Southface Staff

Allison A. Bailes III

EarthCraft House Regional Manager, LEED AP

Allison Bailes is the Regional Manager for the EarthCraft House program. He works with builders, inspectors and other parties to establish and grow this residential green building program under the banner of Southface outside the Atlanta area. His recent experience is in the field of home performance contracting for existing homes, which had him finding and fixing many types of performance problems in homes.

In 2003, he built a high-performance home in Carrollton, Georgia, which was the first ENERGY STAR home in the county. The house was constructed with structural insulated panels and has passive solar features (proper orientation and overhangs), a radon vent, a greywater system and a composting toilet. Allison’s academic background is in physics, which he taught for six years at the college level and three years at the high school level. He has a Ph.D in physics from the University of Florida.

Contact info:
404/604-3612
abailes [at] southface.org

Mike Barcik
Director of Technical Services, LEED AP

Mike Barcik is a senior research engineer and the Director of Technical Services at Southface. His areas of expertise include energy performance modeling, design reviews and building diagnostics. A graduate from Georgia Tech with a bachelors and masters degree in mechanical engineering, he has conducted research in high-efficiency mechanical systems and has led hundreds of workshops and charrettes on high-performance residential and commercial buildings. He is a member of the State of Georgia Energy Code Task Force, ASHRAE member, a LEED Accredited Professional, a USGBC LEED for Homes Faculty member and a USGBC LEED - NC Faculty member.

Contact info:
404/604-3620
mbarcik [at] southface.org

Dennis Bauer

EarthCraft Multifamily Associate

Dennis joined Southface in November 2006.  He currently works with the EarthCraft Multifamily Program conducting HERS ratings and inspections; as well as manages the Radon Awareness program.  Before coming to Southface, he worked for the Peace Corps as an environmental education volunteer in the Dominican Republic and also managed a dropout prevention program for high school students living in DeKalb County, GA.  Dennis graduated from Colgate University where he received a BA in Physics.  He currently lives with his wife in Decatur, GA.

Contact info:

404/604-3630

dbauer [at] southface.org

Sean Bleything
EarthCraft House Field Operations Manager

Sean joined Southface in the fall of 2005 as an EarthCraft House Inspector. Originally from Hutchinson, Kansas, he attended the University of Kansas where he received his bachelor's in history. Before Southface, Sean built a timber frame cabin in western North Carolina using many of the same building practices found in the EarthCraft House program. He hopes that his background in residential construction will help in his daily inspections.

Contact info:

404/604-3625 - Office
404/391-5103 - Cell

sbleything [at] southface.org

Dave Boles
Controller

Dave Boles is supervisor of all financial affairs at Southface, he prepares financial statements, handles payroll, and in general, keeps staff and their projects in order. Dave graduated from Georgia State with a degree in philosophy and later returned to school to become a certified accountant.

Contact info:
404/604-3624
dboles [at] southface.org

John Bracey
Commerical Green Building Services Technical Project Manager

John Bracey joined Southface in August of 2007. His focus is energy auditing, LEED consulting, and high performance and green building trainings. John is also working on performance monitoring and data analysis of the Southface Eco Office.

Prior to joining Southface, John spent five years working on energy performance modeling, energy auditing, and rate analysis for commercial and industrial clients. Supporting these efforts, he developed web-based software to streamline building audits, data management and controls, incorporating energy usage into regular business operations.

John holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech University, and lives with his wife and two boys in Chamblee.

Contact info:
404/6043618
jbracey [at] southface.org

Greg Brough has been staff at Southface since 1994, he is responsible for the development of the web site and maintaining the Southface image through publications and exhibits. He has over 30 years of experience in the U.S. and abroad as a design professional in museums, design studios and advertising agencies, and educational institutions. His design specialties include: desktop publishing, photography and digital imaging, technical illustration and typography. An avid environmentalist since the early 70s, Greg has managed to merge his environmental interests with his design career at Southface.

