Boston Smart Buildings & Sustainability

Dennis Carlberg is the Associate Vice President for Sustainability at Boston University and Adjunct Assistant Professor where he focuses on building the programs necessary for mitigating BU’s impacts on climate change, preparing its campuses for climate change, and supporting the integration of sustainability into the curriculum including the creation and administration of the BU Campus Climate Lab. Prior to joining BU in 2009, Dennis was a principal at Arrowstreet, a Boston-based architectural firm where he focused on sustainable design. He began his career at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Lab) conducting daylighting research to reduce building energy consumption and improve the indoor environment. Dennis co-chairs the Boston Green Ribbon Commission Higher Ed Working Group Executive Committee and is the University's Liaison to the University Climate Change Coalition. He co-chaired ULI Boston’s Climate Resilience Committee and served on many sustainability committees for ULI and Technical Advisory Groups for the City of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and national organizations. At BU he serves on the Antiracism Working Group and co-chairs its Sustainability Subcommittee. He served on the Climate Action Plan Task Force and the advisory boards of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, City Planning and Urban Affairs, and led the Sustainable Operations section of the BU Strategic Plan. He received his Master of Architecture from MIT and his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

Over the 20 years of his career, Adam Jennings has had a range of experiences, from refueling a nuclear aircraft carrier to installing PV systems and consulting on environmental design. This variety of work has allowed Adam to realize that most problems have multiple solutions and has led him to become very flexible and collaborative when working with his peers. Inspired by the successful completion of projects, Adam always listens to the needs of clients and enjoys working with them to find the ideal solution. For instance, he brought his expertise to the implementation of a photovoltaic-thermal hybrid solar system in Boston, which was the largest rooftop hybrid installation in the United States at the time. As Energy & Sustainability, and Commissioning Department Director, Adam makes sure to find time to learn new skills to better serve clients. He is a Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager, LEED BD+C, ID+C, and Homes accredited professional, WELL accredited professional, Fitwel Ambassador, and a Certified Building Commissioning Professional. Adam holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, an MS in Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and an MBA from Boston College.

Brandt Wild (LEED AP BD+C) is a Project Manager at Siena Construction, a Cambridge-based construction management firm. Brandt provides leadership on Siena’s construction projects for biotech, corporate, multi-unit residential, educational, and non-profit firms throughout greater Boston. Brandt brings two decades of construction industry experience to his role at Siena, with a professional focus on sustainable building practices. As a co-founder of Ecologic Retrofits, Brandt managed integral sustainability planning, general contracting, and design-build services. His projects achieved Zero Energy building certification from the International Living Future Institute and LEED Certifications for educational and commercial clients. Since 2020, Brandt has overseen Siena’s partnership with MIT Sloan School Laboratory for Sustainable Business (S-Lab). Under Brandt’s leadership, Siena and S-Lab have collaborated to identify regenerative, integral approaches to sustainable construction materials management. He has also led Siena’s affiliation with Cambridge Science Festival. Brandt oversaw the design and construction of several geodesic spheres, highlighting the interconnective impacts of sustainable building practices, and community connections through learning and creativity. Brandt is a LEED accredited professional, and has past affiliations with the Master Builders Association, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Building Alliance, and the National Council Architectural Registration Board. He received a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

An industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience, Ray leads Ecosave’s engineering, construction and renewable geothermal and solar teams from the design and R&D stages through construction and implementation in both existing and new-build environments. He oversees project pricing, energy savings projections, and the attainment of incentive program funds to ensure each Ecosave project meets or exceeds clients’ energy- and cost-savings goals.

Kasey Boxleitner is Trane’s Decarb Sales Leader for North America. As the Decarb Sales Leader, she is responsible for driving the growth of Trane’s market presence in decarbonization across the US & Canada. Trane’s decarb scope includes thermal energy storage, electrification of heating, and next generation refrigerants. She supports the field sales, sales management, and fulfillment team efforts to develop and implement standard work practices for strategic growth initiatives. Kasey Graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a BS in mechanical engineering. She began her career at Trane as an Account Manager. During this time, she worked on HVAC system design and implementation for commercial buildings. After 5 years in the role of account manager, Kasey moved to business development where she focused on Trane equipment and controls for life sciences, indoor agriculture, and healthcare buildings in the Boston market. Kasey is on the Board of Governors for ASHRAE Boston and is an active member in NAIOP. In her free time, Kasey enjoys running, biking, reading, beach volleyball, and volunteering with Youth Enrichment Services.

