People-Centered Firm
We’re a fun-loving team, that is passionate about sustainability in our work, our operations, and our communities. We treat our team, our clients, and our stakeholders as valued and critical players in our work and our impact.
Brendle Group is proud of our more than 20 year history helping clients reach their sustainability goals! We’re excited to share a little bit about our history, our purpose and mission, and our exciting team of talented professionals.
When our President, Judy Dorsey, started Brendle Group in 1996, she chose her mother’s maiden name, Brendle, as its foundation.
Eileen Brendle-Dorsey was a leading edge-architect promoting green building techniques as early as the 1950s, with plans to start her own firm one day. Eileen’s career was tragically cut short – she passed away from breast cancer in 1970, just short of her 40th birthday.
Brendle Group’s name is a tribute to all women and leaders challenging conventions and to Eileen’s vision and enduring legacy.
Brendle Group has been practicing sustainability since the company was founded in 1996, and we are committed to embodying sustainability principles in our own operations.
Purpose
Apply our engineering and consulting talents to create lasting impacts that sustain and inspire our communities and our world.
Mission
We will identify, lead, and catalyze with our national clients the next significant innovations in sustainability, sharing our success with an international audience and scaling our impact by making sustainability the norm in unexpected places.
Values
- We strive for exemplary client satisfaction by understanding each client’s unique needs and offering the best solutions for the best value.
- We commit to sustainability in our own operations and serve as a test bed for emerging policies and technologies.
- We promote a healthy and sustainable local living economy in the places we work.
- We operate collaboratively rather than competitively to address the magnitude of issues our planet faces.
Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. To see how we incorporate sustainability into our operations, team dynamics, and community, check out our interactive Sustainability Management Plan here and review our annual progress here.
- We were the first known carbon neutral corporation in Colorado.
- We give preference to vendors that employ sustainability in their operations.
- We support sustainably informed capital equipment and professional service purchases.
- We maintain a database to track the economic, social, and environmental benefits of our projects in quantitative terms.
- We are committed to annual reporting and sharing our progress with the community.
As a project manager, energy assessor, and planner for Brendle Group, Susan provides demand side management (DSM) program development, delivery, and field services support for local governments, agencies, and utilities. Susan is committed to program implementation and has a comprehensive set of skills to engage and support customers and showcase their successes. Susan also is involved in climate and sustainability planning and related strategy development grounded in 21 years of experience in the engineering and environmental arena. During this time, she has considered energy, water, economics, and the environment from a variety of perspectives − private, public, commercial, and non-profit − giving her a unique perspective that is beneficial to each individual client.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Arts in Technical Communications from New Mexico State University
- Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas Tech University
Affiliations
- Association of Energy Engineers
Judy is a valued collaborator offering 22 years of executive leadership in sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Her specialties include district-scale and community-scale planning in climate neutrality, clean energy, organizational development, and net zero energy and water initiatives. She has led the completion of more than 300 sustainability projects for over 150 clients across 30 states.
Over the past 20 years, Judy grew Brendle Group’s 5 practice areas and 4 sectors into an award-winning consulting group. She serves on the advisory board for Colorado State University’s Energy Institute and is co-chair of Colorado C3E, an initiative to advance women in clean energy. She is co-founder of the Colorado Clean Energy Cluster and helped spearhead two of its primary initiatives, the International Cleantech Network and FortZED.
Judy is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2011 U.S. Senate Certificate of Special Recognition as a Leader in Engineering Sustainable Change, the 2012 MIT Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Award for entrepreneurship and innovation, the 2016 National Ski Areas Association Industry Impact Award, and is currently featured at the Smithsonian Institution’s Places of Invention exhibit.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University
Affiliations
- Colorado Clean Energy Cluster Board of Directors
- Peaks To People Water Fund Board of Directors
- Colorado Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Steering Committee
- Colorado State University Energy Institute Industry Advisory Board
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory Cities-LEAP External Review Group
Shelby brings more than 9 years of experience in community planning and sustainable development to the Brendle Group team. As a local government planner early in her career, she led multi-disciplinary teams through the development review process. More recently, she worked as a planning consultant for a range of clients, including municipalities, counties, and regional organizations, where she focused on long-range and strategic planning to enhance community vibrancy and sustainability.
