The People at Urban Options
Board of Directors
Tom Stanton, President, has worked in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and waste management for the Michigan Energy Administration and Public Service Commission for more than 22 years. He is currently the Technical Assistant in the Electric Division, working on electric utility restructuring implementation issues. Tom was director of the state’s Energy Information Clearinghouse and Energy Hotline; directed the state Solar Tax Credit program; designed, developed and managed one of the state’s first industrial energy analysis programs; and managed the Michigan Biomass Energy Program and the Michigan Resource Recovery Development Program. Tom has a BA in Communications and MA in Journalism from Michigan State University and is presently completing his Doctorate in Public Administration at Western Michigan University. E-mail Tom Stanton at tom.stanton@best-options.com.
Terry Link, Vice President, directs the MSU Office of Campus Sustainability. He is an Environmental Studies Specialist, Head of the Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture Library, Adjunct Faculty for the Bailey Scholars Program, and Reference Librarian for Michigan State University. He also serves as Board Member and Vice President of the Greater Laingsburg Recyclers. E-mail Terry Link at link@mail.lib.msu.edu.
Susan F. Haka, Treasurer and Secretary, is the Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. Dr. Haka has over twenty years of teaching experience at the University of Kansas, University of Glasgow, University of Technology Sydney and Michigan State University. She is the recipient of several teaching awards including the prestigious Michigan State University Teacher-Scholar Award. Dr. Haka’s research focuses on the role of accounting systems in business processes. Professor Haka has published in numerous academic and practitioner journals and has served as Editor of Behavioral Research in Accounting. Dr. Haka is an active consultant and was a member of the Board of Directors of Simpson Industries, Inc., and Easter Seals of Mid-Michigan. E-mail Sue Haka at suehaka@msu.edu.
John Barrie, architect, has more than 25 years of experience as an architect and an instructor of resource-efficient construction and the environmentally-sensitive design and retrofit of commercial, industrial, and residential buildings. Email John Barrie at jsbarrie@hotmail.com.
Joel Wiese, Loan Officer for Indigo Financial Group. Hailing from 18 years in Japan, Joel Wiese has a degree in Telecommunications with a minor in International Studies from Michigan State University. After graduating in 1999 he spent the next 2 years doing sales of dedicated Internet services for CoreComm Ltd. Then he transferred to TDS Metrocom to sell complete voice and data solutions. In 2003, he left the telecommunications industry to pursue work in residential financing. Hired by the Ingido Financial Group in Dec. of 2003, Joel has played a key role in the development of the Energy Efficient Mortgage program in the state of Michigan. Email Joel at joel@twelve29.com.
Staff
Matt Anderson serves as Urban Options Office Assistant. He has a BA in English from Hope College. He manages Urban Options’ library and databases. He also serves as a library assistant at East Lansing Public Library. He has volunteered for The Recyclers of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties and earned Recycler of the Year Award in 1993.
Jennifer Barone serves as the Outreach Coordinator for Urban Options. She has an advertising degree from Michigan State University and professional experience designing and writing fliers, press releases, and advertisements, and promoting events. She is Program Manager for Michigan Interfaith Power & Light (MiIPL) and has worked extensively to organize the Michigan Public Service Commission’s, Faith In Energy project in Detroit, MI, where she developed a tracking system, coordinated meetings and gathered information from auditors. E-mail Jennifer at jennifer@urbanoptions.org.
Sin Christian has served as an energy Analyst for Urban Options since 1988. She has performed thousands of energy audits for Urban Options, the Education Action Center, Detroit Edison, Volt Energy Systems, and Consumers Power Company. She has been a member of the Lansing Energy Action Network steering committee and is a certified residential and commercial energy auditor 2E. She has eight years of construction experience.
