Associate Director

Todd Rusk

Todd Rusk is the Associate Director at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), and he conducts energy efficiency projects for public sector, commercial, industrial, institutional and not-for-profit facilities. Todd holds a B.S. Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been recognized as a Certified Energy Manager™ by the Association of Energy Engineers since 2002.

Since 1999, Todd has served in various roles related to technical assistance, technology development, and applied research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his current role at SEDAC, Todd directs SEDAC’s many programs, working extensively with public sector agencies to help them realize significant energy cost savings in their buildings.

In addition to his work at UIUC, Todd serves as a commissioner on the City of Urbana Sustainability Advisory Commission, where he helped to develop the City of Urbana Climate Action Plan and the City of Urbana Water Plan.

Technical Director

Shawn Maurer

Shawn Maurer is SEDAC’s Technical Director. He received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville in May 2011, and has worked in energy efficiency ever since. Shawn spent 2 years as a Building Performance Institute/Residential Energy Services Network Certified Home Energy Rating Technician, offering existing home assessments and performing field verification of new construction homes for various programs, including ENERGY STAR certification. 

In August 2013, Shawn joined SEDAC as a Building Energy Specialist, working for 3 years until taking a job with Cenergistic, Inc. as the Champaign Public Schools Energy Specialist, performing energy assessments, utility data monitoring, and helping to instill a culture of energy conservation. Shawn then transitioned to the University of Kentucky, working as the on-site engineering and technical expert with a team of 7 other energy specialists focusing on the Medical Center’s energy conservation program. 

Shawn rejoined SEDAC in April 2019 as a Senior Energy Engineer, bringing with him 8 years of on-site experience in energy conservation and building assessments. Now the Technical Director, Shawn provides support to most of SEDAC’s programs. Shawn also co-directs the Public Water Infrastructure Program and is one of the Energy Code team’s training developers.

Marketing & Outreach Program Director

Cassie Carroll

Cassie Carroll, SEDAC’s Marketing and Outreach Program Director, is motivated to help Illinois organizations achieve sustainability goals.

“I love helping communities and businesses across Illinois engage in sustainability efforts that uncovering opportunities for cost and environmental savings.” 

She leads the Illinois Green Business Program work at SEDAC, managing overall program operations, partnership development, and green business support. She enjoys working hands-on with businesses to identify cost-saving and sustainable opportunities that drive emissions reduction across Illinois. She also collaborates with the California Green Business Network (CAGBN) to expand and further develop GreenBizTracker, a tool that is used to manage and track environmental goals in sustainable business programs.

Working with the Illinois EPA Office of Energy, she is the project manager for the Public Water Infrastructure Energy Efficiency Program, conducting outreach to municipalities to connect to no-cost assessments and host educational programming for the industry. 

Managing SEDAC’s work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, she led a group of 50+ staff in the development of a department-wide climate action plan and is now mobilizing implementation of strategies and tracking climate reductions.

Cassie’s work at SEDAC is a small part of her larger involvement in sustainability efforts throughout the state and nationally, which include founding the Illinois Green Business Association, leading the Green Business Engagement National Network, organizing service opportunities and youth programming with Champaign West Rotary, serving on the Board of Trustees for the University YMCA, and as a Champaign County Extension Master Gardener.

Outside the office, Cassie enjoys yoga, growing food and flowers, and canning the produce she grows in her backyard.

Senior Energy Engineer

Ryan Siegel

Ryan Siegel is a Senior Energy Engineer for SEDAC, consulting with public entities in Illinois to identify ways to improve the efficiency of their facilities. Ryan has also become the lead trainer and energy code expert for SEDAC’s Energy Code Training Program. 

“What I find most satisfying about my job is learning new things and passing along what I’ve learned to others.” 

Ryan became interested in energy efficiency because it reflected the values he was raised with: frugality, investing in the future, and good stewardship of resources. 

Prior to joining SEDAC, Ryan was the Campus Energy & Sustainability Coordinator at Eastern Illinois University since 2002. During this time, he oversaw energy efficiency improvements to the tune of $80 million along with nearly $1 million in energy efficiency rebates. He also oversaw the campus recycling program as well as energy conservation and Utility Auxiliary Enterprise in connection with the Renewable Energy Center. 

Ryan received a B.S. in Business in 2006 and an MBA in 2018, both from Eastern Illinois University. He became a Certified Energy Manager in April 2012 and a Licensed Electrician in January 2017. 

Ryan enjoys carpentry, building repair, maintenance, finance, theater, and music. He’s the treasurer of three different organizations: an arts council, a progressives group, and a social fraternity. 

Senior Program Manager

Stacy Gloss

Stacy Gloss joined SEDAC as a Senior Program Manager in 2022 to lead program management for multiple on-going energy efficiency projects with activities ranging from proposal writing and project development to project management and reporting.

Stacy began working at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2014 as a Research Specialist at the Indoor Climate Research & Training group in the Applied Research Institute. She was promoted to Manager of Special Research Projects and Programs in 2020.

