CWC Staff Team
Alane Humrich, Program Director, Community Weatherization Coalition Alane has over 18 years of nonprofit sector experience, and has been with the CWC for 10 of those. She manages three staff and day-to-day operations and programs at the CWC to expand our resource-saving services to more of our Alachua County neighbors. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology from Michigan State University, Alane worked as a biological technician studying sea turtles for several seasons before finding her calling in nonprofit work. Being a part of this impactful organization, and working alongside individuals who love to make a positive difference for the planet and in the lives’ of our neighbors, makes her heart happy.
Katie Greenshaw, Energy Tune-up Technician, Community Weatherization Coalition Katie joined the CWC team in Spring of 2023 after volunteering as an energy coach since 2019. She is excited to be a part of this local nonprofit, assisting others and learning more about equitable housing and sustainability. As a University of Florida (UF) graduate with a major in Sustainability and the Built Environment and a minor in Innovation, she enjoys collaborating on creative ways to support our community and planet. In her free time, Katie can be found reading, wandering around the swamp, and working on various crafts.
Hannah Rye, Program Assistant, Community Weatherization Coalition Hannah joined CWC as program assistant in April, 2024 after volunteering as a translator since October, 2023. She works for CWC part-time, while also studying linguistics at the University of Florida. She is passionate about helping our community, spreading awareness about energy conservation, and making CWC’s services more accessible for our Spanish-speaking neighbors. In her free time she likes to play the piano, read, or study foreign languages.
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
, CWC Advisory Board President and Instructional Technologist, University of FL Jason is a longtime volunteer for the CWC who has worked extensively in the nonprofit and education sectors, serving most recently as Coordinator of the Alachua County Labor Coalition and Office Manager for United Faculty of Florida at UF. Jason currently serves as the Recording Secretary for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1205 and formerly as the Vice-Chair of the Gainesville Regional Utilities Utility Advisory Board. He has served as an adult educator and has taught for the Adult Education Program at Santa Fe College as well as IBEW’s local apprenticeship program. Prior to entering the education field, he was an electrical worker and solar installer. In 2023, Jason completed his master’s degree in Educational Technology from UF and received his bachelor’s degree in Biology/Sustainability from Berea College in central Kentucky.
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.
Barry Jacobson, PhD, PE, President of Solar Impact, Inc. Barry is president of Solar Impact- a local residential and commercial solar design and installation company. He co-founded Solar Impact with his wife, Elaine Jacobson, eleven years ago with the goal of spreading the adoption of solar through quality and affordability. This year, they are converting the company to an employee-owned cooperative. Barry has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from University of Florida and a PhD from North Carolina State University. He is a Florida licensed professional engineer and solar contractor. He is also a member of the City of Gainesville’s Utility Advisory Board. Barry has expertise in developing computer simulations and decision support systems for water quality & quantity and energy. He is passionate about the need for renewable energy and for improving energy efficiency.
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.
Christina Flagg, Retired Christina is proud to be a Florida Native. She grew up in a family building supply business based in Deerfield Beach. Chris earned a degree in English and in Education and State of Florida Teacher certification from FSU later teaching and substituting and volunteering in schools in Daytona and Gainesville Fl. She was co-founder of Celebrate City Government in the City of Gainesville, an education program for Good Citizens of the Month 5th Graders in Alachua Public schools. Other Civic involvement includes 30 plus years in League of Women Voters Alachua Co/Gainesville serving as VP and Voter Service Chair and other board positions many terms as well registering new US citizens after their Naturalization here. She was awarded the LWV Pillar of the League Award for her efforts. Chris served as President of Partners in Politics-Florida, a statewide coalition to provide support and education for spouses and families of elected officials in Florida. Under her tenure Partners with guidance from UF Center for Governmental Responsibility established a partnership of University of Florida, and Shands and Florida State University to provide programs for these families. Chris has served on several other community Boards including VP of FLorida Museum Natural History Associates, Santa Fe Community College Gallery of Art League as President, Friends of Paynes Prairie, Inc., VP and President, Volunteer Coordinator SanFelasco Hammock State Preserve Park and Devil’s Millhopper State Preserve Park, She was a member of the successful Coalition, “Save Millhopper Road”. She was employed as campaign manager for US Congresswoman Karen Thruman’s successful first reelection campaign to US Congress in 1994. Chris and her late husband David Flagg were partners in “Torch Consultants, Inc.”, a political consulting and lobbying company representing several local business entities. Her most important job was as mother of the famous attorney Byron David Flagg and the equally famous award winning filmmaker and SFC Coordinator/Instructor and Administrator Eric Flagg, as well as grandmother to upcoming 8th grader Kyra and mother-in -law to equally famous Crystal Goodison-Flagg: GeoPlan UF and author.