Greg has a degree in photography and art from the New College of the University of Alabama. He is married to Rebekah Hudgins and they have two boys, Walker and Reuben.

Contact info:
404/604-3622
gbrough [at] southface.org

Frank Burdette
Commercial Green Building Services Project Manager, LEED AP

Frank Burdette works with commercial and institutional owners, developers, architects, engineers and builders to facilitate the sustainable construction practices established by the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. He is currently managing construction of the Southface Eco Office, a 10,000-square-foot office and green building demonstration project tracking LEED-NC Platinum certification.

Projects managed in Frank's 18 years of construction include the three LEED certified buildings comprising the Woodward Middle School in College Park, Georgia, the Pace Academy Middle School , Woodward North Arts Building and The Bottleworks, a mixed-use historic renovation project in Athens . Frank holds a Masters in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Biology from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS.

Contact info:
404/604-3584
fburdette [at] southface.org

LaTaunynia Campbell
LEED for Homes Manager, LEED AP

LaTaunynia Campbell is the LEED for Homes Manager. She joined Southface in 2006 as an EarthCraft House Inspector and Office Administrator. She is trained and knowledgeable in green building site inspections, site diagnostic testing and Home Energy Rating (HERS) energy modeling.

She holds a BS in Art and Design from Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Architecture with Building Technology concentration and a BS in Construction Management from Georgia Institute of Technology.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her family. She spent three years living and working in Japan as an English Language teacher.

Contact info:
404/604-3626
lcampbell [at] southface.org

Ted Cater
EarthCraft House Manager of Development and Communications

Ted Cater joined Southface in 2007 as the manager of development and communications for EarthCraft House. He manages sponsor and builder relations, as well as facilitates the marketing strategy for the program. Prior to Southface, Ted worked for Turner Broadcasting Systems as a marketing/sales promotion executive and Miller-Reid Ad Agency as an account manager. He was also a distributor manager for Armstrong Building Products and an advanced trainer and mentor for Wright Medical Technologies. Ted holds a B.A. in economics from Emory University.

A Creation Care advocate, Ted lives in Roswell with his wife and two children.

Contact info:
404/604-3640
tcater [at] southface.org

Stephen Christensen
EarthCraft House Technical Advisor

Stephen was introduced to high performance homes in 2000 as Materials and Logistics Coordinator for Detroit's Habitat for Humanity. After four years with Habitat, Stephen began applying home performance concepts to existing homes as an Energy Educator for the WARM Training Center in Detroit. WARM sent him to Southface for HERS training in 2004 and two years later, he came to work for Southface as an EarthCraft House Technical Advisor. Stephen has a bachelor's degree from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. Stephen's interests include Detroit and playing clawhammer banjo.

Contact info:
404/604-3610
schristensen [at] southface.org

Seth Coan, PE, MSE, LEED AP

Technical Project Manager, Commercial Green Building Services

Seth Coan holds a B.S. from Cornell University in civil and environmental engineering and an M.S.E. from the University of California at Berkeley in environmental engineering. He is currently working on a second Master of Science degree in real estate development at the Robinson School of Business at GSU. His work experience includes working as an environmental engineering consultant on a variety of municipal and industrial development projects. Responsibilities at Southface include LEED Administration, as well as technical support with energy modeling and storm water management.

Seth has project related experience in the field of water resources management. He has been project engineer in water and wastewater treatment, reclaimed water and storm water treatment projects. In addition, Seth has experience with brownfield remediation, health risk analysis, database management and GIS systems. Outside of work, Seth has volunteered his time with Engineers Without Borders, he has lived abroad and worked on water related projects in the developing world, he is an enthusiastic photographer and musician, and he speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Contact info:

404/604- 3634   

scoan [at] southface.org

Stephanie Connell
Southface Project Manager for Meetings and Events

Stephanie Connell joined Southface as project manager of meetings and events in August 2007. She began her career as a convention services manager in the hospitality industry working at resorts in Lake Tahoe and Atlanta.

An Atlanta native, Connell received a B.A. in economics and a minor in sociology from Villanova University in 2003.

