• Skip to main content
  • Skip to site footer
Sustainable Design Consulting

Sustainable Design Consulting

  • Home
  • About
    • Approach
    • Core Values
    • Recognitions
    • Testimonials
    • Team
    • Careers
  • Services
    • Process Management
    • Technical Services
    • Sustainable Asset Management
    • Program Development
    • Trainings
  • Portfolio
    • Civic & Public Safety
    • Community & Cultural
    • Healthcare & Labs
    • Higher Educational
    • Hospitality & Retail
    • K-12 Educational
    • Multi-Unit Residential
    • Student Housing
    • Workplace & Interiors
    • Other Projects
  • News
  • Contact
  • 20-Year Anniversary
  • Home
  • About
    • Approach
    • Core Values
    • Recognitions
    • Testimonials
    • Team
    • Careers
  • Services
    • Process Management
    • Technical Services
    • Sustainable Asset Management
    • Program Development
    • Trainings
  • Portfolio
    • Civic & Public Safety
    • Community & Cultural
    • Healthcare & Labs
    • Higher Educational
    • Hospitality & Retail
    • K-12 Educational
    • Multi-Unit Residential
    • Student Housing
    • Workplace & Interiors
    • Other Projects
  • News
  • Contact
  • 20-Year Anniversary

Team

SDC’s award-winning team is comprised of design, construction, environmental, and business professionals specializing in commercial-scale sustainable building design, construction, operations, and maintenance. These experienced and credentialed professionals are regularly called upon to serve on green industry councils, speak at green building conferences, and author articles on the topic of sustainable design.

Sandra Leibowitz

AIA, LEED Fellow
Managing Principal
804-644-3880 ext. 1101
202-667-1620 ext. 1101

more

As Founder, Owner, and Managing Principal of SDC, Sandra draws from her decades of advanced experience in sustainable design projects and organizational programs to serve owners, architects, and builders with expert green building/ LEED consulting and process management. In addition to leading firm-wide initiatives and providing quality assurance for consulting activities in both of SDC’s offices, Sandra serves as a professional advocate for state and local green building policy. Email Sandra

Kara Strong

AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Associate, Consulting Services
202-667-1620 ext. 2101

more

Drawing from her years in architectural practice, Kara leads teams in the development of green educational facilities, institutional office buildings, and residential developments. Kara also oversees continuous improvement efforts for SDC’s consulting and training services and participates in selected internal management activities. Kara currently serves on Montgomery County’s Energy Group. Email Kara

Aidan Davis-Mercer

LEED AP BD+C
Research Assistant / Office Coordinator
202-667-1620 ext. 2105

more

Drawing from his degree in Building Science with a concentration in Architectural Technology and Design, Aidan provides a wide range of green building project and general office support for project managers and consultants in SDC’s Washington, DC location. Email Aidan

Andy Lee

LEED AP BD+C
Senior Project Manager
540-735-7470

more

Andy draws upon his experience leading teams of designers, owners, and contractors to meet their goals in sustainable design and construction. With SDC, Andy provides remote-process management for a range of green building projects, as well as external and internal training functions. Email Andy

Beth Violette

Project Consultant
401-286-1739

more

With an emphasis on multi-unit residential buildings and the Enterprise Green Communities rating system for affordable housing, Beth provides remote assistance to SDC’s Washington office Project Managers on various projects and consulting initiatives.  Email Beth

Brandon Bate

LEED Green Associate, HERS Associate

Senior Consultant, Building Performance
804-644-3880 ext. 1110

more

With a building industry background including product and service sales, team and project management, as well as utility analysis delivery, Brandon provides EarthCraft and various other green building project consulting and services from SDC’s Richmond office.  Email Brandon

Brendan Collier

EIT, LEED AP BD+C, SITES AP
Senior Consultant, Construction Administration
202-667-1620 ext. 2111

more

Brendan serves SDC’s Washington, DC office with green building technical consulting and project management on variety of design and construction project types. With a degree and experience in Civil Engineering, along with practical applications of green building concepts, he also specializes in the SITES rating system and services to contractor.  Email Brendan

