MEET THE STAFF

CHERI HOLMAN, LEED AP

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cheri (she/her) is a LEED Accredited Professional with extensive experience and a genuine passion for energy & water conservation. Other areas of interest include indoor environmental quality, clean/renewable energy, access to healthy food and all things related to educating and promoting a healthy built environment.Prior to her work in non-profit Cheri spent most of her career consulting & partnering with private sector corporations to reduce resource consumption within their facilities through the implementation of energy conservation technologies and improved operational practices. [su_spacer]

Mrs. Holman is Past Chair of USGBC West Michigan Board of Directors after serving as Treasurer for 2 years. In early 2008 Cheri founded the LEED for Existing Building Advocacy Group. She served as a subject matter expert for the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) LEED for EB Operations and Maintenance test development in 2008 and the Commercial Reviewer exam test development in 2009. In 2010 & 2011 Cheri served as a Greenbuild conference session reviewer.

WENDY BERG, LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE

EVENT & MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Wendy (she/her) coordinates our event planning, membership management, tracking & planning program impact and community engagement, as well as sharing in the development of all programs. Wendy is most passionate about mitigating climate change, reducing energy consumption, and environmental conservation.

Wendy comes to USGBC-WM with fifteen years of account management, event planning, volunteer training, and administrative experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors with a focus on the education environment. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Resource Management and Environmental Studies.

Wendy spent her childhood days on the shores of Lake Superior and is a Yooper at heart. In here spare time she likes to keep active. She has been a long distance runner since middle school, is a certified advanced NAUII scuba diver, practices hot yoga, and loves to spend time exploring nature and traveling.

KAYLA SNYDER, LFA, EMIT

PROGRAM MANAGER

Kayla (she/her) is the lead for our programs where she focuses on data management, educational events, and assisting local organizations with energy efficiency initiatives. Before joining USGBC, Kayla performed energy audits, led internal educational sessions to bridge MEP design with energy efficiency, and collaborated with design engineers on reducing energy loads. She also has 4 years of experience in the brewing industry where she created her own sustainability internship tracking KPIs and implementing waste reduction strategies.

She completed her associate degree at GRCC before transferring to the University of Michigan and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Environmental Studies. Currently, Kayla is wrapping up her Living Futures Accreditation. She is passionate about equitable, energy efficient, and ecologically conscious buildings. In her free time, Kayla enjoys running, gardening, spending time with family, and working on creative projects.

ALLY BESHOURI

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Ally (she/her) is our Communications Manager. She is in charge of working on our weekly newsletter, social media presence, website updating, blog, and more! Directly prior to this role she spent five months with us as our Website and Usability Intern. She is a graduate of Michigan State University where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and her Bachelor's Degree in Comparative Cultures and Politics. She is passionate about combining her skills and love of design with environmental advocacy, as well as learning new ways to better the environment in her daily life.

In her free time she is an avid gardener, bike packer, and Great Lakes visitor. Though on a regular day she can be found spending most of her time with her two cats or taking care of her many houseplants.