Staff

Chris Collins – Executive Director

A graduate of Holy Cross College and Albany Law School, Chris worked for 20 years as a litigator in both New York and California. He specialized in complex commercial litigation, environmental litigation, civil rights, securities, elder abuse and many other areas of the law. After leaving the law in 1999, Chris worked as a Director at Oracle Corp. and as a Director of Risk Management at Sapient. Born and raised in the NYC area, Chris moved to San Francisco in 1988 and returned to New York in 2004 to take the position of Executive Director at Solar One. Chris has had a long history of working with non-profit organizations. He was a founder of New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community Services Center and the Callan-Lourde Health Clinic. He served as Co-chair of the LGBT Center between 1985 and 1989. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force between 1991 and 1996 and served as Board Co-chair between 1994 and 1996.

Pauline Augustine – Marketing Associate

Pauline has had one foot in the corporate and one foot in the non-profit worlds throughout her career. She managed a 6- language European ad campaign for Disneyland in Paris, consulted on funding strategies for the International Red Cross in Geneva, produced a corporate funding package for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, and did PR and marketing for a trade photo book publisher across the US and an eco-tourism company in Indonesia. Having lived abroad for 10 years and worked on projects in 15 countries, she relishes the diversity that is New York City -her favorite place to live. Deeply committed to environmental issues, she feels that she now has her best job of all–helping to garner sponsorship for the jewel of green buildings – SOLAR 2 -New York’s first carbon-neutral, net zero energy use Platinum LEED building. And you can find out what all that means by going directly to SOLAR 2

Dina Elkan – Events and Marketing Coordinator

Born and raised in Manhattan, Dina studied music at the High School of Performing Arts and comparative literature, astronomy, art history and political organizing at Barnard College. As a former downtown ingenue and low-level rockstar, Dina has performed all over New York City, the US and Europe. Highlights include performing for Joe Strummer on Valentine’s Day, recording and performing with the Dresden Dolls, playing with King Missile III at Slim’s in San Francisco, the Metro in Chicago, the Troubador in LA, Irving Plaza in NY, anywhere in Hamburg, Germany- and hanging out with rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson. She has worked as an administrator, publicist, graphic designer, web designer and office manager in a variety of arts-related fields, and is excited to be part of the fabulous team at Solar One.

Chris Fowler – Park Maintenance

Chris is a lifelong resident of the East Village and has spent lots of time enjoying our great city parks. But Stuyvesant Cove Park is like no other. Hardly a day goes by without a jogger, a dog walker, or even someone on a lunch break asking him a question like, “When will the Purple Astors be in full bloom?” or “Are those berries edible?” Chris spent some of his youth in the great outdoors, hiking the woods and hills of New Hampshire. He pretends to be a potter and loves working with clay, and taking pictures has always been fun for him. Chris also enjoys MOMA , MMA, Folk Art Museum and all the rest, really.

Daisy Hoyt – Park Manager of Stuyvesant Cove Park

Daisy Hoyt is from a small town upstate, where she grew up running around in the woods and playing with plants, which is much the same as what she does now as Park Manager.  She graduated in 2005 from Clark University where she studied Studio Art and History.  Since then, she has worked in both horticulture and the Arts.  Her horticulture experience includes work at The New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, and in various capacities in the New York City area, including at Stuyvesant Cove Park prior to becoming Park Manager.  Her experience in the arts includes working for Jenny Marketou and the Bruce High Quality Foundation.  Daisy thinks Stuyvesant Cove Park is the best little park around, and is excited to oversee its success as a community resource and an educational asset to Solar One. Daisy’s other interests include riding her bike everywhere, drawing, traveling, and taking classes at Brooklyn College and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

Max Joel – Director, Energy Connections Program

Max Joel is the Director of the Energy Connections Program Solar One, and also serves as a NYSERDA Energy $mart Community Coordinator. Prior to working for Solar One, Max was the Capital Projects Coordinator for the Queens Botanical Garden during a period that saw the construction of a green Visitor Center, new native plant gardens, and other facilities and exhibits. Max grew up in and around Chicago, but recently celebrated his tenth anniversary as a New Yorker. He holds a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. His interests include solar-powered dance parties and gingerbread city planning.

Michael Johnson-Chase – Green Workforce Director

Michael Johnson-Chase is the Director of the Green Career Jobs Training Program at Solar One. Michael is responsible for the overall program design and management, as well as partnership development. He also teaches environmental literacy and presents regularly on climate change and the emerging green economy. A former university professor, Michael is past Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and Associate Dean for the Peck School of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Michael has worked extensively at premier cultural and academic institutions all across the globe. In 2004 Michael shifted to a new career in renewable energy and energy efficiency by training in solar system installation at Bronx Community College in New York City. He subsequently worked for a year as a solar installer at Quad State Solar in Long Island before returning to educational programming for Solar One.