Contact info:
404/604-3596
sconnell [at] southface.org

Christina Corley

Sustainable Developments Associate

Christina first joined Southface in 2005 as an intern. After leaving for Ghana, West Africa to study urban planning as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar for one year, she returned to work at Southface providing technical assistance, charrette facilitation and developer support as part of the EarthCraft Communities program and other community design efforts.

Prior to calling Atlanta home, Christina earned a B.A. in Environment and Society from New College at The University of Alabama. She interned with the downtown revitalization nonprofit, Main Street Mobile, and worked with the Kettering Foundation to research, facilitate and teach the process of deliberative decision-making. 

Contact info:

404/604-3617

ccorley [at] southface.org

ccorley[at] southface.org

Dennis Creech
Executive Director, LEED AP

Mr. Creech was a co-founder of the Southface Energy Institute, a private nonprofit organization providing education, technical assistance and research in energy, sustainable technologies, and applied building sciences. He has served as Executive Director for over 30 years.

Under his leadership Southface has grown to a staff of over 45 people offering programs on residential and commercial green buildings, sustainable development and energy policy. Annually Southface programs reach over 45,000 people and receive more than 200 million media impressions. Southface program partners range from Fortune 100 companies to community-based affordable housing developers. Southface is an affiliate of the US Green Building Council, a RESNET accredited provider and training organization and a partner with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association on the EarthCraft House green building program.

Mr. Creech has served on the Board of Directors of RESNET, the Energy and Environmental Building Association, Affordable Comfort, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Southeast Watershed Forum and EarthShare Georgia . He has served on numerous policy bodies for federal and local government, the foundation community and industry, and is an alumnus of the Regional Leadership Institute and the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership.

Mr. Creech is a LEED Accredited Professional, has been an Adjunct Professor in Environmental Studies at Emory University and has received numerous professional awards including the Georgia Environmental Professional of the Year, a Legacy Award from the Energy and Environmental Building Association and designation as one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians" by Georgia Trend.

Mr. Creech frequently writes and speaks on energy and environmental topics ranging from "green" building to sustainable business practices. He often serves as a media spokesperson and has been featured by sources ranging from CNN to the New York Times.

Before founding Southface, Mr. Creech did research at the Georgia Tech Engineering Experiment Station and was Deputy Director of Atlanta 2000, a nonprofit regional planning organization. He has worked as a field ecologist conducting research on nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. He works in a green office building, lives in an environmentally-restored 1950s ranch-style home and drives a hybrid vehicle.

Contact info:
404/604-3580
dcreech [at] southface.org

Josh Duckwall

EarthCraft House / Multifamily Operations Manager, LEED AP

Josh came to work with Southface in January of 2004 after working as a renovation engineer with Hyatt Regency Atlanta. With a degree in bio-science from the University of Georgia's College of Environmental Science, he started at Southface with a developing interest in building science After completing an apprenticeship and then a fellowship as an energy analyst, Josh accepted a staff position as the Right Choice program coordinator and was later promoted to Operations Manager.

He is currently responsible for operational management of EarthCraft House, Right Choice and the Multifamily programs. Josh's certifications include EPA Universal, Escan diagnostic operator, Home Energy Rater, and Energy Hog Buster. Josh is a LEED Accredited Professional.

Contact info:

404/604-3586

jduckwall [at] southface.org

Susan Garrett

Manager of Sustainability Initiatives, MSLTS, LEED AP

Susan comes to Southface with seven years of experience as an eco-entrepreneur running her own Permaculture landscape design and education business. She graduated from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona , Sweden with a Master's in Strategic Leadership Toward Sustainability. Her education focused on how to use The Natural Step framework to help governments, businesses and organizations transition to socially, ecologically and economically sustainable practices. Susan is a LEED Accredited Professional and is currently performing LEED Administration for four new fire stations and the new Public Safety Headquarters Annex for the City of Atlanta.

