Our Team

The people working with the community to make it possible.

Our Team

Jean Nelson-Houpert

Interim-CEO and Chief Financial Officer

Jean Nelson-Houpert is the Interim-CEO and Chief Financial Officer for DC Green Bank, where she is responsible for leading the entire team in support of the bank’s mission as well as delivering strong financial and accounting practices. Jean serves as DC Green Bank’s high-level strategic leader and financial steward in implementing strong financial discipline in its financial reporting, budgeting, accounting, and risk management processes and ensure its safety and soundness as well as long-term sustainability and growth.

Jean joined DC Green Bank with extensive expertise in banking, internal control, risk management, and financial reporting knowledge. She also has significant experience in public accounting for mid-to-large size community banks. Among her leadership roles in financial institutions, Jean has served as controller at Millennium Bank, Director of Accounting, and Chief Financial Officer for Alliance Bankshares Corporation and SEC reporting manager at Capital Bank, N.A.

Jean received her a M.J. (Master of Jurisprudence) from Tulane University and B.A. in Accounting from Temple University. She is also a certified Human Resources Professional (PHR).

Gary Decker

Director of Strategic Engagement

Gary Decker serves as the Director of Strategic Engagement at DC Green Bank. Gary has spent fifteen years working on public policy at the national and international levels to improve lives in the United States and around the world. He has worked on a range of issues including renewable energy, sustainable development and climate change, the protection and expansion of voting rights, health care, and building a more equitable and inclusive economy.

Gary holds a M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Goucher College. 

Michael Chase

Director of Technology & Special Projects

Michael Chase serves as the Director of Technology & Special Projects at DC Green Bank, where he oversees technology support and manages strategic operational projects. Michael has over twelve years of experience in national and international project management and software solution implementation. Before joining DC Green Bank, Michael worked for a local consulting company supporting project management and IT solutioning for various DC-based projects. He also served in the US Army for seven years with the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, and 1-509th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Polk, LA.

Michael holds a B.S. and M.S. from Appalachian State University and an MBA with a focus on Analytics from Kogod School of Business at American University.

Mary Edwards

Director of Underwriting

Mary Edwards, a native of Raleigh, NC, has lived in the DC Metro area since 2007. She has 15 years of commercial lending experience, focusing on Credit Risk Management at Large Regional Banks, International Banks and local Community Banks. She has extensive experience in crafting commercial lending processes and procedures, including processes relating to Commercial Real Estate, ABL financing and Non-for-Profit financing. Mary is a graduate of Salem College, located in Winston-Salem, NC. 

Marc Ericson

Director of Financing Programs

Marc Ericson is the Director of Financing Programs for DC Green Bank, where he is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing new programs to deploy capital with a focus on decarbonization and climate resilience, affordable housing, and green building. His previous experience with affordable multifamily housing includes his role as a Director of Underwriting with a focus on affordable housing for a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lender. He has worked on multiple affordable housing types, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bond deals, limited equity cooperatives, and HUD Section 8 HAP contracts. As a Senior Vice President at National Cooperative Bank, he has structured the financing for various multifamily housing types, including Multifamily Housing Cooperatives, Condominium Associations, and Community Associations. He also worked on the structuring and sale of subordinate debt. 

Marc received his M.B.A. from the University of Washington, M.A. in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount University, and B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia. 

Michelle Boltik

Financial Controller

Michelle Boltik serves as the Financial Controller where she supports the Chief Financial Officer to ensure that DC Green Bank’s financial systems create a strong foundation for community impact. She has over 30 years of banking and accounting experience, including 10 years of auditing experience.  Michelle also has expertise in banking, internal controls, reconciliation, and with general ledger, as well as with departmental management. Her career has seen her responsibilities include the teller line all of the way to financial institution Assistant Controller. Among her leadership roles at financial institutions, she served as Assistant Controller of Revere Bank and Finance Program Manager at Spectra Credit Union.  She also served as Controller for a Montgomery County law firm. 

Michelle received an MS in Accounting and Finance from University of Maryland Global Campus and a BA in Economics from University of Maryland Baltimore County. 

Ronald K. Hobson

PACE Program Manager

Ronald Hobson serves as the DC PACE Program Manager at DC Green Bank. Ronald is a highly skilled, veteran financial services provider and leader in the Washington DC market who has earned the solid reputation of providing access to capital and financial advisory assistance to some of the most successful and highly regarded government contractors, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. Ronald has worked at a number of regional banks in the DC markets, most recently with Customers Bank where he worked as a Senior Vice President. Mr. Hobson also served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Government Contracting and Minority Enterprise Development at the Small Business Administration where he oversaw the nation’s $27 billion 8(a) program.