At Brendle Group, Shelby manages and supports a variety of sustainability plans and projects for clients, including governmental entities, universities, and the ski industry. She is a seasoned meeting facilitator and is skilled at crafting strategies to engage stakeholders and inform the public in ways that are meaningful and fun. With a degree in environmental design, Shelby provides her clients with a suite of analytical, spatial, and design skills, including the development of evaluation tools, document design, and creation of geographic information system (GIS) maps.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Environmental Design in Community Planning from the University of Colorado
- Green Building Certificate from the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University
Affiliations
- American Planning Association
- American Planning Association CO
- Leadership Northern Colorado
As an engineer, Zach contributes numerous skills in energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon analysis, engineering design, and program development to the Brendle Group team. In addition, Zach works on a range of energy and water assessment projects. He analyzes utility data, conducts energy efficiency assessments, identifies efficiency opportunities, and develops cost savings and payback estimates for a variety of commercial clients. Zach also performs cost-savings analyses, and measurement and verification on projects related to building equipment tune-up opportunities. Zach comes to Brendle Group after his position as an intern and technical fellow for the Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology
Affiliations
- Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (NCRES)
Melissa has broad experience with the inner workings of the water industry through internships with water resource divisions of local and federal government entities as well as with a large consulting firm. She also has expertise gained from working for a small river restoration consulting firm where she supported the various stages of project development including client support, on-site data collection, design, and implementation. While pursuing her master’s degree, Melissa explored existing and potential water conservation and tap fee incentive programs for new residential developments along the Colorado Front Range to learn about new and innovative ways to encourage and promote sustainable living.
Through the combination of exposure to utilities management, climate change impacts, and sustainability efforts world-wide, Melissa’s passion for water conservation and sustainability has been ignited. As an engineer at Brendle Group, Melissa is able to pursue that passion through projects that assist communities in their development of water conservation plans and their integration of sustainable water activities.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
Dan is a principal and the Chief Operating Officer at Brendle Group responsible for ensuring execution of all projects to scope and budget in addition to overseeing all legal, financial, and operational processes within the company. Dan brings to Brendle Group over 25 years of experience in consulting, engineering, project management, strategic and financial planning and analysis, operations and business performance, corporate management, software integration, and mergers and acquisitions. Dan has a depth of experience spanning from Fortune 500 companies to technology startups and engineering consulting firms.
Over his career and work with Brendle Group, Dan has been involved in numerous renewable energy development projects, renewable product development opportunities, and economic and financing analysis for a wide array of renewable studies. He has a passion for and experience with deep energy renovation and new development of green buildings. Dan brings his technology background to Brendle Group and supports data analytics and quality control processes as part of Brendle Group’s program management across all projects.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University
As an engineer with Brendle Group, Derek is involved an array of water resources and climate-related projects, including rate studies, efficiency analyses, literature reviews, greenhouse gas accounting, and local government climate planning. He also provides support across service areas in data analysis, geographic information systems, and software development.
Prior to joining Brendle Group, Derek worked in energy policy advocacy, data processing, and academia. His broad expertise is supported by a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Planning and Management from Colorado State University where he focused on water supply in developing nations.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas
Affiliations
- American Water Works Association
Conor Merrigan has been working in the areas of large-scale energy and sustainability planning and implementation for the bulk of his career. A focus on neighborhood-scale sustainability metrics is the result of both an educational background with a Master’s Degrees from the University of Colorado-Denver in Urban Planning and Urban Design as well as professional experience as the leading practitioner using the LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND) rating system in the State of Colorado.
In addition to municipal planning expertise, Conor also served the State of Colorado as the Manager of the Commercial Efficiency Program for the Governor’s Energy Office and has a background in energy and program management. He is a Certified Energy Manager and a LEED Accredited Professional. Conor has developed trainings on sustainability metrics for public sector planners and is the current co-chair of the American Planning Association’s Colorado Chapter Sustainability Committee. He authored the Sustainability Action Plan for the small town of Nederland, Colorado, and has worked with the STAR rating system to look at metrics on such areas as air quality, water consumption, and smart growth. He has experience working with regional indicators of sustainability and has developed a number of strategies for cities and counties to measure the effectiveness of their sustainability efforts.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Urban Design & Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Oregon State University
Affiliations
- American Planning Association CO – Sustainability Committee co-chair
- US Green Building Council CO
Becca has a strong background in energy efficiency measures for industrial customers though her experience at the Colorado State University Industrial Assessment Center. Also, she has been involved in researching and designing a commercial refrigeration heat recovery system that successfully brought industrial energy efficiency principles to a small commercial scale. At Brendle group, she employs her expertise to assess and quantify energy efficiency opportunities for commercial and institutional customers. She also applies energy efficiency principles on a larger scale for climate action planning, greenhouse gas accounting, and community energy planning, as well as analysis of renewable energy feasibility across these projects.