As the commercial team's liaison to the City, she assists in green policy development. She is also Project Manager for the Sustainable Non-Profits Project, Southface Sustainability and the Atlanta Green Roofs Initiative. She enjoys teaching LEED and helping clients understand and achieve a greater level of sustainable development. In her free time, she loves to hike, camp, mountain bike and dance.

Contact info:

404/604-3590

sgarrett [at] southface.org

Kelly Gearhart

Green Building Services Manager, LEED AP

Kelly joined Southface in December of 2005 after earning her B.A. in religion from Wellesley College in 1999. She brings a background in management, consulting and business development to her work at Southface. Kelly provides LEED administration services to many clients including two Atlanta area YMCA facilities, IKEA's North American Headquarters, The Lovett School in Atlanta , Georgia and a facility at Fort Gordon. She conducts charrettes, coordinates Energy Star programs in the commercial sector and teaches LEED training courses. Kelly serves as Southface's representative to the board of both the Atlanta Regional Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and the South East Regional Council of the USGBC. She is a co-founder of the Atlanta Emerging Green Builder's group and currently serves as the Atlanta USGBC's Board Liaison to EGB. As Manager of Commercial Green Building Services, Kelly applies her skills in research, project management and team-building to advance sustainable living practices.

Contact info:

404/604-3591

kgearhart [at] southface.org

Denise Grimm
Green Building Services Technical Associate, LEED AP

Denise Grimm joined the Southface staff as a technical associate in August 2007. She received a B.S. in environmental health from the University of Georgia and is currently pursuing LEED accreditation. Prior to Southface, she spent over 15 years in the art field working on several projects in and around the Atlanta area, including the Martin Luther King papers exhibit at the Atlanta History Center and the Elton John photo exhibit at the High Museum . She switched careers from the art field to the environmental field to pursue her interest in environmental issues, technology and sustainable applications. At Southface, she provides project management support for high performance and green building design projects, as well as LEED administration.

Contact info:
404/604-3616
dgrimm [at] southface.org

Candice Moore Groves
Commercial Green Building Services Project Manager, AIA, LEED AP

Candice comes to Southface with 10 years of experience in architecture and planning. She is a registered architect as well as a LEED Accredited Professional. She has experience in a wide variety of commercial building types including office, hospitality, medical, civic, religious, and education. She holds a masters degree in architecture from the Savannah College of Art & Design and is involved with the Atlanta AIA Committee of the Environment.

While at Southface, Candice has worked with the DeKalb County School system on the Arabia Mountain School project. She is currently working on the Energy Star program as a follow-up to the Energy Smart Schools program where she works with school systems in Georgia to save energy in their facilities. She has worked with the Metro Atlanta YMCA on a number of LEED YMCA facilities. Candice also worked directly with the USGBC in registering the Atlantic Station commercial buildings as a pilot project in the LEED for Campus program. She has conducted numerous charrettes and trainings for commercial building owners, architects, engineers, and contractors. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to reach out, give back to, and educate her peers and colleagues in Atlanta and the Southeast.

Contact info:
404/604-3592
cgroves [at] southface.org

Daniel Harvey
EarthCraft House Renovation Project Manager

Daniel Harvey began working with Southface in August of 2006. Involved in the green building industry since 1998, he has extensive experience in carpentry, masonry, home energy efficiency retrofits, sealed crawlspace installation, spray-applied insulation, and recycling services. Daniel attended Berea College in Berea Kentucky, where he was an early participant in the Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) program.

Contact info:
404/604-3627
dharvey [at] southface.org

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Steve Herzlieb

Residential Green Building Services Project Manager

Steve joined Southface in 2005 as an EarthCraft House Inspector for new homes. He then switched his focus to existing homes through the EarthCraft House Renovation program. Currently, he continues the mission to improve the efficiency, health, and comfort of existing homes by managing the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Steve firmly believes that utilizing a systems approach to home performance can result in a greater quality of life and reduce our environmental impact.

