Amanda Brimmer
Amanda Brimmer, EIT, is the Technical Director of the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC). In this role, Amanda facilitates development of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for ozone for the Denver Metro/North Front Range nonattainment area as well as managing other air quality planning activities including providing technical direction and support for the council activities. Prior to joining the RAQC, Amanda was a Principal Air Quality Planner with the North Central Texas Council of Governments in Arlington, TX. Amanda graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and earned a Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas, Arlington. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her two daughters.
Doug Hargrave is the President of Iconergy, an energy management and sustainability firm that is based in Denver with additional offices in Boulder and Chicago. Doug has over 25 years of resource conservation, renewable energy, and water and energy efficiency experience with the vast majority of those years dedicated to designing and constructing better buildings. Through his work on public policy, government and utility programs, as well as individual projects, Doug has experience in all facets of energy management and sustainability as it applies to the commercial and industrial sectors.
Laurie Johnson is the Chief Operating Officer, Recycling for 5280 Waste Solutions. 5280 is a hauling and C&D recycling company that captures C&D material and secures markets for these materials in Colorado. Previously, Laurie served as the executive director for Recycle Colorado and VP of Client Services for Recyclebank, and she owned a distribution business in Phoenix for eight years. Laurie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Affairs from Cal State Northridge and an MBA in Sustainable Business from Antioch University.
Melissa Kirr
Melissa Kirr is the Senior Programs Director of Sustainability at Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon, CO. She currently works at a local, regional and global level on a variety of sustainability initiatives. In her role at Walking Mountains, she is responsible for the oversight of sustainability-focused programs and projects that include Energy, Climate Action, Actively Green Sustainable Business Training and Certification, Waste Diversion and Zero Waste programs, and Mountain IDEAL Sustainable Destination. She has spent the past 17 years working in the non-profit sector, specifically the environmental and sustainability realms. She holds degrees in Forest Resource Management from Penn State University and the University of Montana. She also volunteers her time to food equity projects, serves on the board of Cloud City Conservation Center, and has spent the last five years serving as a PPAB Assistance Committee member.
Janna West-Heiss is Director of Communications and Corporate Development for the Solar Financing Company, Solaris Energy, LLC. She previously held positions in government and non-profits focusing on climate and sustainability. She has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management and an MBA in Managing for Sustainability. Janna also holds seats on CU Denver School of Business Managing for Sustainability Advisory Board and Denver Word Cup Sustainability Committee. She’s a Delegate for the Biennials for the Americas Youth Congress for Sustainable Americas and a Denver Youth Sustainability Advisory Board mentor.
Ms. Williams is a manager of Logistics for GE Johnson Construction Company. She manages C&D (Construction & Demolition) diversion for all of GE Johnson’s projects in both Denver and Colorado Springs. Susan has seven years of experience in construction waste management, and she works with various local Colorado recycling partners to achieve LEED project goals. Susan participates in the Association of General Contractors and Colorado Association for Recycling. Her goal is to help the expansion of businesses that will process C&D waste materials for future use and reuse.
Rachel Wilson-Roussel
Rachel Wilson-Roussel is the Sustainability Unit Manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and oversees a variety of cross-media, voluntary environmental programs including the department’s recycling grant and rebate programs. Wilson-Roussel was first appointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2015 to represent the department on the Pollution Prevention Advisory Board. She is also a founding member of the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Board of Directors.
Josh Gallegos
Josh Gallegos is an Environmental Health Specialist and Public Information Officer at The Pueblo Department of Public Health & Environment. In these roles, Josh is the senior inspector (Food, Solid Waste, Body Art, Childcare, Trash Haulers, and Housing) as well as divisional spokesperson assigned to conduct interviews, manage departments’ social media accounts, and distribute press releases and public service announcements. In his 5 years at PDPHE, Josh has been awarded The Colorado Environmental Achievement Award, PDPHE Emerging Leader Award, and Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce "40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders" for his work in environmental health, both in his local community as well as at the state level. He holds Bachelor's degrees in Biochemistry and Biology from Regis University.
Byron Kominek
Byron Kominek is the owner and manager of Jack's Solar Garden, a 1.2 MW agrivoltaics community solar garden in Boulder County. He is a former U.S. diplomat having served with the U.S. Agency for International Development on projects related to forestry and wildlife conservation in southern Africa. He has over 12 years of experience working in international development related to natural resource management and speaks French and Portuguese. He holds a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina. Byron also through-hiked the Appalachian Trail with his dog in 2016 and has a penchant for dry-cured meats.