ECOWORKS STUDIO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Alex is passionate about sustainability and process optimization. She brings over 10 years of experience coordinating projects and teams within the built environment. As a Sustainability Consultant, Alex has helped more than 50 projects achieve LEED certification, including K-12 schools, higher-education, commercial, healthcare, airport, high-rise residential, as well as collegiate and professional sports facilities throughout the United States and South Korea. Alex served for 5 years on the USGBC Central Ohio committee, including 2 years leading the Programs & Events team. Alex also has experience as a WELL AP and has been asked to speak numerous times in Ohio and Michigan on LEED and WELL topics.
In her free time, Alex enjoys spending as much time outside as possible, traveling, and giving her German Shepherd, Olive, the best life possible.
Job Titles:
- DIRECTOR of SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTING SERVICES
Allison Cunningham has always had a passion for the environment. As a fifth grader, she tried mightily to start a community compost project in her small Indiana hometown. Much to her dismay the community compost project never came to be; however, she has been considerably more successful with her environmental endeavors in the years since. As a professional consultant, Allison's technical aptitude, collaborative nature, and commitment to going above and beyond are key attributes that have allowed her to expertly guide over 30 projects to certification spanning a variety of LEED, WELL and other related environmental systems. She has a demonstrated talent for and excites at the opportunity to certify highly complex and atypical project types such as large hospitality projects, zoo facilities, professional sports facilities, and data centers.
She is a leader in the industry, at Ecoworks, and within her community and holds a variety of roles inside the organization and the community at-large. In 2019, Allison was inducted by USGBC and GBCI as a LEED Fellow. At the national level she contributed to the writing and technical development of the LEED v4 Reference Guide, served on the LEED User Group: Hospitality and Venues, and was an invited Subject Matter Expert reviewer for the Greenbuild 2019 Health and Well-being sessions.
Locally, Allison currently serves on the Market Leadership and Advisory Board for the USGBC Georgia Chapter and is a former 2019 Greenbuild Host Committee Chair, executive board member, and Chair of the Atlanta Branch Outreach Committee. In these roles she aides in organizing volunteer opportunities and events to promote sustainability and education in the Atlanta community. In 2016, Allison received the U.S. Green Building Council's Legendary Leader award, in recognition of her commitment and service to the organization.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR WELL CERTIFICATION REVIEWER
Angela has been working full-time in sustainability for more than seven years as a LEED Project Reviewer and as a consultant for LEED and Georgia Peach projects. Prior to beginning her journey into full-time sustainability work, Angela worked in architecture at a well-established and nationally recognized hospitality design firm, in construction at a large General Contractor in her hometown of Boston Massachusetts, and as a partner in a residential remodeling company. She studied architecture at Wentworth Institute of Technology, earning her Associates in Architectural Engineering Technology in 2000, then she moved to Georgia to finish her education and earned her Master of Architecture from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2004. Although she has a diverse background, her passion for sustainability has been a consistent motivator in her professional and personal life. In addition to all things green-building, Angela also loves making things - home cooked food, clothes, and gifts, as well as spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Engineer
- DIRECTOR of COMMISSIONING SERVICES
Bill is a commissioning engineer with over 30 years of experience in facilities, construction, energy, and MEP commissioning. He has helped improve building functionality, manage O&M and capital expenditures, and reduce utility consumption in thousands of buildings world-wide. Bill holds a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Georgia State University, and he is a Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA,) a Certified Energy Manager (CEM,) and a licensed Professional Engineer. The satisfaction Bill finds from helping to improve buildings through the commissioning process, he also finds in maintaining and riding motorcycles and driving sports cars.
Job Titles:
- DIRECTOR of OPERATIONS
- PRINCIPAL
Brandon Jones brings over 20 years of experience in the design, construction and sustainability industry. Prior to joining Ecoworks, Brandon served as the Director of Commercial Green Building Services for the Southface Energy Institute, the premier environmental non-profit in the Southeast United States. Brandon has extensive experience managing engineers, architects and sustainability professionals to deliver sustainable consulting services, LEED project administration, trainings, energy auditing and energy modeling. Brandon has provided leadership on numerous high-profile projects and programs, which include LEED for Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenance (EBOM) certification for Philips Arena, the first sports arena in the world to receive LEED EBOM certification; the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, which has over 67,000,000 square feet of buildings pledging to meet a 20% energy and water reduction goal by the year 2020; and LEED Volume certification for Chick-fil-A, a customized program to streamline the LEED certification process for Chick-fil-A restaurants. In addition, Brandon has delivered trainings to hundreds of individuals on a wide-range of sustainability topics, including LEED and energy code. Prior to his focus on sustainability, Brandon provided pre-construction management and cost estimating services for numerous large, complex projects, for a nationally recognized, award-winning architectural firm.