James King – Green Workforce Training Lab Site Manager

Coming out of the IT industry, James graduated from DeVry University in 2007 with a degree in Network Communications. For 3 years he worked in computer network administration in both New York and Seattle. Besides IT, James had extensive experience working in education. During high school, he volunteered at Big Brothers and Big Sisters of New York as a tutor for ‘littles’ with math. In college, James held tutoring sessions for math and physics. He even had experience teaching ABE math at two of Seattle’s correctional facilities. Back in New York, James volunteered at Strive for tutoring sessions in GED-Math prior to working for Solar One. Teaching is something that James has always enjoyed doing. The ability to share his love and appreciation of math and other technical subjects has been a major focal point and passion in his work. At Solar One, James manages the S1 training facility in Long Island City, and assists in the instruction of several of Solar One’s green courses. He participates in developing lessons, curricula, activities, and presentations that aim to be enjoyable as well as educational – and has the utmost fun doing it!

Melanie LaRosa- Grantwriter

Melanie La Rosa is a writer, filmmaker, and educator who has worked with community organizations and non-profits for over 15 years, mostly in program and resource development and communications. Her films have received grants from the New York State Arts Council, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Eastman Fund and have screened around the world at film festivals. Her first film is distributed by Women Make Movies. For many years she worked as crew for independent films and videos in capacities including Cinematographer, 2nd Unit Camera, Editor, and Associate Producer.  She has a MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan.  She currently teaches documentary filmmaking at Hunter College and has taught at other NYC film schools. Just a few of the many wonderful, powerful organizations Melanie has worked with are WITNESS, AccessNow, City Harvest, the ACLU, and the National Dance Institute. She is a lifelong environmentalist who is thrilled to be part of the Solar One team.

Max Lerner- Administrative Assistant

Since a young age, Max has been interested in environmental science, and pursues this passion throughout his personal, educational and professional endeavors. After completing a multidisciplinary bachelors degree in this field as part of the final class of Rutgers Cook College, he quickly became a team member of Solar One, and has since branched out to work within several departments simultaneously. Along with providing administrative and research support, Max currently teaches Enrichment Education as part of Solar One’s K-12 Education Program. Beyond the company, he volunteers to help urban green initiatives, such as greenroofing projects, recreational science journalism and environmental education.

Ismail Ocasio – Green Workforce Training Development Manager

Ismail Ocasio was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. A passionate community organizer and advocate for urban justice and equality. Ismail has worked on several youth based initiatives ranging from employment and economic development to broader humanitarian issues, with a clear focus on disadvantaged and marginalized populations. As an Intermediate Architect, he holds a Bachelors of Architectural Technology from New York City College of Technology and has worked as a design consultant on several residential, commercial, and community-based applications. He is an accredited BPI Building Analyst, Multi-Family Building Analyst and Envelope Professional. He continues to spend his free time volunteering as a youth mentor and program organizer. He is an advocate for community revitalization, self determination, and engaging faith based initiatives to contextualize environmentalism in the spiritual dialogue.

Jamie Paquette – Operations Consultant

Jamie studied geography at James Madison University and has been involved with the Solar One project since 2001 in various capacities. He started helping get the project off the ground by writing grants, reports and letters, creating marketing materials and working on a fledgling newsletter. Things have grown quite a bit since then, from the opening of the Solar 1 building in 2003 through the creation and expansion of Solar One’s unique set of programs. During that time, Jamie has been involved in many aspects of the organization from technology to fundraising to event planning to Solar 2. He now oversees much of the day-to-day operations of Solar One. Fun Facts: Jamie has lived in Brooklyn for 8 years where he is a two-time Bocce league champion. His photo of a CSO at Stuyvesant Cove has become the Zapruder film of NYC water quality, appearing here and here, on the cover of a recent issue of City Limits Investigates, and elsewhere. Ask him about his near-death experience with a biodiesel generator.

Sarah Pidgeon – Education Coordinator

Born and raised in South Orange, NJ, Sarah Pidgeon holds a BFA in Design from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. She joined Solar One in 2009 as the Education Coordinator, but her experience as an environmental educator began in 2004, at the Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskill Mountains.  Prior to joining Solar One, Sarah worked as an educator for several years at the Center for the Urban Environment in Brooklyn, where she taught classes in Urban Design and Ecology and facilitated their environmentally-based service learning program. Some of her other experience includes organizing the after-school apprenticeship program at KidsCreative in Manhattan, coordinating an after-school program in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and working as an after-school specialist for the St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corporation.

