2027-2028 Board Election Process
The Illinois Green Alliance Board of Directors sets the strategic direction and oversees the financial management of the organization to ensure it is as impactful as possible. Board members have a passion for advancing our mission—green and healthy buildings for all—and want to make a lasting contribution.
This year the Illinois Green Alliance Board Elections Committee are pleased to present fifteen candidates for consideration to serve two-year terms on the Illinois Green Alliance Board of Directors from January 2027 to December 2028.
For the 2027-2028 board election, six (6) seats
on the Board of Directors are available for election by our membership. The voting period for board elections is open to active Illinois Green members from October 1 at 9:00 AM to October 30 @ 11:45 PM. All current Illinois Green members will receive an email ballot in October to submit their vote.
2027 - 2028 Board Candidates
Elections Timeline
- Nomination period: August 3 - August 28, 2026 @ 11:59 PM CT
- Voting period by Illinois Green Membership: October 1 - October 30, 2026
- 2027 Board announced: No later than December 4, 2026
Board Roles & Policies
Board Candidate Bios
Wayne Beals, Realtor & Managing Broker, The Beals Group at EXIT Strategy Realty. Throughout my career, I have dedicated myself to transforming the residential real estate market from within. Collaborating with like-minded clients and other real estate professionals, I have established a unique niche in the Chicagoland market for high-performance homes. My goal is to make high-performance homes the standard, not the exception, in Chicago. As a highly connected individual within the Chicagoland Residential Real Estate Community, I have practiced for 23 years with a strong emphasis on sustainability. I have served as Chair of the Sustainability Committee at the Chicago Association of Realtors and am currently in the final year of my term on the board of directors of the Chicago Association of Realtors. This leadership experience has instilled in me the value of the networks of large organizations and the influence of their leaders in driving change. I intend to continue this influence at the Illinois Green Alliance. Back to top.
Deeta Bernstein, Public Buildings Director, Consertus. Deeta is an accomplished project management professional with a background in architecture and depth of experience in sustainability, project management and public program leadership. She has the demonstrated ability to balance budgetary constraints, strategic vision, and complex stakeholder dynamics to ensure client goals are achieved. With a collaborative, forward-thinking approach to leadership, and expertise in environmental stewardship, Deeta has guided organizations in establishing and achieving ambitious sustainability goals. The sustainability programs she has led generate long-term resource savings and resilience improvements that will benefit clients well into the future. Her dedication to advancing sustainability is reflected in her committee and working group activities and contributions to publications including the CMAA Sustainability Guidelines, Sustainable Airport Manual (version 1-3) and the PBC Water Reuse Handbook. Deeta also presents on sustainability and resilience topics at regional and national conferences, sharing lessons learned and approaches that can be applied across sectors. Back to top.
Ian Champ, Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager, ComEd. Ian Champ is a Certified Energy Manager and Six Sigma Green Belt with 10 over years of energy efficiency and decarbonization experience across commercial, industrial, governmental, and utility sectors. He currently is the Senior Energy Efficiency Program Manager for Residential Market Transformation at Commonwealth Edison, where he manages the Energy Star Retail Products Platform program and leads the development of ComEd's residential market transformation strategy. Prior to joining ComEd, Ian’s worked at Clean Air Task Force, AECOM, CLEAResult, Solv, and the Environmental Defense Fund with responsibilities spanning regional hydrogen hub coordination, utility program management, ASHRAE Level II energy audits, and federal energy performance contracting. Ian holds a Master of Public Affairs and Master of Science in Environmental Science from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from Purdue University. Since relocating to Chicago in 2018, Ian has been continuously active with IGA, first as a member of its Auxiliary Board and now serving on its Board of Directors. During his time on the Auxiliary Board, he led efforts to streamline the recruitment process, making it easier to identify, onboard, and engage new AB members. He has also prioritized building relationships with other local and regional organizations, strengthening IGA's network and expanding opportunities for collaboration with traditional and non-traditional partner organizations.
If selected for a second term, Ian looks forward to continuing his work advancing efficient building practices, and fostering greater
connections and collaboration throughout Illinois Back to top.
Tomás de'Medici, CEO, Ion Stewards Energy. Tomás de'Medici is the founder of The Chicago Sustainability Series, and the ceo of Ion Stewards Energy (ISE). Ion Stewards Energy (ISE) is a resiliency agency. We advise on public and environmental health to advance resilient outcomes and projects. Resilient projects include clean energy installations, nature based solutions, and data driven tools to equitably address climate change and improve human health. He is a board member of Latinxs in Sustainability, an admin and community advisory board member with University of Illinois' National Institute of Health funded Center for Extreme Conditions and Health Excellence (CECHE), and a member of the Advisory Committee and Environmental Justice Think Tank Co-Lead on the Elevated Survivorship and Patient Advocate Foundation led Chicago Better Together Breast Cancer Disparities Think Tank. He recently completed the HACIA CEJA Clean Energy Contractor Incubator and Executive Fellows programs. He is a Clean Energy Leadership Institute Fellow (2020) and Virtual Fellowship Coordinator Mentor, as well as an alum of the Energy Leadership Institute Fellowship program. Back to top.
