Meet the Advisors

PACE’s business sustainability advisors are our most valuable resource, and are completely free to work with. They bring a diverse array of experience and technical expertise, working one-on-one with each business to help you meet your personalized sustainability goals. Collectively, the current team has advised over 1,500 businesses on 3,000 upgrades.

Each of our PACE advisors can provide industry-leading assistance with all elements of business sustainability in Boulder County. Some have additional expertise, including geographic locations, languages, and particular programs, that are described below. We look forward to working with you!

Funding for PACE’s staff comes from Boulder County’s Sustainability Tax and the City of Boulder’s Climate Tax.

Boulder County Team

Matt Hannon (he/him)

Senior Commercial Advisor

Matt is the lead PACE advisor for all of Boulder County outside the City of Boulder. He focuses on small business equity, solar, and lighting upgrades, but can help your business with all elements of sustainability.

Matt studied sustainability at the University of Vermont and the University of Montana. He also worked in the solar industry in Washington DC. In his free time he enjoys snowboarding, playing soccer, and hiking.

Jenn Dingman (she/her)

Commercial Sustainability Advisor

Jenn works with businesses in Louisville, Lafayette, Nederland, and Unincorporated Boulder County. She focuses on small business equity, kitchen equipment, lighting upgrades, building electrification, and more.

Jenn is a mom of 3 awesome kids, and in her free time loves to play tennis, hike, run, bike, and garden. Jenn is a CU graduate and was an IT professional in her previous career.

Sophia Rivas (she/her/ella)

Bilingual Commercial Sustainability Fellow

Sophia supports businesses in Longmont and Boulder County. She focuses on small business equity, kitchen equipment and waste outreach.

Sophia is currently enrolled in the Masters of the Environment Program (MENV) at CU Boulder, with an emphasis on Environmental and Natural Resources Policy. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dogs, art and crafts, hiking, thrifting, and watching TV shows.

Nat Williamson (she/her)

Commercial Sustainability Fellow

Nat works with business in the city of Boulder and Boulder County focusing on zero-waste, electrification, and equitable access to decarbonization.

Nat has a master’s degree in environmental sustainability from CU Boulder and has experience working in sustainability strategy for small businesses. She loves climbing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and her two adorable kittens.

Andy Kadlec (he/him)

Multifamily Electrification Specialist

Andy focuses on PACE efforts related to electrification in multifamily buildings, including apartments, condos and HOAs across Boulder County.

Prior to joining PACE, Andy spent the last decade working in affordable housing preservation, management and development across Colorado. In his free time, you will find him out on the local trails running or cycling.

City of Boulder Team

Ambra Sutherlin (she/her)

Senior Commercial Advisor

Ambra is the lead PACE advisor and specializes in working with offices, faith-based organizations, manufacturing, and cannabis facilities. She is LEED accredited professional and focuses on greenhouse gas inventories, energy efficiency, and electrification.

Ambra has been with PACE for 11 years and is dedicated to helping local businesses meet their goals. In her free time, she enjoys being outside hiking, biking, snowboarding, and traveling the world.

Norma King (she/her)

Commercial Bilingual Equity Specialist (English and Spanish)

Norma is the lead PACE advisor for landscaping electrification and items pertaining to the Latino Chamber of Commerce. She also focuses on small business equity and lighting upgrades for businesses.

Norma has a bachelor’s in advertising and marketing that she completed in Colombia. She has spent 15+ years working on equity for small businesses in Colorado.

Shawn Rupp (he/him)

Commercial Electrification Specialist

Shawn leads PACE’s programming related to building electrification, specifically focusing on commercial buildings.

Shawn received a master’s in architectural engineering from CU Boulder, and he has experience working as a building energy engineer and a consultant in the utility energy industry. Outside of work, Shawn enjoys cycling, playing soccer, and baking.

Tom Hardie (he/him)

Commercial Energy Advisor

Tom works primarily with property owners and nonprofit organizations in the city. His expertise includes greenhouse gas emissions modeling, electrification, solar, and lighting upgrades.

Tom is a commercial property owner with hands-on experience in building electrification, solar, EV charging, water efficiency, and sustainable waste diversion.

Gabriela Peralta (she/her)

Commercial Sustainability Fellow

Gabriela works with PACE’s commercial electric landscaping equipment program and on reducing waste in food manufacturing.

Gabriela is a student in CU Boulder’s Masters of the Environment (MENV) program. Her specialization is sustainability in the outdoor industry, with a focus on sustainable supply chains. She has thru-hiked over 3,000 miles, loves sci-fi books, her plants, mountain biking, and is an avid New York Times Cooking recipe follower.

Operations Team

Elizabeth French (she/her)

Commercial Program Manager

Elizabeth leads PACE operations and develops community partnerships. She is also deeply involved in program design and implementation.

Elizabeth earned a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the University of Denver, and received a Certificate of Advanced Study in energy and sustainability. Prior to joining PACE, Elizabeth worked with sustainability nonprofits in Denver and the Vail Valley. Elizabeth is also a proud mom of 2 children.

Toby Russell (he/him)

Commercial Program Administrator

Toby focuses on PACE’s program design and implementation.

Toby has been working in the field of sustainability for over 12 years. For eight of those years, he was the the CEO of Natural Capitalism Solutions, consulting with companies and communities around the country.

Kelly Nelson (she/her)

PACE Communications Fellow

Kelly supports the PACE team with all things communications, spreading the word about programs available to business owners in Boulder County.

Kelly has many years of experience in marketing, website management, and social media. She graduated from Purdue University and is a proud Boilermaker. In her spare time, she likes to paddleboard, hike, and read. She has a teenage son and two ornery cats.

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