John Porterfield, Principal
John has worked in the field of building science for 34 years. As a former partner at Informed Energy Decisions he was involved in high performance building design, testing, modeling, and verification and was the in-house building science guru and trainer. He was also in charge of design consultation and all aspects of Energy Star certification for residences.
John has contributed to two energy-related technical books, and is author of How to House Doctor (1982), the first detailed treatment of energy waste detection in residences as a basis for selecting corrective actions. He also participated in the Energy Code Working Group, and authored the group's recommendation to adopt the 2003 Chicago Energy Code.
John contributed to the development of a national energy audit standard led by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), now being considered for adoption as an ANSI standard.
John has degrees in Economics and Architecture with additional studies in architectural technology, project management, computer simulation, energy systems, and building science.
Cheryl Pomeroy, Principal
Cheryl has 19 years experience in the building trades and services. After working for 15 years as a union carpenter and general contractor, Cheryl opened a home inspection company in 2005. As a licensed home inspector, Cheryl serves on the Board of Directors (3 yrs) and as Education Director (2 yrs) for the Northern Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors, NIC-ASHI.
While inspecting homes, Cheryl performed hundreds of home energy surveys with John Porterfield and Cappy Kidd of Informed Energy Decisions (see www.energydetectives.com). By 2008, Cheryl had become a RESNET certified energy rater.
As the daughter of an environmental scientist, Cheryl has been concerned about human impact on the environment since the 1960s. Cheryl's Ph.D. dissertation Environment, Economics, and Family Farm Systems (1986), written after anthropological fieldwork in the Andes, speaks to this continuing concern.
Jim Gill, PE, Associate
Jim has thirty years experience managing infrastructure, site, and building construction. He is fourth generation in construction and has managed projects in five countries and at least ten states. He has also managed dozens of hazardous waste site clean-ups, devising a number of innovative remediation techniques for soil and water contamination.
He is a LEED AP, a RESNET certified HERS Rater, and a LEED-H Green Rater, consulting on energy efficiency and renewable energy systems for commercial and residential buildings. He has performed about 75 residential energy assessments and as a PE, certified commercial buildings for achieving Energy Star.
He presents workshops for the Illinois Solar Energy Association and serves on its Board of Trustees. He also teaches building energy systems for commercial & high-rise buildings at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago.
He has composted with a worm-bin for over twenty years, fuels his car with waste vegetable oil, has a solar energy system on his roof, and continues to improve the energy efficiency of his 100 year old Arts and Crafts style home in Oak Park as time and budget allow.
Susan Casey, Project Coordinator & Energy Technician
Susan has been working on issues related to energy and the environment for many years. Most recently, she researched green building performance for the Center for Neighborhood Technology. She received an MA in Geography & Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University where her thesis work focused on public opposition to wind energy. Susan has taught science for Chicago Public Schools and currently serves on the CPS Green Teams Task Force. Susan is also a Chicago Conservation Corps leader and co-chairs her community association's Green Committee. Susan is looking forward to helping people reduce their carbon footprints and save money by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Susan is currently preparing to take the RESNET rater exam to become a certified energy rater.
Travis Yutzy, Energy Technician
Travis has been working on and in houses for the past 10 years. He has been an Energy Technician with eZing since February 2009. Travis keeps up with the latest in the field by attending conferences, including the 2009 Affordable Comfort Institute national conference in Kansas City, Missouri, April 27-May 1; and the Better Buildings Better Business Conference in Wisconsin, March 5-6, 2009. When not working with eZing, Travis is creating quality, eco-conscious furniture and home renovations with the design firm Sharchitecture. Travis earned a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies; Sociology; and Art) from Goshen College. As a college internship, he served as site superintendent for the LEED-certified Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center in Wolf Lake, Indiana. Post-college, Travis interned at the Yestermorrow Design Build School in Waitsfield, Vermont. Travis is interested in helping people improve the quality of living in their homes and is working toward becoming a RESNET-certified Home Energy Rater.