Job Titles:
- Manager and Senior Sustainability Consultant
- WELL PERFORMANCE TESTING MANAGER
As the WELL Performance Testing Manager and Senior Sustainability Consultant for Ecoworks Studio, Carey brings over a decade of experience to the field of sustainability and the built environment. Since joining Ecoworks in 2014, Carey has provided consulting services for dozens of projects seeking LEED and WELL Certification, assisted in over 50 WELL Performance Verifications, and performed hundreds of LEED and WELL certification reviews. As a WELL Performance Testing Agent, Carey specializes in leading project teams and clients through the process of WELL Performance Verification, with a passion for making the onsite testing approachable and achievable.
After graduating from The University of Georgia in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Carey has dedicated herself to the field of sustainability and promoting green building strategies utilizing a collaborative and practical approach to guide project teams to reach their sustainability and wellness goals. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Carey can be found enjoying time outdoors with her husband, son, and two dogs.
Job Titles:
- DIRECTOR of BUILDING
- DIRECTOR of BUILDING PERFORMANCE SERVICES
Carla joined Ecoworks with 25 years of building industry experience, including mechanical system design, project management, energy modeling, and sustainability consulting. Over that time, she has been part of teams for many high-profile projects, including sports facilities and airports in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, universities, multifamily residential buildings, and commercial offices. Her last ten years have been spent fueling her desire for positive change in the building industry by focusing on LEED consulting and LEED project reviews, specializing in New Construction, Existing Renovation, Core and Shell, and Schools projects. Prior to Ecoworks, Carla was a Principal at a sustainability consulting firm. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and travelling.
As a LEED Faculty mentor for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the first WELL Faculty for the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), Carlie is a highly sought-after speaker and writer for national events and publications. She has been extensively involved in the development of LEED standards over the years, serving as a Subject Matter Expert for USGBC and GBCI, assisting in course curriculum, exam development and reference guide creation. In 2012, Carlie was inducted by USGBC as a LEED Fellow, one of only 77 in the world at that time. In 2014, Carlie was a recipient of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "40 under 40" which highlights business leaders who have made significant career achievements and demonstrated social responsibility. Carlie has also been the honored recipient of the 2018 Inaugural, 2019 and 2020 IWBI WELL Leadership Recognition Award.
Job Titles:
- DIRECTOR of CERTIFICATION REVIEW SERVICES
Christine joined Ecoworks with over ten years of experience in the sustainable design and consulting industry. She currently holds the LEED AP BD+C, ID+C, and LEED Project Reviewer and FitWel credentials; previously she was a principle at a firm that provides LEED review and sustainable consulting services. Christine received her Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University in 2000, and went on to Study Environmental Engineering at The George Washington University, where she earned her Master's Degree in 2002. She worked at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Washington D.C. where her team investigated the feasibility of water efficiency and renewable energy projects for the federal government and then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Potsdam in Germany. Christine is fluent in German and enjoys spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT MARKETING
Dana joins Ecoworks Studio with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, specifically concentrated in Brand Marketing and Public Relations. Her work as an integrated marketing communications leader with a passion for building relationships between brands and customers has given her a unique and extensive understanding of brand development across a variety of sectors. As an Atlanta native, Dana values the importance of fostering relationships between business and community.
Dana's passion for community involvement and sustainability has given her the opportunity to plan a number of successful philanthropic events with the goal of zero waste. Using her passion for hospitality, sustainability and brand development, Dana has spearheaded multiple events raising funds for locally and nationally known organizations including Captain Planet Foundation, No Kid Hungry, Wholesome Wave Georgia and the High Museum of Atlanta.
Dana currently lives a sustainable lifestyle in downtown Atlanta with her husband, son and Atlanta Lab rescue pup Hank Aaron. In her spare time, she loves to cook organic and environmentally conscious cuisine while experimenting with recipes from around the world. She also prides herself on having a zero-waste kitchen.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR of SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTING SERVICES
Job Titles:
- BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYST
Fernando is passionate about the building technology universe. He has been engaged in this field for eight years, working in various aspects of building engineering systems, energy management and performing energy modeling and energy audits. In his journey, he has been involved in an array of the following building typologies including: commercial, hospitals, malls, stadiums, warehouses, and laboratories-- more than 40 of those project were LEED certified.
