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.
Susan is a senior energy planner and program manager at Brendle Group. Through impeccable management and customer service, Susan is a sought-after leader for energy program design and delivery. In her more than 25-year career, she has led development and delivery of highly visible and successful programs helping communities, school districts, and businesses achieve their energy-related goals. She is adept at marshalling collaboration among unlikely partners for surprising and positive program impacts. Susan’s mastery in the art of getting things done includes skillfully wrangling resources, leveraging formal channels and informal networks, and tenacious delivery on commitments and key metrics.
At Brendle Group, Susan works with utilities to develop direct customer engagement programs that increase awareness, improve efficiency efforts, and elevate cost savings. She also puts her operational and coordination skills to work in developing utility-community partnerships to identify and achieve shared energy and water goals. Susan’s energy expertise combined with her understanding of the cultures of organizations and importance of stakeholders serves to inform broader sustainability initiatives, including sustainability management and climate action planning.
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 is a natural leader with 14 years of experience helping to shape the vital intersection between urban planning and sustainability on a national scale. From research to implementation, Shelby’s portfolio of work is transforming the way that communities plan and interact with resources and the natural environment. Her strengths are in navigating complex policy and organizational landscapes and engaging and empowering stakeholders. A skilled and creative project manager, her experience includes sustainability, land use, community energy, and climate resiliency plans and programs for a range of public and private sector clients. Her work in sustainability indicators and dashboards helps ensure plans are implemented and monitored throughout the planning horizon.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado (Denver) Anticipated Graduation 2020
- 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
- American Institute of Certified Planners American Planning Association (ACIP) Member
- LEED Accredited Professional
- Leadership Northern Colorado Class of 2018
Affiliations
- American Planning Association
As an emerging planner, Sarah brings a fresh perspective and enthusiasm to the Brendle Group team. Grounded in an academic exploration of environmental science and land use planning, Sarah is fueled by a passion to identify connections, especially among the ever-evolving intersections within sustainability. Sarah has worked across a broad range of fields, including climate science, ecosystem resiliency, regional transportation, and water resources.
While pursuing her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in City and Regional Planning, Sarah focused her studies on plan implementation and community engagement as applied to green stormwater management. Sarah has also worked for a Metropolitan Planning Organization, exploring the interaction between land use and transportation on a regional scale. In addition to sharpening her regional perspective and developing a deeper insight into the world of transportation planning, her time with the MPO cultivated an ability to maneuver through diverse political landscapes. Sarah is excited to continue expanding her skills in plan and program implementation, process facilitation, and best practice research.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Florida
- Leadership Northern Colorado Class of 2019
- ACIP Candidate
Affiliations
- American Planning Association (APA)
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
- Engineer in Training (EIT)
Affiliations
- Northern Colorado Renewable Energy Society (NCRES)
Melissa has broad experience with the inner workings of the water industry acquired 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 water management and population growth.
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 water and wastewater utilities in achieving sustainable operations.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University
With a keen sense of economic impacts, Terry has a strong background in utility data analysis, energy efficiency strategies, and greenhouse gas accounting. He has extensive experience navigating utility programs and processes, developing and implementing renewable energy strategies, developing measurement and verification techniques, and managing energy efficiency programs across a range of building types. Terry is uniquely able to communicate complex technical and financial information to a broad audience to influence decision making, buy-in, and impactful project outcomes.
At Brendle Group, Terry supports community energy planning, data management and analytics, cost-benefit analyses, and energy and sustainability dashboard development. Terry uses his technical and fiscal expertise to build and inform the business case for increased energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and sustainable development.
Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University
- Certified Energy Manager
- Engineer in Training
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
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
- Engineer in Training (EIT)
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 Communication from Missouri State University
Katie is a gifted storyteller and applies her skills using a multitude of outlets within marketing, including marketing strategy development, communications and content development, outreach, advertising, branding, and graphic design. At Brendle Group, Katie is the design channel and gate keeper for all externally facing media and deliverables including social media content, website presence, documents of all varieties, and engagement campaigns in numerous delivery formats.
Katie has a broad range of experience, having developed and executed marketing strategies for nationwide media campaigns as well as organizing grassroots outreach efforts. She has managed marketing budgets, facilitated radio and video commercial recordings; developed weekly, monthly, and quarterly newsletters; and coordinated with public relations staff for deliberate and targeted media impact. Her repertoire includes exceptional communication skills, creative approaches for long-term behavior change, comprehensive market research and analysis, and empowering promotional content.
A love of language and drive to leverage great communications are Katie’s tools to 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 brings 8 years of engineering, project management, and product development skills to the Brendle Group team. She uses her skills for community energy planning, sustainability planning, and developing new tools to support clients’ energy efficiency and sustainability goals. Melody is also well versed in the business case for sustainability, having recently completed her MBA with a focus on sustainability at Colorado State University.
Prior to joining Brendle Group, Melody spent 7 years as a chemical process engineer for Burns & McDonnell Engineering in Kansas City, MO conducting analyses from feasibility through detailed engineering and construction. There, she gained experience with design calculations, data management, stakeholder engagement, and business development.
Professional Qualifications
- Master of Business Administration in Global Social and Sustainable Enterprises from Colorado State University
- Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kansas
Jennifer is Brendle Group’s Accounting Contoller. She has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and more than 20 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 18 years of engineering experience to Brendle Group, having provided consulting services to a wide variety of federal, State, and local government agencies as well as water, wastewater, and electric utilities. She is particularly interested in promoting sustainable utility operations through water efficiency, energy management, and broad sustainability programs. Her areas of expertise include using data and tools to inform water and energy management decisions and using stakeholder engagement and facilitation techniques to achieve collaborative solutions and successful program implementations.
Amy is a member of Brendle Group’s leadership team and also contributes as a project manager, business development leader, and subject matter expert. 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.
She is currently active in the following areas:
- Sustainable utility operations
- Climate-resilient communities
- Community energy planning to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions
- Delivering One Water solutions to enterprise and campus-scale developments
- Innovative planning solutions, including efficiency benchmarking and integrated water and land use planning
- Improving water efficiency in the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors
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
- Professional Engineer
Affiliations
- Colorado WaterWise Board of Directors
- 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.”