Staff | Building Performance Association

Steve Skodak

Chief Executive Officer

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.
Keith Aldridge

Chief Strategy Officer

Keith Aldridge is the Chief Strategy Officer at Building Performance Association. Keith is responsible for oversight of grants and initiatives within the full spectrum of BPA's work, including the Department of Energy, Weatherization Assistance Program, and collaborative relationships. With over 40 years of experience in the residential energy efficiency industry, Keith brings diverse people and organizations together to produce innovative, high-impact programs and initiatives. As Team Leader of the Applied Building Science Team at Advanced Energy he oversaw the development of the NC "duct school", one of the nation's earliest whole-house diagnostic training programs. He helped lead a multi-organizational team that developed and ran Environments for Living, a national industry-based high-performance new home program and co-led the team that developed the Standardized Work Specifications for the Low Income Weatherization Program.

Keith served two stints on the board of Affordable Comfort, and as board chair helped lead the merger with the National Home Performance Council to form Building Performance Association, as well as the transformation into Building Performance Association. Keith has an undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina.
Jean Nagy

Chief Financial Officer

Jean is the CFO for Building Performance Association. She is responsible for long term forecasting and risk management. She has over 30 years in the field of finance in many industries. Jean received her BS in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University.
Nate Natale

Vice President of Education and Events

Nate Natale is the Vice President of Education and Events at Building Performance Association. In this role, he oversees all aspects of the association’s conference and education work- including site selection, program development, logistics, fundraising, and communications. Nate also convenes, manages, and facilitates stakeholder groups and represents the association through participation in a variety of external industry groups. He worked in education, both in the classroom and behind the scenes, for a number of years before transitioning to association management. Prior to joining Building Performance Association in 2010, Nate spent four years managing many aspects of the conference and continuing education programs of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society. He earned a B.S. in Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Professional Writing degree from Chatham University.
Kara Saul-Rinaldi

Vice President of Government Affairs & Policy

Kara Saul-Rinaldi is the Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy at Building Performance Association. She leads the organization’s public policy and government affairs initiatives and represents the association's mission to policymakers and stakeholders through her firm, the AnnDyl Policy Group. With over 20 years of experience in policy and communications strategy and legislative and regulatory experience, Kara has worked for members of Congress, testified before congressional committees and appeared in a variety of media outlets as a leading energy and climate policy expert. Kara has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego. Kara continues to author articles on energy policy for trade publications and provide keynote and panel presentations on energy and climate policy.
Kim Dresser

Director of Membership

Kim Dresser joined the team in July 2019 as the Director of Membership for the Building Performance Association. She is the first person to hold this position in the organization and will work extensively with staff, leadership, and industry stakeholders to develop and build an industry-focused membership structure. Kim has over 30 years of experience working for both professional and trade associations, never wandering away too far from holding the role of the team lead in the membership department. Her experience working in the home building and wind energy arena will help her as the Association develops its foundation. She has been a member of the American Society of Association Professionals since 1991 and has engaged in a variety of leadership training programs they have offered. Kim is from Laurel, Maryland and relocated her family to Tampa, Florida in 2015 where she currently resides.
Joe Cullen

Director of Policy & State Outreach

Joe Cullen is the Director of Policy and State Outreach for Building Performance Association, engaging state governments and public utility commissions to reform regulatory models and modernize state and local economic development programs to create jobs through energy efficiency initiatives. Cullen is currently leading the association's efforts on the National Efficiency Screening Project which is developing a National Standard Practice Manual to provide comprehensive guidance on cost effectiveness screening tests for state and local energy efficiency programs. Cullen previously served as a policy and budget director at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the Clinton administration and as the Governor’s Policy Director in Pennsylvania under Governor Robert P. Casey. Cullen is a Yale University (Cum Laude 1980) and Georgetown University Law Center (1986) graduate and served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. in Piura, Peru from 1980-1982. On April 18, 2016, Cullen completed the 120th Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 53 minutes.
Bethany Dittmar Sowinski

Director of Conference Education

Bethany Dittmar Sowinski is the Director of Conference Education at Building Performance Association, where she has worked since 2011. She is responsible for the coordination and development of conference agendas, presenter communication, continuing education accreditation, and on-site volunteer activities. Prior to joining Building Performance Association, Bethany worked in real estate, land conservation, sustainability research, and event planning. She has a B.A. in German from Bowdoin College and received a post-graduate Fulbright grant to teach English in northern Germany. She later earned her MBA in Sustainability from Duquesne University where she became passionate about reducing company and building energy uses and improving energy efficiency.
Chris Docchio

Director of Partner Relations

Chris Docchio is the Director of Partner Relations at Building Performance Association. He builds strategic alliances and corporate partnerships that increase visibility, enhance businesses and foster new collaborations. He develops, administers and directs the largest trade show in the home performance industry and elevates the conference experience with additional promotional and advertising opportunities. With almost two decades of sales experience and a B.S. in Marketing from Robert Morris University, Chris understands how to provide warm customer service and build corporate partnerships that last.
Katie Aronoff

