Ramón Méndez Galain is former Energy Secretary of Uruguay. He successfully led the recognised transformation of the Uruguayan energy sector to include 98% renewables in the energy mix. Ramon is also founder and Executive Director of Ivy, an organisation working to accelerate the energy transition in Latin America. Galain is also the founder and Executive Director of Asociación Ivy, an organisation dedicated to sharing lessons from Uruguay’s energy transition and inspiring change in other countries. Galain also served as Chairman of the Council of IRENA, Chief Negotiator for Uruguay in the Paris Agreement and member of the board of the Green Climate Fund.
Michael Thomas is the founder and CEO of Cleanview and the author of the Distilled newsletter. His work on clean energy has been read by more than 50 million people and cited in publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, and The New Yorker.
Ashley Brasovan is a seasoned Decarbonization Project Manager based in Golden, Colorado. She has worked on over $150M of decarbonization projects with local governments at McKinstry for over the past decade. Ashley specializes in shaping and delivering sustainability, decarbonization, and high-impact energy performance projects, including work for major clients like Denver International Airport, City and County of Denver, Town of Vail and many others. In her free time, she runs professionally on the trails for Hoka and enjoys spending time with her pug, husband, and 1yr baby girl.
Kevin Frey is the City’s Facilities Superintendent. He oversees municipal facilities daily operations, capital projects and brings technical expertise in building systems and infrastructure, ensuring that decarbonization strategies are practical, efficient, and achievable.
Colin is the co-founder and CEO of Placemate, which helps local employees secure housing in tourism-based communities through innovative public–private partnerships. He was an early employee at both Lyft and Airbnb, where he helped pioneer the sharing economy and scale new marketplace models. In 2018, Colin launched Placemate in Truckee, CA to create the “Airbnb for locals’ housing,” blending a mission-driven model with his first-hand experience in technology and growth.
Emma Gerona serves as the Executive Director of EcoAction Partners, a regional sustainability nonprofit based in Southwest Colorado. She leads collaborative efforts with local governments, schools, and community partners to advance equitable climate action, and greenhouse gas reduction efforts across the region. With a background in nonprofit leadership and community engagement, Emma is dedicated to building practical, place-based solutions that connect climate action with the values and needs of rural communities. She is passionate about empowering individuals to take meaningful action toward a more resilient, sustainable future.
Hilary Hobbs is the Director of Neighborhood Services and Sustainability for the Town of Truckee, CA, where she oversees Truckee’s Housing, Sustainability, Short-term Rental, Economic Vitality, and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility programs. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Smith College and a Masters of Business Administration from University of California, Davis. With over 20 years of public sector experience at the local and federal levels, Hilary has a passion for building partnerships, leading interdisciplinary projects, and developing new programs. She is particularly proud of Truckee’s success at developing innovative workforce housing programs, which have made a significant impact on community-wide housing availability, employee retention, and GHG reduction.
Hilary Lewkowitz is the Director of Destination Development & Sustainability at the Colorado
Tourism Office, where she has worked since 2017. Her career has been dedicated to
sustainable tourism since 2011, following more than a decade of experience in conservation
biology and outdoor education. She also shares her expertise as an adjunct instructor at New
York University, teaching courses on sustainable tourism.
Hilary holds an M.S. in Sustainable Tourism Management from the University of Utah and a
B.S. in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University. She is an avid climber, trail
runner, and backcountry skier, and lives in Ridgway, Colorado.
Charlotte Lin is the Sustainability Manager with the Town of Avon, Colorado. With a background in climate ecology, international communications, and educational technology, she is a second-year Doctorate of Business Administration student at the University of Michigan, focusing on machine learning applications in climate finance. Charlotte also serves on the Board of the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America and enjoys spending time in the great Colorado outdoors.
Molly’s experience spans the intersection of land use planning and sustainability, working across Colorado and beyond. At Lotus Engineering & Sustainability, she has helped clients develop roadmaps to guide them towards their sustainability and climate action goals, fostering strong community collaboration in the process.
Taylor McCauley is a Project Manager with the City of Louisville with a background in environmental engineering. She leads overall implementation of the Internal Decarbonization Plan, which includes management of project funding, cross-departmental coordination, and progress tracking/planning.