Outside of Brendle Group, Becca puts her degree in Zoology to work volunteering at a local wildlife rehabilitation center.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Colorado State University
Ellie has a strong combination of technical and team skills, with experience in both engineering and planning. Her diverse background includes land development design, permitting, and compliance; sustainable building certification; and urban design that integrates sustainable and regenerative principles. In these areas, Ellie has managed and supported project process flow, led stakeholder engagement, and facilitated dynamic teams to positive project outcomes. Her skills are rounded out with strong communication capacity in team processes, project documentation, and grant writing.
Prior to joining Brendle Group, Ellie worked in civil engineering design and consulting and non- profit research. At Brendle Group, Ellie is able to uniquely apply her interdisciplinary skills and perspective to the company’s energy and climate action planning projects, sustainable design and management projects, and efforts that cross energy and water disciplines.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Colorado State University
Affiliations
- Urban Lab Steering Committee Member
- Colorado Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Steering Committee
Sherri brings more than 20 years of administrative experience to Brendle Group. She has worked in a variety of capacities, including consulting, not-for-profit, education, and corporate settings, where her responsibilities entailed event and meeting planning, grant writing, internal and external communication, and program coordination.
At Brendle Group, Sherri helps keep our operations running smoothly and supports our staff by coordinating administrative duties in the areas of recruitment and human resources, event and meeting planning, travel and scheduling, and facility operations. She can also be found assisting on projects in the form of coordinating between clients, project managers, and other stakeholders and supporting the development of reports, presentations, agendas, letters, and much more.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communications from Missouri State University
Katie manages Brendle Group’s marketing and business development activities, including branding, design, communications, and proposal development. With her strong writing and graphic design skills, she also supports our clients’ needs for content development, writing, and outreach support. Katie has a range of marketing experience from working on strategy and execution for nationwide media campaigns to organizing grassroots outreach efforts. Her expertise is in content management, social media management, Adobe Creative Suite, marketing strategy, customer relationship management systems, and search engine optimization. She has also managed multiple marketing budgets, facilitated radio and video commercial recordings, developed weekly, monthly, and quarterly newsletters, and coordinated with public relations for media outreach. She loves language and uses this passion to help inspire positive change.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Arts in English from Colorado State University
Melody has 7 years of experience in the energy industry, starting her career as a process consulting engineer for Burns & McDonnell Engineering. There, Melody was engaged in project development from feasibility through installation as both a process and project engineer. Her regular responsibilities include design calculations, data management, and quality reviews. Melody also has experience in multi-disciplinary stakeholder engagement, business development, renewable energy program and policy development, building energy analysis, and corporate sustainability strategy to Brendle Group. She is currently pursuing an MBA with a focus on sustainability at Colorado State University.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas
Affiliations
- Institute for the Built Environment Sustainability Associate
Jennifer is Brendle Group’s accountant. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and more than 18 years of experience. This experience and Jennifer’s dedication to the environment combine to create a strong resource for Brendle Group and its clients.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Metropolitan State University of Denver
Amy brings more than 14 years of water expertise to Brendle Group, having provided consulting services to a wide variety of federal, state, and local water agencies. Her experience includes using data, models, and software tools to inform management decisions related to water supply, water quality, drought, flood control, interstate compact administration, environmental and recreational flows, and urban water use. As a senior engineer for Brendle Group, Amy contributes to projects that focus on water footprinting and water use and efficiency.
Amy’s roles as a consulting engineer include project management, business development, and technical leadership. Her goals for any project are to make efficient use of readily available data and tools; to address human factors such as risk tolerances and stakeholder objectives; and to ensure that outcomes are sustainable given available staff, time, and financial resources. Water is a scarce and precious resource and, as a Colorado resident, Amy wants to help protect the natural resources from which we all benefit.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan
Affiliations
- Colorado WaterWise Board of Directors
- American Water Resources Association Member
- American Water Works Association Member
We’re passionate about sustainability and foster an environment in which our team members can thrive, pursue their interests, and grow personally and professionally by:
- Encouraging work-life balance
- Helping our team grow professionally and personally through a mentorship program
- Emphasizing employee wellness
- Encouraging community involvement and volunteerism
- Encouraging ongoing training and professional growth
- Incentivizing sustainability practices at home
Each year we donate services to nonprofit organizations that lack the in-house expertise or resources to get started with sustainability. Examples of services provided in the past include building assessments, strategic sustainability planning, and training. Brendle Group also supports non-profit and educational organizations with grants for projects or initiatives that align with the company’s vision and mission. To apply for free consulting services or a charitable donation, follow the directions in this form.
“Brendle Group truly puts the principles of sustainability into action in their own business and this sets them apart. Fort Collins is lucky to have Brendle Group located here, supporting our community’s work to create a better future.”