Our Executive Team

There's a reason people work with us.

Ecology Action's leadership team is fearless, passionate and united under one shared purpose: positioning our clients for success.

  • Jim M.

    Executive Director and CEO

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    Jim M.

    Executive Director and CEO

    Jim Murphy leads Ecology Action as Executive Director and CEO, overseeing the implementation and delivery of all of the organization’s programs. Jim has led Ecology Action through extensive and successful growth since 2012, using his ability to hold the long-term vision while also providing immediate practical solutions. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director/CEO, Jim served as Vice President of Energy, a role in which he grew Ecology Action’s energy division contracts to more than $50 million in a single year. Before joining Ecology Action, Jim spent more than 20 years marketing, managing and developing strategic growth products and services for businesses and organizations across California. Jim has also provided management consulting services to energy efficiency, renewable energy and green building businesses.

    Jim is best known for marathon meetings, tracking radio tagged venomous snakes at night in the jungles of Costa Rica and spending his limited free time coaching young people in swimming and soccer.

  • Jane M.

    Principal, Taper

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    Jane M.

    Principal, Taper

    Jane leads the Portfolio Strategy and Development team at Ecology Action, which includes Research & Development, Solutions Design, Strategic Sourcing and Strategic Project Office. Our R&D efforts focus on exploring and testing early-stage energy management solutions for large commercial clients as well as utility program business development pursuits. Solutions Design, our product management team, is responsible for designing energy savings solutions that scale and Strategic Sourcing oversees our network of installation partners and equipment vendors. Finally, our Strategic Project Office coordinates cross-functional initiatives to maximize collaboration and operational efficiency.

  • Heather H.

    Vice President of Marketing Solutions

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    Heather H.

    Vice President of Marketing Solutions

    Heather Henricks is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of Ecology Action’s marketing strategies, marketing communications, and public relations activities. She also oversees the development and implementation of support materials in the service areas of energy, transportation, and water conservation. Heather leverages her expertise in hands-on digital project management, accountable for leading the ‘big idea’ development, execution, and management of innovative, results-oriented, cross-channel digital marketing campaigns.

  • Mahlon A.

    Vice President of Strategic Development

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    Mahlon A.

    Vice President of Strategic Development

    Mahlon Aldridge heads Ecology Action’s strategic road-mapping and product development initiatives. He also leads development of strategic partnerships with top firms from across the energy and finance industries as well as with public agencies and foundations. With Ecology Action since 1993, Mahlon founded Ecology Action’s energy efficiency consulting practice and led the team through its start-up and early rapid growth stages, building to a team of 35 professionals and $6M in revenue per year in three years. Prior to working with Ecology Action, Mahlon ran an independent consulting practice designing and establishing multiple community-based initiatives focusing on ocean protection and solid/hazardous waste reduction. Mahlon earned a BA in Environmental Policy from UC Santa Cruz, and sits on the Board of the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council.

  • Kirsten L.

    Vice President of Community Programs

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    Kirsten L.

    Vice President of Community Programs

    Kirsten Liske directs the development, fundraising and implementation of Ecology Action’s community programs. Since joining the organization in 1999, Kirsten has propelled Ecology Action to become the go-to-partner for environmental programs serving communities across California. Prior to joining Ecology Action in 1999, she was a leader in the development of household hazardous waste (HHW) programs across the State of California. Driven by her personal mission to make California’s communities healthier and more sustainable places to live and work, Kirsten is dedicated to creating programs that help communities thrive. Kirsten earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies with Honors from UC Santa Cruz.

  • Chuck T.

    Chief Operating Officer

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    Chuck T.

    Chief Operating Officer

    Chuck Tremper brings a broad range of experience and expertise to Ecology Action that he utilizes to oversee accounting, human resources, information technology, communications, compliance, risk management, facilities, governance and strategic planning for the organization. Over the past 30 years, Chuck has helped launch the AmeriCorps national service program, been a professor of both Law and Psychology, served as Chief Information Officer for large nonprofit organizations, held administrative, marketing and technical positions for software companies, provided management consulting services and conducted a variety of policy research and evaluation projects. However, his greatest fulfillment is in helping individuals and businesses take actions that benefit themselves, their businesses and the planet.

    Chuck is best known as the author of As the Oceans Rise: Meeting the Challenges of Global Warming, playing doubles beach volleyball, and entertaining the staff at all-hands meetings.

Our Board of Directors

Trusted advisors committed to your success.

When it comes to the science of energy innovation, we are fortunate to lean on a deep bench of successful industry veterans—from professors and policy developers to building efficiency experts and environmental scientists—their combined intellect is unparalleled.