Job Titles:
- Architect from Costa Rica
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Ivonne is an architect from Costa Rica with experience in residential and commercial projects. Over the past few years, Ivonne has worked on highly efficient homes overseeing quality control and certification processes such as Passive House and Zero Energy. She has also worked as a project manager for interior design and furniture projects, sparking her interest in certifications such as WELL. As a design researcher, she uses ethnographic methods on projects focusing on social innovation and behaviorial change. Her biggest passion is translating sustainability practices into everyday language using universal channels such as sports and music.
Ivonne is an avid traveler who loves learning about new cultures and languages and speaks three (English, Spanish and Portuguese) herself. She loves spending much of her time outdoors, hiking and occasionally climbing. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for organizations that focus on environmental protection and also reading books about sustainability and behavioral economics.
Job Titles:
- Architect in the State of Michigan
- DIRECTOR of BUILDING ENVELOPE COMMISIONING SERVICES
- DIRECTOR of BUILDING ENVELOPE COMMISSIONING / SERVICES
John Beeson is a licensed architect in the state of Michigan and has over 20 years of professional experience in all phases of commercial architecture ranging from retail, grocery stores, historic preservation, offices, and education, both K-12 and Higher Education. John has been involved in many projects achieving LEED certification including several of the first v4 certifications in the state of Michigan and many more following the standards of LEED. For the last 8 years, John has used his passion to implement Integrative Design practices on every project and his background in both engineering and architecture provide him with a unique ability to understand and apply sound sustainable design principles from lighting design to building envelopes from a holistic perspective. His varied background complements the expertise at Ecoworks and brings an enthusiastic, visionary mindset with technical competency to every project.
John has come to Ecoworks through an unconventional journey, starting with a major in Physics. After a brief teaching career and an underlying search for applying his commitment to the environment with the greatest worldwide impact, John ended up practicing architecture in Baltimore, MD and a little later, in Washington, DC. It was then that the effect of architecture on the environment came roaring into view. John's educational career at U of M architecture school and engineering school sought to take on environmental awareness culminating in volunteering to be Project Manager for the MiSo* House Project and becoming the first student in Michigan to be LEED™ Accredited Professional by the US Green Building Council [USGBC].
When not integrating the world, John spends too much time on making his house net-zero and even more time riding bicycles! He coaches youth mountain biking in the southeast Michigan area, has two perfect teenagers, and an "understanding" with his cat whilst working at home. He serves on Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission and helps the community with preserving resources yet making them ready for the next 100 or so years!
Job Titles:
- BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYST
- SENIOR BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYST & COMMISSIONING ASSOCIATE
Kellie Ramos has over eleven years of mechanical engineering experience specializing in high performance building analysis. Kellie began her career as a sustainability consultant performing building energy simulations, preparing LEED documentation and assisting with commissioning. She later expanded her knowledge by designing mechanical systems, assessing existing mechanical systems, undertaking project management and cost estimating. She has experience with a variety of project types including federal, local government, health care, higher education, entertainment, transportation and commercial buildings.
Kellie's expertise as an energy engineer helps project teams pursue an integrated design approach for high-performance building designs. She is a lisenced mechanical engineer with experience in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) design, energy conservation analysis, sustainability consulting, project management, and construction administration. She has experience managing continuing services contracts with multiple ongoing task orders. Kellie's role at Ecoworks includes energy modeling services, including assisting project team(s) in achieving the desired level of LEED certification or equivalency by reviewing project design documents and performing energy simulations to reduce buildings' energy consumption. She has completed multiple projects that have achieved LEED certification and also reviewed numerous LEED projects pursuing certification in her role as a LEED Project Reviewer.
Job Titles:
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Kelly Dugan is returning to the field of sustainability as the Sustainability Coordinator at Ecoworks Studio. She received her M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia. For her thesis, she worked with stakeholders to develop a restoration and management plan for an interpretive site in the headwaters of the Tallulah River.
Kelly also has a strong background in the field of education and received her M.A. in Education with a focus in Secondary Science Education from University of Kentucky where she was a recipient of the National Science Foundation Noyce Fellowship. She taught high school science for five years and focused on developing the climate change and human impacts on the environment units in her district. Kelly enjoys developing positive relationships and strives to bring people together to achieve sustainability goals.
