Plenary Speakers
Jason Delambre is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) who works with clients to maximize profitability through effective utilization of natural resources and the development of ground-breaking efficiency and energy generation solutions. Throughout his career, Jason has developed an extensive knowledge of architecture, construction, urban planning, energy, sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies. His undergraduate education was in Architecture and History, and he holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning from the University of Cincinnati. Due largely to his knowledge of Kentucky energy issues, Jason was recently appointed by Governor Beshear to serve on the state’s Energy Quality Commission (EQC). During his professional career, Jason has developed a unique vision of the greenhouse gas reduction strategies and energy efficiency synergies possible through innovative business, infrastructural, financial, policy, and community organizing strategies.
Tom FitzGerald has been Director of the Kentucky Resources Council since 1984. KRC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization providing free legal, strategic and policy assistance to individuals, organizations and communities concerning environmental quality and resource extraction issues. From 1973 through 1976, Fitz lived part-time in Berea, Kentucky and staffed the Council of Southern Mountains bookstore. From1980 until 1984, “Fitz” was a staff attorney and environmental specialist with the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky’s Lexington office.
Fitz received his Juris Doctor from the UK College of Law in 1980 (Order of the Coif) and was a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow from 1980-1982. He is an alumni of Roger Williams College (now University), Bristol, Rhode Island with a B.A. in American Studies with distinction.
Fitz has held numerous appointments in the past 30 years; a member of the Kentucky Forest Products Council, (1994-1999), the Governor’s Clean Air Act Task Force, (1993-Present), the Ky*A*Syst Advisory Committee (1993-Present); Clean Air Act Small Business Technical Advisory Committee, (1995-1999); on the Task Force on Surface Mine Bonding (1982-1984), the Task Force On Mining Primacy (1980-1982), the Task Force on Tar Sand Development (1982-1984); the Legislative Task Force on Waste Management (1988-1990), Board, Kentucky Center for Hazardous Waste Reduction, (1989-1994), member, Kentucky Coal Authority (1990-1992), the Solid Waste Reduction and Management Plan Advisory Committee, (1991-1994), the Container Deposit Task Force, (1998-1999), the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (2008-present), and the NRCS State Technical Committee (1996- Present).
Fitz has been an Adjunct Professor of Energy and Environmental law at the Brandeis School of Law since 1986, and has published a number of articles, including The Ages Tragedy: Where Were The Regulators?, a report of 1981 coal waste dam collapse in Harlan County, Kentucky, The 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act -- The Citizens “Ace In The Hole” 8 No. Kentucky Law Review (1981) a primer on representation of the public in surface mining cases; Federal Regulation of Coal Mine Waste Disposal: A Blueprint For Disaster, an article on needed reform and interagency coordination in coal waste regulation, 1984 National Coal Issue, West Virginia Law Review; Abuse of the Surface Mining Act: A Continuing Story, a review of the abuse of the federal Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977, in the 1985 National Coal Issue, West Virginia Law Review; and Representing the Citizen In Surface Mining Cases, Chapter 115 of Volume 3 of the multi-volume treatise Kentucky Mineral Law.
He received the Environmental Quality Commission Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002; the Henry R. Heyburn Public Service Award, UK College of Law in 2003, the Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission Biological Diversity Award in 2003, the inaugural Professional Achievement Award from the University of Kentucky College of Law Alumni Association in 2008, and the 14th Heinz Award in the Environment Category in 2008. He was named a “Connector” by the Louisville Leadership Center in 2010, and was named a “SuperLawyer” in 2010 by his peers in the areas of environmental, energy and land use law.
Matthew Haughton is the author of the chapbook "Bee-coursing Box" (Accents Publications). His work has appeared widely in journals including Appalachian Journal, Now & Then,Earthspeak, Still, The James Dickey Review, and Kentucky Monthly Magazine.Haughton is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.
Terence Hill is a Passive House Consultant and energy policy activist residing in Washington D.C.
Nina McCormack, has worked as an operations consultant and manager in community development, housing, environment, health, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Most recently at MACED, Nina developed initiatives in energy efficiency, forestry and energy retrofit (utility-bill) finance. She currently works with utilities, businesses and nonprofits through her consulting practice Beyond Possibility. She holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA in Rural Community Development from Middlebury College. Outside of work Nina loves exploring new places, arts, history and swimming in fresh water.