Early in her career Stacy combined her interests in community service, sustainability and energy efficiency by volunteering as an AmeriCorps VISTA for two years, first as the Community Energy Efficiency Coordinator at the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, KY and later, a Weatherization Assistant at the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee.

 “Getting to know our project partners, discovering their priorities and ideals, is something that makes me excited to come to work. The best days at work are site visits with program managers and directors to learn about their operations and how our research or recommendations will help them accomplish their goals.”

On the University of Illinois campus, Stacy is appointed by the Illinois Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment to serve as the Illinois Climate Acton Plan (iCAP) Resilience Commitment Coordinator and will serve as chairperson for the iCAP Resilience Team during the 2022-2023 school year.  Stacy also serves as the Chair of the Urbana Sustainability Advisory Commission.

Stacy graduated with a M.A. in Appalachian Studies with a Concentration in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC in 2009.  She also received her M.S. in Management (2004) and B.S. in Psychology (2003) from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Stacy is interested in topics such as energy efficiency, home performance, weatherization, indoor air quality, energy resilience, renewable energy, decarbonization, electrification and campus and community sustainability.  While not actively engaging others on sustainability and energy efficiency, Stacy unwinds with competitive sailing with the Clinton Lake Sailing Association in Illinois. She and her husband own a Thistle, a high-performance one-design racing sailboat, named Knot Before Noon.

Business Development Specialist

Anthony Santarelli

Anthony Santarelli is SEDAC’s Business Development Specialist. He engages in marketing and outreach, developing relationships with clients, partners, and communities. He travels throughout the state, networking with other environmental leaders to identify opportunities for new programs and strategic partnerships.

“I enjoy getting to meet and work with people who are doing impactful work in sustainability and making the world a better place.” 

Anthony’s interest in sustainability dates back to his childhood, when he watched a Sesame Street cartoon on water conservation where a fish almost ran out of water because a boy had left the water on while brushing his teeth. 

“Oddly enough, that gave me an unusual amount of anxiety regarding resource scarcity, and I’ve sought to find sustainable solutions to these issues ever since.” 

Anthony is a graduate of the University of Illinois Environmental Economics and Policy program, and he has been working in the business sustainability field since 2009, focusing on green business engagement and managing commercial energy efficiency rebate implementation programs.

In addition to his work at SEDAC, Anthony works as the Director of the Illinois Green Business Association to help businesses in Illinois become more sustainable. He enjoys traveling to new countries (his goal is to visit a new country each year) and pretending to play bass guitar. In a past life, he was a wild dog living on a beach

Energy Engineer

Robert Schlorff

Robert Schlorff joined SEDAC in August of 2022. He works as part of the technical support staff on Energy Code compliance, energy assessments, site visits and educational content including webinars, publications, online modules and workshops.  

Robert became a licensed Architect in the state of Illinois in February of 2020. He received a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies in 2015 and a Master of Architecture in 2018, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 2015-2017 Robert worked as a summer intern for a local Urbana based architecture firm: smith/burgett architects inc. He was brought on as a full-time associate in June of 2018 and became a project architect in 2020. Robert’s time at smith/burgett architects gave him valuable experience and knowledge of the architecture and construction industry. Some of the projects he worked on included new commercial buildings, commercial tenant fit outs, existing building renovations, university research spaces, and the adaptive re-use of historic buildings.

During graduate school Robert was a teaching assistant at the University of Illinois School of Architecture and helped to develop and teach new freshman level architecture courses. After graduation Robert returned as an adjunct professor in the fall of 2019 and spring of 2021, teaching junior level architecture studio courses.

Robert pursued an architectural education to follow his childhood curiosities about how the world, and in particular buildings, work. He has inherited the midwestern farming values of frugality and resourcefulness in the face of problems. His courses built on these values and gave him an understanding of design and construction processes, but also included the history of the human-built environment. These history lessons addressed the impacts our designs and actions can have, both on humans and nature. In response, Robert became fascinated with the concepts of sustainability and the various design solutions and details available to create more efficient structures.  

Robert’s interest in sustainable design and desire to live efficiently inspired him to build and live in a 201 square foot tiny house while he finished his graduate education. This experience not only gave him hands-on design, project management, and construction experience but also instilled a great appreciation for the simple things in life.

“The ultimate lesson from my tiny house experience was to find happiness in what you have; not in how much you have.”  

Beyond work Robert enjoys spending time with his dog, hiking, camping, sketching, reading, gardening, listening to music, and working on a variety of serious and not so serious woodworking projects.

Data & Reporting Coordinator

Abby Woodruff

Abby Woodruff, SEDAC’s Data and Reporting Coordinator, is responsible for much of the behind-the-scenes operations of SEDAC. In addition to coordinating data collection and reporting, she manages information technology and office operations for the SEDAC team. 

