Itasca County woman leads from the ground up

The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) is a partnership dedicated to advancing clean energy across Minnesota. In 2023, CERTs launched the Community Energy Ambassadors program, supporting everyday people with clean energy solutions for their own communities. 

“We were hearing from people around the state that they wanted to help educate their communities about clean energy, but didn’t know where to start,” says CERTs Co-Director Melissa Birch. “The Community Energy Ambassadors program gives them the training, tools, and connections they need to take action.”  

The program offers free, self-paced resources like webinars, slideshows, and handouts on topics ranging from clean energy tax credits and electric vehicle incentives to solar energy for farms and businesses. Participants can even complete a training to become “CERTified,” gaining recognition as official CERTs community volunteers.  

Christina VanDeventer says she discovered the program by chance while researching clean energy rebates. 

“I fell down a rabbit hole online one day,” she laughs. “I was looking for information about household energy programs and stumbled upon CERTs and the ambassadors program.”  

Although she was already familiar with Minnesota’s clean energy opportunities, VanDeventer says the program’s resources have been a game-changer for relaying that information to others.  

“These tools are fantastic for my work with community engagement and education in Deer River,” she says.

Birch says that VanDeventer is a great example of how the CERTs Community Energy Ambassadors program can be helpful to a range of people. 

Saying, “whether someone is just dipping their toes into clean energy or a seasoned leader looking to amplify their impact, CERTs is ready to guide Minnesotans wherever they are on their clean energy journey.”

For Christina VanDeventer, her work in Deer River is just the beginning. She hopes her work with the Hometown Resilience Foundation can serve as a model for other small towns across Minnesota and beyond. “If I can get this plan working and demonstrated in the next 10 years, I can pass it on to others,” she says. “Every community is different, and every risk assessment will look unique. But I’m happy to help others get started.

VanDeventer says this approach is something she’s picked up along the way on her journey. 

“I’ve gone from holding leadership titles to leading from within,” she says. “And honestly, I like it better. I believe in ground-up movements versus top-down approaches.” For others looking to take action from the ground up, VanDeventer recommends using simple tools, like those provided by the CERTs Community Energy Ambassador program. 

“Some of their project suggestions are great starting points,” she notes. “Even just helping your community navigate new energy programs — like the ones rolling out soon — can have a huge impact. So many people won’t even know these programs exist, and even more won’t know where to start. Guiding them through that process is a powerful way to help your community become more energy efficient.”

As the self-proclaimed “one woman army” behind Hometown Resilience Foundation VanDeventer takes the same approach to heart. 

“Sometimes starting small means really small. As much as I’m passionate about a thousand different things, I’ve had to pull back and focus on what I can realistically achieve as one person,” she says. “I like to say, ‘you can't do everything, but you can do something. And every “something” makes a difference.’”