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.
Paul Monaghan, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, UF/IFAS Paul Monaghan is a faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida. He specializes in conducting community-based research to help citizens foster behavioral and social change utilizing a framework called Social Marketing. He has assisted the CWC since 2015 in grant writing, strategic planning and conducting interviews and focus groups with volunteers and clients. He has also worked with non-profits that serve the farmworkers of Florida, collaborating on research regarding the effects of COVID, field safety, especially heat safety, and community disaster resilience. He also contributes research expertise to the North Central Florida Food Systems Coalition and is a member of the SafetyNet Collaborative.
Emeritus Board – Former Board members who are still actively involved with the CWC:
Dr. Wendell Porter, CWC President Emeritus Dr. Wendell Porter helped to organize the Community Weatherization Coalition, and was the group’s first President. He is a retired Lecturer and Undergraduate Advisor with the Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department of the University of Florida. Dr. Porter taught many energy related courses, including Global Sustainable Energy. He has been a registered professional engineer since 1987 and has worked as an engineer for over 30 years. His energy engineering work includes water and wastewater facilities, renewable energy systems, food processing and residential housing. He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and received his PhD in Agricultural and Biological Engineering in 2003.
Dr. Marianne Schmink, Professor Emerita, University of Florida Marianne is a founding member and active Energy Coach with the CWC, and helped lead the organization as our Volunteer Advisory Board President from 2015-2023. She is a member of the Alachua County NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee and of the board of directors of the Greater Duval Neighborhood Association. She is Professor Emerita and Distinguished Teaching Scholar of Latin American Studies and Anthropology at the University of Florida, where she served as Director of the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) program from 1988-2010. For over 40 years she worked on conservation and development issues in the Amazon region of South America.
Theresa Spurling-Wood, CEM,CIE,GGP, LEED AP, Director, Energy Systems, Alachua County Public Schools A Mechanical| Technical| Energy Conservation Specialist, Theresa has over 35 years of experience spanning the HVAC Service Industry, K12 Facilities Maintenance & Operations, and Utilities and Energy Conservation fields. Her recent work has led to recognition for Alachua County Public Schools from the US Department of Education as a 2016 US Green Ribbon School District, a 2015 Florida Green Schools Gold District, and an EPA as 2013 Top Performer School District due to their districtwide energy, water, and waste consumption decreases. She holds several Journeyman licenses and Certifications, and previously served as the Program Manager for Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) award winning Home Performance with Energy Star Program and their Low-income Energy Efficiency Program which assisted GRU customers with home improvements that improved comfort while also reducing their energy use and lowering their electric bills.
Mark Spiller, Utility Analyst, Gainesville Regional Utilities – Retired Prior to retiring, Mark performed energy surveys for commercial, industrial and residential customers in the energy community for over 35 years. Throughout this time he frequently served as staff liaison to the environmental advocacy community. Mark started with a utility evaluating and improving low-income households, and after thousands of residential, commercial, and industrial energy analyses, he is again enjoying assisting those in greatest need during his retirement. His other hobbies include writing fiction, gardening, playing guitar, kayaking, and rock collecting.
Hal S. Knowles, III, Ph.D., Lecturer and Change Agent, University of Florida, College of Design, Construction & Planning Dr. Knowles is an experienced commercial and residential construction project engineer, and business development manager. Hal holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE). As a Graduate Research Assistant with UF’s Office of Sustainability, he helped coordinate a campus-wide Carbon Inventory and Climate Action Plan as part of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Dr. Knowles promotes the adoption of best green design, construction, and operation practices in community development, monitors and measures comparative urban development impacts, creates extension education materials, develops and deploys energy efficiency building retrofit and financing programs, and fosters public/private partnerships that pursue sustainability in Florida’s built environment.
