Board of Directors Elections

Chyanne Husar is the Principal of Sustainability and Architecture at HUSARCH. Chyanne’s career in architecture began in 2000, rooted in a belief that design should serve both people and the planet. That conviction shaped each step in her path, from leading sustainability efforts at Holabird & Root, to founding her firm, HUSARCH, centered on sustainable building solutions. Today, her firm’s practice continues to evolve, focusing on energy efficiency, equitable sustainability implementations, and workforce development to bring people from underserved communities into this industry.

Chyanne first joined the Illinois Green Alliance in 2008, searching for a community that shared her values. At the time, she didn’t know anyone, but by 2015 Chyanne began actively engaging and Illinois Green quickly became a cornerstone of her professional and personal life. HUSARCH is now a sponsor of Limelight which the team attends together, and Chyanne regularly joins policy and advocacy meetings. Through the Illinois Green, Chyanne has found not just colleagues, but collaborators and friends. As HUSARCH continues to grow, she looks forward to deepening her involvement to help Illinois Green Alliance make as big of an impact as possible.Chyanne Husar is the Principal of Sustainability and Architecture at HUSARCH. Chyanne’s career in architecture began in 2000, rooted in a belief that design should serve both people and the planet. That conviction shaped each step in her path, from becoming Holabird & Root’s first Director of Sustainability in 2012, to founding her firm, HUSARCH, centered on sustainable building solutions. Today, her firm’s practice continues to evolve, focusing on energy efficiency, equitable sustainability implementations, and workforce development to bring people from underserved communities into this industry.

Chyanne first joined the Illinois Green Alliance in 2008, searching for a community that shared her values. At the time, she didn’t know anyone, but by 2015 Chyanne began actively engaging and Illinois Green quickly became a cornerstone of her professional and personal life. HUSARCH is now a sponsor of Limelight which the team attends together, and Chyanne regularly join policy and advocacy meetings. Through the Illinois Green, Chyanne has found not just colleagues, but collaborators and friends. As HUSARCH continues to grow, she looks forward to deepening my involvement to help Illinois Green Alliance make as big of an impact as possible.

Laura Jay serves as the Deputy Director of Climate Mayors, a national non-profit working with 350 mayors from 48 states, including 12 mayors in Illinois, who are demonstrating climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities. In this role, Laure helps shape and execute the strategic vision of the organization as set by the Executive Director, Board and Steering Committee. Laura brings more than 15 years of experience working in non-profits advancing solutions to address climate change at the local level. Prior to joining Climate Mayors, Laura served as the Regional Director for North America for C40 Cities where she elevated the position of US mayors nationally and globally and supported the deepening of engagement at the local level to drive impactful change on the ground.

Laura began her career working at the U.S. Green Building Council in 2007 on their first strategic plan. This gave her a unique viewpoint into the field at a critical moment of exponential growth. Laura holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a Bachelor's Degree from Wheaton College in Massachusetts. Four years ago, Laura moved to Chicago from New York City with her family. Since then, she has had the pleasure of attending a number of Illinois Green events and has connected with staff to share intel on policy work happening locally and nationally.

Melanie McNeely is a commercial real estate attorney with over 10 years of experience in leasing, acquisitions, and development across multiple asset classes. As Operations & Leasing Counsel at Bridge33 Capital, she negotiates shopping center retail leases with national and local tenants, manages the company’s electric vehicle charging station leases, and advises on matters related to real estate operations.

While in law school, Melanie served as Manager of Project Services and Marketing for Serena Sturm Architects (SSA), a mission-driven, sustainably focused firm. During that time, she volunteered at USGBC’s Greenbuild Conference in Boston, drafted successful grant applications through the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and served as project administrator for SSA’s LEED Platinum certification resubmission of the Ryerson Woods Welcome Center in Riverwoods, IL. These experiences provided valuable exposure to green design and equitable development strategies.

More recently, Melanie completed the ULI/Project REAP Academy and the Open Access Community Development Finance Fellowship, both focused on advancing diversity and access in the built environment. She also served on the board of YouthBuild Lake County, providing legal and strategic guidance to a nonprofit empowering underserved young adults. Melanie is eager to bring her legal expertise, industry insight, and commitment to sustainability and inclusion to the Illinois Green Alliance Board.