Andy McDonald is the Director of the Kentucky Solar Partnership, a project of the non-profit organization Appalachia - Science in the Public Interest, and co-author of “The Kentucky Solar Energy Guide,” published in 2005. He has a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Systems from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (2003) and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Buffalo (1992). He is a co-founder of the Kentucky Solar Energy Society and the Frankfort Climate Action Network and a member of the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance.
For 20 years Andy has been working to promote a socially-just, sustainable society and has worked on sustainable development projects in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, the Texas-Mexico border, and Peru. He lives with his wife and step-daughter on a farm in Franklin County.
Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo of the Commonwealth of Kentucky has dedicated his life to the care of others in both the private and public sectors. Born the son of immigrant parents in Hazard, Kentucky, Lieutenant Governor Mongiardo studied at Transylvania University, University of Kentucky School of Medicine and McGill University. After completing his residency, he returned to Hazard to deliver specialized
medical and surgical treatment to local residents, as well as any others who sought
his expertise. His experiences as a doctor helped him recognize the importance
of becoming a public leader in addressing concerns that face citizens across the
Commonwealth. He successfully ran for the State Senate in 2000 and served
the counties of Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry until his election to the office of
Lieutenant Governor this fall. In this capacity, Dr. Mongiardo continues to fight
for the betterment of all Kentuckians and the continued improvement of our state.
Deborah Payne, Energy & Health Coordinator, Kentucky Environmental Foundation
Clayton Preston, a native of Atlanta, Ga., earned his B.A. in Psychology at Washington & Lee University in 1977. He completed his Master of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech in 1984. Clayton is a registered architect and a certified planner.
In 1989 Clayton started his architectural practice. In 1995 he and Greg Ramsey developed the first CoHousing community in Georgia, Lake Claire Commons, winner of Georgia AIA’s 1998 Excellence in Design Award. Following the successful completion of this project, Clayton and Greg formed the planning firm, Village Habitat Design, LLC.
In 1999 they wrote a monograph describing the features of sustainable development, Conservation Community. Together they went on to design the next Cohousing community in Georgia, East Lake Commons. This community of mixed income homes was recognized by the United Nations as the best example of sustainable development among 170 projects from around the globe in 2000.Village Habitat Design led the rezoning of 40,000 acres of Fulton County to provide for preservation of 80% as greenspace and farm, and is the planner for a Caribbean nation.
Mary Shearer has been the executive director of Kentucky Habitat for Humanity, Inc. state office since 2004. Originally from Louisville, KY, Mary has led KyHFH in the areas of resource development, advocacy, educational learning and disaster preparedness and response.
Currently working to support 51 Habitat affiliates in 57 counties throughout the Commonwealth, KyHFH is supported by a ten member board of directors, with expertise in construction, banking, economic development, architecture, government, real estate law, development, and affordable housing.
Recent successes include: earning Community Development Financial Institute status in 2010 through the CDFI Fund, US Department of the Treasury; developing new donors relationships with PNC Bank, Inc., Fifth-Third Bank Inc., Toyota Motor & Manufacturing of KY; growing staff 300% since 2010, including a Sustainable Building Specialist and Director of Development, securing additional funding through the Home Depot Foundation, Inc. and a Capacity Building grant through HUD; and since 2004, bring in an additional $5M in resource development to assist Habitat affiliates in building simple, decent and affordable housing for low-income Kentuckians, earning between 24-60% AMI.
Currently, Habitat affiliates in Kentucky have built approximately 1,800 affordable homes, housing over 7,800 Kentuckians, utilizing volunteers in over three million service hours, totaling an investment of almost 100 million in affordable housing in Kentucky.
Elizabeth Thompson, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Watermark Studio:Architecture + Landscape. Elizabeth works to collaboratively create places that are just, sustainable and beautiful.With fourteen years of experience in architecture and civic engagement, she has had the pleasure of being involved in project types that range from national memorials to affordable, sustainable homes.Her current practice focuses on small sustainable homes that integrate the beauty of the natural world and enrich daily life.
