Chair

Steve O’Rourke

Steve works with StraightUp Solar to champion growth of the company’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services. After 25 years consulting in marketing and information technologies, he transitioned into the renewable energy industry in 2008. He has since worked with commercial, industrial and nonprofit organizations to better manage their energy use and offset reduced demand with clean, renewable solar photovoltaic energy. In addition to his work with StraightUp Solar, Steve provides energy management services to a select group of clients in his consulting business, EnerGuidance. His blog includes a variety of published articles and other musings on topics related to energy and sustainability.

Steve is a NABCEP-certified PV Technical Sales professional. He has served on the board of Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association (MOSEIA), as Sustainability Committee Chair of the Corporate Council for the Missouri Botanical Garden, and on the Energy and Environment Committee for the St. Louis Regional Chamber. He is currently is the Director of Energy Efficiency for Urban EcoBlock and treasurer on the board of the Amicus O&M Cooperative. Steve has been a member of the USGBC chapter since 2010, and served chair of the marketing committee and mentor for the Green Schools Quest for three years. He was elected to the board in 2015 and served on the finance committee before being elected Treasurer in 2019. 

Chair Elect

Chris Ruth, BCxP, GPRO: O&M

Chris is the Mid-Missouri Controls Manager for Integrated Facility Services, where he has worked for 17 years in various capacities. In his current role, he designs and manages the company’s Building Automation and Energy management operations across the State of Missouri. As a Building Automation Professional, Chris’s goal is to help building managers and owners save energy and money by giving them the knowledge and tools to manage their building’s environmental systems efficiently, while still maintaining optimum comfort for the building’s occupants. Chris is skilled in sales, estimating, engineering, project management, design, installation, programming, and support of innovative microprocessor-based networkable systems for the control and monitoring of building environments. He has over 10 years of experience with small and large group facilitation, networking, volunteer training and engagement, strategic planning, and fundraising.

Chris is a member of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Higher Education-Emerging Professional Committee and has served as a Green Schools Quest mentor. He is also a member of ASHRAE, BOMA, and FOSPA.

Secretary

Kim Chapman

Kim is Assistant General Council at ESCO Technologies. Previously, as a Partner in Thompson Coburn, LLP’s Corporate and Securities Practice Area and in prior positions, Kim spent eighteen years providing corporate legal advice to public and private companies and boards of directors. Her work involves a broad range of corporate transactions. Through this experience, Kim has gained an understanding of the duties and decision making processes for boards of both non-profit and for-profit companies.

Kim has a strong interest in sustainability. She was a founding board member of Heartland Renewable Energy Society and assisted USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter obtain its 501(c)(3) status. Kim has provided volunteer legal services to the Chapter for many years. In 2015, Kim was named a Client Service All-Start by BTI Consulting. In 2012, Kim was selected as an Up & Coming attorney by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.

Treasurer

Annie Smith, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C

Annie is a Mechanical Engineer at Ross & Baruzzini. In her role there as Director of Energy Services, she has experience focusing on strategy and business-oriented decisions to maintain client relationships and develop projects related to energy savings for clients.

Annie is currently the ASHRAE Technical Committee 7.6 Building Energy Performance Secretary and Committee Voting Member. She was previously the ASHRAE St. Louis Chapter Historian. Annie has served on the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter Advocacy Committee and is the designated Green Champion for Ross & Baruzzini’s Chapter sponsorship.

Past Chair

Hannah joined the USGBC Missouri Gateway board in 2018, serving as chair in 2021 as well as on the Strategic Planning Task Force from 2019 – 2021. As an active member of the Missouri Gateway Chapter of the USGBC’s Education Committee, Hannah has created several programs on building materials including an in-depth session for practicing architects, designers and manufacturers discussing actual criteria used in material selections for building projects and a full-day USGBC Continuing Education Program on Building Materials and how LEED v4 will evaluate them. She also helped organize a lunch program for CSI, AIA and USGBC members on Water. Following on the successful reception of this program, she led the planning committee for a full-day session that discussed Water as a national security issue, with a focus on the Mississippi River Basin.

