about us

Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) is a national nonprofit network of organizations working together to advance a sustainable environment while creating sustainable, just and inclusive economies with opportunities for all — an approach we call "the high road." ECC develops energy, green infrastructure and other sustainable development projects that not only contribute to the resilience of our metropolitan regions but also ensure an equity stake for low-income communities of color in the green economy. This includes developing the economic infrastructure for family-supporting wages and career paths for residents of such communities, as well as contracting opportunities for women, BIPOC and other disadvantaged businesses.

history

The Emerald Cities Collaborative was created in 2009 by a powerful network of national and local community, labor, policy, business, and nonprofit organizations. Over the years, we’ve built a movement of change agents who’ve demonstrated that an equitable, high-road approach is the best path to a sustainable, just future. Here’s our story …

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Senior Management Team

Meishka Mitchell

President & CEO
Full Bio

Adetola Shabi

Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
Full Bio

Wendy Angel

Regional Director,
Southern California 

Full Bio

Steve Gelb

Regional Director,
Northwest
Full Bio

Avni Jamdar

Regional Director,
Northern California 
 
Full Bio

Alexis Washburn

Regional Director,
Northeast
Full Bio

Denise Fairchild

President Emeritus,
ClimateBreakthrough 2021 Awardee
Full Bio

Sonia Kikeri

National Director of Civic Infrastructure

Full Bio

Tabaris Smith, Ph.D.

Regional Director, DMV

Full Bio

Staff

Katie Del Castillo-Beltran

Project Manager
Full Bio

Chelsey Bryant

Director of Advisory Strategies

Full Bio

Alyssa Moore

Project Manager, Advisory Strategies

Donya Curry

Director of Accounting

Full Bio

Nora Elmarzouky

Sr. Energy Democracy Manager

Full Bio

Ardie Griffin

Policy Analyst &
Legislative Director

Full Bio

Charlene Hill

Sr. Accounts Payable

Full Bio

Hunter Jones

Marketing & Communications Manager, SoCal

Full Bio

Mandy Lee

Sr. Program Manager, CESBS
Full Bio

Justyce Watson

Economic Inclusion Manager, DC

Full Bio

Whitney Weston

Director of Human Resources
Full Bio

Dewi Ali

Community Engagement & Policy Manager, Northwest
Full Bio

Monica Guevara

Economic Inclusion Manager,
Northwest
Full Bio

Roz Jenkins

Sr. Economic Inclusion Manager,
Northwest

Full Bio

Winnie Wakaba

Economic Inclusion Manager,
Northwest
Full Bio

Megan Leary

Community Engagement & Policy Manager,
Bay Area
Full Bio

Jenifer Lomeli

Program Coordinator,
Bay Area
Full Bio

TTriss Williams Renard

Economic Inclusion Manager, Bay Area

Full Bio

Carli Yoro

Sr. Economic Inclusion Manager, 
Bay Area
Full Bio

Esmeralda Bisono

Community Engagement & Policy Manager,
Northeast
Full Bio

Sandra Lee

Economic Inclusion Manager, Northeast
Full Bio

Adam Parker

Sr. Advisor For
Economic Mobility

Full Bio

Russell Paul

Sr. Economic Inclusion Manager, Northeast

Shanette Anderson

Sr. Program Manager,

Southern California
Full Bio

Raygena Smith Winfrey

Youth Workforce Development Manager

Jessymar Gallaga

Compliance Manager, Southern California

Full Bio

Joseph Warner

 Sr. Program Coordinator (ACES), Southern California
Full Bio

April Eldridge

Director of Operations

Full Bio

Abel Gashe

Sr. Accounts Receivable

Carlos Páez

Program Coordinator, Southern California

Full Bio

Theresa Robinson

Strategic Communications Manager

Full Bio

Francisco Parra Camacho

Curriculum Director (ACES), Southern California
Full Bio

Diego Cocon

Program Coordinator, Intern (ACES), Southern California

Full Bio

Sabrina Grimes

Administrative Assistant, CFAO

Full Bio

Board of Directors

Gerry Hudson, Co-Chair

Secretary-Treasurer

Service Employees International Union SEIU

Joel Rogers, Co-Chair

Director,

COWS

Donald Gilligan, Secretary/Treasurer
President

National Association of Energy Services Companies

Donnel Baird

Founder,
Bloc Power

 

Gary Cohen

Co-Founder,

Health Care Without Harm and Practice Green Health

John Doherty

Special Assistant to the General President

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

Rosa Garcia

Executive Director, California Youth Leadership Corps

Community Learning Partnership

Chione Flegal
Managing Director,

Policy Link

Avni Jamdar

Regional Director, Bay Area

Emerald Cities Collaborative

Eric Mackres

Manager, Building Efficiency Initiative World Resources Institute, Ross Center for  Sustainable Cities

Cliff Majersik

Senior Advisor

Institute for Market Transformation

Traci Scott

Vice President for Workforce Development National Urban League

Don Mathis

Case Manager, Harford County (MD.)

Office of  Drug Control Policy


Dan Moncrief III
(representing National  Association of Minority Contractors)

President and CEO

McDaniel’s Construction Corporation, Inc.

David Ribeiro
Director, Local Policy American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy(ACEEE)

  Lauren Ross
Manager, Local Policy American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

    Gloria Shealey
President and CEO The Daniele Company

Mary Ellen Sprenkel
President and CEO The Corps Network

Jeremy Sigmon
SME, Water Planet Sigmon, LLC

Sunia Zaterman
Executive Director Council of Large Public Housing  Authorities (CLPHA)

Hilari Varnadore
Director, LEED for Cities and Communities U.S. Green Building Council  

Funders

Annie E Casey Foundation

Bezos Earth Fund

Bullit Foundation

California Wellness Foundation
Citi Foundation
Enterprise Community Partners
Generation Foundation
Heinz Endowments
Heising Simons
Health Care Without Harm
Joyce Foundation

JPB Foundation

JP Morgan Chase

Kaiser Foundation

Kellogg Foundation
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
Microsoft
Movement Strategy Center
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Packard Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
Scorpio Fund
Sierra Club
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Surdna Foundation
Sustainable Path Foundation

Swinerton Foundation
The Boston Foundation
The California Endowment
The Energy Foundation
The Kendeda Fund
The Kresge Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation
The Seattle Foundation
Tides Foundation
Tulalip Tribe
Union Bank
Urban Sustainability Directors Network