Walter Yakabosky B.S., M.B.A.
Director of Training 

John S. & James L. Knight Green Jobs Training Center

A Message From The Director

The Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) has been operating as a non-profit organization for over 25 years helping residents and communities conserve energy and working toward a sustainable energy future. The work involved in weatherizing and retrofitting homes for energy efficiency requires a highly skilled and well-educated workforce. In 2009 through a large grant from the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, a challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation and countless donors, ECA began working to develop what is now the Green Jobs Training Center.

ECA is a State Certified Training Center for Weatherization by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and we were the first Building Performance Institute (BPI) affiliate in Pennsylvania. BPI is considered the “Gold Standard” for certifying Energy Auditors and Building Analysts. Through grants from the National Community Action Foundation/ExxonMobil, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the Conference of Mayors/Wal-Mart Foundation and the Department of Energy we are able to develop a rigorous curriculum for Weatherization and Retrofit as well as to develop the first Department of Labor approved apprenticeship program for Weatherization Installers and Technicians.

Our goal is to develop a continuum of training and education that begins in high school, moves students to State and National Certifications at ECA, transfer high school and certifications to Community Colleges to earn credit leading to academic certificates and associate degrees in Building Science and ultimately leading to a Bachelors degree in building science or energy efficiency related fields. In this rapidly evolving industry it is critical that currency in curricula with regards national standards and competencies be paramount. To this end ECA is committed to working with key partners in government, industry and academia to develop a highly skilled and academically credentialed workforce that will achieve the Mayor’s goal of making Philadelphia the “Greenest City in America."

Administrative Staff

 Scott Coleman

Assistant Director of Training

 Dawn Moody, Certified BPI BA Coordinator of Instruction

Lead Instructor, Weatherization and Retrofit Certification, PA Labor and Industry Auditor Certified

Sylwia S.  B.A., MSc, UPenn Fels Institute of Government
Coordinator of Grants and Contracts / Business Plan Development Specialist

Ashley James B.S.
 Coordinator of Business Development
BPI Certified

Sherleen Laboy
Intake Coordinator

Chantelle Nelson
Assistant to the Project Coordinator of the Instruction Department

Maria Lawrence

Outreach Coordinator

Tashea Young, Registration

ECA Instructional Staff

Monique Wells

PADLI Certified Weatherization Auditor & 

HVAC-R Licensed Instructor for Heating, Oil and Gas

Marco Ricca
Weatherization and Retrofit Certification,
PA Labor and Industry Weatherization Installer Certification,
Weatherization Instructor

Louis Febus
BASF Foam Installation Certification,
Health and Safety Consultant Certified Weatherization,
Safety, Foam Insulation and Cool Roof Coating Instructor

Chris Gill
Weatherization and Retrofit Certification,
PA Labor and Industry Weatherization Installer Certification Lab Technician

Clifton Boddie
Weatherization and Retrofit Certification, Lab Technician/Facilities Custodian

ECA Curriculum Development Team
 

David Tinley

M.A Urban Design,

Registered Architect, State of Pennsylvania and New Jersey Barch,

Subject Matter Expert

ECA 2010 Fellows

Matt Stern B.S., M.S. (Spring 2011)
University of Delaware
Curriculum Development

Dan Kasper B.S., M.S. Ph.D (ABD)
University of Delaware
Curriculum Development

Sylwia S.  B.A., MSc, Fels Institute of Government
University of Pennsylvania
Fels Institute of Government
Business Plan Development

Steve Kwizera
University of Pennsylvania
Videographer