Erick Sha
mbarger, Director
Erick Shambarger is the Director of Environmental Sustainability for the City of Milwaukee, where he leads the Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO). He oversees implementation of the Refresh Milwaukee sustainability plan and coordinates Milwaukee's involvement with local, national and global partnerships on environmental sustainability. He oversees all of ECO's programs, including the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) program, the Milwaukee Better Buildings Challenge, Water Centric City initiative, the Eco-Neighborhoods Initaitve and green infrastructure work. He led development of the City's Green Infrastructure Plan that was adopted in 2019 and is currently the Project Manager for the forthcoming Climate and Equity Plan. He also negotiated the City's largest solar energy project to date, a 2.25MW solar system on a city-owned landfill. He also launched Wisconsin's first Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program that has financed over $38m in projects in the City. He is also co-founder of the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition (WLGCC.org). Prior to his current role, he served as City Economist in the City’s Budget and Management Division. He holds a Masters of Public Affairs degree from the University of Wisconsin and certificates in Water Technology; Energy Analysis and Policy; and Business Communications.
Pamela Ritger de la Rosa, Environmental Sustainability Program Manager
Pam leads efforts to reduce energy use in City of Milwaukee-owned buildings, administers the PACE Program, and supports the Better Building Challenge, among other efforts to advance building energy efficiency and sustainability. She also works on expanding the electric vehicle charging network in the City of Milwaukee and advancing the transition of municipal fleets to electric and other low emissions vehicles. As a member of the City-County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity since 2019, Pam looks forward to helping implement many recommendations of the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan in this role. Pam is joining ECO after more than 8 years with Clean Wisconsin, the state’s oldest and largest environmental non-profit advocacy organization, where she held the title of Milwaukee Program Director and Staff Attorney. Pam is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and completed a certificate in Energy Analysis and Policy from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. Pam is also on the Advisory Board of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and is an active member of the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association.
Alexis Laverdiere, Environmental Sustainability Program Manager
Alexis Laverdiere oversees the City of Milwaukee's Water Centric City Initiative, which includes oversight of the City's Green Infrastructure Plan, and manages ECO's communication efforts. She staffs Mayor Johnson on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and is a delegate for Milwaukee. Previously, she served as Communication Coordinator and Staff Assistant for Mayor Cavalier Johnson and former Mayor Tom Barrett where she coordinated daily virtual and in-person media events, press materials, social media, web content, and community outreach. Alexis holds a master's degree in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University. She also received a master's degree in Corporate Communication and bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Marquette University. Alexis serves on the Marketing Committee for Lakeshore State Park and as Marketing & Communications Chair for the City of Milwaukee's Career Development Employee Resource Group.
Mia Rudolph-Schulta, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator
Mia coordinates the ECO Neighborhoods Initiative, working in partnership with teams of residents and stakeholders to plan for and implement effective climate action in neighborhoods across the city. She manages the office's EPA Environmental Justice grant projects that aim to increase residents’ awareness and engagement with environmental health and energy programs and resources. Mia also oversees the care and maintenance of 12 pocket parks and orchards around Milwaukee and supports other neighborhood-level projects, like the Green Congregations Initiative. She is passionate about prioritizing health equity and social and environmental justice in climate action. Mia received her master's degree in Public Health, bachelor's degree in Women’s and Gender Studies, and a certificate in LGBT Studies from UW-Milwaukee. She is co-chair of the Milwaukee Health Department’s Built Environment Action Team and a design team member for the WaterMarks Initiative.
Jeremy Belot, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator
Jeremy coordinates the City of Milwaukee’s residential energy efficiency loan program, Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2), along with the City of Milwaukee’s solar program, Milwaukee Shines, to offer opportunities for City of Milwaukee property owners to save energy and money while reducing their environmental impact. He also oversees the office’s effort to integrate federally funded energy efficiency improvements with lead remediation work on residential properties. Jeremy transferred to ECO after 5 years as a Grants Compliance Monitor in the City’s Community Development Grants Administration Office and 2 years as Neighborhood Improvement Project Inspector in the Department of Neighborhood Services. Prior to being with the City, Jeremy worked for 11 years for Layton Blvd West Neighbors as a Project Manager and then Director of Real Estate Development. After analyzing foreclosure data in 2008, he created the Turnkey Renovation Program which utilizes Federal funding to acquire, rehab and sell blighted foreclosures while focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, restoration of craftmanship and green infrastructure to provide move-in ready homes for low to moderate income households.
Andi Sciacca, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator
Andi coordinates the FEED MKE Project, which will drive implementation of Waste Reduction and Sustainable Consumption in the Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan. Her position is funded through a 2-year grant from the USDA Compost and Food Waste Recovery Cooperative Agreement and her work will be focused on the design, promotion, and management of the grant initiatives, including a Milwaukee Food Saver Challenge. Andi previously worked with The Culinary Institute of America as the dean of faculty and instructional development, where she developed their graduate degree programs–including a Master’s in Sustainable Food Systems. Her academic career also includes positions with The Milwaukee Institute of Art + Design, The City University of New York, The State University of New York, Marist College, Bard College, and The European Graduate School. Andi is a former board member of the Milwaukee Food Council and a current member of ReFED’s Food Waste Action Network, Food Tank's Academic Working Group, and the Second Nature Climate Coalition. She is a graduate of the City University of New York, of Harvard Kennedy School's Public Leadership Credential program, and of the Social Impact Leadership certificate program at the UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business.
Nathan Coe, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator
Nathan coordinates the transition to electric, hybrid, and low-emission vehicles in the City's municipal fleet as defined by ordinance, as well as expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Milwaukee. He is a political scientist and urban planner, with masters degrees in each field. He brings to bear over 7 years of government and public services experience. During this time, he clerked and managed projects for various municipal, county, and state government initiatives. Nathan also has over 9 years of experience in the private sector as a property manager, where he was successful in writing, procuring, and managing government grants. He is a strong believer in the power of customer service through civil service, and is passionate about sustainability and green technology. Nathan enjoys gardening, and his favorite book is the Count of Monte Cristo.
Cole Hager, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator
Cole coordinates workforce development in the sustainability space, supporting the training, development, recruitment, and creation of the green career pipelines in Milwaukee. His position is funded through a 5-year grant from the USDA Forest Service for the Growing Milwaukee's Tree Canopy and Community Resilience Project. Cole's workforce development efforts are focused on assisting historically underserved communities through the grant's initiatives. Prior to his current role, Cole served as a Workforce Development Program Assistant at the Wisconsin Forestry Center while completing his bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In that role, he contributed to the development and implementation of educational programs designed to enhance workforce readiness in the forestry sector.
Zachary Allen, Business Finance Officer
Zach oversees purchasing, budgeting and other financial accounting within the department. Previously, he served as a Business Analyst at a financial planning software company. Zach grew up in Southwest Michigan and moved to Milwaukee in 2013 to complete his bachelor's degree in Economics from Marquette University. He lives in Riverwest and is a Milwaukee Bucks season ticket holder.