Meet Our Team

Our WSU Energy Program team has hundreds of years of combined experience providing training, technical assistance, and research. If you have questions about our services, please contact us. 

Our Staff

Georgine Yorgey

Georgine Yorgey is the Director of the WSU Energy Program, as well as Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and a Senior Research Fellow with the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. She brings to the Energy Program a wealth of experience collaborating with non-academic and academic partners to move forward extension and research at the nexus of food, energy, water, and climate. Her work includes a focus on developing a more circular economy within agriculture, including via the recovery of nutrients, energy, and products from organic wastes. She also works on questions relating to the mitigation of climate change within agriculture, and on ongoing climate change impacts to agriculture.

Previously, she was Associate Director at WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she worked for 15 years. She has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts with High Honors from Swarthmore College in 1999, with a major in Biology and a minor in Sociology & Anthropology.

Honors and Awards: WSU College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS)( Excellence in Extension Award (2024); WSU Provost’s Leadership Academy (2022-2023); Washington Organic Recycling Council, Excellence in Education and Outreach Award (2015); WSU CAHNRS Interdisciplinary Team Award (2011); USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Partnership Award for Innovative Program Models (2009).

James L. Colombo

James L. Colombo is the manager of the Information Technology Department the WSU Energy Program.

Colombo has over 45 years of experience providing technical service, support, and training to customers such as Washington state agencies, universities, citizens, management, and employees. He has considerable experience with project, program, and team leadership; strategic planning; budgets; and business development. Throughout his career, Colombo has excelled at providing customer-focused services to internal and external customers.

Prior to WSU, he worked in the Washington State Energy Office where he contributed significantly to energy programs, projects, and services for the state, region, and nation. Colombo also worked for the South Puget Sound Community College and the King County Library System.

Matthew Booth

Matthew Booth brings expertise in community solar to the WSU Energy Program. Matthew previously served as a board member of Olympia Community Solar, where he advised on legal structure, developed incorporation documents, created internal structures, developed programmatic content, and created projects, which included winning and administering private and public grants. In this role he also managed financial documentation; budgetary needs; partner, donor and member relations; and the organization’s legislative agenda. Booth also developed and worked to pass significant legislative changes to the state’s renewable energy program. Successful community solar projects he helped bring to fruition include the Hummingbird and Sunflower community solar projects, the Solarize Thurston home solar group buying campaign, and several small-scale, grant-funded installations. Booth, an active musician/manager, earned a B.S. in renewable energy, sustainable business, and public policy from The Evergreen State College.

Erika Coveny

Erika Coveny supports renewable energy programs implemented by the WSU Energy Program, including the management of residential and commercial incentives for solar generation, incentives for low-income community solar projects, and tracking statewide net metering capacity. Before joining the Energy Program, Coveny’s professional experience includes over 12 years with the Snohomish County Public Utility District as the renewables program manager, business analyst, and customer service lead. Coveny also has experience in the nonprofit sector, where her responsibilities included qualifying low-income families for federal aid. She has a BA in English literature and writing from The Evergreen State College.

Donna Cowsert

Donna Cowsert serves as our management analyst/fiscal officer. With 30 years of experience in the accounting field, she provides financial/grants management services, and reviews and submits proposals. Cowsert assists with subcontract setup, submitting match documentation, and resolving grant issues with the sponsor, principal investigator, and university. Her prior experience includes serving as accounts receivable manager, responsible for building and coaching a team to effectively implement grants, contracts, and interagency agreements.

Chelsea Edgecombe

Chelsea Edgecombe is a data specialist for the WSU Energy Program, with experience entering and retrieving data across multiple applications to organize and analyze team performance metrics. Her professional history includes guiding, training, and mentoring a team of COVID-19 contact tracers; and running a pilot program for the Washington State Department of Health to perform daily wellness checks for cases and contacts. In addition, Edgecombe utilized her knowledge of DOH and local health jurisdiction protocols to implement frequent protocol updates. Edgecombe studied mathematics at the University of Washington and earned an AA in physics from Tacoma Community College.

