Kalahari Resort
Greater Austin • Texas | March 24-27, 2025
SAVE THE DATE!
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As the founder of nonprofit and for-profit businesses, Cynthia Adams’ focus has consistently been on growing the cleantech industry. She has raised grant and investor funding, developed product from the first discovery interview to sale, hired great teams to execute on the vision, and won a leadership award at a national conference. Her passion and focus is growing Pearl Certification, a company she co-founded that is changing the way people improve and sell homes.
Maddie Koewler supports NASEO’s buildings program, where she provides assistance to state energy offices and works on the development of building energy codes, residential energy labels, and equity in the proliferation of clean energy and energy efficiency. Prior to NASEO, Ms. Koewler worked at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy implementing residential energy efficiency programs. Ms. Koewler has a Bachelor of Arts in political science and economics from Kent State University.
Steve Skodak is the Chief Executive Officer of the Building Performance Association. In this role, Steve is responsible for the overall strategic operation, management, and administration of all staff and activities. He works closely with the board of directors to realize the association’s mission and vision for the future.
In his 30 years of management, Steve has gained extensive executive-level experience working with a diverse group of allied professions to develop membership strategies. Most recently, Steve was Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Painting Contractors Association where he led efforts to modernize the association and restore financial stability. Prior to that, he held successive executive positions with the YMCA, Optimist International Foundation, and the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America.
Steve holds a bachelor’s in communications and marketing from Missouri State University and is a Certified Association Executive and Certified Fundraising Executive. He has served on several organizational boards and volunteer panels, including the Saint Louis Council of Charitable Gift Planners and United Way.
Kara Saul Rinaldi , Kara is the President and CEO of the AnnDyl Policy Group, an energy and environmental strategy firm that specializes in policy solutions to advance smart, efficient, and renewable energy technologies. With over twenty-five years of experience in advocacy strategy, lobbying and media relations, Kara is a leading energy and climate policy expert. She has directed national policy, communications, and grassroots campaigns aimed at the Administration and Congress on tax, appropriations, and authorization issues for national and international corporations and non-profit organizations. Kara has testified before Congressional and state legislative committees, led delegations to the UNFCCC climate negotiations, and authored numerous papers on energy efficiency, climate change, and smart technology. Prior to founding AnnDyl, Kara worked on climate and energy policy in the for-profit and non-profit sectors after beginning her career as a legislative staffer on Capitol Hill. Kara holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego.