Mountain Bikers

Aaron Daly comes to Ecology Action with a deep expertise in the grocery market. He will be working directly with our teams to help us grow our impact and business in the grocery sector and build out the grocery association. Aaron comes to us from Whole Foods where he was the Global Energy Coordinator. He supported the company’s regional offices in all aspects of their energy management. Prior to working at Whole Foods Market, Aaron was a National Account Manager at PECI, a not-for-profit energy efficiency consulting group based in Portland, OR. At PECI, Aaron worked with retailers such as Supervalu – Albertsons, Trader Joes and others on the development and execution of energy management programs. Aaron is a Certified Energy Manager and holds an MS in energy management from Sonoma State University.

As the lead for Ecology Action’s Planning team, Amelia works in partnership with public agencies to produce Active Transportation Plans and Safe Routes to Schools Plans, which include recommendations for new infrastructure and programs to make it easier and safer to walk and ride bicycles for daily trips. As of 2022 Amelia had completed five plans for jurisdictions in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties. Amelia is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds a BA in Community, Environment, and Planning.

As an incentive manager, Ben coordinates and manages the rebate incentive process with a variety of participating utilities and partners. Ben is a graduate of UC Davis and holds a BS in Community and Regional Development. Prior to working at Taper, he has worked on the implementation and support of several meter/submeter based energy management information systems.

As a Program Coordinator and Youth Educator for Ecology Action’s youth programs, Callie plans and implements pedestrian and bicycle safety education as well as environmental education. Callie enjoys giving presentations, running Bike Rodeos, and collaborating with other community program staff. Callie is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and holds a BA in Psychology and Education. She commutes to work on her bike and enjoys gardening, rollerblading, and making jewelry in her free time.

As a Program Specialist, Emily engages Central Coast residents with household actions they can take to reduce carbon emissions and increase community resilience to climate change, and she manages a regional action-tracking web platform. Emily graduated from Oberlin college with a BA in studio art, and from Scripps Institution of Oceanography with a masters in marine biodiversity and conservation.

As Senior Corporate Compliance Manager for Ecology Action, Erin manages EA’s contracting process, insurance policies, risk mitigation, and regulatory filings. Erin is a Kentucky native, having graduated from the University of Kentucky. Erin also has a J.D. from Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

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.

Jonathan Tan came to Ecology Action with the singular goal to change the world when it comes to the grocery space. The one thing that connects all people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender identity, religion, political affiliation, or favorite sports team is food. Where we procure our food, how we prepare our food, how we consume our food, and where we gather to enjoy friends and family while sharing our experiences while devouring our favorite recipes. Our local grocery store is one of the most important places to our respective communities. Jonathan wants to help grocers be the best version of themselves and help them to continue to be leaders and stewards in their respective communities. Jonathan has more than 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and as a business executive for Fortune 500 and privately held companies. He has also been a top-selling sales executive and a field-service engineer. Jonathan served six years in the US Navy as a nuclear-trained machinist mate while serving two West Pac tours aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Pogy SSN-647. Jonathan has incredible sock game and a person might think he has a significant holding in VANS based on the number of pairs of shoes he owns.

As a Program Specialist for Ecology Action’s Safe Routes to School team, Juan leads program coordinators, oversees the implementation of youth programming for Santa Cruz County, and is the lead organizer for the county’s Bike and Walk to School Days. Juan graduated from UC Davis, majoring in Neurobiology with an Education minor. After graduating, he moved back to his hometown Santa Cruz and loves that he can make a difference in his community through education and encouragement programs.

As a Construction Project Manager, Julie manages a suite of projects within our Energy team. Those projects include automatic door closers, HVAC & ARC and lighting upgrades. Julie is a graduate of East Carolina University and she recently obtained her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Margaret is an emotionally driven creative and roll-the-sleeves-up make-it-happen senior designer who contributes to the visuals and communications of Ecology Action. Margaret is a Minnesota native with a diverse background in marketing, design, and media. She spends as much time on two wheels as she can and has loved exploring the mountain roads and trails around the area.

Piet Canin oversees Ecology Action’s sustainable transportation programs, which emphasize healthy, money saving, and environmentally friendly means of travel. Piet has helped implement several innovative programs at Ecology Action, including Bike to Work Day, the Electric Bike, and Folding Bike Incentive programs. Piet has been active in advancing sustainable transportation programs over the past 30 years. He has extensive experience working with a diversity of partners including schools, businesses, public health, safety, and transportation agencies, community groups and individuals.

Piet has actively advocated for the Coastal Rail Trail since 1998 and leveraged diverse partners to move forward such projects as the Beach Street Bikeway, Arana Gulch and increased funding for the Rail Trail. Piet is a long-time member of the Regional Transportation Commission’s Bike Advisory Committee, FORT Board Member and a Bike Santa Cruz County Lifetime Achievement award recipient.

Scott coordinates with clients, utilities, and partners to develop innovative efficiency solutions that combine best-available project funding opportunities with expert installation, material sourcing, incentive administration and project management. Scott is a LEED Accredited Professional and a graduate of Humboldt State University with a BS in Natural Resources Planning & Design and a minor in Appropriate Technology.