Lindsay is a Senior Energy Planner at the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, responsible for directing EnergySmart CNY, the NYSERDA-funded Central New York Regional Clean Energy Hub, one of twelve in the state. She oversees operations, serves as a spokesperson, and works with local and statewide partners to develop the programs and collaborations to develop EnergySmart CNY as a community resource. She helps advise special pilot projects.
Lindsay built the prior HeatSmart CNY campaign from the ground up while working at Alliance for a Green Economy, helping hundreds of building owners improve their energy efficiency and install heat pumps, leading the HeatSmart CNY campaign to be #1 in New York State for carbon emission reductions. Lindsay’s deep commitment to environmental justice and the local community comes from her many years of working with the Onondaga Nation and local EJ organizations on environmental issues throughout the region, as well as personal experience renovating a home and living in a disadvantaged community. She is a lifelong resident of Central New York.
Lindsay is a graduate of Cornell University (Natural Resources ‘04) and Vermont Law School (Master of Environmental Law and Policy ’14). She is a recipient of Greening USA’s Sustaining Our Communities Award (2019).
Erica has been working since Spring 2018 with residents and energy efficiency. Erica was Campaign Director of the former HeatSmart FLX Campaign, then worked with the Southern Tier Hub, both under Cornell Cooperative Extension via NYSERDA. Prior to that she monitored invasive plants in Cayuga/other nearby lakes, and she provided outdoor/environmental education for children with the non-profit Nature’s Classroom.
Erica enjoys providing empowerment, education, and support to folks to help them reach their energy goals across the Central New York region. She is excited to bring her experience to the EnergySmart CNY team, as well as her personal experience as a renter and homeowner navigating energy options.
Suren brings a campaigning background in housing, labor and corporate accountability to his energy-related outreach work. This is also influenced by his deep appreciation for diverse communities and respect for their histories – this has driven his life-long organizing and publishing history. Suren is from South Africa and has lived in Syracuse and Central New York for close to a decade.
Lacey joined the team after graduating from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S. in Sustainable Energy Management in May 2023. She focused her studies on renewable energy and building science, and is passionate about reducing the energy burden. Lacey wants to continue her work helping out community members, and making homes more energy efficient.
Kayla is an established community volunteer–her desire to connect her work improving Onondaga County’s food system with renewable energy practices is what led her to joining our team. She’s passionate about what effect fossil fuels have on the food CNY consumes and what she can do to limit, and eventually eliminate, that effect.
Patrick Dermody is the Workforce Initiatives Manager for Greater Syracuse Works. He is responsible for ensuring coordination among all staff working on Hub programs at each of the core organizations, providing strategic direction for the CNY Hub, assisting with partnership engagement, and serving as the management team for the Hub Director.
Graduating with a BA in Economics at Connecticut College in 2015, Patrick obtained his MPA at the Maxwell School for Citizenship and Public Affairs while serving as a Snow Fellow at the Central New York Community Foundation. Patrick has worked in various grant writing and community engagement positions throughout his career including Cooperative Federal in Syracuse and Upstate Caring Partners in Utica. Patrick also served for 2 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay where he carried out projects and initiatives concerning Youth Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Cross-Cultural Education.
Alison Davis is a Workforce Coordinator for Greater Syracuse Works, responsible for managing a network of partnerships focused on providing wrap-around services and identifying barriers to employment that can be resolved through connections and collaborations, as well as activities related to developing partnerships with clean energy businesses, agencies, and training opportunities in the community.
Graduating from the University of Vermont in 2019 with a B.S. in Natural Resources with a concentration in Resource Planning and a Community & International Development minor, as well as from previous state and local government positions, Alison strives to merge her major and minor studies by entering the clean energy sector to achieve successful community development that can help reach our energy goals, by growing the clean energy workforce.
David began his sustainability career in the Solid Waste Program field as a Recycling Coordinator where he focused on the 4R’s principle; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, & Respect. David has worked directly with Native Nations and their tribal environmental programs in several states, but especially New York. Recognizing the need to respect the Earth, David provided outreach and education in topics such as the dangers of hazardous waste, reducing, reusing/repairing, & recycling. His main passion is to explain the health benefits of sustainability and energy efficiency and help people envision a society that reduces overconsumption and pollution. David has a degree in Environmental Studies and he makes up-cycled art with recyclables.
Alex is a recent graduate from the Energy, Technology and Policy graduate program from Cal Poly Humboldt. He has a background in studying the energy and climate effects associated with our heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems. His passion is in helping individuals and businesses optimize their energy usage for cost savings and environmental sustainability.