John Szoka

John Szoka graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an infantry officer, ranger, and airborne qualified, in a variety of command and staff positions, retiring from active duty at Fort Bragg as a Lieutenant Colonel. While in the Army, he earned his master’s degree in Operations Research from the University of Texas at Austin.

He became an energy advocate during his ten years of service (2013-2022), in the North Carolina House of Representatives. He served as the House Republican Conference Leader, Senior Chairman of the Finance Committee, Chairman of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, and Chairman of the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy. John sponsored major pieces of legislation that modernized North Carolina’s energy policy to take full advantage of the benefits of low-cost clean energy while protecting ratepayers. He was widely recognized as the leading advocate for free market solutions to a clean energy future and has spoken frequently on the topic at conferences across the nation.

In 2023, he became CEO of The Conservative Energy Network (CEN), a national network of state-based organizations whose mission is to champion secure, reliable, affordable, clean American energy. Working with policymakers and industry partners in 26 states, CEN is assisting decision-makers from local levels to the halls of Congress to understand the benefits of clean energy and how to best save money for ratepayers.

John and his wife, Laurie, also a retired Army officer and a Nurse Practitioner, reside in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Daniel J. Alfonso, Ed.D.

Daniel J. Alfonso, Ed.D. is the Executive Vice President of Facilities Management and Public Safety at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Davie, Florida. At NSU, he oversees the team responsible for maintaining the various campuses throughout the States of Florida, Puerto Rico, and Denver, Colorado. Mr. Alfonso also oversees design and construction, renovations, and student housing and is responsible for the public safety of all campuses. Most importantly, Mr. Alfonso is responsible for ensuring that the campuses of NSU look fantastic, the water runs, the toilets flush, the lights are on, and the A/C works. Danny, as his colleagues call him, began work at NSU in Dec. 2017 after serving in local government at Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami for more than 23 years, with his last role being that of the City Manager at the City of Miami, Florida, where he served for 4 years. While working full-time at Miami Dade County, Mr. Alfonso earned a Master of Science in Finance degree at Florida International University (2002) and a Bachelor of Business Administration with majors in Management, and International Business (2001). He also earned an Associate Degree in Accounting at Miami Dade College. And now, he is enrolled in NSU’s Organizational Leadership doctoral program! Mr. Alfonso served in the United States Army from 1986 to 1991. He earned the rank of Sergeant and, in 1990, participated in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm as a Cavalry Scout assigned to the 24th Infantry Division. He values family, loyalty, and education. He has been married to his lovely wife, Claudia, since 1986. They have a son and a daughter who bring much joy into their lives.

Paul Bielicki

Paul Bielicki is a licensed architect who loves solving problems. He finds it especially rewarding when the solution has a practical application and can be seen and analyzed in use. Further knowledge can be gathered from this solution and then used in the formulation of the next solution. It is a cyclical process of discovery, learning, and discovery again. He is currently applying his love of the problem to building enclosures and their direct impact on interior environmental quality. Paul is also trained as a structural engineer helping to add an additional level of project problem-solving abilities. However, even having gone through engineering, drawing remains his favored method for problem-solving. Paul’s research interests are based on efficiency, particularly how sustainability is a specialized form of efficiency. In addition to building enclosures, he is interested in how building materials and systems may be reused rather than recycled at the end of a building's life, thereby saving the energy required to recycle the components. Reuse is most often undertaken as an adaptive change to building programming, but his focus is on component reuse in other building projects. Outside the office, Paul is a founding member of the Building Enclosure Council-Charlotte, is a former vice chair, has served on the strategic planning committee since the chapter’s founding, and is the 2026 Knowledge Director. He is also a lead mentor with Architecture Construction Engineering (ACE) Mentoring-Charlotte and has been involved with the organization for the past seven years.

Sue Bork

Sue Bork is a technology advisor to campuses across the U.S., helping leaders evaluate technology as a solution to evolving campus needs. She works with myriad of higher education stakeholders to address engagement concerns and empower strategic decisions enabled by actionable data. Her collaboration with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville helped them manage hybrid return-to-campus models post-COVID-19 and to plan for the future of campus development. She is also responsible for working with Nova Southeastern University, Florida on their $100 million in savings.

