Heather works as the Director of Sustainability at Perkins Eastman, where she combines her passions for both research and architecture. As a firmwide resource, she works internally to educate architects about sustainability, and to provide them with easy access to key research and tools they need to integrate sustainability into the design process. As a project resource, she works as an internal consultant to help guide sustainability throughout the design process from goal setting to strategy identification to measuring results. She is passionate about passive design, building science, indoor environmental quality, and pre/post-occupancy evaluations.

Andrea Swiatocha, AIA, LEED AP is a Program Analyst in the Schools and Nonprofits Program within the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). Andrea is supporting the administration of the $500 million grant program and the new Energy CLASS Prize through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for schools to implement high-impact energy efficiency and health improvements as well as innovative energy technology packages. Andrea has spent the last 15 years focused on designing, constructing, maintaining, and now financing the advancement of learning spaces. Prior to her role at DOE, Andrea was the former the Deputy Chief of Facilities for DC Public Schools (DCPS). Andrea started her career as a practicing architect where she focused on educational design, specifically K-12 buildings. Andrea is an advocate for high performance design in student learning environments.

Bryan Conrad has worked as an Energy and Sustainability Coordinator for Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) in Northern Virginia for 10 years. In this role he performs energy audits, provide training for staff, and implement sustainable design principles for new construction and renovations. Other responsibilities include overseeing energy efficiency upgrades, scheduling HVAC for community use of our buildings, and monitoring-based commissioning. Bryan helped complete the first solar power purchase agreement for PWCS and manages performance contracts to complete energy efficiency upgrades and capital projects. He represents PWCS as the technical advisor for the construction of their first net-zero energy elementary school and functions as an advisor for best practices in energy management and sustainability for the school division. The projects his team develops, implements, and manages lead to utility savings, energy awareness, improved equipment maintenance and monitoring, and reduced greenhouse gases.

Born and raised by a single immigrant mom in the frontline community of Miami, Florida, John Paul’s commitment to climate justice began after witnessing the government’s response to Hurricane Irma, leaving his community members behind. Propelled into action, he has since organized for climate justice at institutional, local, and federal levels, engaging students, community members, unions, and elected officials along the way. Today, his devotion to movement-building continues in his work as the national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement and a campaign manager for the Green New Deal for American University campaign. As a Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar at American University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Accelerating Climate Action, he centers a value-driven and critical approach in his scholarship as he does in his activism.