In April 2021, Hannah published the book, Green Building Materials Manual, in collaboration with two colleagues. From 2010 – 2020, Hannah was a Lecturer in both the architecture and the environmental studies programs at Washington University in St. Louis, with a deep focus on building materials and the investigation of their environmental impact. From 2010-2012, she participated in a research grant studying Materials Sustainability Standards (MSS). As a member of the interdisciplinary research team composed of faculty and students from the Sam Fox School of Design and the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis she investigated MSS and the eco-labels that are used to certify compliance with them. As a former Vice President of Marketing for a national construction company, Hannah actively worked on construction management teams for several decades. She has in-depth knowledge of the design process, decision making process, contracting and construction processes for large complex buildings such as hospitals and digital fabrication facilities.

At Large Members

Erik Biggs, AIA, CDT, LEED AP

Erik is a licensed architect with over 10 years design experience. His projects range from civic and cultural institutions to retail and medical. He holds a Master in Architecture from the University of Kansas and was participant of the Studio 804 program. Erik currently serves on the Board of Directors for AIA St. Louis and as Secretary on the Board of Directors for AIA Missouri. Previously he has served as Director on the Board of Association of Preservation Technology – Central Plains and Chair of Young Architects Forum St. Louis. As a St. Louis City resident, he has a passion for historic St. Louis architecture and preservation. In his free time he volunteers for Rebuilding Together Build Days and as a Speaker Facilitator at TEDx St. Louis.

Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, LEED Fellow

Mary Ann is a consultant at the Cameron MacAllister Group where she works with design firms to define their sustainability and resiliency goals and identify strategies to achieve them. She also is an Adjunct Faculty at Washington University in St. Louis and is the Coordinator for the Sustainability Program at WashU’s University College. Mary Ann is an architect with over 40 years of experience who served as Firmwide Director of Sustainable Design at HOK for a decade. In addition, Mary Ann served as the Resident Fellow on Sustainability at the American Institute of Architects and authored the AIA’s Sustainability Leadership Opportunity Scan addressing how architects can expand their impact through sustainability. Mary Ann has been active in the green building movement for over three decades as an author, national lecturer, community advocate, and volunteer at the local and national levels

Mary Ann served as Program Committee Chair for Greenbuild, the USGBC International annual conference for 5 years. During that time, she also helped lead the USGBC response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that resulted in the publication of The New Orleans Principles. Locally, Mary Ann served on the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter board from 2004 – 2006, as Program Committee Chair, as a Green Schools Quest Mentor for the 2014 and 2015 Quests, and most recently as board chair in 2018.

Angela Moore, LEED AP O+M, TRUE Advisor

Angela is a native of St. Louis and works for the Missouri Historical Society as the Facilities and Sustainability Coordinator. After completing her graduate degree in Public Policy Administration, Angela continues to have a keen interest in policies and their relationship to those within the community.  She always strives to improve the quality of life for those within the community and is driven to work towards more sustainable practices within cultural institutions and schools. Angela recently celebrated the LEED Gold certification of Soldiers’ Memorial Military Museum, as well as the LEED Gold O+M certification of the Missouri History Museum and the MHS Library & Research Center.

Angela is currently a committee member of the Advocacy Committee of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter and has served as a Green Schools Quest Mentor during the 2017 and 2018 Quests.

Annemarie Nauert

Annemarie is the Renewables Program Supervisor at Ameren Missouri and past USGBC-Missouri Gateway Growing Green Award Nominee. In her current role, she leads program design and implementation, marketing and customer acquisition, and regulatory strategy for the customer-facing solar programs. During her tenure, Community Solar has grown from 350 customers to over 2,500 participants with a growing waitlist of customers interested in this hands-off way to access solar energy. Annemarie is passionate about integrating diverse, equitable, and inclusive principles in renewables programs. This has included piloting equitable workforce development as part of Ameren’s $14MM solar development program (Neighborhood Solar), providing solar industry jobs and learning opportunities to clients of local non-profit organizations, communities, and schools.

James Roseberry, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CDT

James received dual Bachelor’s degrees in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from Kansas State University in 1995. After spending seven years in the industry, James joined Trivers in 2001 as an Architectural Designer.  He became a licensed architect in 2004, a LEED Accredited Professional in 2007 and a Project Manager in 2012. In 2016, he was promoted to an Associate of the firm. A founding member of the Trivers Green Team, James manages the firm’s 2030 Commitment response, is lead author of the firm’s Sustainable Action Plan, and is involved in many of the firm’s LEED projects, including the first LEEDv4 renovation at Washington University.  James is a charter member of the BuildingGreen Small Firm Sustainable Design Leaders Peer Network and the AIA St. Louis Chapter Committee on the Environment. James has presented on sustainable design topics at regional, national and international levels including.