  • Patrick T.

    Board of Directors

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    Patrick T.

    Board of Directors

    Patrick Testoni has more than 18 years of experience in the implementation of energy efficiency and renewables projects, and brings his leadership in education, research and environmental stewardship. Currently an Energy Manager with the University of California, Santa Cruz, he is responsible for delegating policy authority in the development, interpretation, and implementation of the campus Strategic Energy Program. Patrick has a Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences from UCSC, certification from the UC Berkeley Extension Construction Management Program, and has received training from the PG&E Pacific Energy Center. He has been a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), and a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional since 2006, and earned his Energy Management Diploma Certification from NC State University in 2003. Patrick has received five Best Practice Awards from the Green Building Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

  • Sarah C.

    Board Chair

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    Sarah C.

    Board Chair

    Sarah is an independent consultant with a distinguished career of more than 30 years of international experience in policy and advocacy within government, the private sector, and philanthropy. Her recent experience includes acting as VP and Center Director for the Center for Policy and Advocacy in Washington DC, and Director for USAID’s Health Policy Project. She also worked for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation as Director of the Population Program where she led one of three emblematic grantmaking programs for the foundation. During her long career, she has been active as a development professional in many countries including Haiti, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Yemen. Sarah holds a PhD in Sociology from Brown University, and an MA and BA in Sociology from the University of Tennessee.

  • Doug M.

    Energy Committee Chair

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    Doug M.

    Energy Committee Chair

    Doug Mahone joined the Ecology Action Board after retiring from a forty year career in energy efficiency. After completing his architecture degree at MIT, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor to research and teach solar energy and building science subjects. He then left MIT to join a pioneering solar energy firm in New Hampshire, which lasted until Reagan discontinued their research funding. That precipitated a move to California. Once here, Doug worked for several Bay Area energy firms, getting involved in energy simulations, daylighting design, and energy codes. In 1994, he and his wife, Lisa Heschong, started the Heschong Mahone Group in the Sacramento area. HMG grew to 40 employees and three offices, becoming known for their work in energy codes, program evaluation and implementation, and building science research. Along the way, Doug helped form the New Buildings Institute, the Cool Roofs Rating Council, and the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council. In 2013, HMG was sold to TRC Energy Services, so Doug and Lisa retired and moved to Santa Cruz. In addition to joining the Ecology Action Board, Doug serves on the California Technical Forum. When not working, Doug is a bluewater sailor, horseman, hiker, and granddad. He has undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in architecture from MIT.

  • Jennifer S.

    Board Development Committee Chair

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    Jennifer S.

    Board Development Committee Chair

    Jennifer Smith Grubb worked with colleagues to found Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) as a non-profit, spinning it off from a California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project in 2004. Jennifer served as the Founding President and Executive Director, and later as Chair of the Board. During her tenure, SSV received the Governor’s Environment and Economic Leadership Award, a Climate All Stars award and the US EPA Environmental Award for Outstanding Achievement.

    Jennifer worked with Next 10 and the Los Angeles region to establish the LA Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability, helping government, academic, environmental, labor and community groups build their own climate action network. She has been recognized for her sustainability leadership work by the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance (MSWG), and also by the Pacific Industrial Business Association. Jennifer has participated internationally with the United Nations Environmental Program Best Practices Network. She has served on the Ecology Action Board since 2005.

  • David P.

    Community Committee Chair

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    David P.

    Community Committee Chair

    With over 29 years of experience in environmental management, David brings to Ecology Action his expertise and management acumen with a focus on environmental business aspects. David has worked for several high technology companies including Texas Instruments, Seagate Technology, and as a consultant to Google. Currently he works in the pharmaceutical industry for Genentech, a Roche Group Company. David taught at the University of California Santa Cruz Extension for over 17 years. He has served his community on multiple boards and commissions including Leadership Santa Cruz County, the City of Santa Cruz Water Commission, and the County of Santa Cruz Hazardous Materials Advisory Commission. David holds a M.S. in Environmental Management from University of San Francisco and a B.S. in Earth Science from University of California, Santa Cruz.

  • Joe J.

    Board of Directors

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    Joe J.

