Cara is a principal on RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings team, leading initiatives to decarbonize federal and large commercial building portfolios. She specializes in cost-effective energy efficiency, widespread electrification, and leveraging buildings as Virtual Power Plants to deliver scalable solutions.
Background
Cara served as the Director for Federal Buildings at the White House Council on Environmental Quality during the Biden Administration. In this role, she spearheaded policy development to decarbonize over three billion square feet of federal buildings, implementing a multi-year sustainability strategic plan aligned with national climate priorities. She collaborated with agencies to achieve net-zero emissions goals by 2045 and she developed and launched the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard to advance electrification per Executive Order 14057. She also led the Climate Smart Buildings Initiative to drive $8 billion in energy savings performance contracting in Federal buildings to deliver cost and emissions reductions.
Before joining the White House, Cara co-led RMI’s Pathways to Zero initiative, focusing on net-zero energy and deep energy retrofits in the federal and commercial building sectors, as well as the profitable integration of buildings with the grid. Her work catalyzed early movers in the building industry and established best practices to guide individual buildings, districts, cities, and portfolios toward zero-carbon solutions. Key accomplishments included advising the NY State Climate Action Council on carbon-neutral building policies, supporting the GSA in doubling historic energy savings through public-private partnerships, creating best practices guides, leading convenings and overseeing analysis for achieving net zero emissions buildings. Cara also led the design and construction of two net zero emissions offices for RMI and negotiating one of the first net zero energy commercial leases in the U.S.
Cara has over 20 years of professional experience in building efficiency and decarbonization. She is an advisor on multiple boards and is frequently requested to present at conferences and events.
Education
Masters of Civil Engineering, Building Systems Engineering, University of Colorado, 2009
Bachelors of Environmental Design, University of Colorado, 2003
Location
Boulder, CO