Kelly enjoys birding, strength training, traveling, and spending time with her husband and dog, Ned.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYST
Krystal Cunningham has been working on energy performance analysis of buildings since her Master's thesis. Her thesis was "A simulation-optimization method for economic efficient design of net zero energy buildings" and focused on using energy modeling along with a genetic algorithm to optimize building parameters. Krystal later when into consulting for the 179D Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction. Her work over this period included creating and reviewing energy models for a large variety of new construction and renovation projects that included everything from K-12 schools, universities, military buildings and other government owned properties. Krystal has a Master's Degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's Degree from Old Dominion University, both in Mechanical Engineering, and is a licensed Professional Engineer. In her free time, Krystal enjoys traveling, hiking, crafting and playing with her two children.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Lauren brings over 15 years of experience to the diverse Ecoworks team.
Lauren began her career in 2005 with AECOM leading and contributing to multi-disciplinary teams for a variety of recreation, retail, and mixed-use landscape architecture and urban design projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and abroad.
In 2012 she took her knowledge of the A&E industry to the US Green Building Council (USGBC) where she served as the primary business contact for over 270 USGBC member companies with a focus on A&E consultancies and real estate investment trusts (REITs). She managed accounts to dramatically improve the customer experience, grow relationships, promote USGBC products and services and help member companies meet their sustainability, LEED certification, and corporate social responsibility goals.
By late 2015 Lauren had shifted her focus to USGBC's technical customer service team, where she served as a subject matter expert supporting all USGBC and GBCI published guidance related to LEED, SITES, WELL and EDGE certifications. Drawing upon her knowledge of and direct experience with the extensive suite of GBCI Rating Systems, she assisted project teams by serving as a resource and problem-solver for all technical issues. She found improving customer experience through direct and knowledgeable customer engagement to be extremely rewarding.
While passionate about leaving the world a better place through her professional work, Lauren also finds time to contribute at the local level. She is currently serving a four-year term as an elected Borough Council member. As the Vice-President, she also chairs the Public Works/Public Welfare Committee, sits on the Planning Commission, and Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. As a mother of two she is also involved with the local school district sitting on the Superintendent's Advisory Council and the district's Counseling Department Advisory Board.
When not in a meeting, she can be found transporting her children to extracurricular activities, walking the dogs, or reading a good book.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Madeline joins Ecoworks Studio with experience in both standard development and residential and commercial interior design. She holds a bachelor's degree in Public Health with a minor in Architectural Studies, an unconventional pairing that has given her a unique perspective on the built environment. While working on interiors, she aimed to improve the lives of her clients by ensuring conscious and intentional design decisions, believing in an intrinsic relationship between the built environment and physical and mental health. Her passion for design, health and sustainability led her to pursue a Certificate in Building Science and Net Zero Design. The experience was crucial in supporting her recent role at the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), where she assisted the Standard Development team as a Building Science Research Intern.
While at IWBI, Madeline helped to update crosswalk tools for projects seeking dual-certification between WELL v2 and leading green rating systems, including LEED, BREEAM, Green Star, RESET and NABERS. She also assisted in developing new alignments with BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit-out 2015 (IRFO 2015), BREEAM International In-Use v6, and BREEAM's local adaptations for the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. She is thrilled to leverage her experience with WELL by performing project review and providing guidance to project teams evaluating and pursuing the certification.
In her spare time, Madeline loves going on frequent road trips to explore new cities and towns up and down the east coast, finding hiking and kayaking spots, and filling her car with DIY projects (in the form of discarded roadside furniture) along the way.
Job Titles:
- SUSTAINABILITY CUSTOMER SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Job Titles:
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Megan joined Ecoworks Studio in November 2021 with over 15 years of experience in the design and sustainability profession. She manages WELL and SITES certification projects, using her expertise as a landscape architect and technical insight of multiple certification programs. Currently, she oversees a mix of educational, commercial office, and lab space projects seeking certification. Guided by an interest in sustainability, wellness, and education, Megan also worked as a volunteer to complete a site assessment and design for outdoor education opportunities for a local elementary school in 2021.