Brianna Galvan, Building Simulation Team Lead, Baumann Consulting. Brianna Galvan, PE, LEED Green Associate, is a building performance and sustainability professional with a passion for advancing high-performance, low-carbon buildings across Illinois. She serves as the Building Simulation Team Lead at Baumann Consulting, where she works with building owners, developers, and design teams to improve energy performance, optimize operations, and support long-term sustainability goals. Throughout her career, she has focused on translating technical building analytics into practical strategies that reduce energy use, improve building performance, and create lasting value for clients. Brianna has been actively involved with Illinois Green Alliance since 2020 and currently serves as Auxiliary Board Co-Chair, helping guide fundraising, engagement, and organizational initiatives. Previously, she served as Auxiliary Board Fundraising Team Lead, supporting events to raise money for the Illinois Green Alliance Green Schools Program. She also volunteered as a Green Schools Mentor, helping students implement sustainability projects and explore careers in the green building industry. In recognition of her contributions, she was honored as an Illinois Green Alliance Outstanding Volunteer in 2023. As a Professional Engineer pursuing an MBA, Brianna is committed to advancing the policies, education, and industry collaboration needed to make high-performance and net-zero buildings commonplace throughout Illinois. She is passionate about supporting the next generation of sustainability leaders and accelerating the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and low-carbon built environment. Back to top.
Jessica Haberstock, Associate & Building Sector Sustainability Lead, TYLin. Jessica Haberstock is an Associate within TYLin Buildings whose work focuses on integrating structural engineering and sustainability to preserve and build for the future. Her professional experience includes private and public institutions and ranges from new construction to historic preservation, renovations, and existing building assessments. As the Building Sector Sustainability Leader, Jessica works to integrate and expand sustainability practices, develop education materials, and keep the firm on track towards the SE2050 commitment of achieving net zero embodied carbon structural systems by 2050. In her role, Jessica has overseen the launch of TYLin Building’s sustainability services, the creation of an internal embodied carbon Revit plug-in, and the integration of sustainability work into the firm’s projects across the country. She also leads TYLin’s internal Sustainability Community of Practice, organizing monthly roundtables, providing internal educational resources, and providing sustainability expertise on projects throughout the firm. Jessica joined Illinois Green Alliance in 2023. She was a member of the Auxilliary Board’s fundraising committee in 2024, and has served on the Programs committee for the last two years. Over the past six months, Jessica has led the creation of the Chicago All for Reuse working group, which is looking to implement circularity into Chicago’s built environment, along with Miranda Wright and Patty Lloyd. She has also helped represent Illinois Green Alliance on the Chicago Mass Timber Accelerator group, which is working to expand mass timber implementation within Chicagoland. In addition to Illinois Green Alliance, Jessica is a member of AIA Chicago, Living Futures, and Build Reuse. Back to top.
Erin Hatcher, Vice President of ESG & Sustainability, AMLI Residential. Erin Hatcher, LEED AP BD+C, CSI-CDT, is Vice President of ESG & Sustainability at AMLI Residential, where she has spent over a decade leading sustainability and ESG strategy across eight U.S. markets. With more than 16 years of experience, Erin partners with development, construction, building operations, and corporate teams to advance greenhouse gas, energy, water, and waste targets; guide electric vehicle charging and onsite solar strategies; and prepare AMLI for emerging building performance standards and electrification policy. Under her leadership, AMLI has achieved a 100% success rate on its LEED certification, earning more than 50 LEED certifications alongside 51 ENERGY STAR, two Fitwel, and twelve Fitwel Scale certifications. She launched AMLI's first Corporate Responsibility Report, established its first portfolio-level sustainability targets, and contributed to a 10-point improvement in her parent fund's GRESB score over five years. Erin began her career at Sieben Energy Associates, managing LEED certifications for new construction across retail, high-rise residential, mixed-use, municipal, and office projects, before joining AMLI in 2012. An active voice in the green building community, Erin is a current Board member at Illinois Green Alliance and a former USGBC Georgia board member. She also participated in the EPA ENERGY STAR multifamily working group and Tennessee Women in Green. One of Erin’s biggest skills is collaboration. Working across sectors, departments, and with groups are not always likely to favor sustainability. She maintains a positive but realistic attitude about progressing sustainability in all aspects of her career and personal life. Back to top.