Cameron Millard joined the Town of Vail in 2021 as a Clean Energy Specialist. Previously, he worked with Efficiency Insights, LLC, and co-founded the Cloud City Conservation Center in Leadville. In his current role, he implements energy efficiency initiatives tied to the town’s Environmental Sustainability Strategic Plan, including managing energy systems, facilitating the Town’s energy district development efforts, coordinating renewable energy efforts, advancing policy like building code upgrades, and supporting public works in electrification efforts. He has over 10 years of experience in the field, has built his own net-zero home, and enjoys cycling, skiing, and trail building.
Hannah Miller is the Sustainability Manager for the City of Louisville. She leads the City’s sustainability initiatives and oversees the strategy and development of multiple programs, projects and plans. Her expertise supports both the design and implementation of the City’s Internal Decarbonization Plan.
Julia Masters is the Program Manager for the Microgrids for Community Resilience (MCR) Grant Program through the Colorado Resiliency Office. This program grants to rural communities across the State to support local energy resilience, as well as supports localities in advancing critical infrastructure prioritization. Julia holds a Masters in Urban Planning and Environmental Policy from Tufts.
Alan Spadafora holds a degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Plymouth State University and has been working in forestry and fuels management since 2020. He has been part of teams that have carried out thousands of acres of pile burning and other fuels reduction treatments across Utah. In addition to his forestry work, Alan serves as an active wildland firefighter, bringing firsthand experience in fire behavior and suppression. He has worked with several large landowners in the Park City area to assess forest health, develop wildfire risk strategies, and implement management solutions. Alan’s work focuses on bridging practical fire management with sustainable approaches like biochar to create healthier, more resilient forests.
Victoria Schlaepfer is a sustainability strategist who specializes in building actionable climate and operations plans that drive measurable results. At Deer Valley, she led the creation of the resort’s first Climate Action Plan, integrating leadership vision with operational execution. She combines on-the-ground event and resort operations experience with long-term planning, securing funding, stakeholder alignment, and innovative programs that advance both business and environmental goals.
Carrie Thomas is the Director of Energy Districts at McKinstry, a role she has held since July 2021—bringing over 40 years of experience in sectors spanning construction, utilities, industrial engineering, management consulting, and financial services. She launched her career at Xerox in 1985 and subsequently held roles in energy services at firms like Siemens, Energy Systems Group, and Southland Industries. Her multi-decade, cross-sector expertise in developer and energy roles positions her as a seasoned strategist adept at fostering growth, forging partnerships, and steering enterprise-level energy and infrastructure initiatives.
Mady was born in Mexico and raised primarily in Eagle, CO, where she developed a love for the outdoors through various school programs. Growing up between Eagle and Mexico gave her a deep connection to the environment, inspired in her family’s traditions of farming and caring for the land to ensure a healthy future for generations. Mady earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, with a minor in Geographic Information Science, from the University of Northern Colorado.
Dominique Giroux is a Sustainability Manager at Vail Resorts, where she leads the company’s Commitment to Zero programs at Breckenridge and Keystone Ski Resorts. With over a decade of experience in the sustainability field and 13 years living in Summit County, Dominique understands the role of community-business collaboration in building resilient mountain towns. Her work includes focus on waste reduction and diversion strategies and fostering partnerships that support circular economy practices across resort operations and the broader community.
Jessica Burley is a collaborative public service leader with deep experience in sustainability, community engagement, and local government. She serves as Sustainability and Parking Manager for the Town of Breckenridge and Board Chair of Colorado Communities for Climate Action (CC4CA). Previously a two-term Frisco Town Council Member and nonprofit Community Programs Director, Jessica has led initiatives in climate action, clean energy, transportation, water conservation, and economic resilience. She is passionate about advancing equitable climate solutions and empowering communities to shape their future.
Sarah Judkins advises and represents clients on a range of air quality, climate change, energy, and public lands issues before state and federal regulatory bodies and agencies, as well as in federal and state court. She counsels clients on the best strategy to reach desired outcomes, which may include policy, regulatory, or litigation tools, or some combination thereof. Sarah’s experience extends to practicing before the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and the Interior Board of Land Appeals, in addition to numerous state and federal courts. She has also represented clients seeking approvals from the Department of the Interior, the United States Forest Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and several Colorado state agencies.
Darren McAvoy is an Extension Associate Professor of Forestry at Utah State University and a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters. He is an expert at low-tech biochar production methods and the inventor of Big Box biochar kilns. He owns and operates Darren McAvoy Consulting, an international forestry consulting firm. After graduating from Colorado State University with a forestry degree he was a sawyer on the Flathead Hotshot Crew in Columbia Falls, MT and a consulting forester in Sandpoint, ID. Darren holds a master’s degree in communications from Utah State University.
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
bio