Celeste Garrett headshot

Celeste Garrett

CPSM, LEED Green Associate
Senior Marketing Manager
804-644-3880 ext. 1104

more

Having focused on marketing and communications for the A/E/C industry throughout her career, Celeste manages SDC’s firm-wide marketing infrastructure, pursuits, strategies, and image. She is also active in and a past-President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, Virginia Chapter. Email Celeste

Danielle Waters headshot

Danielle Waters Dayao

CDT, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Consultant, Architecture and Specifications
202-667-1620 ext. 2107

more

Danielle applies her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Architecture and a minor in Sustainability, along with her extensive green building project team experience, to provide project-based consulting, specifications reviews, and daylight modeling for SDC’s Washington, DC office. Email Danielle

Daphne Arko-Dadzie headshot

Daphne Arko-Dadzie

Assoc. NOMA, LEED AP BD+C
Project Consultant
202-667-1620 ext. 2109

more

Daphne draws from her Master of Architecture degree and sustainability consulting experience to provide project-based support and life-cycle assessment for a variety of institutional new construction, renovation, and interior projects from SDC’s Washington office. Email Daphne

Evan Auld

LEED AP BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador
Project Manager
202-667-1620 ext. 2103

more

Evan integrates his residential, commercial, performance verification, and account management backgrounds into green building technical consulting and process management services on a variety of commercial-scale project types across the Mid-Atlantic Region. Email Evan

James Reinersten headshot

James Reinertsen

AIA, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, GGF
Senior Project Manager
651-353-5712

more

James draws upon his experience leading teams of designers, owners, and contractors to meet their goals in sustainable design. With SDC, James provides remote-process management for a range of green building projects, including educational and state government facilities. Email James

Katrina Kashinejad headshot

Katrina Kashinejad

CDT, PMP, LEED AP BD+C, ID+C
Project Consultant
804-644-3880 ext. 1105

more

Drawing from both her degree and experience in commercial construction management, Katrina provides green building technical and general project consulting, specifications and reviews for SDC’s Richmond, VA location.  Email Katrina

Luis Huertas headshot

Luis Huertas

AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, LFA
Project Director
804-644-3880 ext. 1108

more

Drawing from his years of architectural practice, Luis leads project teams for a variety of SDC’s Richmond, VA office’s commercial building types, with special expertise in Virginia state government capital projects. Holding Living Future Accreditation and as a native Spanish-speaker, he is active in Richmond-area and Caribbean sustainability and resiliency initiatives.  Email Luis

Maha Saeed

Assoc. AIA, LEED AP BD+C, LFA
Project Consultant
804-644-3880 ext. 1109

more

With an architectural degree and professional practice in both architectural and interior design, Maha serves project teams in SDC’s Richmond, VA location with green building consulting, daylight modeling, and climate risk assessments. Email Maha

Maria Paolini

LEED AP ID+C
Senior Project Manager
202-667-1620 ext. 2104

more

Maria combines her architectural and sustainability management studies with her extensive experience in green building project consulting in both the U.S. and Latin America to provide whole-building, commercial interiors, and corporate sustainability services to clients throughout the DC-area and beyond. Email Maria

Pamela Jones

Senior Accounting and IT Manager
804-644-3880 ext. 1107

more

Pamela manages the multiple facets of SDC’s accounts receivable, accounts payable, project costing, financial reporting, cyber-security, and information technology infrastructure from the company’s main office in Richmond, VA. Email Pamela

Susan Shibut

LEED Green Associate
Research Assistant / Office Coordinator
804-644-3880 ext. 1103

more

Drawing from her background in marketing, graphic and exhibit design, and general office administration, Susan provides SDC’s Richmond, VA office with a support for a wide range of company personnel and functions. Email Susan

Tammy headshot

Tamara Rykal

CEM, LEED AP O+M
Senior Consultant, Energy Engineering
804-644-3880 ext. 1102

more

Combining her educational background in Environmental Science and Systems Engineering with years of professional and organizational consulting and an emphasis on existing building operations and maintenance, Tamara provides green building and energy efficiency technical consulting and project management for SDC’s Richmond office.  Email Tamara

Main Office

1421 Lombardy Alley, 1st Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
P 804-644-3880
F 804-644-3881

DC Area Office

1432 K Street NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20005 
P 202-667-1620
F 202-667-1622

Connect with Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

© 2026 · Sustainable Design Consulting, LLC · All Rights Reserved