Jordan Duke

Jordan Duke is a licensed unlimited general contractor and owner of Renew Design and Build located in Durham, North Carolina. After receiving an undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University in Appropriate Technology, now Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, it's no surprise he became a Certified Passive House Consultant, Builder and Rater determined to bring high performance to the mixed-humid south. He leads the Durham chapter of the BS and Beer Show where architects, designers, builders, trades and BS nerds all meet to talk shop and visit local high- performance construction sites. His expertise in building science, combined with his field experience, offers a realistic yet hopeful view of how single-family residential construction and remodeling can help meet our collective energy and climate goals.

Laura Erin England

Laura Erin England is an ecologist, environmental communicator and changemaker who began her career in the nonprofit sector developing and leading outreach programs. She taught in Appalachian State University’s Department of Sustainable Development for 15 years and now co-leads campuswide climate literacy efforts as App State’s director of academic sustainability initiatives.

Cai Fox

Cai Fox is the assessment coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at UNC Charlotte. Since joining the team in 2024, Cai has led the university’s efforts in data gathering, information management, and reporting for campus-wide sustainability metrics. His work is instrumental in informing strategic plans at the university, division, and facilities management levels. Cai holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a co-major in sustainable business, as well as a master’s degree in environmental sustainability, both from Indiana University. With a professional background as an operations manager and project coordinator, he brings a unique blend of business acumen and data analysis to the world of campus operations, ensuring that sustainability goals are met through rigorous assessment and informed decision-making.

Aaron Gould

Aaron Gould has over 20 years of international experience in design and construction, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, health and durable materials — especially mass timber. After several seasons in the trades, while guiding climbing and whitewater, he went on to lead and found design, construction, and consulting businesses. Aaron is currently enjoying his 12th year with VaproShield, of Gig Harbor, WA, heading up sustainability globally. Examples from his project CV include experience on: mass timber structures, Living Buildings/LEED, hospitals, hotels, high rises, mixed-use, net-zero developments, government facilities, art museums, historic restorations, schools/universities, and the occasional tree house. Some speaking engagements include: A'23 (AIA) International Conference, CSI Conference - NW Regional, Mass Timber Group Summit, International Mass Timber Conference, University of Miami School of Architecture, Auburn University CLT Conference, RDH NE Mass Timber Symposium. He lives in the boonies outside of Chattanooga, TN, undeservedly with his extraordinary wife and their wily children. Aaron’s professional focus centers on fostering a spirit of collaboration with amazing people to achieve resilient, regenerative buildings. "If a building leaks, it is not sustainable." Aaron is a member of: Clemson University's WU+D, mindfulMaterials, WMF, IIBEC, NIBS/BEC, ABAA, RAiNA, TVOS, Build ReUse, and Green|Spaces, Living Future Institute, and an officer at Wayside Presbyterian Church (PCA).

Karan Gupta

Karan Gupta comes from a background in the utility industry and over a decade of experience in on-site and off-site construction. As principal at Elemental Consulting, he specializes in new buildings, retrofits, community development, and prefabrication and manufacturing. He is a Phius Certified Consultant and Phius Certified Builder, a LEED GA, Just Communities AP, and CNU-accredited. Karan was a research contributor for Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming and has a BA in economics from New York University and master’s degrees in environmental management and forestry from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

Rob Howard

Rob Howard is President of Howard Building Science, based in Granite Falls, NC. As a Licensed General Contractor, Howard Building Science provides sustainable development and net-zero energy home construction in the High Country and Foothills of Western North Carolina. Rob has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He is the former Director of Construction at Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley, where he built ENERGY STAR homes through Advanced Energy’s SystemVision program. He built the first Net-Zero Energy Home in North Carolina in partnership with the Appalachian Energy Center in 2005. He also built the first DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes in North Carolina in 2015. Previous roles include 5 years as a Sustainable Building Specialist with Habitat for Humanity International and 4 years as a Performance Construction Manager with Mitsubishi Electric. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree and a renewable energy technologies diploma from North Carolina State University. He also holds a master’s degree in sustainable technology and building science from Appalachian State University where he serves as a lecturer.

Evan Hutchison

Evan Hutchison is a residential project manager at Howard Building Science, Inc. He graduated from Appalachian State University's Building Science program with a double major in Architectural Technology & Design and Construction Management. During his time at ASU, he worked as an assistant to Dr. Arezou Sadoughi for her exploration into mass timber modular construction, helping with outreach, marketing and research, and was part of the construction team for her module. He aspires to further the mission of sustainable design in his career, using his time at ASU as a strong foundation to build on.