Brad James

Brad James, Energy Analyst with WSU Energy Program, works with the Green Transportation Program to collect and analyze program data, conduct performance assessments, and develop recommendations for improvements. He also supports workforce analysis and development research to empower communities as they embrace sustainable practices. With a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science from the University of Michigan, Brad has worked in several roles to streamline processes and ensure equitable access to energy-saving measures. As an energy efficiency engineer at the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, he quantified energy savings and developed scopes of work for energy efficiency projects. As a weatherization auditor/inspector with Pierce County Human Services, Brad performed energy audits and drafted scopes of work for properties in Pierce County to promote equity in access to energy efficiency resources throughout the community. Prior to working in energy, Brad spent four summers building and maintaining trails with Idaho Conservation Corps.

Karen Janowitz

Karen Janowitz is a program coordinator at the WSU Energy Program. She has over 20 years of experience in project leadership and management; implementing, marketing, and managing energy efficiency and environmental programs; group facilitation; environmental education; communications; and administration. Janowitz holds a B.A. in geology from the University of Colorado and a Master of Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College.

Jim Jensen

Jim Jensen, our senior bioenergy and alternative fuels specialist, is the director of Washington’s Green Transportation Program. In this role, Jim identifies and brings together stakeholders to address immediate and long-term transportation needs in rapidly changing environments, conducts research on new transportation technologies, and provides technical assistance about bioenergy and alternative fuels and vehicles. Jim lends his expertise to support federal and state agencies, local governments, Tribal nations, and private clients. His current research activities include biogas/biomethane, biodiesel, electric vehicles, and green fleets. He serves on the state’s multi-agency bioenergy team, the anaerobic digestion task force, the Alt Fuel/Vehicle Technical Assistance Group, and the Western Washington Clean Cities Steering Committee. During 30+ years of work in the private and nonprofit sectors, Jim provided technical assistance to businesses in dozens of industries, assisted corporate social responsibility programs, and supported new green technologies and products. His technical knowledge includes research, development, and implementation of projects in the voluntary carbon market, renewable energy, recycling, waste prevention, anaerobic digestion, and composting. Jim holds a B.A. from Grinnell College, Iowa.

Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Jones leads the energy code technical assistance team and the Home Energy Raters team for the WSU Energy Program. Among his responsibilities in these roles, Jones creates and delivers trainings about the energy code for a wide audience across Washington, and manages the Home Energy Rater Providership Program. His experience as a general contractor, real estate appraiser and broker, residential solar PV installer, and design/drafting specialist for contractors gives him an authentic, real-world perspective that our clients appreciate. Jonathan has been a member of the Home Builders Association of Tri Cities and myriad certification programs including the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, ENERGY STAR Homes, Washington State Built Green, and EPA’s WaterSense and Indoor airPLUS programs.

Robert Kirchmeier, P.E.

Bob Kirchmeier is the senior grid modernization engineer for the WSU Energy Program. As a Professional Electrical Engineer with over 40 years in the field, Kirchmeier provides a wealth of expertise to our renewable energy program area, where he continues to provide technical support to the Washington State Energy Office for the state Clean Energy Fund, and emerging programs for clean energy transformation. Previously, Kirchmeier was the technical lead and project manager for the Clean Energy Fund with the state Dept. of Commerce. His responsibilities included developing solicitation documents, managing the evaluation and selection process, and negotiating and administrating performance contracts for projects implemented by the largest and most progressive electric utilities and research institutions in Washington. He assisted those entities with design criteria, permitting, procurement, installation, testing, and evaluation of technical and economic performance of energy storage assets deployed on utility distribution systems and behind-the-meter applications. Kirchmeier also provided technical and project management support for several other grid modernization, transactive energy, and battery system R&D programs for projects with Pacific Northwest National Labs, UW, WSU, BPA, Avista, Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish PUD, Seattle City Light, Energy Northwest, and others. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Seattle University.

Gilbert McCoy, P.E.