Deana Haynes, Vice President of Market Transformation & Development, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Deana Haynes, LEED AP BD+C, Assoc. AIA, NOMA, is Vice President of Market Transformation and Development at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), where she leads a 15-person, multi-region team responsible for executing short- and long-term revenue strategy across an 8-figure annual portfolio. She develops operating and go-to-market strategies that strengthen commercial performance and accelerate market adoption of green building solutions, while representing USGBC with enterprise clients and industry leaders. Throughout more than 20 years in the built environment, Deana has worked at the intersection of sustainability, real estate, business strategy, and organizational transformation. Her career includes leadership roles with ChargePoint, JLL, Lendlease, and Ernst & Young, where she led complex initiatives for multinational organizations and advised executives on sustainability, real estate, workplace, and business strategy. Deana has served on the Illinois Green Alliance Board of Directors since 2023 and throughout her first term has held multiple leadership roles, including Vice Chair, Board Chair, and ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. During her tenure, she has helped strengthen the organization’s governance and long-term foundation through significant policy and bylaws updates, enhanced financial controls, and development of Illinois Green’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan. A longtime Chicago civic and nonprofit leader, Deana brings a combination of sustainability expertise, executive leadership, commercial strategy, governance experience, and deep commitment to advancing a more sustainable built environment throughout Illinois. Back to top.
Justin Johnson, Energy Specialist, Evergreen Energy Partners. Justin Johnson is a 10 year sustainability professional that has held a variety of roles ranging from legislative assistance, fundraising, sales, operations, project management, workforce development and product management across a variety of organizations. He currently works for Evergreen Energy Partners, a consulting company focused on delivering highly impactful energy efficiency programs for utility partners across the United States in all 4 time zones. His passion for sustainability comes from a young age where he and his brothers used the 2 acres of land his family owned to have a nature-filled childhood. Over time, the development of the land in Flossmoor, IL slowly reduced that land size over time and seeing the biodiversity depletion affected him on a mental and emotional level. As he was finishing his studies in school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, he realized he can use his economics degree to bring a business approach to preserving the environment for the betterment of the economy and society. Currently, he loves volunteering his time doing neighborhood cleanups, riding his bike around the city and enjoying the beautiful Lake Michigan we are all blessed to have. Back to top.
Nancy Kohout, Principal MEP Leader, Buro Happold. Nancy Kohout, PE, LEED AP BD+C, is a Principal and MEP Engineering Leader in Buro Happold's Chicago office (a global engineering firm based in the UK). She has 25+ years experience in building design across a range of building sectors. Nancy believes collaborative and innovative engineering and systems strategy are critical to achieve climate goals. A passionate advocate for decarbonization and the elevation of underrepresented voices in design, Nancy is the chair of the 2027 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference and served on the steering committee for the 2025 & 2026 conferences (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers). She is a past president of the Illinois ASHRAE chapter and founded the Women in ASHRAE Leadership Symposium – now a yearly conference. Nancy was recognized as one of "20 Women to Watch in HVAC" by Engineered Systems Magazine in 2021. Understanding that water source heat pumps are key to efficient cold climate electrification, Nancy is a voting member and handbook chair for ASHRAE's Technical Committee 6.8 Geothermal Heat Pump and Energy Recovery Applications. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. Nancy also served as a technical account manager for the Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge, helping large scale portfolio owners meet their greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals. Nancy’s involvement in this program allowed her to develop a holistic perspective and a broad understanding of building performance standards and design and strategy taken across various municipalities throughout the United States and beyond. Back to top.
John Law, Director of Cities & Communities, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). My professional experience and personal passion are deeply intertwined with sustainability, green buildings and cities, and community engagement. This is evident in my professional biography: John Law, AICP, PLA, LEED AP, is an urban designer and sustainability strategist focused on creating more vibrant, equitable, and climate-resilient cities. John has accumulated a wealth of experience over his 20-year career, serving as a leader in Skidmore Owings & Merrill’s (SOM) urban design studio. In this role, he advised real estate developers and government officials from Chicago to Shanghai, focusing on enhancing livability in existing communities, rethinking urban infrastructure, and crafting bold visions for entirely new cities in rapidly urbanizing areas. As Assistant Commissioner for Chicago's Department of Planning and Design, John led urban planning efforts and design excellence initiatives across the city in collaboration with the Mayor’s office, Alderpeople, and community members. One of his significant efforts, the Come Home Initiative, is a groundbreaking program that will bring affordable, middle-density housing - designed by renowned international architects - to some of Chicago's most under-invested neighborhoods. John currently serves as the Technical Director of Cities and Communities at the US Green Building Council (USGBC). There, he helps advance how the organization measures sustainability, equity, and resiliency in our communities through the LEED rating systems. Back to top.