Aly Khalifa

Aly Khalifa is a systems thinker, inventor, and sustainability strategist with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of innovation, manufacturing, and environmental stewardship. He has developed more than 47 patents and led award-winning initiatives that embed sustainability into product architecture, supply chains, and business models — linking technical design to long-term environmental and economic performance. He is the founder of Positive Company and the originator of the Coflourishing framework, which explores how institutions, infrastructure, markets, and natural systems can be intentionally designed to thrive together. His work spans circular economy strategy, sustainability platforms, and materials innovation — grounded in the belief that meaningful progress requires shared prosperity.

Rob Leonard

Rob Leonard is a construction industry consultant, trainer, and instructor. Rob has more than 47 years in the construction industry, including developing organizations, facilities, and products, sales, marketing, project management, design/build, Integrated Project Development (IPD), safety programming, instruction and instructional program development, industrialized off-site construction (IOC), field operations/field work, and workforce development. Rob’s experience includes a focus on building science, high-performing buildings, and improving how buildings are built and renovated. Rob is dedicated to sharing with others his overall construction knowledge as well as his expertise in construction process and process optimization, construction means and methods, efficient project management, IOC, and building science. Rob’s certifications and accreditations include: State of Virginia DPOR Class “A” builder qualified; HERS Rater; Energy Star Rater; former PHIUS+ Rater; former PHIUS+ Large Building Verifier; phius Certified Passive House Builder Instructor, Phius Trades Professional Program Developer and Instructor, Phius Trades Professional Certified Enclosure Specialist, Virginia Tech Myers Lawson School of Construction Adjunct Instructor, VWCC Adjunct Instructor, NAHB Certified Green Professional; NCCER Certified Instructor; NCCER Master Trainer; HBI Certified Instructor; OTI OSHA Instructor; ACE Certified Personal Trainer; ACE Certified Health Coach, ACE Certified Senior Fitness Coach, PN Certified Coach / Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery Coach, Starrett Precision Measuring Instructor, NC3 Mechatronics Instructor, Electronics Instructor, and Snap On Tool ID Instructor. Rob is involved with fundraising for charitable organizations and enjoys spending time with his wife and family. Rob lives a sustainable, self-sufficient homestead lifestyle in Franklin County, Virginia, and participates in hiking, cycling, running, gardening, and beekeeping.

Oliver Meade

Oliver Meade is a principal and mechanical engineer with Buro Happold, an engineering, design, consultancy, and advisory firm that provides services for some of the world’s top institutions. Oliver leads Buro Happold’s office in Durham, North Carolina and focuses on energy-efficient and sustainable projects within the higher education, cultural, and science sectors. Oliver has led projects pursuing different certifications such as Passive House, LEED and Living Building Challenge. His approach combines multi-disciplinary expertise with an acute awareness of the building’s operators and occupants that result in functional and high-performance projects.

Chris Moeller

Chris Moeller is the CEO of Orion Growth and the creator of the pathway communities model, a new approach to housing focused on stability, resilience, and upward mobility. With a background in commercial real estate development, he works at the intersection of housing, energy, and community systems by integrating design, data, and distributed energy into a single platform. His work advances the #StableLiving framework to reduce the total cost of living while building long-term resilience for everyday communities.

Dr. Jamie Russell

Dr. Jamie Russell serves as director of the Appalachian Energy Center at Appalachian State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University and earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina. He joined AppState in 2008, where he now holds the rank of full professor. Dr. Russell has also worked for seven years as a machine design engineer and environmental health and safety manager in the architectural glass industry, two years as a research fellow at Ulster University in Belfast, as well as serving for two years as an invited professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, (EPFL) in Switzerland. Jamie enjoys working with teams to develop products from concept to reality and has managed three solar decathlon competition projects, including the Solar Homestead (U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2011), Solar Decathlon Europe 2014, and US DOE Solar Decathlon 2017.

Dr. Arezou Sadoughi

Dr. Arezou Sadoughi is an assistant professor in the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment (STBE) at Appalachian State University. She is the inventor of the mass-produced Hybrid Mass Timber structural system (File No. Z3122001, USV, 2022). Her expertise lies in affordable housing and industrialized construction, with a focus on design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), low-carbon materials, mass timber systems, and healthy housing. Dr. Sadoughi leads research in material efficiency, design, and engineering of modular timber structures. She is also a co-founder of MassTiMod, LLC, supported by the Do North Forestry Accelerator program. She has secured funding from the U.S. Forest Service to support design validation and engineering of hybrid mass timber systems. Over the last several years, she has authored more than seven publications in affordable housing and industrialized construction.

