BCAP Staff

Michael DeWein, Technical Director
Mechanicsville, NY | 518-664-1308 | mdewein@ase.org
Mike has been with BCAP for over thirteen years, providing technical support and direction to BCAP programs in more than 35 states nationwide. Prior to joining BCAP, Mike worked as technical specialist in the Codes and Customer Service Bureaus at the New York State Energy Office (NYSEO) where he developed codes and standards and provided outreach, project management, and agency-wide presentation development and training. Mike also helped develop and was the first trainer for the NYSTAR program, one of the early Home Energy Rating System programs for builders in New York. Mike has worked as a home builder and an alternative energy retailer and installer in both Massachusetts and New York, and holds a degree in environmental engineering technology from Paul Smith’s College.

Maria Ellingson, Senior Program Manager
Toledo, OH | 419-724-4571 | mellingson@ase.org
Maria Ellingson specializes in communications and outreach campaigns, and local-level leadership in energy efficiency policies and practices. Prior to joining BCAP, Maria served five years at the Alliance to Save Energy, most recently managing the North American Secretariat of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, where she worked with the U.S. Department of State and others to develop a Compendium of Best Practices to share U.S. local and state financial and policy successes. Prior to this, she directed a national public awareness campaign in partnership with the Ad Council that garnered more than $140 million in donated and earned media via TV, radio, print, Internet and billboards ads. She holds bachelor degrees in Resource Development and Extension Communications from Michigan State University.

Kelly Guhanick, Project Manager
Washington, D.C. | 202-530-2248 | kguhanick@ase.org
Kelly joined the Alliance to Save Energy as the Policy, Communications, and Foundation Relations Program Associate in October 2006. As a program associate, she worked with the President of the Alliance and the Buildings, Policy, and Corporate Relations teams on various Alliance initiatives. Since joining BCAP in September 2008, she focuses on providing research and assistance in gathering information from state and local partners to develop the State Toolkits. Kelly attended Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin where she earned two undergraduate degrees in environmental policy and sociology. She would later go on to earn her master's in environmental law from Vermont Law School.

Paul Karrer, Project Manager
Washington, D.C. | 202-530-4347 | pkarrer@ase.org
Paul joined the Alliance to Save Energy in June 2008 as an intern for BCAP and the Efficient Windows Collaborative, and began working full-time as a Program Associate for BCAP in August 2008. He was promoted to Senior Program Associate in January 2011. Paul provides technical and research support to the team by tracking state and local legislation, creating advocacy materials, maintaining the BCAP website, and writing the quarterly newsletter. Prior to joining the Alliance, he was involved in Kansas state politics in Topeka and Lawrence, working for the Kansas Democratic Party and interning in the Kansas House of Representatives.  Paul was a National Merit Scholar and Chancellor's Club Scholar at the University of Kansas, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science and International Studies and was a graduate of the University Honors Program. He received his Master's in Public Policy (M.P.P.) with a concentration in environmental policy from American University in Washington, DC.

Matt Kerns, Program Associate
Washington, D.C. | 202-530-2252 | mkerns@ase.org
Matt joined the BCAP adoption support team in Spetember 2011 as a Program Associate. Matt tracks state and local legislation, provides direct adoption support, and produces outreach material such as the quarterly newsletter and weekly Code Alerts. Prior to joining the Alliance, Matt worked on government realtions and advocacy issues for Habitat for Humanity International. He graduated from Colorado College in 2010 with a Bachelor or Arts in Political Science. 

Mark Lessans, Senior Program Associate
Chicago, IL | 312-374-0930 |  mlessans@ase.org
Mark joined BCAP in August 2009 as an intern and became a Program Associate in March 2010, and brings technical and analytical design/construction expertise to the team.  Mark focuses on building energy code research and best practices in the U.S. and around the world, examining traditional and non-traditional factors.  He also helps develop the Online Code Environment and Advocacy Network, as well as marketing and graphic materials and technical drawings.  Before joining BCAP, Mark spent his college summers as an intern for Torti Gallas and Partners, an architecture firm in Silver Spring, MD that focuses design on the principles of New Urbanism.  Mark attended the University of Maryland where he graduated with a B.S. in Architecture.

John Miller, Project Manager
Washington, D.C. | 202-530-4340 | jmiller@ase.org
John joined BCAP in July 2009 as a Senior Research Associate. Prior to his work at BCAP, he was a scholar in residence at the Urban Land Institute, where he focused on real estate and land use issues, including building design, infrastructure, and the nexus between land use and climate change. He also helped create ULI's 2008 exhibit: "The City in 2050: Creating Blueprints for Change." Prior to ULI, John worked for Durham, N.C.-based Greenfire Development, a real estate firm specializing in urban revitalization and green building. John holds a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in History from nearby Duke University.

Cosimina Panetti, Senior Program Director, Advocacy
Rotterdam, NY | 518-357-0602 | cpanetti@ase.org
Ms. Panetti joined the Alliance to Save Energy's Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) eight years ago supporting the organization's nationally recognized efforts to assist states and local jurisdictions in enacting and implementing strong and effective building energy codes through advocacy, technical assistance, outreach programs and coalition building efforts. She is a Certified Energy Manager through the Association of Energy Engineers, a LEED AP, and a graduate of the State University of New York Institute of Technology.

Prior to joining the Alliance to Save Energy, Ms. Panetti spent over 20 years working in different aspects of energy engineering in both the private and public sectors. Working for BCAP, Cosimina has given numerous educational workshops, testimonials and energy code advocacy presentations all over the country. Her work rallying and supporting public and private stakeholders has brought an awareness of the existing regional and local viewpoints that must be accounted for in any successful advocacy campaign. Cosimina has worked effectively with these varying perspectives that exist in the country, managing to build consensus which has resulted in far-reaching acceptance and awareness of the value of energy efficient building codes as good public policy.

Eric Plunkett, Senior Associate
Washington, D.C. | 202-530-2255 | eplunkett@ase.org
Eric joined the BCAP team in February 2009 as an intern and became a Program Associate in May 2009. He was promoted to Senior Program Associate in January 2012. He is responsible for managing OCEAN, creating marketing materials and online content, and advancing BCAP communications. He also has significant experience managing projects that support state and local implementation of energy codes, working closely with various stakeholders to analyze current practices, provide policy recommendations and create helpful resources. His other roles include: research, writing, and editing. Eric holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. His goal is to fight for a world that is sustainable, equitable, and prosperous for all people.

Brian Sernulka, Program Manager for Southern States Advocacy
Atlanta, GA | 404-253-7258 (Office) | 404-433-9293 (Direct) | bsernulka@ase.org
Brian has served as a Program Manager for BCAP since July 2009. Brian earned his Masters of Arts degree in International Political Economy, specializing in trade, monetary policy and political development. Before his work with BCAP, Brian worked as an advisor to governors, legislators, and businesses across the South on energy policy. This includes his work on the Pike County Energy Strategy, Georgia Energy Strategy, the American Energy Security Study, and countless legislation across the southeast. Brian has also served and advised on many political campaigns, studied at the University of Havana, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and world history from Georgia State University.