Ronald graduated with cum laude honors from Howard University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and is a Betta Gamma Sigma inductee (an academic honor society for top business students). He is also a distinguished veteran, having served in the US Army, Office of Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence at the Pentagon. He is the proud father of three whose children have also excelled in material science engineering/physics, medical school, and mathematics.

Gabriela Kluzinski

Investment Manager

Gabriela Kluzinski is DC Green Bank’s Investment Manager, where she is responsible for business origination, deal structuring and execution, and portfolio management. Her expertise is in evaluating stormwater retention, green building, solar, and clean transportation investments as well as product development in sustainable affordable housing.

Gabriela’s background is in impact investing, asset management, cleantech evaluation, and endowment fundraising. Prior to her current role, she was on Cambridge Associate’s Sustainable and Impact Investing team where she assessed the assets of non-profit institutions and university endowments ranging from $200 Million to $5 Billion Assets Under Management for their sustainability and diversity metrics and proposed more mission-aligned investments.

Gabriela received her B.B.A from the University of Notre Dame in Finance. She has been awarded Galileo Master Certifications in Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy Market Trends & Finance.

Shyrah Kum

Community Outreach & Development Manager

Shyrah Kum serves as the Community Outreach & Development Manager at DC Green Bank, where she is responsible for aligning processes, developing training, and designing outreach to ensure that DC Green Bank is a leader in implementing best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Shyrah’s background includes roles in program coordination, diversity recruitment, and human capital.  Previously, Shyrah served as a Development Manager in Human Resources and Deployment at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, an Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment at Virginia Tech, and Program Coordinator at George Mason University and George Washington University. 

Shyrah holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Old Dominion University and a B.A. in History from Virginia Tech. 

Derrick Holloway

Senior Investment Associate

Derrick Holloway is a Senior Investment Associate for Green Buildings at DC Green Bank, where he works on origination, structuring, and executing financial products. Derrick has a corporate finance and commercial real estate background that spans from marketing, leasing, asset management, underwriting, and development.  He joins DC Green Bank after spending 5 years in private and non-profit commercial lending, where he underwrote over $100 million in construction loans related to charter school development. His experience in corporate finance includes forecasting commercial projects, $15 million and up bridge loans, and $25 million and up construction loans. He has also helped manage a $100 million “School of Hope” charter school development fund with the purpose of opening 10 charter schools in 3 years.  

Derrick attended Temple University’s Fox School of Business and double majored in Finance and Real Estate. He is also a licensed real estate agent in California and is in the process of obtaining his General Contractors license in the state of Maryland.   

Shiva Patel

Senior Investment Associate

Shiva Patel has nearly a decade of experience with community-based organizations, start-ups and impact investment firms, particularly in the areas of energy and climate justice, transformative finance, and worker-owned cooperatives. This includes developing and implementing local/state/national projects and programs, policy analysis and advocacy, as well as conducting financial due diligence and investment deal structuring. He recently served as a Senior Fellow with The Solutions Project, an advisor to the Justice40 Accelerator, and played an integral role in the development of the Healthy, Equitable, Resilient Communities (HERC) accelerator and investment fund, a joint effort on behalf of Justice Capital and Full Spectrum Capital Partners. Prior to this, he co-launched the energy justice program at the Center for Biological Diversity. 

He holds an M.B.A from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, and a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, also from UC Berkeley. 

Mojdeh Efatian

Human Resources Manager

Mojdeh ‘MJ’ Efatian is DC Green Bank’s Human Resources Manager.  Mojdeh has 4 years of experience with a financial services institution through her previous roles with Northwestern Mutual. Mojdeh has served as a human resources consultant and additionally has experience in training and development.  

Mojdeh received her master’s in jurisprudence in Labor & Employment Law from Tulane University and obtained her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Louisiana State University. Mojdeh is a member of The Junior League of Washington. 

Natrebo Douglas

PACE Program Coordinator

Natrebo Douglas is the PACE Program Coordinator for DC Green Bank. Natrebo has a commercial real estate, corporate finance, and commercial card background. His professional career has consisted of creating and implementing process improvements and contributions to organizational growth. He has been trained in Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma and Agile principles to help optimize and scale for future growth. He is process driven with a long-standing record of innovation and creativity.  

He values partnerships within the community. He has partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University as a mentor in the School of Business. He has worked with Junior Achievement as a mentor socializing financial education to students and family members. He has been an active contributor to the Boys and Girls club and Ameri-Corps. His favorite pass-time is soccer where he has coached different levels and ages through his local soccer community.  

He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. My educational career and life experiences developed my ability to be empathic to others and is a key driver to my continued Creative Confidence.

