Sarah Beth managed institutional fundraising UpStart, a Jewish communal nonprofit accelerator.
Sarah Beth holds a dual Bachelor's degree in English and Planning and Public Policy from Rutgers University. She lives in New York City.
Job Titles:
- First People Operations Manager
- People Operations Manager
Sharea is IMT's first People Operations Manager and joined in May 2024. She currently implements strategies, policies, and programs related to employee experience, recruitment, recognition, and belonging. Sharea has over eight years of global employee engagement, organizational strategy, learning and development, and people operations experience and has connected with staff from various countries.
Prior to IMT, she was the People and HR Generalist for The Climate Reality Project as well as Program Manager for Climate Reality's internship program.
Before this, she was the Operations and Culture Associate for Center for Global Development where she designed and managed staff engagement initiatives for their US and Europe offices.
Sharea holds two Master's Degrees, a Master of Science Degree in Learning Design and Technology at the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Master of Arts degree in Journalism at Regent University. She also has a certification in Leadership Essentials at Cornell University, and a Bachelors of Arts in Communications at the College of Charleston.
Job Titles:
- Director, Building Innovation Hub
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Building Performance, Building Innovation Hub