During the first half of the event, we will hear from our guest speakers. Following their presentations, Councilwoman Bough will moderate an engaging Q&A session with our panel of building experts. Complete this quick survey to tell us what topics you would like discussed during the event.
Speakers
Ryan Allenbrand
Program Manager Healthy Homes/Environmental Hygienist, Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Ryan has been with Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in various roles for 17 years and with their Environmental Health Program for over 13. He is a Council-Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant, a Certified Healthy Home Specialist, and a Licensed Lead Risk Assessor in Kansas & Missouri. As the Program Manager for the Healthy Homes Program, Ryan has been the instructor for various Healthy Homes courses and has presented his research across the country. Ryan has a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Science. He has served on numerous indoor environmental committees as a technical advisor, consultant, and as an expert in the building science community.
Mary English
Building Performance Program Manager, Metropolitan Energy Center
Mary has worked in the sustainable built environment industry conducting energy assessments, testing, consultation, and overall experience in the field of building performance in both the residential and commercial sectors. She founded Small Step Energy Solutions LLC which became a leading home energy assessment provider, as well as a building consultant for sustainable new buildings and homes. During this time, Small Step’ worked with municipalities – including the Kansas City, MO codes department – to review and update building energy codes. She also worked closely with area developers to create sustainable developments and multi-family housing based on equity goals. Mary then moved into commercial-business sustainability, helping start-up businesses in passive house panel construction; energy benchmarking; and efficiency upgrades in commercial HVAC systems. She currently serves on the Programs Committee for the USGBC Central Plains Community; and the Equity Committee for Climate Action Kansas City.
Ashley Sadowski
Executive Director, Climate Action KC Building Energy Exchange
Ashley’s commitment to community well-being and forging collaborative partnerships is exemplified in her role at Kansas City’s first Building Energy Exchange. She works closely with public and private agencies, Climate Action KC, Mid-America Regional Council, and many others to support the real estate community in reaching carbon neutrality by 2040. In her 14 years practicing architecture, Ashley has managed the design and construction of several million dollars’ worth of community assets including affordable housing projects, urban redevelopment, and parks revitalization. She sits on the City of Kansas City Missouri’s Planning Commission and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas, professional certification in Real Estate Development from New York University, and a Master of Urban Planning from University of Southern California.
Moderator & Panelists
Councilwoman Andrea Bough
Sixth District-at-Large, City of Kansas City, MO
Prior to being elected to the Council, Andrea served on Mayor Sly James’ transition team, chaired Mayor James’ Commission on Ethics Reform, and served on the most recent Charter Review Commission. She has also served on numerous other boards in the metro area. Andrea is an attorney specializing in commercial real estate, land use, and development. She has also previously represented Planning Commissions and Boards of Zoning Adjustment in the greater Kansas City area. She has extensive experience representing clients before local governments and their agencies. Prior to entering private practice, she clerked on the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Hon. Patricia Breckenridge and the Hon. Harold Lowenstein. In 2017, she was awarded the Business Practitioner Award at the Women’s Justice Awards from Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly. She also previously owned a small business in Brookside. Andrea received her B.S. in Political Science from Missouri State University and a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Kansas Bar, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
Gabrial Okafor
President, Alpha Energy and Electric, Inc.
At Alpha Energy and Electric, Inc, Gabriel is responsible for leading overall Projects strategy, with a focus on business growth through the development of new clients and building the company’s portfolio of Federal Government projects. He has over 15 years of work experience with municipal governments. His last appointment in the public sector was with the City of Kansas City, MO. He managed the City’s Division of Economic Development & Business Assistance (EDBA). The EDBA oversaw negotiations and implementation of complex development projects of significant cost, requiring both public and private participation. His knowledge and familiarity with local building codes and local conditions has helped in the efficient planning and implementation of our projects. Gabriel has served on the board of the National Electrical Contractors of America and twice on the board of the Neighborhood Housing Service of Kansas City, MO. Gabriel has a Bachelor of Science degree in Real Estate Management & Development and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He is also a 2006 graduate of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation FastTrac© Growth Venture program.
Christopher Perry
Research Manager, Buildings Program, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
At ACEEE, Chris conducts research to support energy-efficiency building codes and equipment standards, as well as smart and grid-interactive buildings. Prior to joining ACEEE in 2015, he worked at URS Corporation in Ohio as an energy management engineer and most recently in Virginia as a sustainability consultant at JDM Associates. Chris is a registered professional engineer, LEED Accredited Professional (building design + construction), and Certified Energy Manager. He earned a masters in engineering management from George Washington University and a bachelor of science in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University. His areas of expertise include building HVAC systems and equipment, building energy modeling and simulations, and commercial building energy assessments.
Sharla Riead
Owner/Managing Member, Hathmore Technologies LLC, Accurate Rater Network, & EnergySmart Institute
Sharla’s energy and environmental experience began with her first energy audit in 1979 and spans years of progression from working as an energy auditor through construction and installation of solar panels to directorships and management of energy conservation and consulting companies and culminates in her leadership of Hathmore Technologies, LLC. For over five decades she has performed heat load calculations, residential energy diagnostics, solar and alternate energy design, energy conservation instruction, contracting, and consulting. As a Certified Building Analyst and Envelope Specialist, Sharla assisted hundreds of homeowners with energy retrofit improvement analysis and design. As a Certified Home Energy Rater, Sharla and her team provide testing, certification, and program compliance services for national energy and environmental programs such as ENERGYSTAR, NAHB Green Build, US Green Building Council’s LEED® for Homes Program and Federal Energy Tax Credits. Sharla and her company have supported several hundred builders with their Green Building goals.
Magali Rojas (She/Her/Ella)
Nature Action Crew Leader, Heartland Conservation Alliance (HCA)
Magali was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and raised in Kansas City. She does not say whether KCMO or KCK because she believes that both states need to work on being more united. She graduated from East High School in 2011 and considers it an honor to see the connection between East and Heartland Conservation Alliance. Last year, Magali attended the SHIFT (Shaping How we Invest For Tomorrow) Summit as an emerging leader where she learned the power of storytelling and vulnerability. She believes in servant leadership and practices it by volunteering her time in organizations like CleanAirNow. Magali is currently earning her Environmental Justice certification at The University of Kansas. She hopes to apply her knowledge to her role at HCA and help bridge the intersection between health and nature. Magali shares, “As a minority, I have found my voice by being involved and showing up. A community is only as strong as the members that represent it.”
Tim Ryan
Retired Certified Building Official, City of Overland Park, KS
Executive Director, International Association of Building Officials
Tim is the Executive Director of the International Association of Building Officials. He served the City of Overland Park, KS for almost 40 years in the Building Safety Division as a field inspector, plans examiner, field supervisor and as Code Administrator from 1998 until 2017. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Management and Technology from Pittsburg State University and is certified in 15 separate categories of building code administration and management. Tim served on the BOCA Board of Directors, including as President of the Board; and on the ICC Board of Directors. He is serving as a presidential appointee to the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Building Sciences; as appointed by President Obama. He is the only building official ever appointed to a position by a setting President of the United States. He is an experienced training instructor and public speaker. He serves on the ICC Codes and Standards Council, Code Correlation Committee and as a moderator for ICC’s code development hearings.