Our Staff | North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance | Appalachian State University

Skip to Main Content Area

Appalachian State University

Our Staff


Jeff Tiller Principal Investigator	Jeff is the Principal Investigator on the grant from the State Energy Office that currently funds the Alliance. Jeff is the Chair of the Technology Department at Appalachian State University (ASU) and works with the ASU Energy Center. Before becoming chair, Jeff directed undergraduate and graduate Building Science programs at ASU. One of Jeff’s current projects is directing the development of the North Carolina State Energy Plan. Prior to moving to North Carolina, Jeff was co-founder and served as President of Southface Energy Institute, a non-profit corporation in Atlanta, Georgia. Jeff has conducted hundreds of seminars, courses, workshops and presentations on energy conservation and solar energy applications in residential and commercial buildings. He has also written numerous Builders’ Guides on high performance construction for various southeastern states, as well as several other well-known publications. Jeff is a licensed Mechanical Engineer, a LEED-accredited professional, and a RESNET-certified HERS Rater. When not working, Jeff enjoys being outdoors, traveling, attending live music, cycling, and playing soccer. He has two sons and lives in Boone with his wife, Ingrid.
Chuck Perry Program Director	Chuck comes to the North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance from Tingen Construction Co. a home building company in Raleigh, NC. As the production manager at Tingen Construction Co. one of his responsibilities was to oversee their ENERGY STAR qualified homes and work with clients to customize their energy needs. He recognized quickly the quality assurances and better building practices offered in homes being built to higher energy efficient standards. These desires to continually improve lead Chuck to actively participate in the Green Home Builders of the Triangle, a joint council of the Raleigh/Wake and Durham, Orange, Chatham County Home Builders Associations. He believes his time with both these organizations has prepared him well for the challenges the NCEEA will face. He admits that building homes is his passion but welcomes the opportunity to work with the key stakeholders in the home building industry to improve the energy-efficiency of homes being built in NC. He hopes the Alliance can meet its goals through a collective partnership with each stakeholder that involves everyone sharing in the task of adding these new energy efficient homes to the marketplace. When not working Chuck can be found running a trail, cycling somewhere, or just hanging out in the mountains he loves.
Nicholas Hurst Education & Outreach Director	Nicholas Hurst has been in the home building industry since he was a teenager working on production framing crews with his uncles. Before moving to Western North Carolina, Nick worked for five years as a self-employed contractor in Pittsburgh, PA. There he developed a strong passion for restoring old urban buildings and increasing their energy-efficiency in the process. He also worked in new construction on various custom green homes throughout Western Pennsylvania. After resettling to Boone, NC, Nick worked as a Project Manager for a custom home builder specializing in log homes and timber frame/SIP construction. Nick recently earned his Master of Science in Technology at Appalachian State University, concentrating in Building Science and Appropriate Technology. He also holds certifications as a LEED Green Associate, NAHB Certified Green Professional, and a BPI Building Analyst. Nick has additional technical experience in solar thermal water heating and PV design and installation and is also NABCEP Entry Level Certified. His passion for energy efficiency, critical thinking, and wide variety of building experiences are valuable assets to the NCEEA team. In his free time, Nick enjoys woodworking, disc golfing, singing, and playing upright bass in an eclectic band in Boone, NC.
Heather Kersey Assistant Program Manager	Heather recently completed her Master of Science in Technology at Appalachian State University, concentrating in Appropriate Technology. She is NABCEP Entry Level Certified and has technical experience installing and decommissioning anemometer towers and small-scale wind turbines. Heather’s interest in energy efficiency and green building began in graduate school, where she realized the importance of integrating energy efficiency principles with renewable energy systems. Before joining the NCEEA, Heather worked as an intern at the High Country Workforce Development Board where she wrote an analysis of the construction industry in the seven-county region of northwestern North Carolina. This report explored the economic benefits that renewable energy, green construction, and energy efficiency could have on the High Country. She discovered that retraining the local construction workforce in green building principles, energy retrofit procedures, and renewable energy system installations could stimulate the surrounding economies through job creation and savings on utility bills. Heather’s experience at the High Country Council of Governments is a great complement to the NCEEA's work in residential new construction. In her free time, Heather enjoys whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, trail running, snowboarding, and telemark skiing. During the summer months, she can sometimes be found guiding rafts for a local outfitter on the Nolichucky River Gorge.