In a previous lifetime, Steve conducted marine research and instructed conservation education programs. He has a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands. Steve and his family enjoy the low energy bills and other benefits of living in their EarthCraft home in Douglasville, GA. Steve creates free time for enjoying parenthood, mountain biking, SCUBA diving, fossil collecting, nature photography and composing electronic music.

Contact info:

404/604-3611

sherzlieb [at] southface.org

Tyler Jones
EarthCraft Multifamily Project Manager

Contact info:
404/604-3628
tjones [at] southface.org

Gray Kelly
Director of Sustainable Development

Gray has almost 15 years of experience in both residential and commercial real estate development and management. Prior to joining Southface in 2003, he was Vice President of Retail Properties at Paces Properties, Inc. (developer of Vinings Jubilee, Atlanta 's first "Lifestyle" retail center) and a Project Manager for Design Construction by Craftmaster, a custom home builder in north Atlanta.

Gray has primary responsibility for the EarthCraft Multifamily and EarthCraft communities Programs at Southface which are Green Building Certification Programs and has gained much experience with developers of affordable housing through these programs and through work with Enterprise .

He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he majored in industrial relations and sociology. He lives with his wife, Kim, and two dogs off the square in Marietta.

Contact info:
404/604-3585
gkelly [at] southface.org

Kris Knutson
Residential Green Building Services Project Manager

Kris joined Southface in 2006 as a project manager for Southface Home Services. Kris oversees and performs HERS Ratings, Manual-J load calculations, new home design reviews and takes building science and home comfort troubleshooting calls from the public. A native of Seattle, Kris attended the University of Washington, earning a minor in environmental studies. In 2004 he toured Western Europe by bicycle, visiting biodiesel plants, wind farms and traditionally build Dutch and German buildings. Kris went on to work towards sustainability by contributing to the construction of Seattle’s first biodiesel plant and later he worked as a building performance technician for a home performance contractor. Kris is a RESNET certified HERS Rater.

Contact info:
404/604-3594
kknutson [at] southface.org

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Nadine L. Lang
Manager of Education

Nadine Lang joined Southface in 2004 as the Residential Green Building Education Coordinator. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and studies in computer science & counseling, Nadine will use her expertise to oversee the various trainings hosted by Southface and EarthCraft House. She is a certified housing counselor through American Homeownership Education and Counseling Training Institute (AHECTI), Neighborhood Reinvestment and the Department of Community Affairs. During her years as an Education Coordinator/Housing Counselor with the nationally known Consumer Credit Counseling Service, she completed several loss mitigation training sessions through the Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Home Ownership Center in Atlanta, GA. Nadine spends her personal time serving her community as a Sunday School Teacher, Executive Board Member of the Women's Job Corp in Douglas County and Board of Trustee member at Brewton-Parker College.

Contact info:
404/604-3597
nlang [at] southface.org

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Scott Lee
Manager of Affordable Housing Initiative and EarthCraft House Multifamily Associate

Scott has been at Southface for four years and is presently working with the EarthCraft House Multifamily program, a green building certification program, and Southface's Greening of Affordable Housing initiative. Scott has also been involved with activities aiding in the expansion of the EarthCraft House program regionally. Scott serves on the Georgia Conservancies Blue Prints committee and the LEED for Homes Multifamily Housing steering committee. He attended the University of Georgia at Athens and San Jose State University where he majored in Resource Economics and Environmental Studies respectively.

Contact info:
404/604-3587 - Office
678/618-3452 - Cell
slee [at] southface.org

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Glenn Pease

Energy Analyst (HERS Rater)

Glenn graduated in 2005 with a degree in anthropology from the University of Kansas. In high school and throughout college he worked for a general contractor on a number of residential projects. He looks forward to learning the building science behind sustainable houses while using his analytical background in Anthropology to perform home energy ratings as an Energy Analyst at Southface.

Contact info:

404/604-3637

gpease [at] southface.org

Alice Pendergrast
Office Manager

Alice Pendergrast is the “Source” at Southface Energy Institute. She was trained as an educator in college and later received an MBA in management. Her experience in education and business management bring years of skill to Southface. She specifically assists Dennis Creech, the Executive Director, and is the staff liaison to the Board of Directors of Southface Energy Institute.

