CWC Staff Team


Aviv Cutler, Outreach Coordinator, Community Weatherization Coalition Aviv joined our team in January, 2026. Aviv is a sustainable professional passionate about helping make sustainability more accessible in Alachua county through service, especially for our Spanish-speaking neighbors. After graduating with a degree in Sustainability and the Built Environment at the University of Florida in 2023, Aviv worked in UF IFAS labs, extending the University’s research and supporting sustainability in Florida’s agriculture and built environment through education and translation. In his free time, Aviv enjoys riding bikes, being outdoors, crafting, and spending time with his two cats.
CWC Advisory Board Members
Jason Bellamy-Fults
RD Bonnaghan, Executive Director, Rebuilding Together North Central Florida RD is an advocate of safe, healthy, and affordable housing for all people. He currently serves as the Executive Director at Rebuilding Together North Central Florida, the fiscal sponsor of the CWC where he serves as treasurer. With a BA in English from the University of Florida, two terms served in AmeriCorps programs, and more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit and service work, RD is proud to be growing a team and a movement to address housing safety and affordability, as well as utility burden and energy conservation. When he’s not repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives, RD spends his time with his partner Meaghan, his son Jaxon, and their cattle-dog mix, Harriet. He loves thoughtful conversations, eating donuts, reading, and music.
NKwanda Jah, Executive Director, Cultural Arts Coalition NKwanda is a Cofounder and Executive Director for the Cultural Arts Coalition a, 41 year old nonprofit that sponsors the Annual 5th Ave Arts Festival, as well as the Environmental Ambassadors (a 30 year old teen job training program) and after-school Science Clubs for Elementary students in East Gainesville. She chairs the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, which has hosted community forums about healthy accessible food, clean energy and the climate crisis. She serves on the Lake Forest PTA and Resilience Charter School Board of Directors, and is a member of the Rural Development Leadership Network, Board member for The Repurpose Project, Alachua Habitat, and Women for Wise Growth, and a member of our local Education Task Force. She has received over a dozen awards for her community leadership, most recently the 2020 NAACP Alachua County Community Service Award.

Lesly Jerome, Energy Programs Manager, UF PREC Lesly serves as the Energy Programs Manager at the University of Florida’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities (PREC), where he leads statewide efforts to improve residential energy and water efficiency. Since joining PREC in 2007, Lesly has worked at the intersection of construction management, building science, and sustainable design; supporting both new construction and existing homes with practical, research-based strategies to reduce energy consumption and promote long-term affordability. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management and a Master’s in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, both from the University of Florida. His work focuses on translating technical expertise into accessible tools, trainings, and partnerships that support energy resilience in Florida communities. Outside of work, Lesly volunteers with the CWC as an Energy Coach, helping residents reduce their utility bills through in-home energy tune-ups. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, grilling and smoking meats, tending to his yard and landscape, and pursuing new skills through travel and lifelong learning.
Helen Warren, Realtor Helen came up to Gainesville in 1975 from St. Petersburg to attend UF. In 1978, she completed her BA in Sociology and in 1981 a Masters in Education with the subject of Sociology and focus on Community Education. Life after studies included management of a nutrition site for the elderly outside Phoenix, Arizona, owned residential cleaning service and getting into the outdoors across the Southwest. Family matters called her back to St. Petersburg in ‘89 where she was employed in social services for the state. She also met up with birders and the St. Petersburg Audubon Society which kicked off community engagement for protecting our habitat for wildlife and birds. Love brought Helen back to Gainesville in 2000. Again, she found community with Alachua Audubon Society and started a new career in real estate. With a nudge from a few community leaders, Helen ran for City Commission in 2014 and eventually served 2 terms, finishing in 2020. Since 2020, Helen has been networking with various groups ‘Building Community in a Changing Climate.’ This has been a platform to bring back her interests with community education. The basic principle is building relationships with our neighbors, knowing what their needs may be in a time of crisis, a natural disaster or just good ol’ social contact where we can reach out with a helping hand. This is what brought Helen to CWC. She has been an observer of CWC’s good work from the beginning and has made many referrals in the community as she heard about individual struggles with utility bills, and looks forward to reaching out to others as a member of the CWC Advisory Board.
Mary Alford, Environmental Engineer, LEED AP, County Commissioner Prior to being elected to office Mary was a managing partner in The Sustainable Design Group, an architecture and engineering design and consulting group specializing in energy efficiency, compact design and sustainability. She oversaw three of the first ten LEED certified homes in the State of Florida and served as the President of the Heart of Florida Chapter of the US Green Building Chapter. Previous experience includes work in utilities, working as an environmental specialist, project manager, operations manager in energy production. During graduate school she worked in water and wastewater engineering at Gainesville Regional Utilities. Mary cares passionately about climate change, sustainable living, Florida’s unique and delicate environment, and dignified housing for everyone.
Karthik Boregowda, Graduate Student, University of Florida Karthik is a graduate student in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Florida. He received a Graduate Certificate in Wetland and Water Resources Management from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and serves as an InSTEM Mentor for the National Science & Technology Medals Foundation. Karthik mentored students in UF’s Integrated Product & Process Design program, an experiential engineering education initiative that develops products for industrial and research sponsors. His mentorship helped students succeed in high-impact capstone projects for leading industry partners. He also serves as an advisor for the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, where he previously held leadership roles as Vice President, Pi-Day Coordinator, and Corporate Relations Chair. His leadership transformed the chapter by elevating member engagement, enriching candidate experiences, and driving a tenfold increase in membership. Karthik brings his passion for engineering and sustainability to CWC, helping families save energy and water, lower utility costs, and build more resilient, equitable communities. After completing his Ph.D., he plans to pursue a career in academia or industry to develop transformative technologies that expand access to safe drinking water for low-income families.

Emeritus Board – Former Board members who are still actively involved with the CWC:








