Meet Our Team
Leadership Team
Susan Kruse
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
she/her
Susan has been advocating for environmental protection and justice for 25 years. After launching the Allegheny Defense Project in her native Pennsylvania in 1994, Susan helped to found the National Forest Protection Alliance and joined the staff as the Eastern Field Coordinator. She led their federal legislative efforts to protect national forests before ultimately serving as the organization’s executive director. In 2006, Susan pursued her passion for philanthropic work and became the Director of Development for the Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Coles Jennings
he/him
DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
Coles combines 15 years of engineering experience with a passion for sustainability, energy conservation, and affordability. One of his core beliefs is that the key to a sustainable future lies in decoupling pollution and production. Through his years of consulting for building design and performance, he has completed energy and sustainability assessments and designed system upgrades for commercial and government facilities all over the world. Coles is thrilled to put this experience to work helping organizations in the community reduce their resource footprints and realize better returns on their energy investments.
Carolyn Pugh
she/her
DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE POLICY
Carolyn is an urban and environmental planner who has been involved in climate and environmental justice work for over a decade. She grew up near Charlottesville and first got involved in environmental justice organizing as an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia. Carolyn recognizes the powerful role cities play in shaping climate policy and is passionate about advancing climate justice in partnership with community members and organizations in Charlottesville and Richmond. Before joining C3, Carolyn gained diverse experience across government, the private sector, and academia, focusing on state and local climate action strategies, residential energy efficiency, and transportation research. Her commitment to community-engaged planning and social justice brought her to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) where she earned her Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. For her capstone project, she explored the local impacts of a freeway removal project on air quality, mobility, housing, and equity, earning the Neville A. Parker Memorial Award for her research. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature, baking, and idling with friends over coffee.
Aidyn Mancenido
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
she/her
Aidyn brings her background in cultural anthropology and over two decades of experience working directly with communities around the world and throughout Charlottesville. She has researched, consulted and advocated in areas such as affordable housing, health equity, food access, and employment. She approaches these and other justice-based efforts by prioritizing local voices and community partnerships to seed and power systemic change. Aidyn holds a PhD in cultural anthropology and a masters degree in art. She lives in Charlottesville with her daughter and enjoys walking amongst trees, and swimming in open bodies of water.
Leah Jones
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
she/her
Leah Jones is an enthusiastic community advocate passionate about using communication strategies to shed light on the intersections between environmentalism, race, gender, and class. Her studies in Biology and Environmental Science and Policy at William and Mary led her to dedication to environmental justice and building bridges of understanding with communities of color and other underserved communities. Before joining C3, Leah advocated and organized with frontline communities to advance environmental justice policies and initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.
Programs and Operations
Jacqui Bauer
CLIMATE SERVICE MANAGER
she/her
Jacqui has worked for 25 years in the field of local sustainability. She was the first sustainability coordinator for the City of Bloomington, Indiana, where she spearheaded energy efficiency, waste reduction, active transportation, and renewable energy programs throughout the community. During this time, she also served in leadership positions with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, co-chairing the Innovation Fund Committee. Based on her city experience, she co-founded a startup called RentLab, focused on creating tools to promote efficiency, sustainability, and affordability in rental housing.
Sarah Delgado
OPERATIONS MANAGER
she/her
Sarah is originally from Williamsburg, VA and fell in love with the Charlottesville area while in school at the University of Virginia, studying Environmental Science and English. She has long had a passion for reducing pollution and supporting climate organizations in her personal life. She has 10 years of experience in retail banking management and recently moved to the non-profit sector by managing the finances at the Sexual Assault Resource Agency here in Charlottesville. Sarah is looking forward to supporting the continued growth of C3 and managing operations so that our team can continue their focus on accelerating local climate action.
Maria Düster
CLIMATE JUSTICE POLICY MANAGER
she/they
Maria works on C3’s policy team to research, analyze, and advocate for local climate solutions affecting the Charlottesville and Richmond areas. She leads all energy-related topics at C3. Her background in political organizing and advocacy deeply informs her work and commitment to transformative and restorative justice. Maria approaches climate issues from the local to the global, recognizing the complex intersections of identity that make certain communities more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. At C3, she hopes to advance how community decision-making can be prioritized in the policymaking process and further integrate environmental justice into our work.