Jennifer Schultz is a partner at the law firm Nixon Peabody, LLP, and the Leader of the Nationwide Real Estate Development Team. Jenn specializes personally on large-scale complex mixed-use development in and around the Boston area, Worcester, and Providence, RI. She and her team have successfully permitted over 10 million square feet of development over the last 6 years, including over 4 million square feet of lab/R&D space. Nixon’s national development team includes more than 26 lawyers and professional staff across seven offices.

Charlie Benzyk is the founder and Principal Consultant at Energy Lifecycle Management Consulting. ELM Consulting was formed in 2015 with the belief that ALL stakeholders should win when an efficiency project is planned holistically and the goal is maximizing the lifetime value. Over the years, Charlie has worked to reduce the amount of information arbitrage between vendors, owners, developers and utilities in the CRE space as it relates to efficiency and sustainability projects. As a consultant, Mr. Benzyk has experience working with existing building portfolios, new construction and organizational ESG roadmapping. ELM Consulting is currently helping its clients complete capital planning to prepare for BERDO compliance and our shared all-electric future including EV charging, heat pumps and renewable energy. Prior to starting ELM Consulting, Charlie was responsible for developing, managing and measuring a comprehensive energy management program for two of the largest school districts in Connecticut. During this time his efforts led to millions of dollars of energy cost avoidance through behavioral changes and implementing cutting edge technology across the nearly 100 sites. In 2014, Mr. Benzyk proudly received the Power of Change award for making Scofield Magnet Middle School the first 100% LED school in the state of CT. In 2015, Stamford Public Schools became the state's first Green Ribbon school district under his management. This extensive experience of evaluating and procuring projects in the public sector led to Mr. Benzyk's continued work managing LED, Demand Response and EV Charging contracts available to all public entities in the state of California on behalf of a JPA called SPURR. Charlie believes in being a lifelong learner and is an MBA Candidate at the UConn School of Business. He is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP), HERS Rater and pursuing a WELL Certification. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering from Duke University with a focus on Architectural Engineering.

Greg Contente is a VP of Development at Samuels & Associates, where he is responsible for managing mixed-use developments that have a strong focus on placemaking. On projects such as Parcel 12, Dot Block, and 1400 Boylston, Greg leads project teams through acquisition, design, entitlements, capital raise, vertical construction and lease-up. “I look at real estate with an urban planning perspective, always striving to improve the ways people experience their neighborhoods,” says Greg. “Developing thriving mixed-use properties adds value to both the real estate and the community.” Greg is a professionally certified urban planner (AICP) and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), the Real Estate Finance Association (REFA) and the American Planning Association (APA). Prior to joining Samuels & Associates, Greg was a Senior Development Manager for Gale International. He received a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan and a Master of City & Regional Planning from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University. Outside of work, Greg stays active by paragliding when New England weather cooperates.

Mike comes to Nuveen Green Capital with a background in lighting controls and utility efficiency program implementation. He is a Certified Energy Manager, and a Certified Lighting Efficiency professional endorsed by ACEEE. He has a passion for business development working with contractors to design, implement, and sell unique energy solutions that best match their customer’s needs. In his spare time Mike is a happily terrible golfer and enjoys traveling whenever the chance arises.

Chuck Hurchalla is the president of Evolution Sustainability Group. He has over 30 years of experience in the deregulated energy markets, including natural gas, electricity and petroleum products. He is considered a subject matter expert on hedging strategies and the fundamental and technical drivers of movements in the energy markets, including renewable products. In addition, he has been instrumental in helping clients develop comprehensive energy management solutions that meet or exceed energy efficiency and sustainability goals.