Prior to joining Ecoworks, Megan founded a company that develops custom adaptive management guidebooks for residential landscapes based on the principles of the SITES program and current horticultural practices. She also worked with GBCI during the launch of the SITES program, published articles to educate SITES project teams, presented the SITES programs at multiple events, and developed the SITES AP exam. Megan has also managed several grant-funded trail and watershed projects, worked with complex groups of stakeholders, and facilitated public information workshops for proposed designs.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Meghan is an engaging and creative solution-driven change agent who is passionate about sustainability and human health. She brings over 14 years of experience in environmental impact analysis, land conservationism, open space management and biophilic design & implementation. She enjoys leading speaking engagements and educating audiences about sustainability; particularly in regards to connecting human health in relation to the built environment. Her project experience and subject expertise is diverse and she has lead projects that have earned a variety of green building certifications including WELL, LEED, BREEAM In-Use, Fitwel and Living Building Challenge.
Job Titles:
- SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR
Meghan received her B.S. from Florida State University in 2019 in Environment and Society as well as Media & Communication Studies. She brings unique field and data collection experience to Ecoworks having worked previously as a fisheries biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at a laboratory tasked with monitoring and studying fish populations in estuaries and the Gulf of Mexico.
Meghan is enthusiastic about sustainability in natural resource management and is excited to apply that same mindset to sustainability driven solutions in the built environment at Ecoworks. In addition to her work as a fisheries biologist, she has managed communications and website development for a non-profit dedicated to educating, engaging, and empowering Floridians to take action and achieve a just transition to clean energy for a healthier, more sustainable environment.
Meghan is based out of Apalachicola, FL and enjoys spending her free time on the water, hiking or biking a trail, reading, and taking care of her plants. Otherwise, she is spoiling her dog, Sullivan, and learning how to play the fiddle.
Job Titles:
- MANAGER of WELL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Job Titles:
- WELL PERFORMANCE TESTING AGENT SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Mike joins Ecoworks Studio with 5 years of progressive experience in the green building industry and through that time, he has dedicated himself to creating environments that are not only sustainable but also healthy for building occupants. As a Sustainability Consultant for Ecoworks Studio, he will leverage his past experiences and training as a WELL Performance Testing agent to further health and wellness in the built environment. He will do this through on-site performance verification of projects pursuing WELL certification, in-depth technical reviews and analysis of WELL project applications, and participation as a subject matter expert providing WELL customer support.
Prior to his employment with Ecoworks Studio he performed multiple roles with another sustainability consulting firm. These roles ranged from coordinating LEED certification reviews to managing certification administration for project teams pursuing LEED or WELL certification and performing indoor environmental quality audits for clients.
He is a Michigan native and grew up in the forests and sand dunes near Lake Michigan. A love for the outdoors and cycling was impressed upon him at a young age and still to this day, that love persists. He finds great joy in riding his bike most days, less joy when he does not. This adds up to thousands of miles for transportation, fitness, and recreation each year. He and his wife currently reside in Grand Rapids, MI.
Job Titles:
- Registered Architect
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Natalie is a registered architect who has worked in the sustainable design field for the last decade. As a Senior Sustainability Consultant, LEED Project Reviewer and Certified Passive House Designer, Natalie has successfully helped dozens of projects achieve LEED certification. Before pursuing her passion for sustainable design, she worked as an architect on a multitude of project types ranging from K-12 schools, office buildings, to data centers and is more recently involved in residential design.
Natalie grew up in Germany and studied art history at the Westfälische Wilhelms University in Münster before moving to the U.S. in 2000 and pursuing her architecture degree at The Ohio State University. Her work quickly moved her to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she currently resides with her family. She enjoys the outdoors including hiking with her dog and gardening.
Job Titles:
- SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Job Titles:
- SENIOR SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT
Sarah has been working in sustainability, in both green building and energy markets, for 15 years. She has overseen a full spectrum of sustainable building projects from higher education, office buildings and community centers, to public safety, healthcare facilities and multifamily developments. She has assisted in certifying nearly 2 million square feet of building space through the LEED and Green Globes rating systems. During her time as an energy market consultant, she had the privilege of working with USGBC on the Demand Response Pilot Credit and coordinating Reverse Trade Missions for the US Trade and Development Association, focused on Smart Grid technologies. Her strong attention to detail and focus on task completion allow her to simultaneously manage multiple projects while continuously meeting targets and surpassing expectations.
When she isn't assisting clients to achieve green building certifications, she enjoys spending time with family, singing in a band with her husband, going to see live music, cooking delicious meals that her children refuse to eat, and snuggling her two senior rescue pups.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYST