GTECH Team

The Staff

Andrew Butcher – Chief Executive Officer / Co - Founder

Andrew is an accomplished social entrepreneur with expertise in the fields of community development, renewable energy, social innovation and environmental justice.
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Andrew holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelors in Political Science from American University in Washington DC. He participated in the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs in St. Louis, and holds certificates from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and The Massachusetts Institute for Technology.
 
A Colorado native, and the youngest of 5 older sisters, Andrew is a committed practitioner of creative social and environmental responsibility. He has installed solar panels in South America, deconstructed buildings in Colorado, and farmed Brownfields in Pittsburgh. Since co-founding GTECH in 2007, Andrew has been featured on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, presented at numerous institutions and conferences including the Brookings Institute, The National Vacant Properties Conference, The Imagining Solutions Conference, The Conference on World Affairs and has been honored at the White House as an emerging leader in the field of social innovation. In 2008, Andrew was awarded a prestigious, international Echoing Green Fellowship for social entrepreneurs, and a Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur Award by The Hitachi Foundation in 2010.
 
He lives in Pittsburgh, near a park with his wife Julie, dog Jasper-Bacon, and newborn daughter Aurora. His favorite words are gumption & grit and he enjoys sandwiches outside.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kevin Gieder – Chief Financial Officer

Kevin joined GTECH in November 2011 as a result of our participation in “The Environmental Finance Collaborative”, a pilot program that will provide four environmental organizations with high level strategic and operational financial expertise via a shared Chief Financial Officer. Our partners in this initiative are Tree Pittsburgh, Construction Junction, and Nine Mile Run Watershed Association.
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Kevin will be responsible for providing operational financial expertise and oversight, budgeting and business planning, support for the Finance Committee of the Board and the adoption of best practices in financial management.
 
Prior to joining GTECH, Kevin spent 10 years with H.J. Heinz Company World Headquarters in a variety of Finance roles and 7 years in the audit practice of a regional CPA firm. He is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Real Estate Finance. Additionally, Kevin serves as the Vice President of the Board of Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, where he chairs the Finance Committee.
 
 
 

Evaine K. Sing – Operations, Policy & Research Director

Evaine is a registered Landscape Architect with a BLA from Virginia Tech and a Master's in Public Policy & Management at the Heinz College of Carnegie Mellon University. She is focused on Community and Economic Development as it relates to the issue of vacant land management within the urban context, primarily looking at ways to engage individuals to take ownership of their surrounding environment and creative, sustainable solutions that serve as a catalyst to larger transitional changes.
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Tim Carryer – ReEnergize Director

Prior to joining GTECH as Energy Director, Tim was founding President of DEAWP, the Diagnostic Energy Auditors Association, and CEO of GreenoverGreen, a Home Performance, energy efficiency, construction company. He is a BPI certified building analyst, multi-family certified energy auditor and an award winning home renovation contractor who is passionate about the built environment.
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Tim is a long time entrepreneur, having founded and co-founded an array of businesses in both for- profit and the not-for-profit arena. He is a co-founder of LaunchCyte, a Pittsburgh biotechnology incubator which has created and raised capital for six successful biotechnology companies based in the region. As general manager he created a state of the art commercial incubator space designed to house multiple interdependent start-up companies and provide communication and business development support. With GreenOverGreen, he worked with with First Energy, Keystone Help, PA Home Energy, private homeowners and small businesses. He is committed to the concept of regional development through the formation of new businesses and sees the demand for energy efficiency as a chance to develop a new industry for the Pittsburgh region. He holds a Masters Degree in Human Computer Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University and is the proud father of two children, Straker and Justine. His personal interests are photography, sailing, fishing and reading about the history of science.
 
  

Megan Zeigler –  ReClaim Director

Megan works with a variety of community stakeholders to find innovative solutions to issues surrounding vacant land in the Pittsburgh region. She is a previous small business owner with more than 12 years of experience in eco-centered landscape design, site assessment and implementation across the country. Megan holds a Master's in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia and BA in Environmental Studies from Warren Wilson College.
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She has an interest in community-led design that is rooted in her passion for collaborative problem solving and linking people to sustainable places. She is certified in charrette facilitation from the National Charrette Institute and has facilitated charrettes for the past five years on issues ranging from stormwater management, brownfield redevelopment and downtown revitalization. She enjoys kayaking and spending time with husband Christopher and son Finn.

  

Travis Mecum – ReFuel Manager

Travis is pursuing a career in environmental and education policy as a pathway to poverty reduction. He is working for ReFuel PGH to expand the collection of waste cooking oil from local Pittsburgh sources (restaurants, festivals, churches, schools etc.) to be reused as alternative fuel. He has a Master’s degree in public policy from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Before joining GTECH Strategies, Travis collected a wealth of work skills from teaching English in the Peace Corps, interning as a consultant on project management for the Ministry of Planning in Liberia, working as a freelance videographer and for one summer selling vacuum cleaners door to door.

Eli Nesson – Office Manager

Eli is a committed facilitator of energy-related programs that support struggling communities. He spent six years supporting the Weatherization Assistance Program at Economic Opportunity Studies, a nonprofit in Washington, DC where he handled operations and communications duties. He proudly continues his work for community- and green-focused economic growth at GTECH Strategies.
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He is a recent transplant to Pittsburgh from DC, and he earned his BA at the University of Maryland, where he led a student advocacy campaign for a statewide Renewable Portfolio Standard. In his free time, he obsesses about music, baseball, and barbecuing
 
 
 

Sara Innamorato – Communications Specialist

Most recently, Sara, completed a competitive Leadership Program through Apple. Prior to that she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Business Degree. Working on a green campaign for the American Public Transportation Association fueled her desire to pursue a career in cause marketing and communication around environmental and social-based issues.
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Sara is a Pittsburgh native and currently lives in the hippest part of town, Lawrenceville. Although she is not a hipster, she can be found riding her vintage bike and repurposing found materials in various DIY projects. When not at GTECH, she can be found slinging cheese at the East Liberty Farmer's market and surrounding herself with another passion, local food. She is extremely excited about the young, social entrepreneurial spirit that had invaded her hometown in the past few years and is excited to be a part of Pittsburgh renaissance.
 

Zaheen Hussain –  ReEnergize Pgh Program Coordinator

Zaheen is a University of Connecticut graduate with a degree in Environmental Science concentrating in Natural Resource Economics. He joined GTECH Strategies in February as its new Green Economy Associate. Before joining GTECH, Zaheen helped Piping Plover conservation efforts as a Ranger at Harkness Memorial State Park and the William A. Niering Coastal Wildlife Preserve in Waterford, Connecticut.
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Few things make Zaheen happier than helping people. Therefore, at GTECH, Zaheen hopes to gain valuable experience learning about the emerging green economy while using his scientific, economic and interpersonal skill-sets to assist GTECH in helping people by promoting sustainability and a healthy environment. .
 
 
 
 

Michelle McDonald – ReEnergize SCA Fellow

Michelle McDonald is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University achieving a B.S. in Community,Environment, and Development (CED) with a focus in Community Economic Development. Post-graduation, Michelle taught at the Penn State’s Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and most recently with the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, NH. Michelle hopes to apply her environmental education and community development knowledge to all ReEnergize happenings this year!
In addition to this, his work during his undergraduate career was heavily focused on sustainable design projects in neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh. This has encouraged James to pursue a graduate degree at Chatham University’s School for Sustainability and Environmental Design where he will receive his master’s degree in Sustainability. James’s current research projects are heavily focused on land use and water resource management. development.

Dan Certo – Energy Corps Fellow, ReFuel Associate

After getting his degree in Environmental Studies from Allegheny College, Dan joined the ReFuel program to oversee collection of waste vegetable oil from participating restaurants and businesses. He studied a myriad of environmental courses during his college experience and hopes to use this knowledgebase to foster behavioral changes in Pittsburgh restaurants and residences concerning proper disposal and recycling of waste vegetable oil.
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He is also experienced with Aquaponics systems, having participated in the construcion of Allegheny College's pilot aquaponics system and presented the proposal for the now well-established Carr Hall aquaponics system – used for educational and agricultural purposes by the college today
 
 

James Snow – ReClaim Associate

James is a recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with B.A. degrees in Urban Studies and History. His concentrations within Urban Studies include Community Organization and Urban Planning. James’s previous experience in the Department of City Planning, Pittsburgh City Council and The Design Center has given him a strong background and passion for community development.
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In addition to this, his work during his undergraduate career was heavily focused on sustainable design projects in neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh. This has encouraged James to pursue a graduate degree at Chatham University’s School for Sustainability and Environmental Design where he will receive his master’s degree in Sustainability. James’s current research projects are heavily focused on land use and water resource management. development.

 

 

Ava Weiskopf – Design Associate

Ava is a Pittsburgh native and recent graduate of the Interaction and Industrial Design Program at Syracuse University. While at SU she had the opportunity to take a broad range of classes. During her time there she was able to able to use her design skills in a multi-discipline and multi-lingal design project at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in China. 
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She is wood shop capable, weaves on the floor loom, studied entrepreneurship, and loves the Adobe Creative Suite. Through these courses, she was taught how to solve problems with unique and creative methods that yield new and better solutions. As designer she strives to not just re-design an object, but improve a way of life. Above all she is an imaginative and curious individual with a strong passion for new experiences, traveling, and observation..