Sadhbh O'Flynn
CLIMATE JUSTICE POLICY MANAGER
she/her
Sadhbh joined C3’s policy team to channel her passion for researching climate justice and transportation justice into community-centered advocacy. Her interest in community activism was fomented during her participation in a 10-year grassroots campaign for debt justice in Ireland, where she learned first-hand the value of coalition-building across diverse societal strata. Her professional and academic background comprises a cross-sectoral path that ultimately led her away from the travel industry and into a Master of Science in Climate Change: Policy, Media, Society from Dublin City University.
Fellows
Madelena Eifert
CLIMATE JUSTICE FELLOW
Madelena is a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Public Health. Her background in epidemiology and biology has led to a passion for health equity informed by rigorous research. The disparities within Richmond, Virginia, caused by institutional, structural, and historical injustices, has motivated her to examine the role of one's built environment and the impact of climate change on health. In her spare time, Madelena enjoys having coffee with
UVA Interns
Ava Marshall
CLIMATE POLICY INTERN
Ava Marshall is a second year at the University of Virginia. She is majoring in Environmental Thought & Practice and Economics. Originally from Fairfax County, VA, she became interested in sustainability during high school. After her interest sparked, she got involved in environmental clubs and implemented sustainable practices into all aspects of her life. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in environmental economics. She is excited to work with C3 to make a difference in the Charlottesville community!
Alex Yeager
DEVELOPMENT INTERN
Alex Yeager is a fourth year student studying Environmental Science at the University of Virginia. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia, where he found a passion for the environment after spending much of his childhood outside in nature. This led to him choosing a major in environmental science and interning at C3 to help create impactful change that will benefit the environment.
Board of Directors
Grey McLean
PRESIDENT
Grey McLean is the founder and Board Chairman of the Community Climate Collaborative where he oversees overall strategy and relationship development. Grey is committed to combating climate change, driven by the knowledge that it is the greatest challenge that we face as a global community. In addition to C3, Grey is also adjunct faculty at UVA's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy as well as a Director for the Adiuvans Foundation, a private foundation focused on combating climate change and advancing early childhood education and well being. Grey serves on the boards of the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program and the Southern Environmental Law Center. He lives in Free Union with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.
Morgan Butler
SECRETARY
Morgan Butler is an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville. As a member of SELC’s Land & Community team, he promotes transportation and land use decisions that strengthen communities, protect natural resources, and improve residents’ quality of life. Although he works throughout Virginia, much of his effort is focused on advocating for more sustainable land development patterns and more accessible transportation options in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Morgan received his bachelor’s degree and his JD from the University of Virginia, and he lives in Charlottesville with his wife and twin daughters.
Karl Quist
TREASURER
Karl Quist is the Co-Founder and President of PriceBlink, an online shopping tool that helps people save money when shopping online. Karl also serves on the board of Computers4Kids and is a Co-founder of Charlottesville for Reasonable Health Insurance. Karl is dedicated to fighting climate change, with a particular focus on motivating communities to take action to meet this incredibly important challenge. Prior to founding PriceBlink, he served as New Ventures Director for Landmark Communications, Inc., and previously worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, Inc. He holds a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia and a M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Karl lives in Charlottesville with his wife, Dana, and their two children.
Hannah Coman
Hannah Coman is Associate General Counsel at Apex Clean Energy, one of the largest clean energy companies in the United States. In her role at Apex she works closely with business development to negotiate off-take agreements for wind, solar, and storage projects across the country. Hannah previously worked at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charlottesville as the Virginia Solar Attorney, where she advocated for effective solar policy in Virginia and across the Southeast. Prior to joining SELC, she represented clean energy entrepreneurs and start-ups in commercial matters at Mintz Levin, an international law firm in Boston, Massachusetts. Hannah currently serves on the Board of the Virginia Renewable Energy Alliance. Hannah lives with her husband and two daughters in Charlottesville.
Emily Francis
Emily Francis is Principal of New Dominion Solutions LLC, a consultancy specializing in organizational and strategic support for nonprofits. She has been on the front lines of environmental advocacy and coalition collaboratives in Richmond since 2007 where she works to protect Virginia’s natural landscape and public health from pollution threats. For more than twenty years, Emily’s professional and volunteer efforts have been rooted in the need to increase community involvement in public policy decision making to ultimately build a more equitable society. She currently serves as Chair of the City of Richmond’s Green City Commission.