Aileen Gow. Executive Director, Urban Options, Inc.; Certified Energy Auditor, State of Michigan; Certified Home Inspector, American Home Inspector Training Institute; Candidate Member, American Society of Home Inspectors. Aileen Gow has 25 years of residential and commercial energy efficiency education and management experience throughout the Midwest region. Prior to joining Urban Options, Aileen served as the Program Manager of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, managed the state wide Consumer Energy Company’s Energy Fitness program; was the Midwest Regional Operations Manager for Honeywell DMC Services (a national energy service company); and has managed a variety of energy-related projects for a number of utility companies, municipalities, community foundations, and environmental organizations, as well as the State of Michigan Energy Office and the Michigan Public Service Commission. Aileen is also a residential property inspector and state certified energy auditor. Email Aileen Gow at aileen@urbanoptions.org.
Jim Meyerle serves as Urban Options’ Education Specialist. He received a degree from Michigan State University in Elementary Education with a minor in Instructional Media. He has an MA in Curriculum Development and a BS in Science Education. He also serves as Co-Director of Project Lakewell, Inc., through which he has taught Fur-Trade period throughout the state.
Cathy Roth handles operations management at Urban Options. She is an honor graduate of Control Data Institute in Southfield, Michigan, earned her BA in Geology at Eastern Michigan University, and holds an MS in Horticulture from Michigan State University. Her experience includes new systems development for Burroughs Corporation, geologic research and development at Amoco Production Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and extensive editing and desktop publishing for several professors at Michigan State University. Cathy is interested in energy efficiency and throughout her career has devoted her favorite skills and followed her interests toward that concept. She uses her favorite skills daily organizing and counting beans at Urban Options.
Associates
John Gear is on leave from the Board of Directors while he completes his law degree. He has worked as an independent business and operations management consultant in Vancouver, Washington for six years, after a period of five years as an engineer and technical writer/editor at the US DOE Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, Washington — one of the most thoroughly polluted and contaminated places on Earth. John has a BS in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Masters of Engineering Management from Washington State University. Married, no children, he seeks ways to live more pleasurably, simply, and lightly on the Earth.
Fred Gerow has designed residential, commercial, institutional, medical and industrial facilities. Fred served as Energy Manager for Grand Valley State University in Michigan for 11 years and has been a professional engineer for 30 years.
LeRoy Harvey served as Director of Urban Options for ten years and Energy Program Coordinator for five years. He has developed and managed an award-winning pilot program for the State of Michigan which evolved into Consumers Power Co.’s Energy Fitness Program. He carries a BS in Resource Development from Michigan State University and has served as Michigan United Conservation Club’s Environmental Information Service Coordinator and Editor for 4-H Youth Programs. He is an Federally Certified Energy Analyst.
Lori Near is an environmental chemist, working primarily with organic semi-volatile pollutants. She holds a BS degree in Environmental Science and Management from the Lyman Briggs School at Michigan State University. Lori came to Urban Options with an interest in environmental education and information technology. While serving for many years as a Board member and Secretary, she especially enjoyed the variety of experiences in volunteering. E-mail Lori Near at nearlori@msu.edu.
Phil Shepard, Secretary, retired as Professor at Michigan State University in 1999 and currently is President of Environmentally Sustainable Business Consulting, Inc. He taught issues in social philosophy of technology for 30 years, including energy and environmental issues. He lead the Sustainable Lansing Community Forum project and consulted for the Small Business Association of Michigan to develop a sustainable business forum in central Michigan – a project that Mid-MEAC is now bringing to fruition. A Board member for eight years, he served as Vice President, then Secretary, and has chaired the Residential Service Committee and Board Development Committee. E-mail Phil Shepard at shepard@acd.net.
Recent Volunteers
| Doug Black Max Danford Keith Etheridge Russell Foster Jeremy Goetschy Elise Harvey LeRoy Harvey Steve Holden |
Lori Near Kelly Pohl Cathy Roth Ivy Schmidt JJ Schrader Dave Schenburn Phil Shepard Art Slabosky |
| Rose Homa Sarah Latta John Leone Marisa McGlue Christa Meadowbrook Lucinda J. Means Amy Moore Jerry Nash |
Tom Stanton Katrina Taylor Gene Townsend Lisa Wickman Jace Wickman Gage Wickman Traci Wightman |