Our Team
We’re a dedicated team of environmental advocates bringing diverse skill sets to empower the heartland to achieve sustainable energy use & cleaner air.
Kelly Gilbert
Executive Director
Metropolitan Energy CenterKelly‘s passion for the environment was cultivated early in life on her family’s farm in Kentucky. She’s found her life’s work in improving the health of our ecosystems, and fighting climate change in local communities across KS and MO.
Kelly has been with Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) for over 10 years. She was inducted into the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Hall of Fame in 2017 and was named an Agent of Change for her leadership in transportation sustainability by the KC Clean Cities Advisory Board in 2010. She serves on the Metro KC Air Quality Forum, KC Metro Climate Action Coalition Steering Committee, and many other climate and energy policy groups across KS and MO.
In her free time, she enjoys supporting area farmers markets, barn dancing, and cheering on Sporting KC.
David Albrecht is Co-Coordinator for Kansas City Clean Cities. He helps manage clean fuel deployment programs for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, working with everyone from small school district bus fleets to national long-haul trucking companies. He also manages Project Living Proof, MEC’s energy efficiency demonstration house at 917 E. Cleaver II in Kansas City (and would be happy to give you a tour!)
Since joining MEC in late 2013, he has also managed training programs in hazmat and environmental remediation, assisted in grant and development opportunities, and currently runs the Clean Cities Twitter account. David has B.A.’s in History and German from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a Master’s in East Asian Studies from the University of Kansas. Prior to MEC, he was Director of Business Research at the Greater Kansas City Chamber and before that, Executive Assistant at the Consulate-General of Japan. When time permits, he enjoys keeping bees, bicycling, gardening and whitewater kayaking.
David Albrecht
Sr. Program Coordinator & Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coordinator
Metropolitan Energy Center
Tami Alexander
Sr. Program Coordinator & Central Kansas Clean Cities Coordinator
Metropolitan Energy CenterTami joined MEC in August 2017 to support the ethanol and biodiesel projects in Kansas. In January 2018, she became the Program Coordinator for the Central Kansas Clean Cities Coalition, managing event coordination, outreach, customer relationship management, program administration, research writing, and content development.
In addition to her work at MEC, Tami has several years of facility and non-profit management experience where she introduced sustainability measures to organization practices. She has Bachelor‘s degrees in Mathematics-Statistics and Geology and a Master’s in Environmental Science all from Wichita State University.
A life-long Kansan, Tami lives in Wichita with her husband and their three children. She is passionate about promoting the environmental health and local economies of both urban and rural communities across Kansas. In her free time, she volunteers with her sons’ Scouts BSA troop and her sorority housing board and enjoys DIY projects, spending time outdoors and cheering on the Shockers, Chiefs & Royals.
Miriam joined MEC in December 2019 as a Program Coordinator. She previously worked for the Missouri Department of Economic Development, as an Economic Development Incentive Specialist for the Community Development Block Grant program.
She received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration with concentration on International Business and minors in French and Economics from Truman State University. She is currently working on her Master’s of Public Administration at Southeast Missouri State University.
When Miriam has free time, she enjoys hiking Missouri’s many state parks and conservation areas with her dog, and exploring new restaurants in Kansas City.
Miriam Bouallegue
Project Manager, Sustainable Transportation
Metropolitan Energy Center
Joy Ellsworth
Development Manager
Metropolitan Energy CenterAs development manager, Joy Ellsworth supports the growth and future of MEC as it responds to emerging connections between the energy sector and everyday people. With an MPA from the UMKC Bloch School of Management and a fundraising certificate from the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Joy focused her formal training on nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship and diversified fundraising. Informally, for over two decades Joy has run her own businesses while consulting for small businesses on capacity improvements and marketing.
She actively volunteers for numerous KC-area environmental nonprofits, and is board president of Clement Waters, a community environmental organization she co-founded with her husband. When Joy is not working or volunteering to make collective futures brighter, she dotes on two darling children and two fuzzy furbabies
Mary has worked in the sustainable built environment industry conducting energy assessments, testing, consultation, and overall experience in the field of building performance in both the residential and commercial sectors.