George Santucci

George Santucci is the Town of Boone’s sustainability and special projects manager. He now manages Boone's Community Climate Action Plan, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, renewable energy purchases, solar installations, electrifying the town's fleet, increasing public EV charging infrastructure, funding to improve stormwater infrastructure, and funding stream restoration and water quality improvements. Boone has a strong commitment to sustainable practices. It is the first town in North Carolina to purchase all municipal electricity from 100% renewable sources. In 2021, the Town of Boone hired George to achieve this goal and to ensure renewable energy for the entire town by 2050. George comes to Boone with a strong environmental and river conservation background.

Jessica Scarlett

Jessica Scarlett joined WoodWorks Wood Products Council in 2021 as the regional director of the Carolinas and Tennessee and comes to the team with a background in architecture, structural engineering, and acoustics/vibration. Jessica is a native Carolinian, but has worked all across the U.S. and Canada. She holds a bachelor’s from UNC Charlotte and a master/s from Clemson University. What she enjoys most about her role at Woodworks is being able to utilize her design and technical backgrounds in concert. Upon joining WoodWorks, she becomes the third generation of her family to work in the wood industry.

Bekim Sejdiu

Bekim Sejdiu brings momentum and systems thinking to shape a thriving resilient future. He helps teams envision what’s possible by connecting inputs to outcomes, translating data into compelling design strategies, and building excitement around regenerative approaches that create positive spillover across projects and culture. Bekim uses data to drive accountability and guide decisions, while reminding teams that “every line we draw has a massive climate impact.” He’s passionate about showing what’s achievable through case studies and how core building science principles can unlock climate-responsive solutions anywhere. Outside the studio, Bekim turns to the natural world for renewal and perspective. Whether he’s hiking the ancient Smokies, or exploring another national park on his list, time outdoors sharpens his curiosity and deepens his belief in people as stewards of the living systems around us.

James Sharp

James Sharp serves as outreach manager for the Appalachian Energy Center with a focus on facilitating partnerships to co-create clean energy strategies and policies supporting economic growth, environmental protection, and resilience for North Carolina communities. He manages the Center’s workshops program and other extension initiatives. James has 20 years of experience serving organizations and communities with a focus on strategic planning, business development, project management, and stakeholder engagement programs. Certified by the American Institute of Community Planners, James is a doctoral candidate in urban planning and public affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington, where his areas of research focus include socio-technical transitions in rural communities, location behavior, and the role of planners in preparing their communities for better futures. James is also an adjunct instructor in community and regional planning at Appalachian State University.

Sandy Skolochenko

Sandy Skolochenko works for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Recycling and Materials Management Section. She has 12 years of experience working to advance recycling in North Carolina at the local and state levels. Sandy works with local governments and private businesses to expand access to recycling, improve collection and processing, and build stronger, more resilient end markets in the state.

Galen Staengl

Galen Staengl is a mechanical engineer with a passion for sustainable design. Galen has more than 25 years of experience designing cutting-edge energy-efficient mechanical systems for green building projects. He is the founder of Staengl Engineering, a Virginia-based mechanical, electrical, and plumbing consulting firm that provides design and energy analysis for Passive and Net Zero energy buildings around the country. Galen is also a member of the Technical Committee for the Passive House Institute U.S.

BJ Tipton

BJ Tipton is the AASHE STARS data assistant for Appalachian State University. She recently received a master's in Sustainability and Environment from UNC Greensboro. She worked a full and rewarding career in collegiate recycling and waste management at both UNC Charlotte and UNC Chapel Hill before joining the App State Sustainability and Energy Management team. In her off hours, she enjoys mountain biking and knitting, just not at the same time!

Aleisha Whipple

Aleisha Whipple is a graduate student in geography and planning, focusing on the intersection of climate change and human health—particularly in the aftermath of climate-related disasters. She previously served as a graduate assistant for the Quality Enhancement Plan’s Pathway to Resilience, a five-year, campuswide climate literacy initiative at Appalachian State University. In that role, her work in student engagement inspired her to found the Mountaineer Climate Corps, a student-led organization dedicated to advancing positive climate action.