    Board of Directors

    Joe teaches solar and renewable energy courses at San Jose State University and Cabrillo College, and provides green-jobs training (particularly in photovoltaics, or solar electricity) for a variety of corporate and non-profit organizations around the country. Joe has been a space and atmospheric scientist at NASA Ames Research Center and the SETI Institute in Mountain View. He holds a B.A. in Physics from Oberlin College and an M.S. in Computer/Information Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Joe served as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Santa Cruz and as a science/math consultant on the Life Lab Science Program curriculum. He also serves as an astronomy/natural sciences teacher and hike leader for the California Academy of Sciences, the Santa Cruz City Museum, local schools, UCSC, and the Lyceum of Santa Clara Valley. Joe is an occasional contributor to the local radio series “Field Notes.” Joe’s passion is positioning Ecology Action for regional leadership in tapping the vast wealth inherent in our own clean, renewable energy resources (such as solar and wind) — which he calls “sky power”.

  • Heather L.

    Board of Directors

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    Heather L.

    Board of Directors

    Heather’s work focuses on community-based natural resource advocacy and research with a focus on drinking water access and watershed management. She is currently the Director of Community Solutions at the Community Water Center’s new Watsonville office, where she connects small, disadvantaged communities with technical and financial resources to address persistent water contamination. Her previous experience has included working as a research consultant for Stanford University focusing on projects related to the environment and education, as well as working for the National Parks Conservation Association as Program Manager and Facilitator of the New River Clean Water Alliance in West Virginia. Heather is a published author of many journal papers on water research topics, and has received numerous awards recognizing her work and leadership. Heather holds a PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, as well as a Masters of Environmental Engineering and Water Resources, and a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT.

  • Lisa H.

    Board of Directors

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    Lisa H.

    Board of Directors

    Ms. Heschong was a founding Principal of the Heschong Mahone Group (HMG), VP and Chief Building Scientist at TRC Energy Services, and a licensed architect for 30 years. Ms. Heschong is recognized in the building energy efficiency industry as expert on daylighting, lighting energy use, and human factors in building design. As an energy consultant, she participated in the development of energy efficiency codes and standards in California and at the national level, including helping to pioneer the outdoor lighting codes for California’s Title 24.

    As a writer and educator, Ms. Heschong is author of Thermal Delight in Architecture (MIT Press), and a co-author of Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technologies and Energy Performance (WW Norton), along with numerous web and journal publications. She is a frequent invited speaker at international conferences, and has repeatedly served as a conference panel leader for the ACEEE Summer Study. She taught architectural design at UC Berkeley for a number of years, has spent decades educating design professionals on energy efficiency, and most recently taught a Green Building course at UC Santa Cruz.

    Ms. Heschong is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and has also served on the Board of Directors of IES, the (window) Attachments Energy Rating Council, and as Chair of the IES Daylight Metrics Committee. Ms. Heschong was awarded her B.Sc. at UC Berkeley, Summa Cum Laude, and her Master of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the AIA Medal. In 2011 she received the Haecker Award for lifetime achievement from the Architectural Research Centers Consortium.

  • Ken K.

    Board of Directors

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    Ken K.

    Board of Directors

    Ken has founded, managed and sold several manufacturing and retail companies including two publicly traded companies. As an organizational development consultant for the last 25 years, Ken has worked with numerous organizations to improve performance through improving clarity and helping team members develop data which supports productive conversations to build business literacy, resulting in aligned teams and effective allocation of resources.

  • Nikki P.

    Board of Directors

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    Nikki P.

    Board of Directors

    Nikki (she/her) is a passionate and experienced community builder with a demonstrated history of nonprofit development in education and the arts for organizations such as Life Lab and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History. She believes in learning from the past to inform and cultivate an inclusive, sustainable, and progressive community. Nikki currently serves as a Santa Cruz City Art Commissioner and is also an active Board Trustee for the Santa Cruz Downtown Association. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a minor of Art History from the University of South Florida. She loves to travel, exploring nature, gardening, culinary arts, bringing people together, and being the mother of two fabulous humans.

  • Lynn R.

    Board of Directors

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    Lynn R.

    Board of Directors

    Lynn has a successful track record of achieving market leadership positions for software companies. 20 years of expertise in strategic marketing, product line positioning, product management, and partner programs. Lynn is also the founder of Santa Cruz Together and brings a strong understanding of working collaboratively as a community to build a better future for us all.

  • Wendy R.

    Board of Directors

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    Wendy R.

    Board of Directors

    Wendy is a mother and wife and currently works full-time as an elected member of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. A creative problem-solver with 4th generation deep roots in our community, she is committed to advancing policy that promotes the ability of all families to grow in healthy, safe, and supportive environments. She strives to promote affordable housing, quality education, community and school safety, and smart growth that brings good jobs while protecting the natural beauty of our spectacular Central Coast. She previously served on the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District as a Board Trustee, championing expanded early education, safe routes to schools, and support for high-quality teachers.