Ri Prasad, CEO, AR2 Homes LLC. Ri Prasad is CEO of AR2 Homes LLC, a Chicago- and Rockford-based affordable housing development firm committed to zero-displacement, cooperative ownership, and green building. A licensed Illinois REALTOR at Kale Realty and Chair of the Sustainability Committee at the Chicago Association of REALTORS (CAR), Ri leads a regional initiative to standardize green MLS data fields across all MRED-affiliated associations and co-facilitates ICC Building Decarbonization Workshops with the Illinois Commerce Commission. Ri is a member of the Illinois REALTORS Leadership Class of 2026 and an active participant in the Rockford 13th Ward Housing Task Force, supporting affordable housing revitalization along the West State Street Corridor. Her development pipeline includes Cor Mariae, a 26-acre adaptive reuse veterans housing project in Winnebago County, and multiple transit-oriented and affordable housing projects across Chicago and Rockford. Ri is an advocate for the Illinois BUILD Plan (SB 4060-4064) and applies the Illinois 2026 Stretch Energy Code across her development portfolio. Her work sits at the intersection of green building, housing justice, and climate policy, grounded in the conviction that sustainability and affordability are the same priority. Back to top.
Prachi Sharma, Outreach Manager, Slipstream. I am a sustainability professional with more than 12 years of experience in energy efficiency, green buildings, architecture, and real estate development. I currently work at Slipstream, where I work with utilities, developers, design firms, municipalities, and other partners on energy efficiency programs. I have been involved with Illinois Green Alliance since 2018. I started as a volunteer, then served on the Auxiliary Board, and currently serve on the Board of Directors. Over the years, I have been involved with the Membership Engagement Committee, Sustainability Day Camp, Sustainable Facilities Mentorship Program, EDI Committee, Development Committee, and EDI Mentorship Program. My background in architecture and sustainable management led me to a career in sustainability. I enjoy working with people, building relationships, and finding ways to bring people together around a common goal. Illinois Green Alliance has been an important part of my professional growth, and I would like to continue contributing my experience, perspective, and connections to the organization. Back to top.
Kelly D. Shelton, President & CEO, Shelton Solutions, Inc. Kelly Shelton is a recognized CEO, engineer, and certified board director with extensive experience in risk management, energy infrastructure, sustainability consulting, and governance. As CEO of Shelton Solutions, Inc., she leads a Chicago based energy and sustainability management consultancy known for advancing building performance, climate resilience, environmental justice, and operational excellence. Her career includes leadership roles in the utility, local government and building performance sectors. She has directed major energy infrastructure upgrades, led multimillion dollar performance contracts, and pioneered sustainability initiatives. Kelly brings a systems oriented, risk aware perspective to board service, with experience guiding organizations through financial oversight, HR risk scenarios, workplace safety threats, and reputational risk mitigation. She has served on environmental and community service boards where she has led committees including Equity & Inclusion, Auditing, Finance, Corporate Sponsorship, and Nominating. Kelly holds a Master of Engineering Management from Northwestern University, a Certificate in Financial Accounting from Harvard Business School Online. She is also a Certified Energy Manager. Her professional affiliations include the USGBC, Association of Energy Engineers, American Association of Blacks in Energy, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and the Private Directors Association. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Sean, and enjoys traveling, sports, and spending time with their family and energetic beagle, Nike. Back to top.
Hector Tello, Membership & Business Development Manager, Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA). Hector Tello is the Membership and Business Development Manager at the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), where he works to connect contractors and small businesses with resources, industry partners, and opportunities that support their growth. Since joining HACIA in 2022, Hector has held leadership roles across workforce development, sustainability, and business development. His experience includes overseeing construction and clean energy workforce initiatives, developing industry partnerships, supporting grant-funded programs, and helping connect individuals and businesses to opportunities in the construction and clean energy sectors. His work has included programming focused on green construction, solar energy, electric vehicle infrastructure, and sustainable building practices. In his current role, Hector works directly with construction firms, public agencies, general contractors, developers, and industry partners to strengthen connections between HACIA members and Chicago's construction market. He is particularly interested in ensuring that small and diverse contractors have greater access to the relationships, resources, and information needed to participate in the transition toward a more sustainable built environment. Hector earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois University. He is passionate about building partnerships that create economic opportunity while advancing a more equitable and sustainable construction industry in Illinois. Back to top.
