FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Portland, OR, December 22, 2025] New Buildings Institute (NBI) is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors: Susanne DesRoches, Mike Filler, Zolaikha Salihi Strong, Susan Stratton, and Will Vicent. These individuals bring extensive expertise across energy technology and policy, real estate and urban planning, and corporate sustainability to help guide NBI’s mission to create a built environment that equitably delivers community benefits and climate solutions.
The new board members bring decades of experience in public policy, public-private partnerships, and community-centered development. Their leadership will be instrumental as NBI deepens its impact in advanced codes and policy, innovative technology, and market transformation.
Mike Filler is Sustainable Systems Commercialization Manager at Trane Technologies, specializing in energy storage strategies, heat recovery, and incentive structures. He is a past president of the ASHRAE Pikes Peak Chapter and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, an MBA from Indiana University, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado.
Susanne DesRoches is Senior Vice President of Clean and Resilient Buildings at NYSERDA, where she leads efforts to retrofit buildings at scale and accelerate clean technology innovation across New York State. Prior to NYSERDA, she served as Regulatory Director for Energy Policy at the New York City Mayor’s Office. She is a faculty member at Columbia University’s Earth Institute of Professional Studies and was a chapter author of the Fourth National Climate Assessment.
Susan Stratton is an energy industry leader with 45 years of experience spanning energy policy, regulation, renewable energy, and nonprofit leadership. She served as CEO/Executive Director of three nonprofit organizations, including Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), and most recently as Interim CEO of New Buildings Institute in 2024-2025. Susan continues as a partner with the Stratton Gilmore Group and a member of the ACEEE Board of Directors.
Zolaikha Salihi Strong is Vice President of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Generac Power Systems, where she leads federal and state policy initiatives for home energy management systems, providing distributed energy resources that support the home to the grid. She has worked across every stage of the energy system and previously served as Head of U.S. Government Affairs at Last Energy, as Vice President of Legislative Affairs at the National Hydropower Association, led the North American Clean Energy Office at the global Copper Alliance, and served on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee.
Will Vicent is Deputy Director of Building Standards at the California Energy Commission, where he leads the team responsible for California’s nation-leading Energy Code. Thanks to the state’s Energy Code and appliance efficiency standards, Californians have saved more than $200 billion in energy costs over the past 50 years. He has accepted invitations to speak at universities and the White House, to represent California on international delegations, and was honored with the Net Zero Trailblazer Award in 2019.
NBI is honored to welcome Mike, Susanne, Susan, Zolaikha, and Will to our Board of Directors. Their guidance will strengthen our efforts to scale equitable, carbon-neutral solutions across the built environment.
To learn more about our board members and the NBI team, visit our About Us page.
###
About New Buildings Institute
New Buildings Institute (NBI) provides trusted, independent expertise to create buildings that are better for people, communities, and the planet. Our work focuses on increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions and improving indoor air quality in the built environment. From driving leading-edge design, curating innovative technologies, creating community-driven public policy, and supporting cutting-edge market solutions, our work lowers energy costs, delivers improved health and safety, and increases resilience to improve lives. To learn more about NBI and our work, visit newbuildings.org.
Media Contact:
Sarah Cadmus Burgher
Senior Communications & Events Strategist
404-668-4033