Laura Maretich

Communications and Marketing Coordinator

Laura Maretich serves as DC Green Bank’s Communications and Marketing Coordinator and is responsible for ensuring that the bank is able to communicate and engage with core audiences and District communities in an effective and impactful way. Previously, Laura worked as the Communications Director at MobilizeGreen, an environmental equity nonprofit, before starting her own consulting business that managed a portfolio of public and private sector clients. Laura clerked for the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and interned for Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay. While attending Howard Law School, Laura was a summer associate for the Office of the Attorney General for D.C. Laura also spent time as a law clerk in the public policy group of Squire Sanders Patton Boggs before establishing her own real estate investment business. 

Laura received a B.S. in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she was a top recruit for the Women’s Volleyball Team. In 2011, she received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law. Laura is also active in the Crestwood Neighborhood Association.

Christina Crosson

Staff Accountant

Board Members & Advisors

Brandi Colander

Board Chair
Colander is an attorney and sustainability practitioner with public policy expertise who has testified before Congress and state governing bodies. Her work across sectors including advocacy, public service and corporate have allowed her to cultivate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders. As the Chief Sustainability Officer at WestRock Company she led the development and execution of a strategy to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to customers around the world including the commitment of a science based target (SBT). Prior to joining WestRock she was a Principal at The Raben Group, supporting clients by advancing their policy and strategy needs, as well as Head of External Relations with Charter Communications creating diverse partnerships and philanthropic investments. Her public service includes a Presidential appointment as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior advancing policy and regulations for the nation’s four energy development bureaus as well as Deputy General Counsel for the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Colander serves as the Board Chair of the DC Green Bank Board of Directors, Yale School of the Environment Leadership Council member, and Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy board. She earned her Master of Environmental Management at Yale University, J.D. from Vermont Law School, and Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning from University of Virginia. Colander is a licensed attorney and member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She resides in Washington, DC with her family and affectionate but obstinate dog.

Edward Hubbard

Board Secretary / General Counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA)
Ed Hubbard currently serves as General Counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), where he provides counsel and advice on a wide array of federal renewable fuel and clean energy issues and policy. He advocates for the U.S. ethanol industry on key energy, agriculture, transportation, and clean air policy and regulatory matters before the U.S. Congress and key federal government agencies. Ed serves on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade (ATAC) in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds, jointly managed by US Department of Agriculture and US Trade Representative, and on the Board of Directors of Green Seal Inc. Prior to joining RFA, Ed served as Legislative Director and Counsel in the office of U.S. Representative Albert Wynn, overseeing the Congressman’s Maryland Delegation leadership responsibilities and chair activities for the Congressional Black Caucus Small Business Task Force, Hydrogen Caucus, and Wireless Caucus. Ed earned his J.D. from Howard University and B.A. from UCLA.

David Epley

District Agency Board Member /Associate Director for Data and Benchmarking of the Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
David Epley is an Associate Director in the Energy Administration of the District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE). His team manages the District’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS), the Energy Benchmarking Program, the BEPS Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), the State Energy Program, and the District Appliance Efficiency Standards.

Prior to joining DOEE, Mr. Epley was the Green Building and Sustainability Division Manager at the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) where he established and managed the nationally-recognized DCRA Green Building Division. The Division is responsible for the enforcement, development, outreach and education on the District’s hallmark progressive green building regulations, including the Green Construction Code, the Energy Conservation Code, all solar-related regulations and the Green Building Act. In 2019 the Division received the regional Leadership Award from the USGBC-National Capital Region Chapter. In 2018 the Division was recognized as “Energy Institution of the Year” for the greater Washington Region by the Association of Energy Engineers, and in 2015 the Division won the national ICC Standard Bearers Award.

Prior to DCRA, Mr. Epley was the Program Director for Energy Performance in the Enterprise Green Communities Program at Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing non-profit. He served as the Solar America Cities Fellow at the City of Pittsburgh, PA and owned a home energy audit company in Tennessee. He holds a Master’s of Science in Sustainable Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Priya Jayachandran

Board Member / CEO of Natural Housing Trust (NHT) and it's subsidiaries National Housing Trust Community Development Fund (NHTCDF)
Priya Jayachandran is CEO of National Housing Trust (NHT) and its subsidiaries National Housing Trust Community Development Fund (NHTCDF), and NHT Communities. Under her leadership, NHT is committed to creating and preserving affordable homes to provide opportunity, advance racial equity, reduce economic disparities and strengthen community resilience. Priya came to NHT from Volunteers of America, where she served as Senior Vice President of Affordable Housing Development. Previously, she worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs; and for over 20 years in community development banking at three major financial institutions. Priya is a recognized industry expert on affordable housing finance. Priya earned her B.A from UC San Diego and M.P.A. from Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Todd Monash

Board Member / Vice President of United Bank
Todd A. Monash is a Vice President of United Bank and a member of its commercial services team. He works with corporate clients to solve their most important banking needs related to credit, deposit, and treasury management. His client engagements include C-suite executives both in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. He has provided financial literacy classes in English and Spanish to programs like the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF), area high schools, and churches. In addition, he has been a featured speaker at Georgetown University’s Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate. Todd obtained his B.A. from University of Notre Dame and is a graduate of the Executive Development Program at Georgetown University.