Djuan Keila Trent. On July 17, 2010, 23 year-old Djuan Keila Trent, Miss Berea Area, was crowned Miss Kentucky 2010. She is the daughter of Lafondra Gaudette and Keith Anthony Trent of Columbus, Georgia. Djuan is a graduate of Berea College with a degree in Theatre Performance. She plans to obtain a Master's in business and pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Djuan's platform issue is Homeless Prevention: A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out and she was recognized for her volunteer work as one of the finalists for the Heather French Henry Quality of Life Award. Her platform was inspired by her lifetime experience of feeding the homeless from the chapel in her grandmother's home. Djuan won a Preliminary Talent Award at the 2010 Miss Kentucky Pageant singing "Up to the Mountain." She also won a preliminary swimsuit award at the pageant.
As Miss Kentucky, Djuan serves as the spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's "Kentucky Proud" program which encourages consumers of all ages to purchase products produced in Kentucky. She delivers this message to all age groups in schools throughout the commonwealth.
Some other interesting facts about Djuan include that she was recently on the Today Show and the Jay Leno Show. She also says that if lip syncing were an Olympic sport she would be a world renowned gold medalist!
Ginger Watkinsis the Sustainable Building Specialist for Kentucky Habitat for Humanity. For the last decade, she has been involved in green and energy-efficient building design in the commercial and residential sectors. She helped to develop the Kentucky High Performance Building Standards and integrate sustainable strategies into the renovation of Boone Tavern in Berea, KY, which achieved LEED Gold. Ginger is passionate about collaborating and finding innovative solutions to enable the development of affordable, super-efficient homes that act as a resource to families and, in turn, enable them to be a resource to their own communities. She is a designer, HERS Rater, BPI Building Analyst, LEED AP, Certified Passive House Consultant and member of KySEA.
Workshop Speakers
Jim Burris is an architect, past president of FranklinCounty Habitat for Humanity,was construction committeechair for the Jimmy Carter Work Project"Hammering in the Hills",was director of recycling for the 1995 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Los Angeles, architect for the PassiveHouse by Kentucky Highlands InvestmentCorporation, is on the Board of Directors for both Kentucky Habitat for Humanity and The Hands of Christ, Inc., andwas co-author of the first Habitat for Humanity International house plan book.
Rodney Bushnell, engineer, Brock McVey
Ashley Campbell has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity in many ways for 23 years. As a student at the University of Arkansas, she was a volunteer architectural student who constructed a local house, and helped with design. After graduating with a Bachelor's of Architecture,she moved to the Memphis, Tennessee, area to pursue a career in Architecture while volunteering for the Memphis Habitat Affiliate. After several years in Tennessee, Ashley's husband was transferred to Louisville, KY where they have remained for 13 years. During thoseyears,she has volunteered both with the local Habitat Affiliate, and with the State Organization. Ashley served as the Vice President of the Louisville, Ky affiliate as well as chair of the site selection committee, ad hoc design committee for several years, and was key in starting rehab at the affiliate, as well as the ReStore. In 2006, Ashley joined the KYHFH Board of Directors, and has served as President of that Board for 3 years. During theyears of volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in Kentucky, Ashley has worked in the Architectural Field, been managing partner of an architectural firm, and is now teaching CADD, and Construction Management at ITT Tech, a local technical school.
James Chaffin, Organizational Development Consultant, with Habitat for Humanity International, US Field Operations.
James has served in several positions during his career with HFHI, from AmeriCorps Program Manager to his current position as Organizational Development Consultant. It was not job titles that brought James to the Habitat ministry. It was a divine spirit that compelled him to pursue a more meaningful way to impact the world.
After earning his Master of Science Degree in Public Administration in 2004, James gave up an opportunity to serve in the Ohio legislature and focused his attention on the outreach ministries of his local church. While serving as an outreach ministry leader, the opportunity to join Habitat presented itself. Since August 2005, James has coached, trained and counseled affiliates in an effort to help them serve more families in need of simple, decent and affordable shelter. He is based in Westerville, Ohio.
Donna Chesser, Executive Director, Scott County Habitat for Humanity. In less than a year, Donna Chesser has made a significant impact on Scott Co. HFH and the entire community of Scott Co./Georgetown, KY. Donna, a former business owner herself, has a wealth of knowledge in business management, public relations, human resources and customer service.