Dr. Sherica Jones-Lewis
Dr. Sherica Jones-Lewis is honored to serve as a board member of the Community Climate Collaborative, bringing her expertise as the Director of Community Research at The Equity Center, University of Virginia. With a commitment to fostering equitable solutions to complex social and environmental challenges, Sherica champions community-informed research practices that prioritize the voices and needs of all stakeholders. Drawing on her experience in strategic planning, project management, and program evaluation, Sherica facilitates collaborative processes that empower communities to drive decision-making and shape sustainable solutions. As a dedicated advocate for justice and equity, Sherica is committed to leveraging her position to advance climate initiatives that prioritize marginalized communities and address the root causes of environmental injustice.
Emily Litte
Emily Little’s favorite job was as her high school mascot. (She was a trojan warrior.) She continues to bring mascot energy to what she loves the most: family, patients, community, and the Earth. She received her BSN from the University of Maine and her MSN from Georgetown. She began her nursing career at the University of Virginia Emergency Room and now works as a nurse at the Charlottesville Free Clinic. While raising her young kids she became engaged in activism around stopping the Atlantic Coast Pipeline through protesting and grassroots efforts and increasing the work around local climate activism through a new group called Cville100. She now serves her church as Co-Senior Warden and founder/leader of their Ministry of Imagination. She serves the arts as Charlottesville Ballet’s Dancers for Dancers Fundraiser chair and on stage as Mother Ginger.
Ryan McCall
Ryan J. McCall is a Certified Financial Planner® with Clarendon Wealth Management, a boutique asset management firm located in Arlington, VA. Ryan has been servicing clients in the DC / Charlottesville area for 20+ years, and has now begun to focus his attention on environmental issues as well. A 10 year resident of Albemarle County, Ryan’s passion for doing his part in taking care of the earth began with volunteer work for the Charlottesville ASPCA as well as the Rivanna Conservation Alliance. Ryan is also involved with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, and he supports other non-profits such as NRDC, IFAW, The Nature Conservancy, The Ocean Cleanup Project, OPS and the Kiss the Ground Impact fund. In his free time, Ryan enjoys watching his two young sons wreak havoc on the soccer field and traveling the world with his wife Shannon.
Javier Raudales
Javier Raudales is the Town Administrator of the Town of Scottsville, Virginia. Javier is also a commissioner on the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) Board of Commissioners in addition to being a board member of the Charlottesville Community Development Corporation (CCDC). Javier received a BA from the University of Virginia in Foreign Affairs and completed a Masters in Public Administration from George Mason University. He is formerly the Client Service Coordinator of Sin Barreras/Without Barrier Inc., a nonprofit focused on direct support to the immigrant community of Central Virginia and the Blue Ridge area through legal services, education, and advocacy. Javier Raudales has lived most of his life in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area and feels that it is important to support environmental justice and address climate change in our area.
Harrison Wallace
Harrison Wallace is a Program Officer with the Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund. He was formerly the Virginia Director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) where he led both lobbying and grassroots organizing campaigns focused on climate action in the southern coal state. Harrison Wallace is a lifelong Virginian, born in the Shenandoah Valley and then spending the rest of his childhood in Richmond. Harrison earned his Bachelors of English Degree from James Madison University (Go Dukes). Harrison has previously served as the co-chair for the Virginia contingent of the 2017 People’s climate march and on the steering committee of the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative. He currently serves on the boards of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table and he is a graduate and advisory board member of the Virginia Progressive Leadership Project.
Barbara Brown Wilson
Barbara Brown Wilson is an associate professor of urban and environmental planning at the UVA School of Architecture, and co-founder and faculty director at the UVA Democracy Initiative Center for the Redress of Inequity through Community-Engaged Scholarship (aka The Equity Center). Her research and teaching focus on the history, theory, ethics, and practice of planning for climate justice, and on the role of urban social movements in the built world. Dr. Wilson writes for both academic and mainstream audiences, and is the author of Resilience for All: Striving for Equity through Community-Driven Design (Island Press: 2018), and co-author of Questioning Architectural Judgement: The Problem of Codes in the United States (Routledge: 2013).