Green Building United Staff

Executive Director

Alex Dews

LEED AP

Alex has spent the past ten years working on green building and urban sustainability in Philadelphia. Alex worked in real estate development prior to leading program implementation and progress reporting for Greenworks Philadelphia, the city's comprehensive sustainability plan. Alex is a LEED AP and received a BA in English from the University of Vermont and an MS in Sustainable Design from Philadelphia University where he is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Architecture.

Development Director

Margaret Salamon

CFRE

Margaret brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector to Green Building United. Most recently she worked for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and prior to that the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Additionally, in her twenties, her partner and her hand-built a house made out of recycled materials that included passive and active solar, rainwater catchment, and grey and blackwater wetland systems. Margaret has a strong interest in the built environment, for advancing ecological solutions, and for issues around social equity and is excited to work to advance Green Building United’s mission.

Contact Margaret with questions regarding sustaining partnership.

Policy and Programs Director

Katie Bartolotta

Katie brings broad policy, campaign, and coalition building experience to her work as policy and program manager at Green Building United. In this role, Katie leads the organization’s local, state, and federal policy and advocacy efforts. In addition, she coordinates strategic initiatives including the Philadelphia 2030 District and Energy Codes Implementation. Katie holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Rochester.

Contact Katie with questions related to policy and advocacy.

Education and Engagement Director

Leah Wirgau

LEED Green Associate

Leah has worked several years in outreach at state, federal, and non-profit organizations. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Sustainable Design Department at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) and an Instructor in the Sociology Department at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Leah holds a Master of City and Regional Planning degree and Master of Environment and Natural Resources degree from The Ohio State University, and is a LEED Green Associate.

Contact Leah with questions regarding education, events, membership, and communications.

Program and Communications Manager

LeAnne Harvey

LeAnne brings five years of communications experience as well as a background in nonprofit development and project management to Green Building United. Her interests lie at the intersection of climate science, communications, data analysis, and social justice. In her current role, LeAnne coordinates the Delaware Pathways to Green Schools Program and provides technical support to the Philadelphia Building Energy Benchmarking program. She also manages social media and digital communications. LeAnne holds a Master of Climate Science and Policy from the Bard Center for Environmental Policy with a focus in GHG accounting.

Contact LeAnne with questions related to communications and initiatives.

New Gravity Housing Conference Intern

Brandon Hassell

Returning for a second year, Brandon's work is focused around assisting the Education & Engagement Director with the New Gravity Housing Conference. He is currently a student working towards obtaining a graduate degree in Architecture from Temple University. He also holds a degree in Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and hopes to bring his passion for art, technology and public policy together to help build sustainable communities to meet the needs of its inhabitants and the environment.

Muscoe Martin Green Building Fellow

Ziao Wang

Ziao is currently a student pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Design at the University of Pennsylvania. Right now, his studies are focused on energy consumption in multifamily housing in Philadelphia. He also holds a Master of Architecture from Arizona State University and has two working experiences as an architecture intern in China and Japan.

Philadelphia 2030 District Intern

Isabelle Coupet

Isabelle supports Green Building United’s Policy and Program Director to coordinate and grow the Philadelphia 2030 District. She is an architectural engineering student at Drexel University. Isabelle is interested in studying sustainable building practices and designs for the purpose of assisting in the development of sustainability goals.

Philadelphia 2030 District Intern

Jay Dennis

Jay supports Green Building United’s Policy and Program Director to coordinate and grow the Philadelphia 2030 District. Jay is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania studying chemical engineering with a minor in energy. While his technical background is in chemical process design, he has a passion for sustainability and the transition towards carbon neutrality.