Heather Brown has worked for Sullivan County since 2004 and serves as the Commissioner of Planning and Community Development, as well as the County’s Sustainability Coordinator. Her tenure began in the Division of Planning as a Research Assistant; she was promoted to Research Analyst in 2005 and Junior Planner/Environmental Specialist in 2007. Shortly after, she was recruited by the County Manager to be the Research Analyst for the Office of Management and Budget and was assigned to the Sullivan County Energy Commission in 2008. From 2008 to 2017 Ms. Brown worked on a wide variety of initiatives across the spectrum of services provided by County government. In 2017, she was appointed as the Sustainability Coordinator leading the new Office of Sustainable Energy.
Ms. Brown has served as the Co-Vice Chair of the Climate Action Committee of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), one of the most influential advocates for the State’s 62 counties, since the Committee’s inception in 2019. In her capacity as Deputy Commissioner of Planning, she also serves on a number of influential County boards and committees.
Ms. Brown earned her Bachelor of Science from Harpur College at the State University of New York at Binghamton after graduating from Monticello High School in 2000. Born and raised in the Town of Bethel, she is proud to call Sullivan County her home.
Carol Roig has worked as a grant writer, communications consultant and program manager focusing on climate change, energy policy, infrastructure, health and social services, community development, education and the arts. She joined the Sullivan County staff as a Sustainability Analyst in 2017, and has worked on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, educational outreach on energy and climate issues, climate and renewable energy-related zoning and policymaking, and the development and implementation of Sullivan County’s Climate Action Plan. In 2019 she was selected to attend the NASA Earth to Sky Academy at the Goddard Center for Space Flight in Greenbelt MD, and serves on the Upper Delaware River Watershed Earth to Sky Leadership Team. As a columnist for the River Reporter newspaper for almost a decade, she has written numerous articles on sustainability topics and climate action in everyday life.
Stephen Stuart, CPHT, brings to this work a range of professional experience, from sustainable building materials and practices to renewable energy technologies, curriculum development, emergency management and building codes. As an independent building contractor, he has focused on sustainable building practices in new construction and retrofit work. His professional training includes advanced design of photovoltaic systems; wind power, turbine maintenance and repair, and site assessment for wind power; LEED for new construction and for homes; Net Zero Energy, building envelope and super-insulated homes; Building Analyst training; Passive House design and construction; and the Living Building Challenge for sustainable buildings, towns and communities. Stephen is the lead instructor for Yestermorrow Design/Build School’s Certificate in Building Science and Net Zero Design Course and teaches an online class in Healthy Building Materials for Yestermorrow.