Matt Bruce, Matt remains an active Energy Coach and valuable member of our Training Team. While serving on our Board, Matt was the Residential Efficiency Program Coordinator for Gainesville Regional Utilities, where he worked closely with low-income homeowners as GRU’s LEEPplus program manager. GRU’s Low-income Energy Efficiency Programplus (LEEPplus) assists low-income customers with home upgrades that improve both efficiency and comfort. Matt also conducted home energy surveys, irrigation surveys, and air conditioning duct tests through his work at GRU. Prior to working at GRU, Matt enlisted in the Navy and worked in nuclear power production as an electrician. He also attended the University of Florida where he received a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Conservation.
Anna Grace Sampson, Director, We Are Neutral Anna Grace Sampson is the Director of We Are Neutral, an environmental non-profit that creates industry leaders through their local carbon offset and carbon reduction initiatives. We Are Neutral hopes to quantify the carbon sequestration resulting from the work of the CWC. Anna received her Masters in Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009 and has since completed all 5,600 Intern Development Program hours to become a licensed architect. After graduating, she worked with Rebuilding Together and the CWC, where she became a trained energy auditor and assisted with volunteer recruitment and program execution. Over the past 8 years in Gainesville, she has assisted multiple non-profits with designing efficient systems and strategies.
Stacie Greco, Water Conservation Coordinator, Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Stacie currently serves as the County’s Water Conservation Coordinator with the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, where she has worked to protect our water resources for the past 14 years. She received a B.S. in the Environmental Sciences from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC prior to obtaining her M.S. in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. In 2010, she received a graduate certificate in Social Marketing at the University of South Florida to learn how to apply traditional marketing tools to change behaviors for protecting our water. Stacie enjoys exploring Florida’s natural areas by kayak, foot, and bike, while camping in her vintage trailer.
Byron Flagg, Attorney, GrayRobinson Byron grew up in Gainesville and has deep roots in Alachua County. A licensed Florida attorney since 2005, Byron started his legal career as a criminal prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office in Gainesville, later earned an LL.M. Degree in Environmental and Land Use law from UF in 2011 and since then has worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors across the state, including for the St. Johns River Water Management District and Alachua Conservation Trust. He is experienced in land use, environmental, real estate, and local government legal matters. Byron currently works with GrayRobinson and is closely affiliated with the University of Florida Law School’s Conservation Clinic. Byron is also a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Jennison Kipp, Resiliency Specialist, Alachua County Jennison has been with Alachua County since 2025. Prior, she worked with the University of Florida’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities (PREC) since 2006 to promote the adoption of conservation, efficiency, and green stormwater infrastructure practices among Florida’s land developers and practitioners. Jennison holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from Allegheny College and master’s degrees in Environmental Economics and Environmental Pollution Control from Penn State University. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya (way back in the 20th Century!), is co-founder of the National Extension Climate Initiative and Florida Extension’s CIVIC Program, and currently serves on the Alachua County Citizen Climate Advisory Committee and UF Climate Action Plan Energy Working Group. Jennison loves traveling, hiking in the mountains, playing the piano, baking pies, and hanging out with her husband, two boys, and three wiener dogs.
Matt Cirafice, Realtor Matt is originally from New York, and has a BA in Economics from the University of Buffalo, SUNY. He was a US Navy Officer active during first Gulf War campaign, and possesses 12 years experience as financial advisor, stockbroker, trader. Matt also began working in the energy industry in 2010 for the natural gas supplier Infinite Energy. He is currently an independent contractor for United Energy Services (energy brokerage) and a Licensed Realtor since 2015. He is an active agent with REAL Broker LLC. Matt also created Gainesville Alachua County Heroes, which provides incentives for military, veterans, police, fire/rescue, teachers, & nurses buying or selling real estate. He is an active member with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal charitable organization. Additionally, he is an Annual Fundraiser for the American Heart Association.
Matt Williams, Sustainability Manager, Alachua County Matt is new to the County in 2026. Prior, he worked in sustainability on southeastern university campuses for nearly two decades; many of those most recently at the University of Florida. Matt’s approach emphasizes the combined roles of individuals and institutions in creating a sustainable future, and the need for higher education to take a leadership role in educating students for sustainability, researching sustainable solutions to global issues, and incorporating sustainability practices into day-to-day campus operations.