Dona Stankus High Performance Building Program Manager at the North Carolina Solar Center	Dona Stankus, AIA, LEED AP Homes, LEED AP is a registered architect and the High Performance Building Program Manager at the NC Solar Center in the College of Engineering at NC State University. She is Director/Founder of the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program, is the Quality Assurance Designee of the Center’s LEED for Homes efforts and spends a great deal of her time teaching and providing technical assistance to both professional and lay audiences and providing other support services to the NC high performance building industry. Dona is Vice Chair of the City of Raleigh Environmental Advisory Board and is a past Chair/Board Director for the NC Triangle Chapter of the US Green Building Council. Currently, she is a member of the national USGBC Regionalization Task Force for the LEED commercial rating systems. Dona serves NCSU as a member of the Buildings Working Group for the Campus Environmental Sustainability Team and has served as an adjunct instructor for the College of Design and a member of the NCSU Physical Environment Committee. She has a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture from NCSU’s College of Design and has worked in the field of architecture for 27 years including 6 years as the successful sole proprietor of a sustainable architecture design/construction administration firm.
Marshall Dunlap Residential Green Building Specialist at the North Carolina Solar Center	Marshall Dunlap has worked with the Solar Center’s High Performance Buildings Team since early 2008 as an instructor on building science topics and residential green building programs. Additionally, Marshall coordinates the Solar Center's role as a Provider organization for the US Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program, assisting project teams and conducting inspections on participating homes. In 2000 Marshall got married, returned to Raleigh and enrolled at NC State’s College of Design. After receiving a Master's degree in Architecture in 2004, he became a licensed general contractor in North Carolina and started a design-build construction company. Marshall has periodically returned to NC State's School of Architecture as an instructor in two courses: Environmental Control Systems and Natural Systems in Architecture. When not relaxing at work, he confronts the chaos of a three-toddler household and occasionally dusts off his tools to tackle a never-ending list of unfinished home improvement projects.
Kristi Matthews InUnison Market Lead Development at Advanced Energy	Kristi Matthews Account Manager Kristi Matthews joined the Advanced Energy team in 2002 after graduating from Appalachian State University. Her first role with the organization was a technical position in energy modeling where she helped build the first Plan Review Center for the Environments for Living program. She then trained five different centers around the nation. Matthews was a board member for the North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition and helped implement the program at Advanced Energy as the program’s executive director. After a couple of years, Matthews became a project manager for the organization, developing a strategy for infrastructure development for building performance professionals around the state. In 2006 Matthews took on the role of account manager and was a part of the team that developed and sold the InUnison consulting product for builders. Today, Matthews manages the market rate new construction accounts for the Applied Building Science team and manages the training and products that Advanced Energy delivers for electric utility energy-efficiency programs nationwide. Matthews also contributes to developing products and training that benefit ENERGY STAR® builders and contractors around the country, as well as Realtors and building performance professionals. She is also responsible for analyzing market trends to determine how the organization’s programs can improve energy efficiency and health in the new residential building industry. MY Philosophy on Energy Efficiency I’ve always tried to remember that change happens over time. Market transformation can happen. It’s important to learn from others, understand obstacles, listen and try to develop a solution that meets everyone’s needs, but doesn’t compromise the lives of those in the future. I’m a complete optimist and I believe our country can become a leader in energy efficiency, but it starts with YOU. EDUCATION Bachelor of Science, Appropriate Technology, Appalachian State University