She founded Small Step Energy Solutions LLC which became a leading home energy assessment provider, as well as a building consultant for sustainable new buildings and homes. During this time, Small Step’ worked with municipalities – including the Kansas City MO codes department – to review and update building energy codes. She also worked closely with area developers to create sustainable developments and multi-family housing based on equity goals.
Mary then moved into commercial-business sustainability, helping start-up businesses in passive house panel construction; energy benchmarking; and efficiency upgrades in commercial HVAC systems. She currently serves on the Programs Committee for the USGBC Central Plains Community; and the Equity Committee for Climate Action Kansas City.
In off hours she enjoys the great outdoors with her husband and dog; practicing aerial arts; and watching Royals baseball games.
Mary English
Energy Program Manager, Building Performance
Metropolitan Energy Center
Brittanie Giroux
AmeriCorps VISTA Member
Metropolitan Energy CenterBrittanie is MEC’s Americorps VISTA, partnering with us to increase MEC’s capacity, especially in the area of the Energy Solutions Hub and the projects within it.
Brittanie specializes in optimization of informatics, connecting community organizations with MEC, and supporting the formation of a new collaborative task force for sustainable housing convening industry and community for more equitable solutions.
Brandt joined MEC in the fall of 2020 as a Program Coordinator. His focus is in the transportation sector, specifically advocating for electrification of vehicles and infrastructure development in the Midwest region. He is a co-coordinator for the Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coalition.
Prior to his position at MEC, Brandt was a member of Bridging the Gap’s city-wide recycling team. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he also went on to complete his Master’s in Bioenergy.
Outside of work, Brandt enjoys time with his family, travelling, and learning about investment strategies. He hails from Chicago and continues to have a vested interest in all Chicago sports teams, rain or shine!
Brandt Hertenstein
Program Coordinator & Kansas City Regional Clean Cities Coordinator
Metropolitan Energy Center
Justice Horn
MEC Intern
Metropolitan Energy CenterJustice Horn is a community leader, social justice activist, and political strategist. He fights for representation everywhere and broke barriers as the first openly gay multicultural college wrestler in the NCAA. Now in politics, he worked on the Biden campaign in the African American, LGBTQ, and Pacific Islander division of the 2020 Joe Biden Presidential campaign. He was also senior advisor to the Missouri for Biden team as well.
As an African American, Caucasian, Pacific Islander, Native American, and LGBTQ individual, he represents the many communities he comes from and currently serves on the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Advisory board and the Kansas City Streetcar Advisory committee. Justice is one of the many voices of the future here in our community.
Elliott is a senior at Wichita State University pursuing a degree in Computer Science. He joined MEC as an intern for the Spring 2021 semester due to an interest in clean energy and alternative fuels. He strives to use and grow his skillset working towards a cause that will contribute to the sustainability of local communities.
Outside of work and education, Elliott prefers to use his time working on honing his skills in musical instruments and composition. It is a wonderfully expressive outlet for him which provides good contrast with engineering.
Elliott Ives
Clean Cities Intern
Metropolitan Energy Center
Anissa Parra-Grooms
Program Manager, Sustainable Transportation
Metropolitan Energy CenterAnissa joined MEC in summer of 2020 as the Program Manager. She is responsible for supervision of programs, including scheduling and delivery of objectives; personal management; and assistance with program outreach and events coordination.
Anissa has always been interested environmental causes and helping better our community for as long as she can remember. After almost 15+ years in the corporate sector, she made the jump to nonprofit, and as she calls it “to serve a mission.”
When she is away from serving her community, she loves spending time with her husband and daughter. They love to travel the world with the thought of “take only memories. Leave only footprints.”
Jeff currently helps develop/administer MEC Contracts; and assists with other administrative and project tasks, as well. He brings extensive air quality, health (public health and clinical research), management, and administration (contracting and purchasing) experience to the table. He has a Master’s in Public Administration and in Government/Business Relations; and BA in Political Science.
He is most interested in finding ways to help businesses and local governments cut costs by going green. In his free time, Jeff likes hiking, traveling, photography, gardening, and reading.
Jeff Windsor
Contract Specialist
Metropolitan Energy Center
Emily Wolfe
Sr. Program Coordinator & Policy Analyst
Metropolitan Energy Center