CEC Staff

Dave Davis

CEO/Executive Director
805-963-0583 Ext. 103
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Dave Davis is the CEO/Executive Director and a board member of the Community Environmental Council (CEC). Dave currently serves as the Chair of the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District Board of Directors, the provider of regional transit services to the Santa Barbara South Coast and a national leader in the electric bus technology. Dave also serves on the boards of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and the Santa Barbara Built Green Advisory Council.

Dave served as the City of Santa Barbara's Community Development Director and City Planner for almost 25 years before retiring from public service. He has also taught planning and environmental studies at UCLA and Moorpark College. Dave has received numerous awards, including national recognition for planning innovation from the National League of Cities, social advocacy from the American Planning Association, and lifetime achievement from the American Institute of Architects. He has been named "Planner of the Year" by the Santa Barbara Citizen's Planning Association as well as "Citizen of the Year" by the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization. Dave has been recognized for distinction by the Pacific Coast Business Times in "Who's Who in Clean Tech and Sustainability."

Dave received his B.A. and M.A. in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Sigrid Wright

Assistant Director
805-963-0583 Ext. 109
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Sigrid Wright has 20 years of experience in non-profit environmental management, and has been with the Community Environmental Council since 1995. She oversees CEC’s public outreach and fundraising teams -- managing events, electronic media, marketing, and publications. She leads the annual Earth Day Festival production team and is program facilitator for the South County Energy Efficiency Partnership (SCEEP). She is also co-author of CEC’s Regional Energy Blueprint and editor of more than a dozen CEC policy documents, including those that address liquefied natural gas, solar energy, and waste-to-energy technologies.

Sigrid holds a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Oregon and an M.A. in Communications Design from the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts at the University of Baltimore. Prior to coming to CEC, she worked for several organizations in Washington, D.C., including the Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation. She is an alum of the Santa Barbara Foundation’s Katherine Harvey Fellows program and the Courage to Lead program for non-profit leaders.

She is an avid reader, enjoys hiking and wishes she could spend more time outdoors.

Megan Birney

Energy Manager
805-963-0583 Ext. 107
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Megan Birney is responsible for renewable energy advocacy, education and community initiatives. She splits her time between providing information to residential and business owners who want to invest in renewable energy, and supporting responsible development of large and medium scale projects. She comments on environmental impact reports, builds stakeholder coalitions to gather input and data regarding current projects and shares information with the general public.

Megan also serves on the Steering Committee for the local Green Business Program and is the point person helping local governments address climate change and greenhouse gas emissions through their general planning processes.

Megan graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in Public Policy, focusing on Environmental Policy. Prior to graduate school, Megan worked in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian's Office of Policy and Analysis and received her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego. Megan currently teaches an extended learning course on energy sources, uses and issues through UCSB Extension’s Green Building Certificate Program.

Brina Carey

Online Marketing Coordinator
805-963-0583 Ext. 116
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Brina Carey manages CEC’s online marketing, particularly ensuring the success of web, email and social media marketing efforts. She manages the CEC’s online presence with updates on the activities of the CEC, local action alerts, as well as news related to the core mission or the organization.

Brina earned a B.S. in Recreation Administration at SDSU. Prior to joining the CEC team, Brina worked for California State Parks doing field biology, natural and cultural resource interpretation, and environmental analysis. Most currently, she was the head guide and site manager for a kayaking outfitter on Santa Cruz Island. Brina has a passion for teaching the public about the natural world and ways to conserve and protect it.

In her free time, Brina enjoys trail running, surfing, camping, and writing. She'd love it if you signed up for email alerts and connected with CEC on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

Michael Chiacos

Transportation Manager
805-963-0583 Ext. 110
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Michael Chiacos leads CEC’s transportation program, where he focuses on encouraging alternative transportation and a transition to more fuel efficient and alternative fueled vehicles.  He is the principal author of CEC’s Transportation Energy Plan, a comprehensive look at the various technologies, strategies, policies, modes and other options for reducing fossil fuel use in the transportation sector.  He also manages grants from the California Air Resources Board and the EPA to bring more alternative fueling stations and plug-in hybrids to our region.

Michael is a member of the Measure A Citizens Oversight Committee, which oversees $1.5 billion in transportation spending, as well as the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District's Community Advisory Council. He also serves as the Transportation Chair of the Los Padres chapter of the Sierra Club, is on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, and makes his own biodiesel from local restaurants' waste vegetable oil with the Santa Barbara Biodiesel Co-op.

Michael previously worked at the Climate Trust, a major funder of energy reduction and carbon offset projects.  A native of Santa Barbara, Michael received his B.A. with Honors in Environmental Studies from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Eileen Daley

Accounting Specialist
805-963-0583 Ext. 117
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Eileen Daley has been an integral part of the CEC since 2001. She brought with her a varied business background, including everything from assisting with large studio photographic productions for 10 years to developing mail order systems for new health product suppliers. Eileen has called Santa Barbara home for over 25 years now, but took time away to ride her bike across the United States! Eileen is car-free and rides her bike to work every day.

Kathi King

Donor Relations Manager
805-963-0583 Ext. 108
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Kathi King is the development activities manager at CEC and plays a key role in organizing CEC’s Green Gala and other events.  Kathi is behind CEC's Rethink the Drink bottled water reduction program in area schools. She is also a founding partner in Where’s Your Bag, a City of Santa Barbara education program designed to encourage consumers to bring their own bags when they shop.

Kathi has a B.S. degree in Telecommunications and Film which she used while working in the television industry in Los Angeles for several years. She expanded her knowledge base by taking Environmental Studies classes at SBCC.  She has lived in Santa Barbara for thirteen years with her husband, Jeff, and their two children. As a full-time parent for many years before joining the CEC, she was an active volunteer in the local community.

Solarize Program Coordinator
805-963-0583 Ext. 105
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Jefferson joined the Community Environmental Council in 2012 to coordinate CEC’s Solarize Programs. Prior to Joining the CEC, Jefferson worked at a local wind energy development firm and at a local non-profit specializing in energy issues surrounding the transportation sector. Jefferson is also a former board-member of the Central Coast American Planning Association (APA) chapter.

Jefferson holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and Management with a specialization in Energy and Climate from the Bren School at UCSB. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies from Tufts University.

As Solarize Program coordinator, Jefferson directs the program’s marketing campaign and acts as first point of contact for community members who participate in the program. Jefferson’s other responsibilities include overseeing the distribution of leads, ensuring consumer satisfaction, and reviewing and revising the program as needed.