Sarosh Olpadwala

District Agency Board Member / Deputy Mayor's Designee, DMPED
Sarosh Olpadwala is the Director of Real Estate in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) in DC. He is responsible for overseeing the inter-agency acquisition, asset management, leasing, disposition, and strategic planning of a portfolio of District-based development projects worth over $13 billion. Located across all eight District wards, the projects vary in size from small-scale neighborhood retail to the 100-acre St. Elizabeths East Campus Redevelopment to the $4 billion initiative to reclaim the long-neglected Anacostia Waterfront. Prior to his appointment to the Office of the Deputy Mayor, Sarosh’s career spanned both the public and private sectors, including positions with Norcross Boldt, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Cherokee Investment Partners, and Clark Construction. He earned both his B.S. in Operations Research & Industrial Engineering and M.B.A. from Cornell University.

Ricardo Nogueira

Board Member / Expert on Climate Finance, International Development, and Sustainable investing
Ricardo (Rick) Nogueira is an expert on climate finance, international development, and sustainable investing. His clients include major philanthropies, governments and multilateral development banks. He previously served as Senior Advisor on Climate Finance at the U.S. Department of State during the Obama administration. He was a U.S. board member of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) where he oversaw all GCF related matters, including initial resource mobilization, institution building, strategy, and public outreach. Prior to public service, Rick spent 10 years in private sector fund management with a focus on carbon markets and clean energy. He was the founder and a Managing Director at Leaf Clean Energy Company, a private equity fund targeting clean energy investments across the Americas. Rick also has extensive legal experience at Van Ness Feldman, an energy and environmental boutique, and Felsberg & Associados. Rick obtained his B.A. from Lafayette College and J.D. from Seton Hall School of Law.

Jonathan Kayne

Board Member / Interim Director of the Office of Public-Private partnerships and Director of the Special Projects in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Jonathan Kayne is the Interim Director of the Office of Public-Private Partnerships and Director of Special Projects in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. He has over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry in both the public and private sectors including office, retail, and residential. Jonathan has also held positions with the District as Interim Director and COO of the Department of General Services. Prior to joining the District government, he held positions as COO of DBT Development Group, Senior Vice President, Director of Real Estate for Federal Realty Investment Trust, and Vice President for Charles E Smith Residential. Jonathan received his B.S. from University of Hartford and M.S. in Real Estate from Johns Hopkins University.

Carmen Pigler

Board Member / Deputy CFO and Treasurer in the District's Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Carmen Pigler is Deputy CFO and Treasurer for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer in Washington, DC. As treasurer and deputy CFO, she manages the District’s treasury programs associated with its annual operating and capital budget. This includes management of the District’s banking and investment activities, check and electronic receipts and disbursements, and its debt issuance and repayment activities. She also oversees the District's 401(a) and 457(b) retirement plans, 529 college savings plan, and the Unclaimed Property program.

Previously, Ms. Pigler served as associate treasurer of Debt and Grants. In this role, she managed all aspects of the District’s $11-billion debt portfolio and provided leadership in all aspects of capital improvement and economic development finance matters. She also administered federal grant funds, tracking expenditures in all grant-funded programs, and provides regular assessments of grant funds. Ms. Pigler holds a B.A. in Economics from South Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

Deborah Loomis

Board Member / Environmental Attorney and Senior Advisor for Climate Change to the Secretary of the Navy
Deborah Loomis is an environmental attorney and a retired Navy judge advocate. She began her Navy career as one of the early women onboard U.S. combatant ships, deploying to the Persian Gulf and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and serving as a Navy liaison to the U.S. Senate. She also advised senior clients including several four-star admirals on complex environmental planning matters and litigation spanning the globe, from the Arctic to Guam. She has worked extensively with federal agency and other partners to include state governments, regulatory agencies, non-governmental organizations and public interest groups.

Ms. Loomis is currently a Presidential appointee, serving as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy for Climate Change. In this role she is influencing policy and the overall strategy for both the Navy and Marine Corps. Ms. Loomis has also been working at the nexus between climate change and national security for many years and has contributed to several articles and publications on climate and security.

Ms. Loomis graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with dual degrees from the Wharton School and the College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her law degree from Georgetown and later a master of laws focusing on environmental and energy law, also from Georgetown.