James has served on the St. Louis Chapter AIA Board of Directors and previously served as the Missouri Gateway Chapter USGBC Program Committee Chair.

Abigail Sirevaag, LEED AP ID+C

Abigail is a Project Coordinator at Edward Jones. Her career so far has provided opportunities for the advancement of sustainability in the areas of interior design and corporate social responsibility. During her tenure in Facilities at Edward Jones, she has had the opportunity to drive environmental sustainability strategy and change. Abigail has a master’s degree in Sustainability from St. Louis University and is an adjunct instructor at Maryville University, teaching an Issues in Sustainable Design Course that will review general green building design concepts, the LEED rating system, the WELL Building Standard, and serve as high-level preparation for the LEED Green Associate exam.

Abigail has been a member of the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Education Committee since 2015. She co-chaired the committee in 2017, chaired the committee in 2018 and remains an active member.

Advisors

Joe Abernathy

Joe is currently the Vice-President of Facilities Planning for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is responsible for the project management of capital improvement projects at Busch Stadium, which have totaled over $50 million since it opened in 2006. Joe has been a leading promoter of sustainability in the St. Louis area for over 10 years. He was one of the founders of the St. Louis Cardinals “4 A Greener Game” sustainability program in 2008. The Cardinals have been active participants in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge since its inception.

Joe has been a featured speaker on sustainability for the Green Business Challenge, Resource Recycling National Conference and the Missouri Recycling Association. He currently serves as the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Stadium Managers Association and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Green Sports Alliance. Previously, as a member of the Stadium Operations Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball and Co-Chairman of the Sustainable Operations Sub-committee, Joe spearheaded the benchmarking of sustainable operations metrics for all MLB facilities and created the MLB Green Glove Award, which honors teams with the best recycling program.

Brian H. Hurd

Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Brian H. Hurd is a leader at the center of building youth-centered, equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities by aligning planning, investment, and partnerships to meet today’s challenges. He is Technical Assistance Program Manager at Rise Community Development in St. Louis, Missouri. Brian brings together non-profits, philanthropists, banks and financial institutions, and government to make successful neighborhood revitalization possible in the Greater St. Louis area. With the development of more than 5,500 homes and over 100,000 square feet of commercial space totaling nearly $800 million in total development cost, that includes a mix of new construction and historic rehab, Brian and Rise have helped 42 communities across the St. Louis region.

Brian is also a field instructor and adjunct professor at Washington University. He teaches a class titled, “Planning Sustainable and Racially Equitable Urban Communities.” As a teacher, mentor, coach, and role model, he is training and developing a new generation of transformational, dynamic leaders who are more culturally competent and better equipped to engage and work effectively in diverse and challenging neighborhoods and communities.

Reverend Rodrick Burton

Rodrick Burton has led the New Northside Baptist Church to be a regional leader in Environmental Justice and Sustainability issues in partnership with Green the Church, the Sierra Club of Eastern Missouri and The Nature’s Conservancy. New Northside was the first African American congregation in St. Louis. to install solar panels on their Church and Community Center.

Reverend Burton advocated, along with the environmental community for St. Louis to pass Resolution 124 and was appointed to the City’s Clean Energy Advisory Board. Burton’s advocacy resulted in the EPA 2019 Publication, Supporting Healthy Houses of Worship, as well as the 2020’s webinar series: Interagency Interfaith Collaboration for Vulnerable Communities. These free Webinars were part of an education thrust to provide better access to EPA Efficiency programs and training for churches.

Burton earned a Master’s in Educational Ministry from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He is currently a Visiting Instructor in Practical Theology at Covenant.

Executive Director

Emily Andrews, LEED AP O+M, GPRO O+M

Emily joined the USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter as its first full-time staff person in January 2006 and has grown the organization to three full time staff and many active volunteers. Previously, she managed the St. Louis Community Air Project for the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO), an EPA-funded project to promote healthier air quality in the community. She has worked for non-profits her entire career, including a community gardening organization in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Emily has a Bachelor’s in Anthropology with a concentration in Latin American Studies from Grinnell College in Iowa. She currently serves on the Forest Park Advisory Board and the City of St. Louis’ Clean Energy Development Board.