Abby’s interest in sustainability began when she managed operations for a group of climate change scientists at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University. She has a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan and a Master of Accounting Science from the University of Illinois.

Abby is fun to talk to on a range of topics. Do you love sports? Abby is a rabid Michigan Wolverine fan. Do you love travel? Her family lived in France for 2 years and Australia for 6 months. Do you love music? Abby once had dinner with Mandy Patinkin. Want updates on the kids? Abby is happy to talk about what her three talented adult children are up to.

Engagement and Program Specialist

Devin Day

Devin Day, SEDAC’s Engagement and Program Specialist, is motivated by a desire to create a more equitable energy landscape, particularly for people in economically or environmentally distressed communities.

“I became interested in energy efficiency because it has the potential to help people who are most impacted by pollution, climate change, and wasteful or inadequate public spending.”

By engaging with and learning from community members and other stakeholders, Devin connects economically distressed communities to public workforce training and energy efficiency programming opportunities, resulting in meaningful financial, health, and safety benefits. Devin feels strongly that racial and social equity must be core to reshaping the energy landscape, appreciating and protecting the environment, and planning for climate change.

Devin has a Master’s of Urban Planning from the University of Illinois (his focus: community development for social justice, economic development, and transnational planning) and a BA in international relations from Knox College (he studied abroad in Yemen). Before joining SEDAC, he worked with the Building Research Council, where he engaged Illinois public housing authority management to facilitate the use of smart energy efficiency technologies.

Publications Coordinator

Rich Foss

Rich Foss joined SEDAC in March 2023.  He has been a college English teacher at several colleges across the United States and over the course of a 25-year teaching career has taught literature and film courses, College Writing 1 and 2, remedial, and advanced writing courses, as well as Business Writing, Writing for Law Enforcement, and Creative Writing.

“The best part about working at SEDAC is “the challenge of learning so many new things, collaborating with people from different professions and perspectives, and using what I have learned from teaching and personal study to help accomplish this important work.”

Rich works on a wide range of projects, helping each project manager with writing, editing, researching. Rich works on writing and editing the website, social media posts, and creating document, and editing various documents.

He is married and has three kids.  He’s interested in teaching, reading, coaching soccer, cheering on the Bulls and Bears, but mostly spending time with his family.  The arrival of his daughter Zoey, made Rich examine the science on climate change more than he had before. What he found was alarming, so he began working to help solve the climate crisis, first by teaching a climate themed writing course at Lewis University, and now as Communication Director and Newsletter editor for 350 Chicago. He received his PhD from Western Michigan University in English and Poetry Writing in 2007.

Workforce Program Specialist

Gia Suggs

Dr. Gia Suggs is a SEDAC consultant, with a specific area of expertise in workforce development. She brings over 25 years of experience as an organization development professional, adult learner expert, skilled instructional designer, and professional coach.

Dr. Gia has a proven track record of effectively assessing organizational needs, developing and implementing recommendations for improved outcomes, and evaluating results. Highly engaging and extremely influential, Dr. Gia works with identified partners to design highly successful organization development interventions and operationalize processes.

Her recent work focuses on providing support to government, community-based organizations, and coalitions that receive DCEO funding to help create a robust pipeline of Illinois residents who are excited and qualified to enter the climate, construction, and building trades.

Gia is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. She served for seven years on the board of the Association for Talen Development Chicago Chapter (ATDChi) as the Director of Professional Development Networks (PDNs).  She is currently an executive board member of Young Invincibles (YI). Of all her roles, she is most proud of being GiGi to two beautiful young girls and quite the handsome little boy.

Dr. Suggs is also a loyal and dedicated fan of the Beloved Chicago Bears!

Net Zero & Sustainability Research Coordinator

David Nguyen

David Nguyen serves as SEDAC’s Net Zero & Sustainability Research Coordinator, working to promote/facilitate climate action planning initiatives with IDNR. He earned his BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in May 2020.

Prior to his SEDAC appointment in April 2024, David had previously worked as a research assistant for the Institute of Genomic Biology, another UIUC-associated lab, between August 2020 – January 2022. He became familiar with food sustainability via GMO crops. Pursuing agronomic experience outside of UIUC, David transitioned to working with the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts as the STAR Coordinator between February 2022 – April 2023. He helped report conservation metrics to STAR funding parties, learning important soil health practices such as no-till, nutrient management, and cover cropping. He then joined the Illinois Department of Agriculture as one of 40 Conservation Planners distributed statewide. During this May 2023 – March 2024 tenure, he gained experience in conservation software and engineering programs to assist landowners in implementing regenerative ag practices, thus contributing to important state programs like the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Now joining SEDAC, David aims to use his education and experience with natural resources to help Illinois’s sustainability goals.

Outside of the office, David is an avid animal enthusiast, dabbling in amateur zoology and paleontology. He also served as one of the founding members of the UIUC’s official Star Wars Club during his undergraduate days and continues to serve as the living lore master for new fans of the popular space opera franchise.