Michael Peaden Southern Energy Management Liaison	Michael joins us from Southern Energy Management, where he is part of their building science team working with home builders to improve the energy performance of new homes built in and around the Triangle. A native of Wilson, North Carolina, Michael grew up with an interest in meteorology, economics and the environment. After earning his BA in Business from NC State, he built houses with Chatham Habitat for Humanity. His proudest moments with Habitat were participating in three build-a-thons on the Gulf Coast, where he helped build dozens of new homes for residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Michael also worked as a quality assurance technician for Advanced Energy, where he learned principles of applied building science to round-out his hands-on experience in the building industry. Outside of work, Michael can be found teaching green building practices to students at Wilson Tech. He also enjoys traveling, live music and working on cars
Rachel Della Valle Building Performance Project Manager at Southern Energy Management	Rachel is part of the building performance team at Southern Energy Management, where she works with new construction projects in the residential sector. She is certified as a HERS Rater, NAHB Green Accredited Verifier, WaterSense QA, LEED for Homes Green Rater and a NEHA Healthy Homes Specialist. In addition to Energy Star and LEED projects, she spends a lot of her time working with the North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance. Each day in the field, she appreciates the opportunity to see and help others see the connections between humans and the world around us. "There are so many small things everybody can do to make a difference and reduce the impact we're having on our environment," Rachel says. Check out her contribution to The Smart Energy Exchange, SEM's blog, by clicking here. Prior to joining SEM, Rachel earned a BS in Environmental Studies from Elon University, and served as outreach and education coordinator for the Western NC Green Building Council in Asheville, where she gained an invaluable introduction into the world of building science and green building. Rachel grew up playing in the woods outside of Boston, and dreamed of growing up to work for the EPA or the FBI (we're glad she landed at SEM instead!). Now Rachel lives in an Energy Star and GHBT Bronze Level certified home near the West Point on the Eno River, where she can be found running, playing soccer or enjoying a lively game of Bananagrams.
David King Graduate Assistant	Before joining the NCEEA, David was the Weatherization Coordinator for Green Opportunities (GO), a green jobs training program for under-served youth in Asheville, NC. His interest in improving home energy efficiency started while working on carpentry and remodeling crews. David is currently pursing a Masters of Technology in Building Science and Appropriate Technology. He is also a BPI Building Analyst and is NABCEP Entry Level Certified. His research project involves assessing the accuracy of residential energy analysis tools and determining the realized savings of weatherization for a local Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). His interest lies in programs that would help bring efficiency and energy awareness to the mainstream. When not in the library, David enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and surfing.
John Robinson Graduate Assistant	John joined the NCEEA as a Graduate Assistant in the fall of 2010. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Technology in Appropriate Technology from Appalachian State University. John has a strong interest in renewable energy systems, and how energy efficient buildings and structures can enhance those systems. His primary role at the Alliance is working on our website to make it a place where the different stakeholders of the industry can come to find out more about energy efficiency and the best energy efficient practices for their field. In his free time, John enjoys seeing live music, exploring the great hiking trails around the mountains, or just relaxing in a hammock with a good book.
Bill Pfleger Graduate Assistant	Bill is currently working towards a Masters of Technology in Building Science and Appropriate Technology at ASU. Previously, he obtained a Masters of Experimental Psychology degree from ASU. Prior to returning to school, Bill worked on several remodeling projects and worked for an engineering firm in the Raleigh area as an assistant department manager, designer, and project scheduler for several years. Bill’s interests focus around efficient building design and net zero buildings. He joins the NCEEA as a graduate assistant and is investigating the market performance of ENERGY STAR homes. In his free time Bill enjoys, playing soccer for the ASU club team, fly fishing, hiking and camping around the mountains near Boone, and international travel.
Janet Miller Graduate Assistant	Janet joined the NCEEA as a Graduate Assistant in the fall of 2011. She is working towards a Masters of Technology in Building Science at ASU. Her research project and area of interest has focused on energy efficiency outreach and promoting behavior change towards energy conservation in the home. Janet's role is to provide outreach through social media on the goals, trainings, and current events of the NCEEA. Janet also does freelance AutoCad design work for a civil engineering and furniture company, specializing in site development. Having lived in Boone for the past 24 years, Janet enjoys doing anything outside: kayaking, hiking, skiing, and backpacking.

Copyright 2013 Appalachian State University