- RYUNOSUKE SATORO

“Individually we are one drop.
Together we are an ocean.”

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Philosophy and Principles

Community

We offer multiple programs across many municipalities and each success builds capacity, increases confidence, provides an opportunity for engagement, deepens understanding and an appetite for more action. For municipalities, participation in Sustainable Westchester solidifies its reputation for pragmatic environmental leadership and provides continuity through changes in elected leadership.

Philosophy and Principles

Collective

Our work across municipalities leverages learning and experience. This provides an opportunity to optimize the design and management of our programs.  Learning from one program is reflected in the next to optimize results.  The power of the collective is also seen in our aggregate buying power and the clout and leverage that power provides in delivering fiscally responsible and competitive opportunities. Collective experience and clout allows us to deliver sound solutions on a countywide scale.

Philosophy and Principles

Impact

Our programs provide the foundation for impact in support of New York State CLCPA goals and NYSERDA Clean Energy Communities and Climate Smart certification and grants. Added to this, the aggregate impact of our programs greatly contribute to significant municipal and county-wide environmental benefits. Through collective shared services,  we provide cost and resource savings for municipalities and for their residents we provide cost control and access to renewable energy; all working toward creating resilient, vibrant, thriving communities.

Philosophy and Principles

Choice

A range of programs allows us to serve municipalities with different priorities and provides municipalities the opportunity to opt into programs that suit them. Varying levels of participation and options exist with each program contributing to customization and tailored activation which fosters choice among residents.

Philosophy and Principles

Collaboration

We believe the best results are collaborative and we work with municipal governments and staff to facilitate programs that bring forward each community’s own sustainability ideas and efforts; fostering the principle of community. We engage in an ongoing partnership with our member municipalities and their communities by managing and fielding constituents’ questions, creating tool kits for each municipality and its residents, conducting community information sessions and workshops, and maintaining ongoing community involvement and collaboration.

Philosophy and Principles

Innovation

We understand that meeting aggressive climate goals and making a substantive impact requires constant innovation and the search for “the next generation of solutions and programs.” A track record of successful innovation and programs provides a foundation on which to build for the next generation of solutions.  Built on the sharing of best practices and recognized first-to-market models, we lead the county in terms of innovation. We are always future focused and are looking toward the next decade via community solar integration, direct supply and energy storage, pilot programs giving low to moderate income residents access to renewable energy options, electrification of building clean heating and cooling and inclusion of clean transportation into the renewable energy solution paradigm.

Philosophy and Principles

Thought Leadership

Sustainable Westchester, as a thought leader, delivers for our municipal members depth of relationship and sphere of influence that can work on plans and tackle opportunities at County scale with focus on New York State context. It is as thought leaders, we help municipalities participate effectively in the broader context and  provide them with a ‘seat at the table’ of innovation and planning for the energy future.

PHILOSOPHY & PRINCIPLES

Commitment to
Environmental Justice

As agents of change, it is incumbent on us to affect a decisive shift toward environmental equity in our communities of color. We pledge to increase collaboration with our municipal partners by gaining a deeper understanding of each community’s DNA, its strengths and needs, and the gaps that exist to find the place where we can play a significant role in offering greater access to environmental benefits. We believe that resilience is born from strong communities.

With that, we pledge to deepen our investment in underfunded communities by providing environmental resources that will foster greater strength and resiliency. We are deeply committed to the idea that a sustainable future is an equitable future. Please click here to read Sustainable Westchester’s full pledge.

Municipal Participation

Meet our Team

Anjali Khanna
Anjali Khanna
Program Assistant, Westchester Power
Megan Ort
Megan Ort
Program Assistant, Solar Programs
Lauren Kroell
Lauren Kroell
Community Energy Advisor
Sherrisse-Lee Lewis
Sherrisse-Lee Lewis
Director of Operations
Yasmin Najjar
Yasmin Najjar
Program Assistant, Building Decarbonization
Nick Tedrow
Nick Tedrow
Senior Program Manager, Westchester Power
Leo Wiegman
Leo Wiegman
Director of Solar Programs
Dan Welsh
Dan Welsh
Director of Westchester Power Program
Michel Delafontaine
Michel Delafontaine
Director of Business Development
Rachel Carpitella
Rachel Carpitella
Director of Building Decarbonization: Commercial Properties and Networks
Lauren Brois
Lauren Brois
Director of EnergySmart HOMES
Carmen Santos
Carmen Santos
Senior Program Manager, Solar Programs
Jim Kuster
Jim Kuster
Interim Executive Director

Board of Directors

Sara Goddard

Sara Goddard
Chair
Sustainability Expert, Speaker, Publisher Green That Life

Warren Lucas

Warren Lucas
Board Treasurer
Supervisor, Town of North Salem

Jason Baker
City of Yonkers,
Director of Sustainability

Mohit Chandra
Principal
@AMP365 LLC

Julie Chang
Advisor to the CEO
Jacobs Engineering

Bridget Gibbons

Director of Economic Development
Westchester County Executive George Latimer

Joan Grangenois-Thomas
Trustee, Village
of Port Chester

Ken Jenkins
Westchester Deputy
County Executive

Dane Warren
Associate
Sive, Paget, & Riesel P.C.

Sara Kaye
City Council Member
City of New Rochelle

Shawn Patterson-Howard
City of Mount Vernon
Mayor

Su-Fern Tan
Product Manager, Prescriptive Data

June Wallach
Co-Chair, Town of Mamaroneck Sustainability Collaborative

Vennela Yadhati
Sr. Manager of Strategy
Orsted

Awards & Recognition

Sustainable Westchester:

A Brief Historical Perspective

Sustainable Westchester’s beginnings can be traced back to the economic crisis of 2008. The $831 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law in early 2009, had as its primary goal job creation, in part through targeted public investment in such areas as energy efficiency. In 2009, a group of northern Westchester County municipalities teamed up to create a collaborative energy efficiency program…

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