Contact info:
404/604-3599
apendergrast [at] southface.org

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Erin Raffield

Manager of Information Technology and Database Systems

Erin Raffield joined the staff at Southface in 2005, she is responsible for IT management and maintaining Southface's database systems. Erin graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Communications. Erin also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Mercer University. Erin comes to Southface with a background in non-profit organizations. She is married to Chris, a sales engineer for Hewlett-Packard, and they have one son. Erin and her family live in a renovated condo building in downtown Atlanta, which is on the National Register of Historical Places.

Contact info:
404/604-3598
eraffield [at] southface.org

Robert Reed

Sustainable Communities Design Director

Robert E. Reed, designer, planner, and former principal with Preston & Reed Sustainability Solutions, has joined Southface as Sustainable Communities Design Director to support and promote the EarthCraft Communities program. Robert is a third generation Atlanta native and downtown Atlanta resident. Since graduating from Georgia Tech in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Architecture, Robert has been at the forefront of community planning in the Southeast region. He co-led, with Shannon Kettering of Ecos, the community interaction and architectural guidelines process for the Chattahoochee Hill Country Land Use Plan. This plan utilizes Transfer of Development Rights to create sustainable villages and protect 30,000 acres of rural land thirty minutes from Downtown Atlanta. The Atlanta Regional Commission and the American Society of Landscape Architects recognized the plan as a Development of Excellence for its pubic participatory process and visionary planning. Robert led the planning of Sutherland Place for John Willis Homes, and Lampkin Street Cottages for McConnell Homes.

Robert is a four-time winner of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission Award for Contextural Infill for homes designed in the historic neighborhoods of Inman Park , Candler Park and Old Fourth Ward. Robert's designs have been included in some of Atlanta 's most progressive communities, including Glenwood Park, Tributary, Cuscowilla and Jonesboro 's new Historic District. Robert is past Chair of the Frazer Center, a nonprofit center for adults and children with disabilities. During his term as Chair, the center completed a $5 million capital campaign and renovation. He is an original steering committee member of Southface's Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable.

Robert enjoys the fruits of his labor as an avid outdoorsman. Depending on the season you can find him hunting, fishing, boating, camping, cycling, and hiking throughout Georgia and beyond. He has been married to his wife Marci, also an Atlanta native, for 18 years.

Contact info:

404/604-3646

rsquared [at] southface.org

Sydney Roberts
Home Services Program Manager

Sydney G. Roberts is the Southface Home Services Program Manager on the Residential Green Building Services team. Sydney manages the team responsible for residential client services, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, EarthCraft House Renovation, and the HERS Providership, as well as several federally funded projects. Dr. Roberts is the principle investigator and project manager for the Southern Energy Efficiency Center, Building America, and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. Additionally, she teaches courses and provides one-on-one training in these and other fields. Sydney is a Home Energy Rater and a BPI Building Analyst. She also serves on the BPI Standards Technical Committee. Sydney earned her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University studying the application of engineering principles to medical and biological problems. She has since performed research, managed projects, taught courses, and supervised customer support in computer simulation and medical device industries. At Southface, Sydney has married her technical and managerial skills with her passion for sustainable living through the application of building science, energy performance modeling, and site inspection and testing.

Contact info:
404/604-3581
sroberts [at] southface.org

Anne Rogers

Commercial Green Building Services Project Manager

Anne joined Southface in July 2006 as an intern to help set an example to building owners and designers for practical green building and energy efficiency. Anne hails from Ann Arbor , Michigan and graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in environmental studies and biology. Currently her main focuses are the Green Roof Initiative, the Federal Energy Management Program grant for Greening Federal Facilities in the Southeast, Validation of a High Performance Sustainable Building for the U.S. Army, and assisting with certifying projects for the USGBC's LEED green building criteria. Aside from her work at Southface, Anne enjoys art, hiking, reading and seeing the world.