Gil McCoy, a registered Professional Engineer, is a senior energy systems engineer with the WSU Energy Program. He provides technical assistance and energy auditing services to industrial and public sector clients. McCoy’s areas of expertise include optimization of industrial systems (motor/drive, compressed air, steam, combined heat and power, and pumping). He served as lead engineer for development of software products including MotorMaster+ (motor energy management), International Motor Selection and Savings Analysis, AirMaster+ (compressed air system assessment), and BallastMaster (lighting system/ballast selection) software. McCoy is a U.S. DOE Qualified AIRMaster+ Specialist and a Qualified Steam Tools and Process Heating Specialist. He holds a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Washington and a M.S. in engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Gerry Rasmussen

Gerry Rasmussen has served as the graphic designer for the WSU Energy Program since January 2004. He is instrumental in keeping the program’s logos, publications, and presentations looking consistent and professional. Rasmussen retired in 2003 after 33 years as a graphic designer in state government, starting at the Washington State Library and ending his tenure as the manager of the graphics unit at the Washington State Department of Transportation, where he designed ferry schedules, highway map covers, scenic byway signs, and even grain hopper rail cars. He continues to freelance, lending his graphic design expertise to clients in both public and private industry. Rasmussen holds a B.A. in fine arts/graphic design from WSU.

Matt Reznick

Matt Reznick, Energy Program Coordinator with the WSU Energy Program, works with the Green Transportation Program to develop educational materials and support clients in adopting renewable energy solutions for their fleets. Matt has experience advising small businesses on workplace charging installation and helping fleet managers become conversant about renewable fuel policies and grants. As a policy research assistant and event coordinator for Clean Cities, he developed and disseminated crucial information to promote renewable energy adoption for fleet managers in Western Washington. Matt worked on several Clean Cities initiatives, including the Green Transportation Summit and Expo, where he provided communications and technical support as a lead on-site contact. At the University of Washington, where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management, Matt was the director of a sustainability-focused club that promoted student engagement with environmental awareness, which involved coordinating guest lectures and panels in STEM and environmental fields, and organizing educational and fundraising events.

Carolyn Roos, Ph.D.

Dr. Carolyn Roos is a mechanical engineer with over 25 years of experience improving energy efficiency in industrial and building systems, specializing in developing Excel-based applications for engineers and contractors. She provides technical assistance on commercial and industrial energy system efficiency and renewable energy projects. She also provides technical support to the U.S. DOE Northwest Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership, focusing on CHP, biopower, and waste heat to power applications. Roos previously worked as an energy management engineer at Puget Sound Energy, where she performed energy efficiency analyses for commercial and industrial customers, and at the Army Corps of Engineers Hydroelectric Design Center. For her doctorate in systems science and mechanical engineering, she developed software to simulate simultaneous heat and moisture transfer in building environments. For her M.S. in mechanical engineering, Roos developed software to aid in the design of high-temperature solar concentrating furnaces.

Philip Saunders

As an Energy Program Coordinator with the Green Transportation Program, Philip Saunders brings over 25 years of expertise in organizational leadership, equitable contracting and procurement, GHG reduction strategies, sustainability, logistics and emergency management, and community outreach and engagement. Philip previously served as the Deputy Department Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the County of Santa Barbara, where he led emergency management, community outreach, and green initiatives, applying the lens of race and social justice inclusion to address the disproportionate impact of emergency situations on underserved populations. At the City of Seattle, Philip served as the Director of Logistics and Emergency Management and was Executive Director of the largest civilian-led COVID-19 vaccination site in the nation. As director, Philip continued to champion clean energy by procuring the city’s first heavy-duty electric box truck and industrial large-capacity mobile generator. He authored and managed the city’s first green fleet action plan and developed the EVSE masterplan to electrify the city’s entire fleet, established the city’s first contract with renewable fuels, and led one of the nation’s largest charging station installation projects, which earned him the title of Seattle’s Green Ambassador. With the Washington State Departments of Enterprise Services and Transportation, his accomplishments include implementing the state’s first EV, EV charging station, and inclusion plan for goods and services. For his efforts, Philip received the Governor’s Leadership Award for establishing the state’s first EV and charging station contracts. Philip is a retired military officer with 20 years as a logistician where he led sustainable logistics with a focus on decreasing GHG emissions. Philip has earned multiple degrees and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Jason Selwitz, Ph.D.