Director of Marketing and Communications

Katie Aronoff is the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Building Performance Association. She joined the team in March 2018 and has over ten years of experience working in marketing. As the Director of Marketing & Communications, Katie's role is to increase awareness of the organization's goal to support and advocate for key stakeholders including home performance contractors, weatherization agencies, program sponsors and implementers, manufacturers, and suppliers. Previously, Katie worked for a large mechanical contractor, directing marketing efforts for both the residential and commercial sales divisions. Katie earned a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing from West Liberty University.
Gypsy Matlak

Accounting Manager

Gypsy Matlak is the Accounting Manager at Building Performance Association. She handles accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll and HR responsibilities. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. Previously, Gypsy managed companies in the window, door and sunroom industries. She was also the Business Manager for the Baierl Family YMCA, where she gained her non-profit experience.
Lois Miller

Meeting Planner

Lois Miller is the meeting planner for Building Performance Association. She has been working on conferences with the BPA team for almost 10 years. Lois works on site selection, planning and onsite management for the regional and national conferences. Lois is a certified association executive with over 30 years of experience managing trade shows and conferences for non-profits.
Tiffanie LaBruyere-Drown

LMS Manager

Tiffanie LaBruyere-Drown is the LMS Manager for Building Performance Association. In her role, Tiffanie leads the design, development and support of the Learning Management System. She is tasked with creating the learning technology strategy to ensure BPA has the best learning system in the industry with a relentless focus on continual improvement, innovation, and end-user adoption and usage. In the last 10 years, she has worked with a variety of Learning Management Systems, developed online learning courses and designed virtual learning certificate programs. Tiffanie attended the University of Missouri - Columbia, College of Business Administration and has completed certificate programs with the Association for Talent Development.
Robyn Hall

Customer Service Manager

Robyn Hall is the Customer Service Manager at Building Performance Association. She manages conference registrations, continuing education credits, and scholarships, and additionally serves as a support to conference education. Robyn previously worked in marketing, public relations, and media advertising sales. She graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Journalism with a specialty in Advertising. Robyn joined the team in 2010 and has held several roles within the organization.
Jim Gunshinan

Senior Editor, Building Performance Journal

Jim Gunshinan is Senior Editor at Building Performance Journal. Jim became Managing Editor of the former Home Energy Magazine in 2000. In 2015 he was named Senior Editor and continues that role today with Building Performance Journal. Jim’s primary responsibility is for the quality and appropriateness of the editorial content of the magazine. He recruits and works closely with authors, supervises the production schedule, and writes articles and blog posts, among other duties. Between February 2007 and August 2012 Jim was a blogger for the QUEST science program at the San Francisco Bay Area’s public broadcasting station KQED. He is the editor of the book, No Regrets Remodeling, Second Edition. In 2015, Jim was elected to the Building Performance Institute’s Building Performance Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in the Home Performance industry. Jim holds BS and MDiv degrees from the University of Notre Dame, and an MS degree from Penn State University.
Macie Melendez

Managing Editor, Building Performance Journal

Macie Melendez is Managing Editor at Building Performance Journal. In this role, she manages editorial schedules and enforces in-house and external deadlines. She is also responsible for managing the publication’s social media accounts and disseminating relevant information through several media outlets. She previously worked at the former Home Energy magazine where she started as Assistant Editor and worked her way up to Executive Editor before pursuing a freelance writing career.

Macie has been a writer and editor for nearly two decades, working in various mediums from print magazines and newspapers to online education and script writing. She is passionate about the written word and helping the planet—even if that comes in the form of editing. Macie holds a BA degree in English from San Diego State University.
Leslie Jackson

Associate Editor and Office Manager, Building Performance Journal

Leslie Jackson is the Associate Editor and Office Manager for Building Performance Journal. With over 20 years' experience in writing, editing, and book design, Leslie is passionate about publishing, and has just added podcast producing to her skill set. Having cut her teeth at Whole Earth Review magazine in the mid-1990s Leslie has worked with the founders of WIRED magazine, and currently helps authors publish their work.

In 2005, she co-authored and self-published the popular manual for building an efficient wood burning stove with its inventor, Ianto Evans. Now in its Third Edition, Rocket Mass Heaters has been translated into six foreign languages and Leslie travels around the world teaching workshops. Leslie has a love for Natural Building, and has covered such topics as the relief efforts after the 2007 earthquake in Haiti, and rebuilding efforts post-Katrina in the former Home Energy magazine and on her personal blog.

Leslie performed the first half of her undergraduate studies in Rhetoric at UC Berkeley. She graduated with a BA from New College of California, as Valedictorian, in 2004.