Metro CERT welcomes five new steering committee members

Metro CERT is excited to welcome five new community and clean energy leaders to our steering committee! 

Each region of CERTs facilitates a steering committee that serves as a network of community-minded individuals helping us to stay abreast of clean energy happenings in our region and to help guide our region’s work. Our steering committee serves as our eyes and ears across the 11-county Metro region, and operates as an extension of and ambassadors for our work. 

Our new Metro CERT Steering Committee members bring a varied background of experiences and perspectives that will help us better serve everything from battery storage and electrification projects, to grant writing and technical assistance, to reducing energy burden in underserved communities, and more.

We are so lucky to have them join us! Welcome, Kessa, Melody, Sally, Denise, and Gerardo!!

Kessa Andrews

Center for Energy and Environment; MPA Student in Sustainability

I am excited to join the Metro CERT steering committee because I am passionate about accelerating the clean energy transition. I especially appreciate Metro CERT’s equity focus and phenomenal team. My experience with residents and organizations across the state from community organizing, restorative justice, and with the City of Minnetonka inform my relationship building and community education work. Currently I help homeowners increase their energy efficiency at Center for Energy and Environment’s Home Energy Squad, and am pursuing a public administration master’s degree in in sustainability at Middlebury College.

Melody Arteaga

COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina)

I am currently the Environmental Justice Coordinator at COPAL where I support our environmental justice initiatives, including creating accessible outdoor events, dialogues about electrification and decarbonization in homes, and storytelling efforts from people directly impacted by the issue. I am excited to join the Metro CERT steering committee to bring in the perspective of my community to the clean energy space!

Sally Bauer

Hennepin County

As a frequent user of CERTs resources and attendee of their events, I’m thrilled to join the steering committee. I’ve spent the past several years developing my clean energy knowledge base and yet there is always so much more to learn! I’ve developed and implemented neighborhood-level energy rebates, advocated for clean energy policy during the historic 2023 legislative session, and helped build the Department of Commerce’s energy storage incentive program. In my current role at Hennepin County, I am working to advance Hennepin County’s Climate Action Plan through energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy with a focus on our most vulnerable communities. I hope that my experience in local organizing, policy advocacy, state government implementation, and now county energy project management will be helpful for the steering committee work.

Denise Lindholm

MN Department of Commerce

I bring 16 years of government grant experience in the energy field, as well as providing grant technical assistance to local governments of all sizes. I’m excited to join the Metro CERT team, adding my individual perspective and broadening the relationship between CERTs and Commerce teams.

Gerardo Roca

Center for Energy and Environment (CEE)

I grew up as a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, and access to resources in Spanish was not always available. As a result, we missed out on a lot of helpful resources and information. In my role as a community outreach associate at CEE, I strive to make energy efficiency resources available and accessible to Spanish-speaking migrant communities, which can make homes more sustainable, healthy, and comfortable. I'm excited to join this group and collaborate with CERTs and other partners to expand access to energy efficiency resources.

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