Sustainable Breakfast Series

press release: Join us for our July Sustainable Breakfast Series, Tuesday, July 26, 8:30AM—9:30AM. We will be meeting in person at Madison Central Library in the Community Room (3rd Floor). Doors will open at 8 AM for networking.

Agenda

Networking 8:00—8:30AM

Program 8:30—9:30AM

Networking 9:30—10:00AM

At our July SBS, learn about the state of affordable housing and how weatherization, electrification, and clean energy upgrades in affordable housing are critical to meeting our climate and equity goals.

Research shows that for working families, utility costs are among the highest monthly expenses, with a high percentage of Black and Brown renters having a greater cost burden as compared to White renters. Energy efficiency measures and the addition of solar when appropriate can result in 50%-75% energy savings.

Since 2019, Sustain Dane has offered our Efficiency Navigator program in partnership with Elevate to help small to medium-sized multifamily housing become more efficient, affordable, and resilient while reducing operating costs for owners and energy cost burden for residents. Join us in discussion about this program and other innovative solutions to increasing comfort and reducing energy burden in affordable housing.

Complimentary tickets to all staff of member organizations. Sliding scale/scholarships also available for nonmembers. Please contact lorenza@sustaindane.org to learn more.

Featured Speakers

Kurt Paulsen is a professor of urban planning in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His teaching and research focuses on housing, affordable housing finance and policy, land use, and municipal finance. In addition to his published academic research, he has authored two housing needs assessments for Dane County, chaired a city housing committee, and consults for state housing agencies. He is most recently the author of “Falling Behind: Addressing Wisconsin’s workforce housing shortage” published by the Wisconsin Realtors Association. Professor Paulsen is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Kelly Hilyard is the Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Middleton. She has twenty-five years of experience working on sustainability projects as a landscape architect, organic farmer, and as a certified LEED AP+ project manager in the green building industry. Her challenge is figuring out how to wed the technical work of carbon drawdown with community well-being, civic empowerment, and a greater sense of belonging for all.

Brian Driscoll has been the Senior Multifamily Services Manager for Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) since 2015. In this role, he attempts to be a clearinghouse of information to deliver MGE products and services for its diverse customer population, specifically in the multifamily sector. Before joining MGE, he was a Client Services Director for Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC) providing energy efficiency services to utilities and their customers. He began in the energy industry at the Wisconsin State Energy Office, as the Community Relations Director, collaborating with counties, cities, villages, and townships. Prior to joining state government, he was a teacher in the Madison Metropolitan School District working mostly with new immigrant families, and English Language Learners. He lives with his wife Marilen, and twin seven-year-old boys, Solomon and Calvin in Madison, Wisconsin. And Brian is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Abigail Corso is currently the Chief Strategy Officer at Elevate, and is located in Madison, Wisconsin. In this role, she oversees Elevate’s strategy in developing and implementing new programs related to efficiency, solar, energy financing, and electrification focused on affordable multifamily housing with an emphasis on small, unsubsidized buildings.

Rob Dicke is the Assistant Vice President of Asset Management for the Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp., a nonprofit affordable housing owner and developer with assets of $500M and 8,500 units located throughout the State of Wisconsin. His team oversees the asset management and property management for the organization’s housing units.

Prior to joining WHPC, Rob served as Executive Director of the Dane County Housing Authority (DCHA) from 2012 to 2020. In his role Rob directed an agency with an $11.5 million annual budget and $18.8 million in assets. In his eight years with the DCHA Rob increased Net Operating Income by $1.2 million and increased assets by $14.7 million. He nearly tripled the number of DCHA owned affordable units and partnered with other non-profit and for-profit developers to create an additional 529 units of affordable housing in Dane County.

Rob is currently a member of the Wisconsin Council for Affordable Rural Housing Board and the Goodwill Affiliate Housing Board. He has previously served on the Dane County Homeless Services Consortium Board, the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce Board, and the Delegation to Create Economic Stability for Young Families.