Tamar Rogoff – Artistic Director

Tamar has curated hundreds of arts events throughout Stuyvesant Cove Park for Solar One, including helping to launch the inaugural season of the Solar-Powered Dance Festival in Summer 2005. As an artist, Tamar’s approach to performance ranges in style from site-specific, community- based work to film and more traditional dance theater. She is a four-time recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and has been generously funded and commissioned by Dancing in the Streets, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Rockefeller MAP Grant, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Harkness Foundation, and New York Theater Workshop’s Suitcase Fund. Tamar also teaches at P.S. 122 and NYU’s Experimental Theater Wing, and has worked twenty years teaching arts workshops for Hospital Audiences Inc.

James Ryan – Grantwriter

James Ryan has 20 years experience working for the institutional advancement of non-profits such as Helen Keller International, Covenant House, New School University, Ensemble Studio Theatre, among others. He is a recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, and residencies at Yaddo. His plays have been produced at Playwrights Horizons, Ensemble Studio, Circle Repertory, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and theaters across the country. He has sold screenplays to Warner Bros., Disney, Spring Creek, Mr. Mudd, and Showtime. Currently an adjunct professor in the graduate playwriting program at Rutgers University, he has taught at New School University (Chair, Playwriting MFA), Columbia University, and Muhlenberg College. A Board member of Ensemble Studio Theater, he is also Co-Chair of its Members Council.

Esther Siskind – Director of Programs

Esther comes to Solar 1 from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection where she managed a wide range of water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. She was a lead developer of New York City’s recently released Green Infrastructure Plan that proposes green infrastructure and water conservation as integral components of a comprehensive strategy to address combined sewer overflows and defer large greywater infrastructure investments. With a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Esther has worked for over 20 years as an environmental planner and brings a wide range of policy, project management, and technical skills. She has also worked as a community organizer and co-founded a kids’ club that focused on learning about environmental issues and taking action to address them. Esther was born and raised in New York City and worked here for most of her career, bringing an in-depth knowledge of how to get things done in this complex landscape.

Alex Smith- Educator

In May 2010, Alex completed his degree in Environmental Studies at Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts in New York City. After interning at Solar One during the summer of 2009, Alex started working part-time in the Estuary Enrichment Program while finishing his undergrad degree. In September 2010, Alex came on full time at Solar 1, continuing his work as an environmental educator . Alex got his start working with children as a camp counselor during summer breaks from high school. His interest in environmental stewardship began as a young child growing up on the east end of Long Island where he spent much of his free time outside, playing in the woods or enjoying a day at the beach. He is so excited to work with the awesome people at Solar 1 and to have the opportunity to share his knowledge with students throughout the five boroughs of New York City. In his spare time, Alex enjoys surfing in Sagaponak, the occasional weekend of snowboarding and riding his bike around the city. In the future, he hopes to travel and contribute to projects aimed at promoting healthy living and environments.

Fronsy Thurman – Educator

After working as a graphic designer and illustrator through much of her youth, Fronsy caught the environmental education/sustainable development bug when she joined the Peace Corps. She ended up in a Zambian village, where a sympathetic band of creatures including a cobra, a lizard, and some termites, allowed her to live in their hut while she worked with farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices. Upon returning to the U.S., Fronsy continued to work in agriculture until 2006, when she accepted a position at the Center for the Urban Environment in Brooklyn, NY. As the coordinator of Urban Ecology Programs, she authored curricula, delivered programs to both students and educators, and facilitated EPA and DEP projects with high school students. Raised in Mississippi, Fronsy managed to shed her accent, get a decent winter coat, and find her way to New York. She received her BFA in Illustration and Printmaking from Pratt Institute. Her work has been exhibited in New York and has appeared in numerous magazines and other lowbrow printed matter. She is very excited to be a part of Solar One.

Angela Tran – Graphic Design

Angela Tran graduated from Pratt Institute in 2008. She earned a bachelor’s in communications design specializing in graphic design and typography. Her dedication to environmental awareness, sustainable practice and progressive media led to her involvement in several projects through out NYC including Solar One’s campaign I Heart PV. When not creating creative materials and web solutions for IHPV, Angela enjoys supporting innovative art spaces and collectives, generating murals, and rooftop gardening.