Jason Selwitz is a budding energy engineer with the WSU Energy Program. Over the last ten years, he has focused on applied energy systems training through the Washington community and technical college system. He has developed, refined, and taught courses in fluid dynamics, pump applications, wastewater treatment, plant operations, water and environmental chemistry, climate science, and the bio- and thermal-chemical conversion of biomass. Selwitz managed a $2.9 million USDA-funded effort that helped determine the techno-economic feasibility of an advanced renewable fuels and chemicals industry in the Pacific Northwest. He has a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University and a M.S. in regenerative studies from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He completed his Ph.D. in engineering science from WSU focused on the scientific and engineering processes of renewable energy, power generation, wastewater treatment, and integrated biorefinery systems.

Melinda Thiessen Spencer

Melinda Spencer is the technical education and outreach specialist for Washington’s Green Transportation Program. Since 1984, Spencer has embraced plain language and user-centered design to present complex technical information so it empowers people to make informed decisions. She has worked as a technical writer, editor, and stakeholder involvement specialist in environmental consulting; instructional designer and web content developer at Microsoft, WA State Dept. of Natural Resources, and other private and public entities; health risk communication specialist at Superfund sites; and contributing writer and editor of technical and scientific textbooks. Spencer holds a B.S. in biology/pre-med from the University of California, Davis; a master’s degree in technical and scientific communication from Miami University, Ohio; and a master’s degree in international peace studies from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Mike Steele

Mike Steele is an information technology specialist responsible for maintaining day-to-day operations of the computer network, assisting staff with technical issues, offering training on new technologies and tools, and serving as a primary network support for several of the WSU Energy Program’s outside clients. Steele has a B.S. in computer engineering technology from DeVry University.

Ryan Tsingine

Ryan Tsingine, an Energy Coordinator with the WSU Energy Program, provides green transportation expertise and stakeholder support for the Green Transportation Program. Since 2015, Ryan has worked with stakeholders to identify strategies to decarbonize transportation on Tribal lands. Before joining the Energy Program, Ryan worked with the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals to establish the new Tribal Clean Transportation Program that helps 574 federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages transition from internal combustion engines to clean transportation technologies. In this role, he coordinated listening sessions for national Tribal outreach and roundtable discussions; facilitated webinars and training; coordinated new partnerships with private and public entities; and researched federal transportation policies. With the National Tribal Air Association, Ryan worked to design Tribal air management programs to advance Tribal environmental, cultural, and economic interests. Ryan’s real-world work is supported by extensive studies at Northern Arizona University, including M.S. degrees in climate science and solutions, and in greenhouse gas accounting (in pursuit); and B.S. degrees in environmental science and political science.

Anne L. Whitney

Anne Whitney is a librarian with over 30 years of experience in the library field, including positions as cataloger, indexer, library information specialist, head of a cataloging service, cataloging instructor, and art college librarian. Currently, Anne researches and writes materials for the Solar Plus program, produces the weekly Solar Newsbriefs publication, and applies her eye for detail to support the renewable energy incentive program. Whitney holds an M.A. in art history and an M.S. in information and library science from Case Western Reserve University.

Veronica Yellowhair

Veronica Yellowhair is the Tribal Community Outreach intern for our Tribal transportation decarbonization project funded by the U.S. Dept. of Energy. With a B.A. in writing, rhetoric, and technical communications from Boise State University and an A.A in English from the College of Western Idaho, we rely on Veronica to present complex and culturally sensitive information in a user-friendly way for diverse audiences. At Boise State University, Veronica won the President’s Writing Award and had several articles published in the Writing for Change Journal. She co-chaired the Intertribal Native Council and served as director of the Seven Arrows Powwow, where her responsibilities included providing training on powwow etiquette and cultural awareness. As a seasoned public speaker, Veronica already has several prestigious presentations under her belt, including Keynote Speaker at the First-Generation Graduation Celebration and at the Indigenous Stole Ceremony at Boise State University; and invited speaker at Case Western University.