Contact info:
404/604-3614

arogers [at] southface.org

Ruth Ann Rosenberg
Membership Director/Internship Coordinator

Ruth Ann Rosenberg joins Southface as the Membership Director/Internship Coordinator . Ruth Ann most recently served as the development director for the American Institute of Architects Georgia Association. She has experience in membership recruitment and serving as a liaison to organizational stakeholders. She has also owned and operated her own landscape design firm.

Contact info:
404/604-3595
rarosenberg [at] southface.org

Ku'ulei Sako
Public Relations and Communications Coordinator

Ku'ulei Sako joined Southface in 2007 as the public relations/communications coordinator. She is responsible for pitching the media, writing press releases and media advisories, establishing and maintaining relationships with the media. Prior to Southface, her career began as an account coordinator for an award-winning, Atlanta-based public relations agency, Treco-Jones PR. She also worked in marketing promotions, specifically in youth experiential marketing for several well-known brands.

A Hawaii native, Sako received a B.A. in journalism with a concentration in PR and a minor in photography from Georgia State University. Aside from work, she enjoys photography and swimming. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and dogs.

Contact info:
404/604-3638
ksako [at] southface.org

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Chris Theal
Facilities Manager

Chris graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Studio Art from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. After graduating, he worked for two years in Northwest Alabama, teaching outdoor environmental classes to students of all ages. His passion for energy conservation and renewable technology then led him to the internship program at Southface Energy Institute. Chris now serves as the Southface Facilities Manager. His other interests include any outdoor activity, collecting junk, fixing things that are broken and gardening.

Contact info:
404/604-3583
ctheal [at] southface.org

Laura Uhde
Residential Green Building Services Director, LEED AP

Laura Uhde joined Southface in October 2003. As the Director of Residential Services, she administers our EarthCraft House, Home Services, Existing Homes and Multifamily programs. Laura has also served as project manager for Building America, Zero Energy Homes, Million Solar Roofs Initiative and LEED for Homes. Laura conducts several trainings for Southface including the EarthCraft House Builder, EarthCraft House Realtor, Mold and Moisture, HVAC for Builders and Home Energy Rating trainings. Laura is certified as a RESNET Trainer, Universal Refrigerant Technician and an eScan operator. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Sustainable Development and Appropriate Technology.

Contact info:
404/604-3621
luhde [at] southface.org

David Wasserman
Senior Engineer, MS ME, LEED EB AP

David Wasserman is a senior engineer at Southface. He has 20 years of experience at Oak Ridge National Lab where he did energy conservation research as well as pollution prevention and recycling management. He has owned and managed a home performance contracting business and founded the Knoxville Recycling Coalition in Knoxville, Tennessee. At Southface David is the resident expert on energy modeling of residential and commercial buildings as well as our residential duct designer. He is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Tennessee with a master's degree in mechanical engineering.

Contact info:
404/604-3588
dwasserman [at] southface.org

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Alyce Thompson
Policy Fellow

Since joining Southface in August of 2007, Alyce has been busy working to develop a comprehensive sustainablilty plan for the organization, coordinating the monthly Sustainable Atlanta Roundtable, and researching a wide range of green building policies across the state and the county. A graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, Alyce majored in Urban Studies with a concentration in Sociology. She is excited by the emerging convergence of sustainability in municipal decision making and is looking to deepen her knowledge of how the two can, and should, go hand in hand. Beyond her professional interests, Alyce likes photography, traveling and exploring new places, and practices multiple styles of yoga.

Contact info:
404/604-3629
athompson [at] southface.org

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Intern

Flavia graduated in 2007 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez . Her Southface internship represents an opportunity to gain knowledge in environmental concerns, energy efficiency and sustainable development as preparation for graduate school. Flavia enjoys outdoor sports, dancing, cooking and traveling.

Contact info:

404/604-3642
fmelendez [at] southface.org

Jared White
Intern

Contact info:
404/604-3644
jwhite [at] southface.org

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